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Rejected, Redundant, Non Returnable
Seashell Jack enjoyed a warm cup of coffee as he looked out across the bay. Lighting a couple of candles he sparked up a conversation with his best friend Diesel Boy. The conversation went one way, with Diesel just sat on the couch listening; but Seashell didn`t really want a reply, he was letting off a little steam about better times.
His eyes looked at the usual, the rusty bikes and other half buried monuments of rotting iron, tyres, TV`s and endless bags of discarded household waste that were equal to a king`s ransom if you were a beggar, tramp or outcast; Seashell considered himself a mixture of all three.
Another slurp of coffee was taken and the sixth day marked down in the little note book he`d found about a week ago. It was the sixth day that the birds hadn`t come; there was nothing left on the bones to pick and there were plenty of bones to pick from.
Whale bones, shark, dolphin you name it, it was here; all here lying on a floor of giant, dry mud tiles. When the sea had decided to disappear, the seagulls had followed suit. Where are the seagulls? Jack thought, just one please.
The weather was getting warmer and he had a whole wardrobe for that. Shorts in every colour, T-shirts with I love London, I love New York and just about every I Love Whatever City emblazoned across the front. Flip flops, sandals, sunglasses, sun cream and baseball caps sat in little plastic crates all waiting to be worn.
Seashell Jack wasted nothing, everything had a use, everything was recycled. Batteries were more common than the pebbles, so he had a constant supply for the CD player along with his very strange collection of CD`s that had been discarded.
Those bastards up there, as he fondly referred to them, discarded most things, even humans. That`s how he`d ended up down here, he was past his sell by date and therefore of no use.
“Who`s going to recycle me and you?” Seashell looked at his friend and continued, “Who? I ask you. Maybe they could melt us both down and remould us both in to something else. Who knows, eh, who knows?”
With that he blew out the candles and they both fell asleep; but Seashell didn`t sleep for long, he never did when he wound himself up like this. He thought about the day society had cast him out because his business had failed. Was that his fault? He hadn`t caused the climate change, he hadn`t put a price and purpose on everything. They were supposed to recycle and look what they throw out! He found more tinned food down here than in any supermarket.
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“LOOK! LOOK DIESEL, A SEAGULL.” Seashell Jack couldn`t contain himself and the two looked out of the window at the sight that the morning had brought. His heart nearly stopped as water, sea water began to swirl and fill the bay.
Five years work would be put to the test; the knowledge from the no longer needed books. He`d welded the hull, repaired the engine, painted, polished and prepared. He`d even painted SS Seashell Jack on the side; the name the brat kids had shouted at him over the years and he`d adopted.
Water rose rapidly, they were seaworthy. Without hesitation he fired up the engine; crying when it purred, Seashell wiped away the tears. He heard shouting and screaming, could smell burning and then saw flames leap and lick the City. The water had destroyed the generators and fuel storage tanks.
The seagull flew overhead. “Full ahead Captain Diesel Boy,” Seashell Jack`s voice trembled with joy. His best friend barked, jumped in to his lap, licked his face and the pair sailed off in to the sunset.