Atlantis: The King's Return

Atlantis: The King's Return | 2

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Mari forgot about her phone, the emails, and her cheating boyfriend. Stark terror held her immobile as she took in the scene before her.

Water rose rapidly to the level of her legs, sloshing up her front and soaking her. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, trying to clear her vision. The ship was sinking. She had only seconds to react, and her instincts told her to climb up to the ship's deck. If she stayed here, she'd most likely drown.

The water weighed down her clothes, making it harder for her to move. She stripped off her capris, thankful for the bikini bottoms she'd thrown on earlier.

Still, trying to trudge through the water was like trying to make lead float. The effort had her panting despite the coolness of the water, and she struggled to get out of her cabin, the rushing water forcing her back and frustrating her.

She took a deep breath.

Mari ducked under the water, out of the current. When she was finally able to make it through the door, her arms had weakened; exhausted, she waded slowly through the water.

She didn't see anyone else in the narrow hallway that connected the cabins—she didn't stop to look for any, either. The water kept rushing in, fast enough that if she didn't hurry, she'd end up as food for the bottom feeders.

Mari stood on her tiptoes and rose high enough to the ceiling to breathe through a small pocket of water. She gasped and then looked around her. The hall had been narrow but tall, and now the entirety of it was submerged with water, aside from this two-foot air pocket.

She peered down the hall, through the water, and she saw the elevator that led to the main level—yeah, good luck with that. Luckily, there was a door to an emergency stairway beside the elevator, which would be her way out. Now that the backup systems had activated, the door flew open on its own, revealing the steps leading up to the deck.

Mari, pushing aside her panic, took another breath and ducked under the salty water, swimming her way to the door. She was determined not to die; her stomach tried to express its dislike with heavy, bile-filled heaves. Things were finally looking up.

And then the LED lighting above flickered for just a second before a thunderous boom resonated through the ship. The water shifted around her, and the lights gave one last flash before dying out.

Despite her fear, she knew she needed to keep on going. But it wasn't easy; she was now completely blind, unable to see even her own two hands as she plowed through the all-consuming darkness.

Oh, god, she thought. How the hell was she supposed to see the door? Better yet, how would she find the small pocket of air left to breathe through? Feeling hysteria taking over, she reached her arms out around her, trying to get a sense of where she was, and perhaps reconstruct the image in her mind through memory. She felt around, closing her eyes as the salt water riddled her with a stinging sensation. Her hands trailed over the smooth, metallic wall, until her fingers found a small crevice.

Blindly, Mari swam forward. After a few terrifying strokes, she collided with something—something metal. A wall?

She was glad she knew sign language—having to use her hands made her more aware of what they felt. Her kids at Westview would be proud of her. What she wouldn't give to be there right now, standing in front of the large, airy classroom, talking about parabolas or quadratic equations.

Anything other than dying, which would likely be her fate if she couldn't get the hell out of this flooded hallway! She felt lightheaded. Deep in her soul, Mari knew that she only had a couple of seconds before the lack of oxygen killed her.