The Boat Broke Against The Back Of It, The Plague Of The Oceans, The Artificial Animal That Haunted The Waters Before Life Left The Sea.

A small black and grey cat, the boy's own since he was born, dropped out of his hands. The last thing he thought, watching it go down, helpless, was that he never noticed the spots around its eyes.

This was a mistake. The grown-ups had lied.

Of course, it wasn't hungry.

He didn't even know how to swim.