By morning, the story was everywhere. Man Swallowed Alive by Whale appeared across screens and websites. Nathaniel hated the wording. “It didn’t swallow me,” he told Elena over the phone. “I know,” she said. “But that version isn’t as exciting.”
Nathaniel later agreed to explain what had happened. “The whale never tried to eat me,” he said. “I was caught in its mouth during feeding. What happened after that is the part I can’t ignore. Its behavior changed whenever the shark approached.”