Prompt 2 - Summer Drama (A Summer Gone Wrong)
username; ABeardedDragon
Alduin1051/1500 words
"A what?" Alduin repeated down the phone.
"A croc," replied the voice on the other end. Silence.
"How big would ya say it is?" he asked.
"Maybe five feet," they replied.
"Right," he said slowly before taking in a deep breath with wide eyes.
"You good?" they asked.
"Yep," Alduin rubbed his head, "I'll be there in two hours."
While he was certainly skilled in removing 'problem' reptiles from houses and public spaces, a crocodile was a whole new level. At this time of year he was busy with complaints, usually a large snake or a lizard. That was all he expected when the phone rang. For half an hour Alduin rummaged through every single cabinet, shelf and box he could find. He found nothing specifically made for the job. From the kitchen, he pulled a plain black rag from the pile of spares in the wicker basket. The viscet took his longest snake hook, shimmering silver with a plastic black handle that was falling apart at the bottom. As he went to leave, he saw the phone by the door and stared at it. The screen lit the dim room as he typed in that one familiar number. He hovered over the call button, slowly looking over the framed pictures of him and his brother. Alduin shook a head with a wavering smile.
"I'll be fine," he whispered to himself, though he couldn't convince himself this was true. After locking the door, he made his way to the old pickup truck. In the back was some thick rope ready to go, slightly worn but it would do. He placed his hook and rag in the back. His brown coat already glistened in the blistering sun. The inside of the truck was a furnace, the dark leather seats scorched him. Alduin started the engine up, quickly turned on the air conditioning and rolled the windows down but it was hardly any cooler.
He could hardly hear the crunching gravel as he pulled up, his heart was beating too hard in his chest. It felt like his heart would burst, explode, at any moment. His ears were ringing. The world seemed to spin around him. He knocked. Everything faded. Blurred.
"Good day mate," said the black viscet who stood in the door.
"Oh!" he jumped as he came back to reality, "good day."
"Come in," they waved their arms and turned. Alduin followed and his hands squeezed the equipment he held.
"So this croc," he started.
"Over there," they faced the sliding doors together. Outside was a well-kept garden, a pool in the centre and a hulking crocodile by the side. The chain link fence had a hole, which must have been where it slipped in. A hard lump formed in Alduin's throat that he just couldn't swallow.
"So," he tried again.
"Good luck," the viscet said as he rushed Alduin out of the back door. The brown viscet looked back through the glass to see the shadowy figure watching; a smile and wave that seemed sinister yet they had nothing but kind intentions. For a few moments, Alduin felt himself burn inside as he bit his lips.
Go ahead and throw me out here then, he thought,
don't bother giving me any help. His hostile thoughts quickly faded as he heard the bulky weight of a beast being dragged behind him. The monster was covered in thick scales and heavily scarred. With a deep breathe he made his way over. The crocodile was quick to hiss and bare its rows of teeth. They stepped and shifted around each other slowly, almost like a dance. A deadly one at that. Once the crocodile charged him, only just managing to move out of the way. Alduin took his chance and grasped the thick tail. What he didn't expect, however, was to have gaping jaws swing back around, aimed straight at his face. Alduin jumped. Screamed.
He held his snake hook out. It twisted as the crocodile bit down and rolled with it. Every muscle in the viscet's arm was on fire as he tried to hold on. Until he couldn't. The bent hook lay on the floor as the crocodile hissed louder, shaking its wide head. Alduin stepped back as the beast came closer, stopping with a whip of its tail. He slowly leaned down to take the thick rope and black rag. His brown eyes never looked away. He made his way back, walking around the side of the croc. Alduin could hear himself panting, his heart thumping, felt himself drip in sweat. With a deep breath he reached out. He grabbed the monster's tail. It quickly span around. Alduin followed the tail. Clambered onto its thrashing back. As he reached the shoulders, he felt the crocodile ready to start a death roll. The viscet closed his eyes and pressed his weight into the beast. His arms and legs squeezed its limbs into its sides. Fought as hard as he could. Still. That was all he felt. It didn't move. But it hissed loudly. Alduin quickly scrambled to throw the rag over its eyes and tie the rope around the top jaw, slipping his hand out before it could deliver a crushing blow. Pressed down on its snout. For a while he didn't dare breathe. He simply clinged on to the beast. As he felt himself calm, he let go of it and swiftly jumped to his feet.
Alduin managed to nudge the croc along a short distance. He couldn't do this. So he waved at the black viscet who stood watching, they came out hesitantly.
"Help me lift it," he said.
"I," they started, quickly stopping.
"Once in a lifetime thing," Alduin smiled. He took the front half of the body while the other viscet took the back half. They slowly walked the reptile through the house. It thrashed its tail a few times, knocking things off of shelves and even shattering a vase. With their last bit of strength, the pair managed to lift the beast into the back of the truck. Alduin quickly tied the ropes to the sides of the truck, with some extra rope to secure the limbs. With that, he said his goodbyes and began his journey to the coast, where he would release the beauty.