“That’s it”, cried Merloth, hurriedly scooping up water and tossing it over-board.
“Mer, you’re so negative all the time –“, comforted Pool.
“Negative? You made a hole in my boat. Forgive me, but I have no idea where the silver lining is in this particular cloud”
“You’ve got a lovely new water feature?” Joked pool, who was now relaxing in a small deck-chair, his fingers laced behind his head, the water sloshing around his ankles.
“Very funny”, said Merloth sarcastically.
The boat was only small and it wouldn’t take long before the water would be in every available space – including his lungs. Since travelling with Pool he had begun to realise that there was nothing that could scare his courageous companion.
“Mer, please, just relax. Have a beer”, said Pool, trying to calm down his friend.
“Why don’t you stop relaxing, grab a bucket and help me save our, soon to be over, lives?”
“You know I’ve hurt my ankle. Plus, it’s no use; we’re going to go over it before we sink”.
“It?” Questioned Merloth.
“It indeed”
“What’s it?”
“You don’t know what it is?” Pool laughed.
“No, tell me. What is it?”
Pool raised his hand and looked at the rusty, barely functioning watch on his wrist. “Better”, he said, “I can show you”. He jumped up off the chair and slowly strolled to the edge of the boat. Stretching his arms out across the worn, scratched wood he spoke. “That is it”.
With his hand he indicated the horizon, where the water was white with bubbles. It seemed to rise and then disappear.
Merloth stared at the bubbly water, then realised exactly what it was he was looking at. “Is that –“

“You’re absolutely right, Merloth, my friend, that is the end of the world”, announced Pool.
The currents pulled the boat closer and closer to where the water fell… into nothing.


Merloth and Pool

“This is even worse than I thought”, cried Merloth.

“Look”, said Pool, putting his arm over Merloth’s shoulder, ”is falling into the deep, dark, cold, depths of space worse than drowning. Really, Mer? Is that what you think? Or… are they exactly the same”.

Merloth dropped the bucket, which splashed into the water that had collected in boat. He continued to gaze at the titanic volume of water that so quickly flowed of the surface of the world. He had so many questioned he wanted to ask, but he knew Pool wouldn’t be able to answer any of them. Pool was the kind of man who liked to think they know everything, when, in actual fact they are just articulate, loud and, most of all, obnoxious.

Merloth sat down in the water. He knew Pool would have no idea but decided to ask anyway. “Where do you think it goes?”

“Who cares” answered Pool immediately. He was presently pouring orange liquid into a glass, and had an excited look his eye. “I know, you’re all worried about what’s on the other side and unimportant questions such as is there a god and where did we come from plague your mind, but me… that’s a different story. I go where the wind takes me, Mer. And where is the wind taking me?” Merloth opened his mouth to answer, but Pool continued, “that’s right, over there; the edge, into another world, maybe? So who am I to argue with the wind, I’m not Jesus or what’s his name, that big guy, his dad.”

“Before we die I want you to know just…” Merloth sighed and covered his eyes with his hand, “just… how much utter rubbish you talk”.

“Bit rude”.

Merloth’s expression turned from that of sadness to anger. He stood up and marched to where Pool stood.

“You’re such an idiot. You got us banished from the kingdom of Crukulure, then we were two seconds away from being hung after you slept with the king of the troll’s daughter, you’re the reason I have one leg”, he lifted his left trouser leg up a little and stomped his wooden stump on the floor, “I ended up marrying, not one, but two Cyclops to ensure you wouldn’t have to loose your knowledge of rice-crispy-bun recipes. I mean how many ways are there to dip some cereal in chocolate fondue. And don’t even get me started on the time, you entered me in Orington’s chase-a-cheese-man day –“

“Oh come on, you won a life time of crackers, and, got to date that mature cheddar”, interrupted Pool.

Merloth looked to the sky with a smile on his face, reminiscing about his ex-dairy lover. “OK, she was rather attractive”. Again his expression change; he was annoyed once more. “Anyway, that’s not the point.”

“Then what is your point, Mer?”

Merloth leaned over the edge of the boat, looking sad. “The point is, I don’t think I can trust you, or even be friends with you. You’re always getting me into these fatal situations, and I can’t take it any more.”

“Fatal?” Questioned Pool, with a shocked look upon his face. “You mean fun, right?”.

“No Pool, I mean fatal. One of these days you’re going to get us killed.”

Completely oblivious to both Merloth, their boat was near ten seconds away from the edge of the world. The boat accelerated the closer it got, powerless against the sea’s determined currents.

“Fine. You want a heroic, considerate best friend? Then you got one buddy”. He ran to the ships wheel, gripped it determined to steer the boat to safety. “I am going to save us this time. Merloth, hold tight!”

They exchanged a smile. We can do this, they thought simultaneously.
Pool tensed his muscles then pulled the wheel down to the left with all his might, and, to his surprise… the boat fell off the edge and into oblivion.

The End?