Day 26: Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface
by
Matt Zurbo

(This is a book for the artist, and imagination. No words at all.) 

Opening image of Boy and Dad (overweight, decked out in fishing gear) carrying small two-man tinnie (fishing boat) across sand of small, Italian-looking fishing village beach, to the water’s edge.

Dad fishing on perfectly still, glassy water. Back to Boy, who has hand on chin, bored out of his brain.

Boy, startled, sees tip of tentacle, just poking out of water, as if beckoning him. Father, fishing, plumber’s crack showing, does not notice.

Boy dips head into water.

Head in water, boy sees the ocean floor is a blanket of crabs. Two giant ones are fighting in the distance, with mermen and mermaids either side.

Boy pulls wet head out of water, looks startled. Everything is flat and boring.

Boy puts head back underwater. Three hammerheads, ridden by skeletons as passing under the boat.

Looks other way, sees a dozen deep sea divers, with their round helmets on fighting through a sea of jellyfish.

Boy looks behind him. There is an enormous giant squid with one HUGE eye that’s been watching him the whole time. The squid has a shark tooth lodged in corner of the eye.

Boy leaps up in air, wet head, terrified, startling Dad, while pointing to water.

Dad and Boy looking underwater. Nothing but sand and kelp, one or two minnows.  

Dad scratching his plumber’s crack, while boy, animated, gestures as if talking about a HUGE fish.

Dad has returned to sitting, fishing, back to Boy. Boy, head underwater, pulling hard at tooth in squid’s eye.

Tooth free, Boy falling back, squid letting off a cloud of ink and shooting off from approaching killer whale.

Nose tip and top teeth of killer whale poking out of water, waiting for boy to fall into mouth. Boy, eyes wide with terror, looking at teeth, does not realise he is climbing the rope ladder of a pirate ship.

Boy, staring at advancing pirates, does not realise he is falling off boat railing.

Boy, caught up in school of flying fish.

Boy, tossed through the air by sea eagles attacking/eating flying fish.

Boy in water, on back of bearded merman, both startled, as they look at each other.

Boy and merman in front of enormous sea dragon, opening its mouth.

Same giant squid from earlier, grabbing boy by ankle, who is holding merman in turn, pulling him free of dragon bite.

Boy, eyes shut, releasing merman, who tumbles through water.

Merman stops in front of mermaid, two or three of their merkids about them. Behind them, giant squid is fighting dragon.

Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, big beard, triton, green skin, enormous, is standing between squid and dragon, holding his hands in stop gestures.

Boy on back of squid, rising, with an escort/surrounded by, dozens of stingrays and swordfish.

Squid tentacle holding boy out of water, while seagulls flap wing, drying him, drops of water blowing off.

Squid tentacle, watched by squid eye just poking out from water, putting dry Boy back on boat, Dad, back still turned, scratching plumber’s crack.

Dad proudly holding up tiny fish he has caught to Boy. Behind him there are dark clouds gathering, a bit of distant lightening.

Panorama image of Dad and Boy heading across glassy water towards shore, as, behind them, a mighty sea storm is blowing in, with dark rain and lightening. Under the water are white silhouettes of some of the main characters from the story, including squid and killer whale either side of merman and mermaid holding hands.

Dad and Boy, in reverse image from start, walking boat back up beach. Boy, holding the rear end, is looking back at water, which has the tip of many of the characters from the book poking out (fins, claw tips, top of dragons head, etc…), or their eyes watching him. Maybe one of the pirates hiding/watching from behind a beckon, too.

The End.