A gust of river wind whistled through alleys and gaps between shuttered doors. Dew clouded the storefront windows. Only the steady light of neon signs informed the three boys what sort of businesses they were passing by. Here was a clothing boutique. There was a book shop.
The name Harbor Harvest caught Sakari’s eye. He could just make out the words “Fresh Catch Daily” hand painted in big white letters on the windows. Sakari stepped beneath the store’s faded teal awning, wiped off the dew with his sleeve, and pressed his face against the window to look inside. He saw a modest grocery: shelves lined with dusty cans and jars, darkened freezers and refrigerators in the back. Sakari wondered if he, David, and Bern should find a way in and grab some more food for Cara and Mia.
A cafe named The Riverside Terrace was nestled at the far end of the strip. Wrought iron tables and chairs were arranged within a matching fence, some beneath a canopy of wilting vines, some under the open sky. A chalkboard sign hanging by the entrance bore a single line: “Tonight’s Catch.” Whatever daily special had been written beneath it had long since washed away in the rain.
A crab the size of a small car scuttled into view. The Gibberish appeared to emit its own pale purple luminescence. It stopped in the middle of the intersection, then turned sideways and charged at the boys.
“What’s got you so worked up, little buddy?” Bern teased.
“Maybe it’s because Sakari figured them out,” David guessed.
His friends’ voices drew Sakari away from the grocery store. When he saw their opponent, he smiled and summoned his sword. “C’mon! This’ll be easy!”
Sakari ran forward to meet the crab, striking it in the claw with a hard overhead swing. The crab tried to bat Sakari away, but Sakari was quick enough on his feet to dodge it.
Meanwhile, David ran to the cafe and hopped over the fence. He found mismatched dishes lying scattered across the tables, like they had been abandoned mid-meal. David grabbed a plate and threw it at the giant crab like a Frisbee. The crab flinched when the plate crashed against its shell.
Bern wanted to try his skateboard ramming trick again. It worked so well against that lizard earlier. He rammed into the crab but bounced off its hard shell. Sakari aimed for a seam in the crab’s armor, but his swing fell short.
The crab turned to David and found Bern standing between them. So it grabbed Bern by the waist. He screamed in pain as the pincers crushed his stomach. Sakari and David saw drops of blood fly as the crab tossed him aside.
A surge of panic raced through David. Bern dying was not part of the plan. David threw a vase at the crab as hard as he could, flowers and all. The vase sailed over the Gibberish, crashing uselessly onto the pavement behind it.
Bern lay on the ground, hurting, but his skateboard had landed nearby. He sent it rolling toward the crab’s feet, hoping to knock it down. The skateboard flew clear beneath the crab, not touching any of its many legs. Bern cursed loudly as he stood up.
“Over here!” Sakari screamed as he struck the crab’s head. It wasn’t much, but he did get the crab’s attention. It lunged to grab Sakari. The pincers clipped Sakari’s jacket and closed around his sword arm. He pried himself loose, but he could feel his arm throbbing.
David grabbed an armful of glasses and hopped the cafe’s fence again. He circled wide to take a position behind Sakari before throwing his first glass. It shattered harmlessly against the crab’s shell.
Bern took a desperate swing at the crab’s face before retrieving his skateboard. His punch didn’t connect.
“Hey!” Sakari called out again. He had to keep the crab’s attention if Bern was going to make it out of this. His sword struck square on the crab’s jaw. The crab collapsed in a heap on the asphalt, dissolving into black smoke as it gave up its ghost.
Finding his voice, Bern laughed. “Not bad,” he tried to say but a shock of pain cut him off. He wrapped an arm around his stomach and winced.
Sakari dismissed his sword. “You okay?” he asked.
“Damn that fucker got me good,” Bern answered.
The battle over, David returned his unused glasses to the cafe. He found a small, silver key resting on one of the tables. Its teeth were worn smooth. It looked too out of place. David pocketed the key before joining the others.
“You think we should head back?” Sakari asked Bern.
Bern shook his head. “Nah. I ain’t done yet.”
“But you’re bleeding.”
“Don’t question me,” Bern snapped. He pointed at David as he approached. “You! You better not say a damn word either!”
David raised his hands. “I wasn’t going to. Besides, you’ve yet to cut loose.”
Bern mirrored David’s evil grin. “Yeah. Been saving it for the biggest bastard. He’s got no idea what’s coming.”
“So we’re going after it?” Sakari asked.
“You don’t want to?” David replied, genuinely curious.
Sakari rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, yeah, I do.” But not if it meant losing his friends.
“I’ve got a couple more tricks up my sleeve. If Bern’s willing, I am.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Bern prodded the others.
“Worst comes to worst, I’ll use my ace to cover our escape.”
That was enough for Sakari. He nodded, saying, “Right. Let’s go.”
©2026 Skyla Caldwell. All rights reserved.