《My Final Depature》 All for Some Fish ¡°Alright, supplies are loaded,¡± a dock worker said as he tapped my boat, ¡°We¡¯ve also fuelled ¡®er up so¡­ I expect you¡¯ll be payin¡¯ us, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, Kenneth, you¡¯ll get your damned money once I get back to port,¡± I grumbled, ¡°For now, just be glad I¡¯m still transporting your goods.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Kenneth laughed, ¡°Just promise to have safe trip then,¡± He then gave me a half-hearted salute before climbing into his forklift. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Turning the key to my boat, I listened as the engine groaned to life. However, it, like usual, almost immediately died with a distinct fizzling sound. This boat wasn¡¯t long for this world quite clearly, but there was no other boat that could make it to a from the port I lived in. Bigger ships with more powerful engines would hit the icebergs while smaller faster ships would run out of fuel. Turning the key again, the engine burst to life without a groan ¡°Good girl,¡± I said to the air and, after finishing my coffee, I gently pressed down on the accelerator setting sail for the distant storm snow on the horizon. This was an every week trip for me just as it had been for my father. All for some fish. A Colder Winter ¡°Good to see ya again Smith,¡± Kenneth said as I tied my boat to the dock, ¡°We thought you¡¯d never be coming back.¡± ¡°This boat¡¯s built to last Kenneth,¡± I said while attempting a false smile of confidence. ¡°A colder winter compared to usual isn¡¯t going to stop me from getting paid.¡± ¡°Yeah, well¡­ About that Smith¡­¡± Kenneth said with a sigh, ¡°You best be getting back as quick as you can. People ¡®ave been sayin¡¯ that the icebergs are getting big enough to form a wall.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Listen Kenneth, this boat will still be doing its duty even if the world ends¡­ And I have nothing else I can do with my skillset. So, we¡¯re both locked into this job for eternity.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Kenneth said with a false smile, ¡°Anyway, ship¡¯s ready to go so¡­ I¡¯ll see you next week if you make it.¡± ¡°Awe, I didn¡¯t know you cared,¡± I laughed, ¡°But uhm¡­ Thank you.¡± Harshly putting my foot on the accelerator, I set sail for nearby snowstorm. The clouds around the storm were darker than usual. But I continue on like I always have. Suppose I Do ¡°Holy hell Smith, how¡¯d you make it?¡± Kenneth shouted in a mix of desperation and excitement, ¡°We all thought you died.¡± ¡°Well, I made it, just like I said¡± I said while attempting to tie my boat to the dock, ¡°Jesus, it¡¯s windy.¡± I repeated the knot over and over again, but the wind just blew the rope right of my hands. ¡°Careful there Smith, we don¡¯t want you falling in the sea now,¡± another docker worker shouted. ¡°Ah whatever, it¡¯s just a quick stop anyway,¡± I thought to myself. Looking up, I was mildly stunned at how dark it was at the port. I¡¯d never even seen the streetlights on my previous trips and here they were lighting the place up in a warm orange glow. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Here¡¯s the fish,¡± Kenneth said as he limped over with the usual crate. He looked quite downtrodden compared to how he used to be. But alas, it has been years. ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said I grabbed it from his hands, ¡°I need the exercise anyway. And you sure look like you need a break.¡± ¡°Suppose I do, yeah¡­¡± he said with a mild laugh, ¡°Anyway, good luck with your journey, I can¡¯t see you off. Got another job and I¡¯m already late for it.¡± Pressing as hard as I could on the accelerator, my ship barely moved. ¡°Damn ship. I can¡¯t have you dying now,¡± I shouted to the air while turning a random valve, ¡°Nope, what a surprise.¡± Finally though, I flicked a switch marked ¡°cabin lights¡± and the engine suddenly whirred back into life. I then set sail in my usual direction with the storm now all around me. The Coldest Winter of All ¡°H-hey!¡± a nearby port worker shouted, ¡°Is that you Smith?!¡± ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I said with a shiver, ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in a month or so though! We thought you¡¯d cancelled¡± ¡°Is that so, eh?¡± I said in annoyance, ¡°And¡­ And where¡¯s Kenneth?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in hospital,¡± the worker said with a headshake, ¡°His arthritis got the better of him¡­ That and hyperthermia¡± ¡°You loaded my ship? I asked. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Great, then I¡¯m off, I can¡¯t stand this blasted place¡± Pressing down on the wooden plank that used to be an accelerator, I set sail into the darkness all around. The ship still performed its duty though; carving a line through what was now ice. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Here we go. Maybe one more time after this? It¡¯s getting too much. With a loud sigh, I turned off the last switch on my dashboard. Now there¡¯s no more radio. But I need to keep this engine alive, even if it¡¯s just to get back. But, through the silence of the frozen sea, I hear a noise. A terrible, terrible noise. A hiss. A terrible, terrible hiss. Looking out from my cabin, I look around the silent ice sheets to see an endless white stretching before me. Well, more like stretching until the darkness I mean. However, looking above I see it. A glowing light travelling at some speed like a comet. Quickly running into my cabin, I grab my binoculars while fumbling to get the caps off. Then, I aim them toward the bright light. It was no comet. A comet brings a sort of strange hope to people. This object on the other hand, destroys hope. Indeed, it was a large missile of sorts. On it, it appeared to have the words ¡°The Last Flower¡± written on it along with an orange rose. And, as I sat in my chair in a frozen waste land, I watched a large orange glow envelope the horizon as a toxic mushroom rose into the atmosphere. This will be the coldest winter of all.