The Elevator reaches the top platform level. David opens the metal cage door. The clanking sound from the cage sliding open the sound was squeaky from rust damage.david stepped out onto the platform overlooking the sheet metal town welded together little trade stands packed the main Street there were 10 buildings that made up the town. Most of them were garden buildings,farm buildings, industrial facilities, one bar and one town hall.

David walked through the streets looking through most of the vendor's stopping to buy something to eat.

" Hey I would like two roasted rats, here's my coins for them." David hands them four coins and chugs his water while he waits. A young blonde lady walks up with two roasted rats. She takes his coins.

"Here's your order." David takes his rats and hands her his canteen "thank-you ma'am here's a coin for the water."

She takes his canteen then walks to the back for a tap to fill his canteen.

David waits looking across at the garden house down the street. Checking the weight of the coin bag. "I wonder if James is working." The lady walks back with David's water canteen. David takes his canteen and slings it around his back. David smiles at the lady. She blushes and continues her work. David walks across the street towards the garden house.

"David! David, remember me?" A young boy runs up and hugs David.

"Yeah of course Kenny." David laughs

"You really think I would forget you?"

Kenny smiles, "Well you Haven't been around for a long time."

David hands Kenny a roasted rat to eat.

"It's been a week since I was last here Kenny, not long at all."

"Yum thanks David I didn't eat anything yet today." David takes a seat beside the kid on a nearby bench in the busy street. David takes a bite of his roasted rat.

It was good compared to the sea weed he ate earlier. Which always was a bland taste.

"David, do you ever think you will have a place here in town." Kenny takes another bite from his rat.

"Who knows maybe, but I love my home in fishing zone C. Speaking of it, I gotta get the mechanic to fix my boat."

David stands up and looks at Kenny.

"Take care Kenny, I will see you next time I'm in town." Kenny waves as David starts walking towards the garden house.

David is greeted by James who was watering weed plants.

"How's it going David, is there something I can help you with?" David walks up, “Yes there's one thing, can I get two barrels of stash so I can get my boat back and repaired?" James put the watering can on the nearest table. "Are you gonna pay me back this time David, I know we're friends but this is my livestock we're talking about?"

David nods "yes I will make it up to you with a few loads of fish and sea weed stocks." James smiles "sounds good to me." James walks to a locker and opens a combination lock and pulls from the locker two barrels of stash. "Here you go David, remember the deal." David takes his barrels " Yes I will, Thanks buddy you helped me out alot!" David leaves the Garden House and walks for the smelting workshop to find one of the mechanic's working on another fellow's boat motor.

"Kind of backed up I see?" David speaks out to Mark the mechanic. "Naw, hardly, what can I do for you David?"

David reaches for his bag of coins.

"Well I got this bag of coins. I need some dock Chains and motor repairs at the port dock." Mark looks at the bag of coins "sure I got some chains over there you can take, leave the bag on my table." David walked to Mark's office and tossed the bag on the table. Looking at some metal weapons Mark made himself. Mark had them hanging on the walls. Beautiful medium sized harpoons.

David walked across the building to the chains that laid on the floor. David started to separate the Chains only needing the one chain to lock his boat to his dock securely.

"Alright David let's head on down back to the boats I will get to work on yours, I'm all finished with this motor." David carrying the chains and barrels starts following Mark out of the shop and down the street towards the port docks.

"So David, have you found anything interesting on your deep sea dives recently?" Mark asks while they walk past the street vendors towards the elevator.

" I haven't gone down recently, but there's one place I want to check out one day." David walks up to the cage door and opens it for him and Mark to enter the elevator. Once both we’re inside the cage Mark hit the release lever and down they went towards the port docks. David looked at his boat floating beside the docks tied to it by ropes. The elevator reached the bottom and David opened the door Mark exited and walked towards the boat and jumped in to inspect the motor. David walked up to Brian the TugBoat captain.

"Here's your request." David hands Brain the captain a barrel of stash. "Thank-you and keep the rope on me." David shakes brains hand. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated." Brain salutes David. "May the seas carry better fortunes your way."

David nods " The same to you Brain."

David walks up to Mark working on the boat. "How's everything Mark?"

"Well the motor's spark plugs got some oil in there. It's gonna take me some time to clean this out. Also replace the spark plugs and fix this oil cap." David looks at the sky starting to clear. "Well the storm is going away, shouldn't be too bad to work on it,how long will it take?"

Mark looked at the motor. " You got another two hours or so."

David takes a breath. "Alright I will be back in an hour or two." David turned and made his way back towards the elevator.

Leaving Mark in his boat, fixing his motor.

David entered the elevator and hit the release lever and the device pulled him up, David watched Mark work as he rode the elevator back up to the platform. The sun came out and made beautiful blue skies.

David opened the cage door, Then walked out and made his way to the large building dedicated to the worship of sea God's.

David walked into the building and looked at one of the stone statues that stood in the main room. It was a Giant whale that was on a wave. Then David took a knee and started to pray to the whale God.

"I pray for good energy to come to the fishing zones so that we are able to catch many fish to feed our families and friends. Please take pity on us and help us with this." David stood up and turned around to find Kenny standing at the doorway waiting for him. "David, can you buy us something to eat again? I'm still a bit hungry."

Kenny points at the vendors that's had fresh cooked fish soup and sea weed stocks.

"Sure bud I would if I could but I'm all out of coins." Kenny with a bit of disappointment in his face looked at the ground and around the room.

" I will cover you guys this time." David looked at the temple's holy man who approached them with two meal tickets for the vendors. "Father AES, are you sure. I have no money to pay you back at this time." David takes the two gifted meal tickets. And bows his head to the temple's holy man " I appreciate this gratitude,Father AES."

"May the oceans bring you two great fortunes."

The Father smiles as the two walk away towards the vendors to eat.

David grabs a seat at the vendor's stand with Kenny and the two had a look at the menu.

" Looks like we could have any meal on the menu with these tickets. What are you having Kenny?"

"I would like the lobster."

"Lobster dinner does sound good."

David reaches a hand into the air for the servers to notice. The blonde lady notices the two sitting at the vendors counter waiting to order. She walks up.

" What could I get you two?"

"We would like two lobster dinners."

"Alright be right back in 15 mins."

Kenny starts chatting with David.

"So I saw Bill fighting at the bar again."

David looks down the street. Then back to Kenny. " You what?"

"I saw Bill fight at the bar last week."

David shakes his head.

"No good business to be had in there."

Kenny, puzzled , looks at David intently.

"Yeah I shouldn't go there." Kenny looks back to the kitchen.

" When can I come fishing with you?"

David looks at Kenny.

"Can you swim?" Kenny nods his head.

"Well come with me today if it will keep you out of that bar." David Pat's on Kenny's back. "You can be my boat hand."

"Seriously, I always wanted to come along for the trips!" Kenny smiles.

" What about my stuff?" David looks down the alleyway Kenny lives down.

'Go grab your stuff, you can keep it at my place for now. You don't want someone taking it while you're gone."

"You're right." Kenny got off the stool and made his way to pack up his belongings.

David sat at the counter waiting for his lobster. David looked at the people that filled the street.

"That's a nice thing your doing for that boy." David looked back to who was talking to him with the soft voice.

"Here's your food. My name's Ocean."

"Ocean that's beautiful, my name's David."

Ocean smiles. "That poor boy lived on the streets for as long as I could remember. It's really nice of you to take him in.

Here's some extra dried fish for you two to enjoy later."

"Thanks, these will help out at the house tonight. If I'm lucky we could make it back for something at the farm harvest."

"Do you live alone David?" Ocean brings a cup of water for both of them.

"Well not anymore,since the kid is moving in but before him yeah I lived alone in fishing zone C."

Kenny walks up with a small bag packed and his bed roll wrapped up.

"Looks like you're ready to go, but first sit down and eat with me." Kenny drops his bag and bed roll and Sits down on the stool beside David; they both pray before eating their lobster dinners.

David loved lobster; it was his favorite thing to eat.

Kenny was hungry, finishing his plate before David could get half way through his. "Well that was good, let's go see if Mark finished my boat."

David and Kenny walked away from the vendor stand and made their way through the public. Back towards the elevator.

It was still a beautiful bright blue sky afternoon. David and Kenny wait till the elevator comes back up. Exiting out from the cage. Was another fishing crew who looked to be from Fishing zone A.

" Back the fuck up!" A Tall man yelled at the young Kenny.

"Hey fucker, watch who you're talking too."

"Well look who it is David from zone C heard you boys weren't doing too well. Here's your rope back. You find your boat?" David felt frustrated when Marty put the rope in his hand but he held his fist tight. David and Kenny walk past the guys and enter the cage. David looks back at Marty zone A farmer who makes one last statement. "Never know when a current might just come and take your home next time it looks so old and rugged."

David closes the door and hits the lever not saying anything back to them.

David looks at Mark standing on the port dock. "Well Mark looks finished shall we go fishing?" David smiles at Kenny who looks back up at him. "This is gonna be awesome." David opens the cage door and exits out with Kenny Mark sees the two and waves them to come over.

"David, this engine was messed with and the cap was broken by someone but the good news is I got it fixed."

David nods "Yeah it was Marty and his gang from zone A."

Mark looks at the rope David had in his hands. "This was my rope from this morning when my boat got loose Marty just gave this rope back to me."

Mark shook his head.

" Well that's just terrible to hear, David you ever need my help again let me know I got your back against those goons."

David shakes Mark's hand.

"I will let you know if I should take care Mark." Mark starts walking back to the elevator.

Kenny hops into David's boat with his things. David makes the jump into his boat David pulls the start cord and the motor starts up like new. "Yes!" Kenny throws a fist into the air.

And David takes his chain off the dock.

David and Kenny boat back towards fishing zone C.

End of Chapter 002 Stilted Waters Edge written by Travis Willier copyright 2021