Jake's eyes widened slightly as the cracked, smiling mask continued to stare at him.
'…What the hell is this?'
The longer he looked, the more wrong it felt.
This wasn't like any sea beast he had heard of or encountered before.
There was no thick hide, no natural beastly form… only that long, dark extension rising from the black water and the disturbing human-like mask at its peak.
His gaze followed the elongated neck-like body stretching down toward the dark sea below as he realized something.
'No wonder I couldn't see anything under the door… so it was floating from the sea the entire time…'
But then another thought struck him.
'…But how did it make footsteps?'
As if responding to his confusion, the creature began to move.
The long form leaned forward and pressed against the side of the ship.
Those limp, human-like limbs suddenly stiffened and braced against the deck.
Then—
Step.
Step.
Step.
