PAWPOINT DOCKSIDE TALESChapter 3: Dry Dock Days

PAWPOINT DOCKSIDE TALES

Chapter 3: Dry Dock Days

The first morning after the Leviathan Wall was finished felt unreal.  

For the first time in months, the dock wasn’t shimmering under six inches of tidewater.  

It was just… concrete.  

Dry, cracked, slightly stained concrete — and the workers of Pawpoint Island had never been so happy to see something so ugly.

High Tide arrived early, carrying a box of donuts like he was presenting an offering to the sea gods.

> “Look,” he said proudly, “I didn’t sink anything today.”

Dock Chief Marla took a donut, inspected it, and nodded.  

> “Good start.”

Warehouse 9 buzzed overhead in a lazy figure‑eight, sounding almost relaxed.

---

I. The Crew at Peace

The workers gathered along the edge of the dock, admiring the wall they’d spent weeks building. The massive horizontal cypress logs — each one thicker than a forklift — sat bolted between steel pylons like a giant wooden spine. The steel plates gleamed in the morning sun, already rusting in that charming Pawpoint way.

Wrench Delgado, the mechanic, tapped one of the plates with a wrench.

> “Still holding,” he said.  

> “For now,” added Marla.

High Tide didn’t hear the second part. He was too busy admiring the dry ground beneath his boots.

---

II. The Pump Becomes a Character

The big pump — the one Corporate rented at a “discount” that was definitely not a discount — hummed steadily near the warehouse wall. It was loud, rhythmic, and slightly off‑beat, like a drummer who had never learned to count to four.

Every few minutes it made a noise that sounded like a dying walrus.  

Every time it did, the workers froze.

Then it would roar back to life, and everyone would cheer.

High Tide named it “Old Gurgle.”  

Wrench called it “The Dock’s Ulcer.”  

Marla called it “Not My Problem Unless It Explodes.”

Warehouse 9 buzzed in agreement.

---

III. Corporate’s Victory Lap

Around noon, Corporate Rep Dale arrived wearing a hard hat backward and carrying a clipboard he didn’t need.

> “Team,” he said, “I just want to congratulate everyone on our successful coastal resilience initiative.”

Marla raised an eyebrow.  

> “You mean the wall we built?”

Dale smiled brightly.  

> “Exactly! We built.”

He handed out laminated cards titled “Dock Safety: Now With Less Water!”  

The workers used them as coasters.

---

IV. The Rainstorm

Late that afternoon, clouds rolled in from the west.  

A soft drizzle turned into a steady rain.  

The workers watched the water rise along the outside of the wall.

The logs flexed.  

The pylons groaned.  

The steel plates made a noise like a whale clearing its throat.

But the wall held.

Inside the dock, Old Gurgle worked overtime, slurping up rainwater and spitting it back out into the sea with heroic determination.

High Tide stood proudly beside it.

> “See? It’s fine.”

Then the pump sputtered.  

Coughed.  

Wheezed.

Everyone froze.

Old Gurgle shuddered… then roared back to life, louder than ever.

The workers cheered.  

Warehouse 9 buzzed triumphantly.

---

V. The Leaks

At high tide, a few thin streams of water began trickling through the seams between the logs.  

Not much — just enough to make the workers glance at each other.

Marla shrugged.

> “It’s not leaking. It’s breathing.”

Wrench nodded.  

> “Yeah. Like a tired old dog.”

High Tide put a bucket under one of the drips.  

> “Just in case.”

---

VI. Corporate’s Apology Pizza

The next morning, Corporate returned with boxes of lukewarm pizza.

Dale cleared his throat.

> “We just wanted to say thank you for your hard work and resilience during our minor dock‑height miscalculation.”

Marla stared at him.  

> “You mean the dock that floods every summer?”

Dale smiled.  

> “Not anymore! Mostly!”

The workers ate the pizza anyway.  

High Tide took three slices.  

Warehouse 9 buzzed disapprovingly at the anchovies.

---

VII. Closing Scene

As the sun set, the dock glowed golden and dry.  

The wall stood firm.  

The pump hummed like a tired hero.  

The workers leaned on the railing, enjoying the rare peace.

> “We built a miracle,” Marla said.  

> “It’s just allergic to weather.”

Everyone laughed.

For now, Pawpoint was calm.  

The dock was dry.  

And the workers believed — or pretended to believe — that the wall would last forever.