When the Ocean Calls

Chapter Thirteen| Rising Tumult and Terror

Morning light brightened the vast, blue sea. The boat lilted in place, tethered to where I dropped the anchor. Exhaustion permeated every ounce of me, made my eyelids too heavy to keep open. After a full night of following the Sailor's Star, I was ready to sleep the entire day. But in spite of my fatigue, there was a nagging alertness deep in my brain. Maybe it was nerves, or a persistent excitement to get home. Whatever it was, it picked up on every lull of the waves, every rustle in the wind, every ache in bones, and every thought in which I wished I were asleep.

Wood bore into my muscles. I stretched under the two ledges in the boat, subjecting my back to the hard interior. I shifted onto my side to get comfortable, to no avail. Pressure mounted on my ribs and hip, and I twisted onto my stomach, face planted on my arms. This sequence continued until fatigue beat my mind's irritating efforts, and I drifted into a dark, dreamless sleep.

An indeterminate amount of time later, hunger seeped into my stomach. It started as a vague emptiness, registered only in the back of my mind. But slowly, the sensation gnawed through my hollow belly, so intense that it roused me from my sleep. Part of me lacked the energy to reach for my food sack. But as the pangs intensified, I floundered for my bag, untying the strings, and ripping a banana away from the bunch. It took all my strength to peel back the skin. This was certainly the most effort I'd ever exerted to eat a piece of fruit.

The sweet flesh mashed between my teeth in labored chews. A speck of energy flowed into me as I ate it. It was only a miniature sugar rush, but enough for me to poke my head up and survey the surrounding water. It was calm, the waves reduced to ripples. No fins traversed the surface, nor did movement flicker beneath the glassy water.

A bead of sweat slid down my face. Looking out, the sea was enticing. The water would cleanse my sticky skin from the humid air. Only the wind alleviated the heat when it graced me with its presence. The urge to jump in festered in my thoughts. There were no predators to swim with, and no currents to carry me away. I could go in, cool off, and return to the boat for more sleep.

But fatigue overwhelmed my mind once more, and I collapsed downward with a thud. I groaned as pain throbbed in my neck and shoulders. I had no pillow, leaving me at the mercy of the wooden boat. All I wanted was for an Island to miraculously appear so I could sleep in a bed of soft sand. But that was impossible. I was chained to this spot, courtesy of a heavy anchor that I doubted I could haul up from the ocean floor. I wasn't about to figure out how to accomplish that when night fell.

The crook of my arm slipped over my eyes. Clouds shrouded the sun's full light, but that didn't stop it from disturbing my sleep. I inhaled a deep breath of the sea air to calm myself. Waves lulled in my ear, and I eased into sleep with the pulses of the water.

***

Shadows cast over the ocean when I awoke. Is it night already? I was still muddled with weariness, but I supposed I'd been asleep for a long time. My hand reached behind my neck, massaging the crick in it. Hunger ached in my stomach, and I shoved a handful of almonds into my mouth. For a moment, I just lay there, too tired to do anything but chew.

Lani.

My sister's name cut through my mental blockage. I needed to get back to my journey. The sooner I returned to her, the sooner I could rest properly.

I focused my gaze on the heavens. Dark clouds billowed in the sky, concealing all light, even the radiant Sailor's Star. My heart sank. How could I get home when I didn't have a guide?

I supposed I'd just wait until tomorrow night. It was just as well—I thought I might faint if I stayed awake. My knees curled toward my chest as I tried to get comfortable.

Panic sparked in my veins. I sat upright, knocking my chest on the wooden ledge. Ouch! I fell back on my palms.

Dark clouds. Storm clouds. A storm headed my way.

And I was on a little wooden boat.

I tried to console myself. It's probably just going to drizzle. But my gut told me that much worse was to come.

Waves surged underneath me. The boat oscillated with the watery mounds that seemed to grow by the minute. A cold drop of water hit my face. I looked upwards as another landed on my arm. Rain sprinkled from the sky, pattering the water. The boat wobbled with the strengthening current, but caught on something at the last moment.

The anchor. I closed my eyes, willing it to remain in place. I couldn't lose my way in a storm, not when I was so close to getting home.

Lightning sliced through the dark sky. My pulse beat faster as terror wormed its way into my chest. The boat pivoted atop the churning water, threatening to flip over. I wrapped my arms around a wooden ledge to secure myself, afraid that even the slightest movement would cause the vessel to capsize. My white dress, drenched in rain, clung to my skin.

Thunder boomed, reverberating through the wood. The ferocious, hot wind chafed my cheeks in a howling frenzy. A wave crashed over the boat's rim, flooding the inside with water. My heart pounded almost as loud as the roar of the sea. Another rose, and in one swoop, it toppled over, bringing the boat with it.

I plunged underwater.

Weight bore down, shoved me toward the depths. Adrenaline glutted my veins, and I flailed my arms and legs with all the strength in me. My lungs burned for air, muscles screamed from exertion, but my lightheaded thoughts focused on one thing: fighting to the surface.

A final, desperate burst of strength propelled me above the ocean. I gasped for air, only for a wave to tumble overhead. I spit saltwater from my mouth, rubbing my eyes. More lightning streaked the sky, followed by an explosion of thunder.

Realization flared in my mind, just as quick as the lightning. People aren't supposed to swim during thunderstorms, since they are more likely to be electrocuted. Panic gave way to desperation. I searched for any sign of land, even driftwood to float on.

Nothing was in sight. There were no islands, no rocks, no boats.

"Help!" My voice drowned in the ocean's wrath. It didn't matter—I was alone, anyway. No one was crazy enough to go boating during a storm.

Except me. Why hadn't I waited for Pisces and the Nereids? Why did I have to insist on getting home so soon?

My fatigue was getting to me. I wished for an air bubble. If I had one, maybe I could rest in the depths until the storm passed.

But I realized even that would be too dangerous. Who knew what lurked in the depths? I couldn't take that chance. I didn't want to take that chance.

At this point I had one option: swim. I channeled every swim instructor I'd ever had and hauled myself through the monstrous waves. The tide pulled me in the opposite direction, but the adrenaline in my blood pushed me onward. Surely I'd come across land at some point.

At some point.

A frantic part of me searched for the Sailor's Star in the blackened sky. Not a beam of light bathed the ocean. I wanted to believe that I headed toward Nassau, but the current probably had dragged me far from it. Far from Lani.

I jumped at another crack of thunder. The wind whirled in the opposite direction more violently than before. Seawater burned my nostrils from the waves that smacked my face. The adrenaline rush wore off. My mind became riddled with fatigue. I bobbed helplessly, the surging waves lifting me up only to yank me back down. Energy drained from my body. There was nothing left to give, nothing to keep me afloat. Tears slid down my cheeks, beaten raw by the gale.

I'm sorry, Lani. I'm sorry I didn't get home to you.

My body went slack as I succumbed to the sea.