Prologue Listen Tommaso do we really need to fish near the island Giacomo studied the old map spread out on a table in the cabin of the small fishing boat It was night the sky dark as could be As the boat made its way out to sea the tiny coastal town of Portorosso grew smaller and smaller Eh you worry too much Tommaso replied steering them farther into the night He was much older than Giacomo and much less prone to concern than the younger man Aside from the men's voices and pop music playing from their portable gramophone it was quiet on the water Giacomo peered closer at the illustrated map of the Ligurian Sea and western Italy He noted the ghastly drawings of sea monsters and other horrifying beasts There was a fearsome kraken with its deadly tentacles and cold unfeeling eyes He pointed at a spot on the map labeled ISOLA DEL MARE that showed a sea serpent tearing right
through the hull of an old ship as a siren watched from an outcropping of rocks I dunno Giacomo said uncertain What if the old stories are true Oh come on Giacomo Tommaso scoffed You really believe in sea monsters Giacomo shrugged Too many strange things have been seen in these waters His voice trailed off Tommaso wrinkled his brow They're all just stories Tall tales to keep us away from a great fishing spot the older man insisted But Tommaso We're fine Non preoccupare ti Giacomo Tommaso interrupted Then the older fisherman cut the engine and the boat began to drift until at last it came to a stop in the dark water Ready to start fishing Tommaso took the pop record off the gramophone and replaced it with an opera record Ah that's more like it Tommaso said He loved listening to opera the soaring arias the intricate orchestrations To him that was the only kind of music for an evening on the water Their boat approached a buoy bobbing in the water with a fishing net attached But they weren't the only ones nearing the buoy Unnoticed by either man something was moving through the water silent and quick
A fin broke the water's surface but only for a moment and then it went back under Tommaso continued listening to his beloved opera unaware of the shadowy arm that reached from the water on the other side of their fishing boat slicing the rope from the buoy that hung from its hull The arm took the buoy and disappeared beneath the sea As the men focused on the net before them the mysterious creature grabbed even more items from the boat a wrench a drinking glass even a deck of playing cards Giacomo thought he heard something and turned his head He could have sworn he saw a sea monster in the shadows peeking over the water's surface And it was reaching for the gramophone AHHHHH Giacomo shouted What is that Oh Per mille sardine Tommaso said dismissively Then the shadowy figure dove back into the water and swam right into the fishermen's line Whatever it was it was becoming tangled The fishermen took notice and began to pull the line in Tira tira Tomasso urged The boat tipped to one side and suddenly a sea monster breached the surface eyes glowing as both Giacomo and Tommaso screamed The fishing line was cut and the fishermen stumbled backward knocking the gramophone off the boat and into the dark water
Shaking Giacomo reached for a harpoon and threw it toward the water's surface You missed Tommaso said Let's go before it comes back for us I told you they were real Giacomo insisted Oh what a monster Tommaso said adrift in a sea of fear Horrifying They sat in silence watching the gramophone slowly sink into the sea
