Taken [Zayn Malik]

ch. 2- Escape

I leaned my head against his shoulder again, letting my eyes flutter open and closed to the rhythm of the ocean under us. 

Sebastian had left the top of his thin white shirt unbuttoned. I kissed the bit of skin- just near his collar bone- he left exposed for me. I let my fingers play with the buttons of his shirt, tracing the contour of his chest muscles.

He laughed lightly. I felt his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down against my head.

Sebastian took my face in his hands and looked into my eyes before letting his soft, plump lips close over mine. His tongue led mine in a game of predator and prey.

A violent wind shook the boat and I slammed against Sebastian’s chest as his back hit the railing.  

“Are you ok, baby?” he asked, but didn’t want for a reply as he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

“Yeah, I’m fine” I replied.

“Come let’s go inside” he said as he took my hand and led me in. But, the sirens went off as the ship’s alarm system sent blue and red lights flashing.

I clung to Sebastian’s arm as the sudden noise had startled me. Sebastian kept his arms wrapped tightly around me.

“Hey! What’s going on?” Sebastian shouted with an even, but demanding voice. He didn’t want to frighten me by showing his own panic.

One of the crew members who was busily preparing the escape boats.

“The boat’s leaking. We’re loading everyone onto the boats” a stout man with a thick black mustache replied.

My heart leaped into my chest.

Sebastian turned to face me; his face displayed agility and leadership, even though I knew he had no idea what to do.  

“Tar, get on the boat. I’m going to help Jimmy” he ordered as he led me over to one of the boat loading docks.

I shook my head “no.”

The passengers began panicking, scurrying up to the deck from their rooms.

“Tar!” Sebastian almost shouted.

“I’m not leaving without you” I replied stubbornly.

Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Jimmy shouted orders at his crew. They worked furiously to contain the ship as water sloshed onto the deck.

“Tar, listen to me” he demanded as he held my face in his warm hands and tilted my chin up. I looked up into his eyes. “I’ll be on the next boat” he promised.

I swallowed hard.

“Sebi” I started, but panic and fear had closed off my throat.

“Please, Tar” he pleaded as he moved a stray lock of hair from my eye.

I pulled him against me in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around my body twice fold.  I wanted to melt against him, melt inside him and escape this panic and disorder.

But I couldn’t.

Sebastian quickly pulled something out of his pocket. It was a long golden chain with a radiating ivory-white pearl pendant.

I gasped. It was absolutely beautiful. But I couldn’t tell which was more golden: the chain or Sebastian’s warm eyes. Until Sebastian joined me, the necklace would have to suffice.

He moved my hair to the side and fastened the necklace around my neck.  

“As long as you wear this, you’ll always be mine and I’ll always be yours” he whispered in my ear. He traced the pendant down to the curve between my breasts. Then he took my now slightly trembling hands in his and kissed them.

“Tar! You need to get in a boat!” Jimmy exclaimed as he took my hand and led me to a boat. Sebastian let go of my hand hesitantly.

Jimmy half-forced me into one of the boats. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Sebastian as he stood there, holding my gaze captive.

He flexed his hands open and shut- anxiously. Then he ran over to edge of my boat. I stood up immediately as he took my face in his hands last time. He pressed his lips against mine in a greedy and passionate kiss.

No, not the last time. This isn’t the last time I’ll see him, I kept repeating in my head. But something in the pit of my stomach told me it was and it became painfully difficult for me to overcome the urge to jump and back into Sebastian’s arms.

I tried to distract myself by focusing on the passengers loading next to me. 

I kissed the pearl pendant and hid it between my breasts.

The boat jerked and shifted. I placed my hand over the pearl and closed my eyes.

There were shouts and screeches from every which direction. The boat plopped down into the water and I opened my eyes and saw that I was in the ocean. I squinted at the boat as it began to sink from one end. I squinted more and saw that Sebastian was still on it.

The boat jerked and shifted. I placed my hand over the pearl and closed my eyes. Jimmy patted my back in an attempt to comfort me, but it was to no avail.

There were shouts and screeches from every which direction. The boat plopped down into the water and I opened my eyes and saw that I was in the ocean.

I squinted at the ship as it began to sink from one end. My heart fluttered in my chest. My hands trembled and I grabbed onto the railing of the boat for support.

“No. No. No” I chanted under my breath like a maniac.

“Tar!” I heard him shouting my name.

Immediately, I turned to the sound of his voice. Squinting at the horizon, I saw him waving his arms from about 30 or 40 feet away.

Then, I saw the end of the ship crash against his boat, cutting it in half, throwing everyone on the small boat into the depths of the sea.   

“Sebastian!” I cried. I stood up, wanting to jump off the boat and swim to him, but I couldn’t swim. I looked down at the crystalline blue-black water and was about to jump in when Jimmy grabbed me by my waist.

“Are you crazy!? If you fall in, you’ll freeze to death!” Jimmy shouted as he pulled me down. I struggled against him, but he won and settled me back down in my seat. 

I scoffed. Freeze to death. My heart will never freeze so long as Sebastian is there to warm it.

Suddenly, the waves began to pick up speed from the crash of the ship against the boat.

I grasped the pearl of my necklace tightly.

Jimmy was tossing life jackets to everyone. When he saw that I wasn’t putting mine on, he forced it on me.

Thunder struck in the distance and the winds began swirling ferociously, causing water to crash against the sides of the boat.

Jimmy wrapped his arm around my waist, shielding me from the crashing waves. 

There were cries and shrieks mixed with the sound of cracking wood and a monstrous ocean tide.

Our boat smashed against a large jagged boulder. We were immersed in the frigid water.

“Tar!” I heard Jimmy call, swimming around blindly.

I leaned on a piece of the boat raft, but a ferocious wave swallowed me. Salt water burned my throat.

I flailed my arms in the water, trying to keep my head above the surface, but the waves were too strong.

I went under.