The fish were following him.
Shark Attacks On The Rise, the newspaper headline read and Michael quickened his pace, soon leaving the fish behind. There was a store not far from where he was that usually had some decent leavings in their dumpster and, since fresh baked bread was out of the question, Michael figured it was better than nothing.
“Hello,” Michael said to a bench as he passed by. He liked that bench. It didn't say much but it was very happy to let him sleep on it a few nights back.
“Watch out,” The bench replied.
Michael turned back to face front right as he stepped into a school of fish. Michael screamed out loud and dashed forward through the fish. A few of them touched him and he rubbed furiously at those spots, hoping their stench wouldn't stick and mark him for the sharks.
“Fish!” Michael whimpered, “Dirty, dirty fish.”
Thankfully, the fish didn't follow and Michael was soon digging merrily through the dumpster. The food he found wasn't terribly old, if a bit soggy. He tended not to think about why most things he found in dumpsters were soggy.
The alley was silent. Michael hadn't noticed it before since there usually wasn't much in the way of noise in most alleys. But now that he listened, even the birds had stopped singing. Michael looked around carefully. A pair of sharks hovered at the far end of the alley, looking at him. Michael backed away slowly so as not to attract any more attention to himself. The sharks didn't follow and Michael escaped back to the main sidewalk.
Michael's stomach was far from full but he could wait a couple of hours and then go back. The sharks should be gone by then. In the mean time he could go and chat with the bus stop. It wasn't far from where he was any way.
There were more fish swimming about now. They always increased in number as the day wore on. He hated that about them, though at least they weren't out when he was trying to sleep.
Michael rounded the final corner to the bus stop and his heart missed a few beats. The Bus stop was swarmed by fish. Surely it told only take a few minutes with that many fish to attract sharks. His only real friend was doomed.
No, not doomed, not if he could do something about it.
Michael charged the fish. He screamed and yelled. He cursed, using words he hadn't spoken for many years. He didn't like the way they tasted in his mouth. But if it saved the bus stop then it was worth any discomfort he experienced.
“What are you doing?” The bus stop asked.
“Where there's fish,” Michael said quickly between curses, “There's sharks.”
Some of the fish fled but most just hovered out of his reach. Michael smacked a couple of fish that were close by and kicked them when they hit the sidewalk.
“Stop it!” The bus stop cried in shock.
“I won't let them hurt you,” Michael screamed as his rage continued to build. “They're working with the sharks, can't you see?”
Michael continued smacking and kicking all the fish he could reach and at last the school began to disperse. Michael smiled but his triumph was short lived. As the school scattered and dispersed, he saw the two sharks from before coming towards him fast.
“No!” He cried and placed himself between the sharks and the bus stop.
“Just be still,” The bus stop prompted, “They'll leave you be if you don't draw attention to yourself.”
It was too late for that. Michael had flailed and screamed too much to hope to be ignored now and the sharks closed the distance between them quickly. They sunk their teeth into Michael, trying to pull him away from the bus stop. Michael clung onto the bus stop with all his strength but the sharks predatory instincts were too much for Michael's frail body.
“I'm sorry,” Michael wept as his grip slipped from the bus stop.
His friend was doomed.
“I'm sorry!” Michael cried even louder, still struggling against the sharks.
Miraculously, Michael's thrashing about jostled the two sharks into each other and he found himself free. The sharks were interested in him, for the moment. If he could lure them away perhaps they'd forget about his friend.
“Follow me,” Michael shouted and he began to run.
Sure enough, the sharks took the bait and pursued. Michael darted back and forth, avoiding their jaws. He was almost laughing when he moved to dart across the street. Unfortunately he didn't see the bus until it was too late.
Michael lied on the street for a time, the sharks circling him but not moving in for the kill. The school of fish that rode on the bus flowed out and formed a wide circle around him, watching him die. Michael saw, briefly, his old friend, once again surrounded by fish.
“I'm sorry,” Michael muttered. “I'm sorry.”
His vision grew dark.
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