Long Ago Due East

Written for a contest - what can I say? It's ultra-flash fiction.

Andrew stood on the prow of his fishing boat, facing the wind, scouring the lake for the tell-tale signs of a shoal: the presence of egrets or herons, a slight darkening of the water, perhaps a fuzz of insects and slight whitecaps as the fish leap to feast on the bounty. Of course, the whitecaps might indicate a shifting sandbank just below the surface, but any skipper worth their salt would know the difference.

Shifting his gaze south, Andrew saw the flagrant red sail of Babarosa, the pirate fisherman of Galilee. His boat was faster, his nets were bigger, and whenever a fishing boat found a shoal, he would be there in a flash and Shanghai the catch.

Andrew looked forward and spotted a sight disturbance in the lake and, before they reached it, called to his crew, "Haul down the sail and cast the nets!"

Looking back south, Andrew saw Babarosa turn, heading straight for them. Getting ever closer, Babarosa's boat set out its nets on long booms, then came to shuddering halt as it ploughed into a sandbank and they were stuck. Using the booms as punts would free them perhaps, but it would take some sweat and time.

Meanwhile, Andrew called to his crew, "Bring in the nets, haul up the sail, rudder due east!" And his boat sailed into deeper waters, undisturbed upon the fishing grounds.