“Death at Sea”

a radio drama

- Robert Chauncey

Randolph: (Sounds: water lapping on wood, creaking wood, the occasional sea gull call. Static will also interrupt Randolph on several occasions. He speaks quickly and is very jumpy. He’s scared and nervous. He will often stop to take deep breaths) Hello...(static). Hello...(static). Can anyone hear me? (static) Please God let someone be listening. Someone answer me! (static) Hello...is anyone out there? Answer me...(static) Please someone answer...(static and pause) Answer me damn it. (pause). Is anyone out there? Please I can’t be the only one out here. Someone has to help me. (pause) I don’t know if anyone can hear me, but I need help. I’m at...(pause) I’m at...(pause) God, where the hell am I? I’ve been drifting for hours. I could be any where. I can’t see anything around. Not a boat or plane. No land around either. Just water. The damn Atlantic is in every direction. I can see for miles...and there’s nothing. Nothing but water. (static) I’m all alone out here. I wasn’t like that at first. I had three friends out here with me...but their dead now. Oh God, it has to be going on three hours now since Mike died. He was the last of them to go. Now there is only me. (static) We were just on vacation. Me, Mike, Bryan, and, of course, Carla. Oh God, she was beautiful. I loved her, but she and Bryan were engaged. He knew how I felt, but he still asked her to marry him. I think I hated him for that. I can still see her face as it attacked. There was a flash of fear, then of utter terror, then she must have past out... or died. I watched her as it drug her on the surface, then plunged for the depth of the ocean, taking her with it. I never will see her again. (static) Can anyone hear me? (static) Please answer me. (pause) Anyone...anyone at all? (pause). Nothing. The boat is sinking. It won’t last much longer. An hour maybe two? Even less if that thing decides to attack it again. I haven’t seen it since Mike was attacked, but I know it is still out here. Waiting...(static) All we wanted to do was to get away from work for a weekend. A little rest and relaxing in the sun. It was Bryan’s idea to rent a boat. So this is all his fault. Yes that’s it. He planned this. He knew it was out here. (loud splash in the distance) What was that? I know it’s that thing. It’s coming back to get me. To finish off the last of us. (pause) No. That wasn’t it. I can see what it was. A pelican. It got itself a fish. What’s it doing out here all alone. Must have gotten lost or something. It must be lonely. I know how it feels. (static) Wait...don’t fly away. Please I don’t want to be left all alone out here again. (pause) It’s gone. (static) It attacked two hours out to sea. Out of nowhere it came. Punching a hole in out bottom. Nothing major. Only a little water came in. We began the pumping, thinking that it must have been an accident. It was no accident. (static) We stopped the engines to do the repair work, and that is when it hit us again. Hitting the propellers. Biting both of them so hard as to weld them together. We were stuck out there drifting. Bryan went to call for help, but it attacked for the third time. Hitting the side of the boat so hard that Bryan flew overboard. When he hit the water, the wind was knocked from him. He was struggling to stay afloat. The thing went straight for him. It opened it’s mouth and closed it around Bryan’s side. The water turned red from Bryan’s blood, as the thing dragged him away. Carla reached out with her hand, when the thing finally went under. I think she was hoping that it was all just a dream. I think maybe we are were. (static) But it was no dream. Mike took charge. He had to. Carla was shaking, unable to do anything but cry and scream, and me...well I couldn’t do anything. Mike grabbed an oar and turned us in the direction, he thought was home. Then he remembered the radio. He went for it, hoping to get us some help. He never reached it. I knew she was going to do it, but I didn’t try to stop her. She got to her feet and jumped into the water. She started to swim away from the boat. (static) He must have heard her splash because he came away from the radio, and without thinking, he dived into the water after her. I stood and watched. I knew they were about to die. (static) Is anyone listening? Anyone at all? (static) Damn it, someone please answer me. (pause) I saw it in the distance. It was fast. Too fast. It went for Carla first. I didn’t want to watch, but I did. I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the scene. (static and then a pause) Oh God, it took her. I heard her scream once. It is embedded in my mind for the rest of my life...(pause) How ever long that is? Mike knew he couldn’t help her anymore. He turned back toward the boat, and began swimming toward it. I could have reached out to help him, but I was paralyzed with terror. I couldn’t see it. Then I heard Mike scream, as bubbles began forming all around him. Something was coming underneath him...and fast. He tried to swim faster, but he wasn’t fast enough. (static) Nothing would have been. The thing closed it’s jaws around Mike as it rose from the water. I pray that Mike was killed instantly, but I fear he wasn’t. (pause) More than half of it was out of the water now. It was huge. The size of the boat, if not longer. I backed away from it, crouching down in the corner of the boat. (static) Where it wouldn’t get me? (pause) I heard it as it returned to the water. The splash soaked me in salt water. I haven’t heard it since...(pause)but I know it’s out there. I just know it. Waiting. Just waiting. (static) Come on, damn it, show yourself. Make your move. Get it over with. (static) Oh God, it’s coming this way. Somebody...anybody help me. (static) It’s heading straight for the boat. (static) Help me! Oh God, help me! (static) Oh my God...it’s coming - (long static)

End