The Trade Off | The Lost Boys

Chapter 2

Updated 04/07/2019. Thank you for taking the time to check out my update, and let the games begin! -Crimsonsky132

Chapter 2

Off in the distance Olive could see some large docks and a marina, but there was also an amusement park up north. The Ferris Wheel shone bright against the darkening sky, and the lights dotted around must have meant there was a town nearby. Ollie exhaled in relief; the town was a good sign. The sun was no longer biting at her skin and was replaced by storm clouds. A gust of wind blew past without restraint, pushing their boat towards the shallow edge of the channel. Ollie was suddenly alert, the very real fear of getting snagged on sand or rocks was creeping up on her.

One gust came, then another and another. It was almost unbearable.

Ollie yelled down for her dad, and after a moment he came up from below, sleep still heavy in his eyes. He sobered up instantly seeing the dark waves hitting the side of the boat. Taking the wheel, the wind was relentless, and Ollie was frozen to the spot. She didn't know what to do. One of two things could happen: they would crash into the shore, or be swept out to the open water.

"Olive!" Her dad called over to her. "You have to calm down. I'll need your help." He looked at her with reassurance, and she snapped out of her trance.

"What do we do?" Her voice was shaky, waiting for him to bark orders.

"We have to anchor."

No. No way.

"We're in the middle of a storm!" She raised her voice. Was he crazy? It was too risky!

"Ollie, calm down." He emphasized, grabbing her arm. "We can't go any further without taking damage. We have to anchor. Now help me make sure the sails are tied down tight; we don't want them spinning around the boat. Then I'll need you to loosen the anchor drop."

"The engine is still on." She reminded him, and she looked up as rain started to hit the boat.

"I know. Now help me out here."

They went straight to work tightening the ropes, trying to keep their balance. Mark stayed at the wheel, making sure they wouldn't spin out with the current. Heading toward the bow, she pulled at the anchor waiting for her dads signal.

"Wait, Ollie keep it there. I need you to go below to turn off the engine and come take the wheel. I'll go drop the anchor."

"Will it work?" She breathed out, unsure, and he squared his shoulders.

"If it does, I'll need another beer." His eyes were warm and he smiled over to her. Olive trusted him and nodded in agreement. She hurried down to the bunk, adjusting to the darkness and skipped over to the engine. The lights powered down, and after a moment of hesitation she rushed back up to the wheel. Their boat was spinning back towards the shore and she tensed up waiting for the impact, but Mark let the anchor loose just in time, and soon enough they felt the tug of hitting the bottom. With their boat secure, they hollered in relief, and the rain was starting to pour without mercy.

"I'll tighten it up, and you go below!" He roared over the crackle of thunder off in the distance. "Hurry!"

Ollie scrambled down the stairs without caution, slipping on the last step. She cursed, bashing her thigh against the corner of the kitchen counter. There was a lot of turbulence up above, and she pulled herself up and over to the couch, trying to stay secure. The cold water nipped at her skin, and she didn't know whether to focus on the cold or on the pain in her leg.

Her dad hurried down, closing the hatch. He was out of breath. The pounding rain was never ending, and the crash of thunder was deafening. After a moment he settled in and took notice of Olive's leg turning purple.

"Damn, did you fight a tiger?" He joked, and watched the storm brewing outside their window. He nodded off after a while, and Olive paced around, the time passing by dreadfully slow.

Ollie waited and waited, anxious for the storm to die down. The storm must have interrupted their cell signal; they had no service to call for help. They could only wait.

********************

"They're late."

Dwayne's voice pierced the silence and he was restless, pacing the living room. They should have been there by now.  She should have been there.

"They must be close." Max looked up from his book.

"Relax, she'll get here soon enough. The storm must've gotten in their way." David grunted, passing over his pack of smokes. Waving them away, Dwayne made his way back to the window. The wind had died down, but rain still pelted down.

"You've waited this long already, and what are a few more minutes? The waves are pretty rugged out there. No need to rush them." Max explained.

"What if she gets hurt out there?" Dwayne snapped, and the rest of the guys raised a brow. He wasn't thinking straight. Over the years, they had taken notice of his character change. Dwayne grew obsessed, and they knew better than to stop him.

"She won't." David stated plainly. He noticed Dwayne's white knuckles, and he grabbed his arm in reassurance. Sharing a hopeful look, Dwayne's face distorted into fear.

"But what if-"

BRINGGG

The phone ringing was enough of a distraction to break the tension in the room, and Max shared a look with Dwayne. 

"Hello?"  Max answered gingerly.

"Hey, Max. We just got a signal, and will be docking soon." Mark responded. "We had to wait out the storm." Overhearing the call, David smirked looking to Dwayne.

  I told you so.

"Hey Dad, I could use an extra hand up here!" a woman's voice chimed, and the guys froze. 

It was her.

"I've got to go." Mark announced, and they could all hear him shuffling around the boat.

"We'll be ready. See you soon." Max concluded, putting the phone back on the hook. Paul grinned, patting Dwayne on the back.

"It's show time."