5 Minute Weekend Freewrite - 9/15/2018

Here I go with my overdue task for this Weekend Freewrite.

He was anxious for everyone to go to bed. He washed his hands and cleaned his knife.
Samuel had been wanting to go for this hunting trip since he first heard that the prize money was USD 10 million. He could really use the money now more than ever especially since he got fired from his job two weeks ago. Sandy, his wife had already started to take on a double shift at the hospital which she worked as a cleaner and there is only so much she can do. With her minimal wages, there was no way they could pay for the weekly utility bills what more the tutorial fees for their children, Mike and Sophia.

Samuel was tired of sitting around and checking the HIRING page on the papers daily. There wasn't much work available for an uneducated man like him. No one would hire him, not even the local factory out of town. They all wanted man who were younger, stronger & certainly more educated than him.

This was his chance to stand back on his feet. He had convinced his buddies, Carl & Victor to join him alongside his crusade. Assuring them that it would be an equal share if they caught the mermaid. Carl has a fishing boat and with the skills all three of them have, this should not be a challenge.

I was unsure of her motivation for changing that pattern, that was the first thing that came to Samuel's mind when he saw Sophia walking down the steps heading to the kitchen. She should be sound asleep by now, afterall it's already 1AM. She's never awake at this time of the night. What triggered her to wake up ?

Sophia.. Why are you awake ?
"I'm hungry, Daddy", she replied.

Samuel felt his whole world crumbled down on him. He had never felt so small, knowing that he could not even feed his children well. The one decent thing he could have done is the keep his family safe and well fed. He held on to Sophia and took what leftovers of cookies there was in the jar and gave it to her with a glass of milk.

After that, Samuel brought Sophia back right up to bed & tuck her in, not before kissing her good night & wishing her pleasant dreams. Tears of sadness started to flow down and he silently left Sophia's room. Stopping for a moment outside his bedroom, he saw movements of Sandy's chest through the thin sheets. He could hear her soft breathing and remembered the first day he saw her. She was as beautiful as she was that fine morning 16 years ago.

Are you sick, asked Carl when Samuel approached him at the dock.

We can call this off if you want to. It's far too huge a risk for only 3 of us to catch ONE MERMAID.
No! We've got to do this. For our families, we've got to at least try.

As they got onto the boat & started the engine for their expedition, Samuel prayed for their survival & victory. If there was anyone to be able to catch this mermaid, it would be them. No one knew these waters better than them. They have been fishing here since they were little children, following their dads on their daily trips.

The air was cool & the waters were calm. Everything was on their side. Nothing could go wrong EXCEPT for the bright lights coming from the ocean followed by a loud sound of police siren. But, it didn't really sound like a police siren, instead it sounded more like a fishing boat siren.

Samuel was worried. Had there been another fishing boat who had gone out for the mermaid ? Did they catch it ? Was there no hope for him and his family ?

Opps.. Have to end my story abruptly as the timer on my clock already started to ring seconds ago. Perhaps to be continued on another prompt. Till Then..