Yesterday evening, the most perplexing thing happened to me. I shook the hideous leather sandals that my grandma had gifted me for my 13th birthday off of my feet and tossed them into the tide. The drenched sand  outlined my foot and grains of it stuck. I continued walking along the shore and got really irritated when the wind picked up and blew tousled strands of hair in front of my face; obstructing my vision. The air was ever so frosty and I regretted not bringing my coat.

I longed to explore the sea yet knew my mother would kill me if I did so instead, I edged towards the sooty pebbles.

By now, darkness was descending upon the beach and the sun was sinking below the murky water, leaving me with the feeling that something was off. Maybe it was the temperature; it was never really cold on the beach, or perhaps it was the figure I kept seeing that slipped in and out of the dark crevices of the cliff. Whatever it was, something was off. I grasped a rotten odour, wafting around my nose, as though it was mocking me. It smelt of fish, moulding fish.

All of a sudden, I felt an icy chill set, like a blanket, over my neck, causing the hairs to stand on end. A shiver sprinted down my spine and I gulped, unease rising to the top of my emotions. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a mysterious figure, lurking behind me. I whipped my head around and through the curtain of hair blocking my sight, I could just make out a slithering silhouette towering over me.

It’s eyes were crimson pools of blood and scarlet scales shimmered in the moonlight. I heard it’s hoarse breath and could have sworn I saw a flame flicker, momentarily, out of a nostril before it disappeared. The creature’s jaw protruded out for about a pan inch more than the rest of its head.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt sharp claws digging into my hips, drawing blood. I felt it gushing out of my sides and I screamed for help. It seemed as though nobody heard my cries until I caught sight of the boy that seeks fish and chips, stumbling down the sandy slope. As abruptly as it had appeared, the figure retreated back into the sea.

I raced across the shoreline and into the night. Had I just come face to face with the Apox? Were the ancient myths true?