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“Tai!” Richard yells, and then his words disappear as the most horrific screeching noise, the sound of wood splintering and fiberglass being punctured fills the air and I am thrown to the floor.
I land on the bench just opposite of the one Richard opened, my hands trying to break my fall as the waves start washing over the boat as it starts to pivot to one side. The sound continues to fill my head until I think that’s all that’s left of the world.
Then I hear screaming.
Lacey!
I manage to get up and look to see her slipping off the side of the boat, one hand desperately reaching for the railing before she goes over.
Without even thinking I lunge forward, landing on my elbows and sliding forward on the teak deck, splinter city, as the waves rock me in her direction. I reach for her hand, grasping it.
Then she throws her other arm up and I grab the other hand.
Her legs are in the water when the waves hit and my grip is slipping.
So am I.
I’m tumbling, almost going over the railing and losing my contact with her but I manage to keep my ass low and place the soles of my feet at the railing bars for leverage.
I pull her up as much as I can, straining, using every inch of my underused abs and muscles for balance and strength.
Then, just when I think my legs are going to give out, Richard is behind me, pulling me back by the waist. It gives me enough momentum to pull Lacey back on board and into the cockpit.
“Are you okay?” I ask her, even though it’s obvious none of us are okay right now and that all looked rather painful.
She nods, giving me a meek, grateful look. Then she looks over at Richard in surprise.
One of the lenses in his glasses has cracked, blood pouring out of his mouth.
He smiles at her in relief.. He’s missing a front tooth.
“Get in, get in!” Tai yells from the back of the boat, distracting us from Richard’s face, and motioning down into the water. “Now!”
Oh my god.
No.
I can’t do this. I can’t leave this boat and get in a raft. I can’t!
But then I get a good look at the boat.
We’re no longer moving forward which is good, but we’re twisted enough to the side that the waves keep crashing over.
Then there’s the matter of the inside.
I stumble over to the stairs leading into the cabin. There’s at least two feet of water down below, sloshing to the level of the couches, cushions starting to float. The water seems to be coming from the fore cabin, the door twisted off.
Oh god, it’s sinking.
We’re sinking.
“Come on!” Tai yells. “Abandon the fucking ship!”
Lacey pulls at my arm and it’s enough for me to snap out of it.
I follow her and Richard down the cockpit to the back where Tai has unfastened the railing. The life raft sits on the water, fully inflated, a little canopy over it. It looks like a cheap floating house that kids would play in, albeit with a flashing beacon on the top.
How the hell is that going to protect us?
“Get in!” Tai says, reaching forward and grabbing me by the arm, pulling me to the landing at the back of the boat, where once upon a time I would sit on calm days and watch the water pass beneath my dangling feet.
Seems like a lifetime ago.
The raft is tied up against the ship, but with the waves threatening to tip us all over, I’m scared to death to try and jump in it.
“Jump!” Tai yells. “You’ll be okay, you have your life jacket.”
I almost want him to push me but I don’t think he would.
Instead, I take in a deep breath, conjure up all my courage, and leap.
I miss, of course.
Half of me lands in the water, so much colder than I thought it would be, but most of me (my boobs) lands in the raft, so I’m able to work that weight load to my advantage and tumble inside.
Some of our bags are already inside, so Tai must have some pretty good aim. I wait under the plastic tarp, the bottom of the small enclosure moving violently with the waves, and then Lacey manages to get inside the raft, then Richard.
It’s tight in here and smells like chemicals, and I hold hands with Lacey, more me wanting to be comforted than the other way around, as Tai starts throwing the rest of the bags to Richard.
Then one doesn’t make it. Richard’s bag. It bounces off the raft, just missing the opening and lands further away in the water.
“Fuck!” Tai yells. “Sorry Richard!’
“It’s fine!” Richard yells back.
Tai quickly climbs down to the bottom of the boat’s platform, with the fishing rod in one hand, and the rope attached to the life raft. Then he ties the rope around his waist, tight.
