Ripples

"We will be okay"

"Maddox," Lucas repeated, tossing a pillow onto the bed.

Maddox laid still in bed, her head turned on her side. Lucas grabbed her jeans from the floor, tossing them against her, but she gave zero reaction. His lips clamped together, letting out a groan before throwing her bra at her; no response. He slowly stood up straight after leaning on the wall, quietly approaching the bed.

"Maddox!" He shouted, straining his vocal cords.

"Jesus Christ!" She screamed, twitching in bed.

She shot up in bed as she yanked the jeans off her face. She stared at him for a brief second before covering her with the blanket. Hastefully sliding her bra and jeans on, she slid out of bed. Lucas watched her slip her tank top on, both straps resting on the arches of her shoulders, as he leaned back against the door.

"You know I've already seen the whole show; no reason to hide it," Lucas responded, crossing his arms.

"You can walk around in just your shorts all you want, but I don't want everyone to see my body. Plus, I need to get home." Maddox huffed, collecting her things off the floor.

"Oh really?" Lucas grinned, raising an eyebrow.

Maddox shot him a glare, causing the cocky grin on his face to dissipate.

"I need to get home." She told him firmly, not bothering to even look in his direction.

"Come on, I bet the cooler is only half empty. Might as well finish." Lucas rolled his head.

Maddox stood up straight, placing her hand on her hip; she turned her head, glaring at Lucas.

"I got shit to do." She groaned.

"So, you're telling me you didn't enjoy yourself one bit?" Lucas asked, squinting his fingers together.

Maddox placed her hand, whispering, "I don't wanna think about last night."

Lucas, taken aback, placed his hand on his chest.

"Wait, why?" He responded.

Maddox pushed past him, climbing the stairs, while Lucas jogged after her.

"Was the sex bad or something? I thought it was good..." Lucas smiled, "...really good."

Maddox stopped by the captain's chair, staring out the windshield. She spun in a quick circle, and Lucas could see the fear manifest on her face.

"Where...where is the land?" She asked, her arms beginning to shake.

"Well, you see, the farther you go out into the ocean, the farther from land you get..." Lucas began.

Maddox jerked in his direction, snapping, "Lucas, where the hell are we!?"

"I dunno."

"What do you mean you don't know!?"

"You want precise longitude and latitude? What do you want to say? We're in the middle of the fucking ocean. "

Maddo dropped everything she had once held, collapsing against the table. She caught herself on the table's edge, taking deep, labored breaths.

"I need you to get me home. Now." She commanded, her breathing growing more and more frantic.

Lucas moved closer, placing his hand on her back, only for her to jerk away. She dashed towards the captain's seat before placing her hand against the empty ignition.

"Where's the key?" She asked, bug-eyed.

"It's not there?" Lucas asked, puzzled.

Maddox darted forward, grabbing Lucas by the shirt.

"Where is the fucking key!?" She shouted, spraying him with saliva.

"I don't know! We probably lost it when we blacked out." Lucas explained.

Maddox's expression of anger slowly drained off her face, only to be replaced by a blank stare. She collapsed into the passenger seat, looking at the floor with an agape jaw. Lucas sat in the captain's chair across from her, placing his hand beneath her chin; she didn't react. With care, he lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes. She turned her head in the other direction, but Lucas could see her shaking jaw and the tears pooling in her eyes.

"Maddox," Lucas whispered gently.

She gave no response, her shaking only growing more violent. She kept trying to turn her head, and soon her teeth began to chatter.

"Maddox, look at me," Lucas instructed.

With hesitation, Maddox turned to him, looking him in the eyes. Lucas carefully raised his thumb, letting her eyes follow his movement. With his free hand, he grabbed hers, maintaining eye contact. Slowly, using the tip of his thumb, he whipped away the tears.

"A rescue team is gonna come looking for us; we will be okay," Lucas whispered, "I'll keep you safe."