Crystallized in clear glass the boat crashed along the blue tie dye sea. As it stood alone in these terrifying waters a glass tear fell from her mast. The sun tore through the few clouds that watched grimly from above and shone like a shiny new coin. Never has the boat seen such terror, such horror in its many years. As the boat bounced along the sea top it perched on a knife-ribbed rock that stood tall around some seagulls. It was nothing compared to what stood proud next to it though, tall, bright and glimmer it sat, surrounded by many rocks. Like an Obama speech with his many followers not on of the rocks moved as the red striped candy like building shone its blinding lights. A boat in the far distance was on its way, help was arriving. A rubbered body floated past light a feather on water tiredly in the distance. Let them be alive.
As the light came closer the sky faded, like a tiger stalking its prey the darkness engulfed the sky. Soon the blackened sky was overwhelmed by twinkles of half hearted stars. What was a cloudy day with the sun scrapping through turned into what looked like a black hole. A cool crisp air whipped around the lighthouse as it continued to beam out bright lights into the darkness. All the lights has faded away, where had they gone? Where was the rescue boat? Help, help was needed and it was written in stone that it was coming, yet vanished into the black ink night.
The stars, the moon, they had all been blown out; they were in the dark, alone. The sea crashed along the bed of a beach as darkness did not shade into light. More bodies bobbed past but barely noticed by anyone clinging onto the boat.
Propellers, they spun as fast as a whisk and broke the cried of people and the sea whistles. This was it. As a helicopter soared like an eagle above them; screams and cries were heard aboard the machine. Yet some did not scream, nor cry, nor did they show any kind of appreciation or excited behaviour to getting out the sea-weeded bowl of filth. No, the sea had claimed souls, the souls of good men that had served the sea well…claimed by what they lived for, the sea.
As the bearded men scrambled aboard the swaying boat they clawed onto the shredded iced rope that swung lonely in the wind that circled them. The men were fairly small. The strongest seemed heroic and fierce. Tattoos twisted up his arm almost like a sleeve of body armour, and spilled furiously out his collar. His face, cold and sharp like a needle, his teeth clasped together in an unforgettable smile. He had brows that knotted like storm clouds. As he ascended the boat, it was damp, much like the boat had filled herself with tears are she couldn’t serve her crew well. But no, just water. The stench of seaweed and salt flooded though his nostrils. The tang of salty air entangled with the reek of oil floated about the air that overpowered their senses. Blinded by the prospect of lifeless bodies floating limply in the bitter cold surface of the ice ridden sea. The second man was slim, he had collar bones outlined in black ink that curved and twisted sharply around his bony brittle body. He had a smooth clean crafted smile that brought a twinkle of hope to all who’s souls had survived.
To my grief I glared silently at the waters that polluted the space between them and myself. She had sailed many years unscathed. No rocks had tore her down. But by god the ice was large, crafted with such nature as to shred her apart, sharp corrugated ice smashed her to smithereens like paper chucked helplessly into a shredder. Death was upon me. I could see help. But they could not see me. Nor hear me. I was ensnared between crab pots and to main doors, to which were nearing full flooding. Time was the essence to which I did not have.
I was about the same build as the second man. I watched him, eyes locked on the small muscles that rippled like water as he heaved more and more casualties to safety…or really to a safer place then they already were. As the water began to wrap disguise my body as broken debris I used all the air left in my crippled lungs to let out one thunderous cry. It echoed into the night as I watch helplessly as the two men.
They shared what seemed a long whispering conversation before blaring out an ear splitting cry, “IS ANYONE THERE”, beamed out.
Like a stuck record playing a repetitive sentence poured out my mouth for the next five minutes, “HERE, HERE, HERE!” over and over again until I saw the mans face touching distance from me.
Overwhelmed with relief and happiness I fell lost for words. I was saved, from the fierce crashing waves that took so many soles with it, my workmates, my friends. Gone.
