Marmoris (noun): the shining surface of the ocean

As light as the disturbance of wind, the fishing rod bowed its head ever so slightly.

“It’s a catch!”

Exploding from his seat, the young fisherman snatched the metal rod and snapped to begin reeling. The weight of the stick felt heavy with responsibility and reward and he relished in the strenuous joy of his potentially brilliant catch.

Tensing with each cycle of the reeling, the white string connecting him and whatever monstrous fish on his hook drew tighter and tighter. His arms strained to keep a steady pace, muscles already clenching.

He must have it. The greatest catch of all time. He’d drained thousands on new rods, hooks, lines, bait… the list goes on, and for every dime he spent on equipment, he spent a minute on practicing. So many past failures, such tiny fish in comparison to the other fishermen’s, had driven him to carelessly toss the miniscule catches onto a trashed pile, rotting away in the bottom of his boat.

The surface of the ocean sparkled with reflected sunlight, bubbles appearing.

He widened his eyes at the massive figure emerging from the dark depths of the silent waters… first in admiration, then in terror.

A great white shark.