[ IP ] Deep Sea Guardian by Gaelle Seguillon

I heard the hissing as it slithered from behind the huge rock at the bottom of the ocean, glaring at me with its menacing emerald eyes. Frozen, I looked in horror up at its rows of razor sharp teeth as they snapped as a passing school of fish. 
 
 It's reptilian eyes squinted down at me and it slithered closer, barely metres from my face, as its snake-like body curled around me, its scales glittered dimly from the pockets of sunlight drowning in darkness this far down in the ocean. 
 
 `` Who dares disturb my sleep.'' It roared, flicking a large red tongue out its mouth. I could feel the panic rising as my breath quickened. My heart thumped hard against my chest as I thrashed hopelessly in the water, trying to shield myself from the behemoth. 
 
 Please, someone help me, I thought in desperation. I turned my head either side and tried to find an escape route. The serpent flashed past, sending ripples in the water that thrust me against the chipped lion head statue of the lost civilization I'd stumbled upon. 
 
 The others were on the surface when I'd slipped away. We'd been down here before and I knew the route well. They'd told me not to but I'd waited until Albert and Robert both had their afternoon snooze, the `` beer sleep'' as they called it, before sneaking down and taking another look at the incredible architecture. What I was n't bargaining on, was an ancient monster guarding whatever was down here, let alone one that spoke. 
 
 `` No one is going to help you.'' It said bitterly, its voice seemed to echo in the far depths of his mind, slicing his skull in pain with every menacing hiss. 
 
 It spun again, this time outstretching its tail and wrapping me up. I could feel its iron grip closing against my stomach as I groaned and tried my hardest to move. 
 
 `` Do n't struggle foolish human. You are in my domain now.'' 
 
 What is this thing? I thought again, It's going to kill me. 
 
 It suddenly let me go and the squeeze on my stomach subsided. I panted hard, holding my ribs in pain, wincing as I looked up into the creature's cold eyes as they stalked me. 
 
 `` Oh no, I'm not going to kill you.'' It said, flicking its tongue again as it slapped against my wet suit. `` I have other plans for you.'' 
 
 Can it hear my thoughts? 
 
 `` Yes human.'' 
 
 I froze. If it could hear my thoughts then there truly would be no escape. 
 
 It smiled, letting out a broken hiss that almost sounded like a laugh. `` Of course there's no escape. This is the domain of Shal'htarif.'' It clicked it's tongue against the roof of its mouth, snarling as it curled bubbles of water out it's long snout into the ocean. 
 
 Spikes appeared on the side of its body at that moment, like a less colourful peacock, as it circled and stared me square in the eye. `` How dare you infect this part of the ocean with your stench.'' 
 
 It curled around the rock statue and circled on me again. With a hiss, it swung its tail up and slapped me square in the jaw. Pain screamed up at me and something hot trickled down my chin. Blood? I turned in time to see the giant creature come at me again. It snapped its jaws at me in frustration and barely missed my leg as I pulled it away from its path. 
 
 It doubled back on me as I started to paddle away. I kicked my legs as hard as I could. I could feel the creature on my tail as I swum upward. Bubbles clouded my vision as the serpent chased me upward. The air pressure was changing; it was becoming easier to swim. 
 
 I kept swimming, thrashing my legs and hands. It snapped at my leg, and missed. And again. A third time. Then I saw the tail rise up above me and the split second was enough. It bit my leg. 
 
 I yelped in pain as clouds of red puffed up around me, obscuring my vision of the creature as it tore my leg off its limb. Unbearable pain screamed through my body with every agonising heart beat. I looked down to see the creature come at me again, its snout oozing the blood from my severed leg as it chewed. I could hear the bones crunching in its mouth, despite the closeness of the water. 
 
 I tried to swim away again and this time the creature wrapped its tail around me and swum to the bottom of the ocean again. I cast a glance at my oxygen tank. It was running low. I was starting to see stars when it whizzed through the ocean, further away from the boat and my friends. 
 
 The ocean blurred, schools of fish zoomed by, several sharks snapped their jaws at me and I even saw a crowd of jellyfish bobbing in the water. Then I saw where the creature was taking me. My blood turned cold as I heard the cries from the front of the cave. The creature let me go and gestured for me to swim further into the black abyss. 
 
 `` I told you I had plans for you.'' It hissed again as the lights in my suit illuminated hundreds of jewel-like eyes around me. As they came into view, the hissing became unbearable. I backed against the wall as the tiny sea serpents, identical to the large creature that had taken me here in the first place, came upon me and started to bite. I screamed in pain as pricks of pain jabbed around my body. 
 
 `` Dinner time, children.'' The creature grinned, as it watched the diver being eaten from the cave entrance. 

