"Oyster"

"I tell ya, it' weren't natural."
The old boat captain shuddered beneath the blanket, dripping onto the back of the ambulance. I could tell from the sheer look of horror that still clung to his grizzled sea-aged face that what he'd been through was beyond anything I could imagine. We'd found him, clinging to a few loose boards-the only remnants of his once proud ship, the Madame Faye.
"I was haulin in my nets out by Carpenter's reef, when i seen it, starin at me. It was sittin on top'a th waters. Thought it was an otter at first, they';s common in these parts. But the sun caught it just right and I seen it for how it was."
His trembling hands clutched the cup of coffee for dear life, eyes locked in a faraway stare as if he couldn't even see the world anymore.
"Thas when i seen it crack that oyster. Didn't think nothin of it till then...it just snapped the shell with one'a those hands...those hands..."
He'd managed to stay somewhat coherent until then, but I could tell he was rapidly slipping. Poor old fella. All those years on the waters must have finally gotten to him. I walked off, heading to inspect the wreckage, when his hand reached out, the security cup of coffee he gripped so tight hitting the ground, spilling on the wet asphalt and he caught hold of my jacket, his eyes wild with an unnatural fear.
"They weren't no otters..."

I decided that it was worth a look, if nothing else to find out what had destroyed his boat. My first thought was that he'd just hit the reef as he was coming in, the dusk playing tricks on his weathered eyes. I took out a small rowboat to where we'd found him. There were still remnants of Madame Faye floating in the area. We wouldn't be able to really clean it until the morning. I ran my searchlight out over the waters stopping on each piece trying to find some signs that it may have been something besides the reef that brought her down before the tides washed the evidence out to the ocean.
I'd been out there for just over an hour and was getting ready to head in. So far I'd found nothing out of the ordinary, and was just about to write it off as another accident, when i saw it.

I can see how he'd mistake the thing for an otter. The size was about right, and the fur was a deep brown. It dove under the water before i could get a good look. I scanned my light over the waters, catching sight of it a few times. It seemed to be circling the boat, swimming laps, getting closer each time it came around. Each time i caught it in the light, it dove before I could get a really good look. I did notice small ridges along it's back, spines like a fin of some kind. Suddenly, the boat rocked, lurching to the left, nearly knocking me over and causing me to drop my light.
I scrambled to retrieve it, the bright beam moving wildly .
The boat was now rocking, as if the sea had suddenly come alive with a deep-rooted anger. I finally managed to take hold of the light, and focused it , holding onto the boat tightly.

That's when i saw it, perched on the edge of the boat, it's eyes burning deep with rage...