“Wake up, everyone! We have to go before the sun rises to catch the best fish!” I heard someone shout, storming around the house from my room. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but Stella kicked me off the bed, waking up like a character from a horror movie once more.

“Hurry up and leave so Mr. Cole can stop making noise. Because if you want, I can allow you to permanently sleep,” she said, glaring at me with full seriousness.

I forced myself to wake up and got off the floor. Before I could start getting ready, Theodore burst into the room, equally angry.

“Could you guys hurry up and leave with all that noise?” he said, slapping his face into my bed and rolling up beside his sister.

Smiling like an angel, I walked over to him, shining with morning cheer, and quickly snatched the blanket off him. “You’re coming with us. Why do you think you get to sleep? Go get ready.”

Before he could whine and complain, Stella swiftly kicked him off the bed just as she did to me. “Hurry up and leave,” she commanded.

Theodore jolted upright and swiftly walked toward the bathroom I was about to use. I quickly left the room Stella was sleeping instead, who was growing more annoyed with Mr. Cole’s noise, I decided to be a good husband and avoid her.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I briskly walked down the hall and used Lucas’s bathroom to get ready, ignoring his pleas for me to leave.

*

As the four of us sat on the boat, fishing line in water, waiting for a tug or any sign of life, Mr. Cole cheerfully told stories to the three of us, half-asleep or already dozing off, pretending to listen and nod along.

As I slowly drifted further away into slumber, I felt a slight tug on my fishing line. The tugging grew more rapid and aggressive as time passed. But I ignored it until I finally realized what was truly happening.

Whatever caught my line was pulling aggressively, yanking my entire body. My tired muscles strained as I used all my remaining strength to reel it in.

As I continued to struggle, I realized no one was paying attention. Despite my efforts, I slipped and fell–not onto the secure boat, but into the water–losing the rod in the process.

Finally, after a huge splash and my disappearance my ‘fishing buddies’ noticed me. As I floated back to the surface, they stared at me, laughing their asses off, not even offering a hand to help me back into the boat.

*

“What the hell happened to you?” Stella asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“I went swimming instead,” I replied, dripping wet and trying to suppress a smile.