In the Sun

iii.

The extraordinarily gigantic wave immersed me with such a powerful force that it felt as though I had been smashed and obliterated. When the wave came into contact with me, I was hurled backwards resulting in uncoordinated underwater reverse flips and irregular twists. Then as if being tossed about (like a piece of clothing in a washing machine) wasn't enough, my back collided with something large and metallic.

I deduced that it was the ship. Trying my best to swim away, I only succeeded in getting my head above the water. I felt that something was holding me down. Peering down, I discovered that my foot was wedged in a rocky formation. I attempted desperately to dislodge my foot but in doing so, felt the jagged yet extremely sharp coral edging slicing into my flesh. The pain caused was horrendous. It was colder than the freezing seawater, icy and razor-like.

As I was fighting to pry my foot away from the rocks, something nudged my back. Fearfully, I turned...ever so slowly, only to be confronted by a bloated older looking male corpse. His face and neck were covered in heavily deep contusions. His clothes had been ripped to shreds. His eyes were wide open, dull and glassy.

It was obvious that he had drowned sometime earlier. The involuntary movements of the dead mass were at the behest of the waves. With minimal energy, I screamed and shoved the cadaver backwards, away from me; however, it didn't travel too far. I continued to pull on my foot; unrelentingly trying to get it loose. I just wanted to swim and get away...to find Michael. We could then swim to that island. I needed to know that Michael was okay. That he was safe and not hurt.

Another wave came towards me and pushed me deeper underneath the water. Unintentionally, I opened my eyes and saw the same cadaver of that old man. He was sinking down to the bottom of the ocean...deeper and deeper...until he disappeared into the eerie vast chasm. The salty water caused my eyes to burn. I raised my head above the surface and rubbed my eyes.

Poor man...his circumstances were probably the same as mine. Just an ordinary member of a family, trying to live his life (to the best) and have as much fun (with his family) as possible. Hence spending time with them on the cruise. They would've all been so happy, looking forward to two weeks of fun filled excitement...but it hadn't even started.

Without knowing it, I'd subconsciously started to ponder about the poor man's immediate family. Speculating whether they'd survived or in fact they were dead. What a shame if they'd perished and ended up on the ocean floor bed. Perhaps they were still on the deck, clinging on, wondering what to do?

This made me think of my parents...I was hoping that they were still alive. I'd assumed that they were okay even though I wasn't able to previously locate them anywhere. I was now imagining that they'd made it to the island, (or that they were still in the process of swimming there). Maybe they were waiting for me and Michael to turn up. I knew I couldn't let myself think in this fashion, getting my hopes up high. After seeing the corpses, there was no way I could be certain that my folks were alive. I naturally had to assume the worst.

Persistence finally paid off...after innumerable yanks at trying to free my wedged foot, it finally dislodged. As it did so, I felt another hot stingy sensation travel through my leg. I hissed and cried in pain whilst bobbing up and down in an effort to contend with the sporadic yet incessant waves. Occasionally I'd find myself manoeuvring below the surface line where in one instance, I saw irregular sized bubbles escaping from my mouth, before spinning and rapidly retreating to the surface.

It was then that I observed a gooey red liquid substance amalgamating with the ocean. It seemed to spread out just in front of me and linger around on the surface. I figured that it was most likely my own blood from the cuts I sustained when the coral cut into my foot. I dragged myself out of my dazed state and commenced swimming towards the island's shoreline whilst mindful of my surroundings and keeping a look out for Michael.

The fact that I couldn't see him anywhere was making me trepidatious. I was really hoping that he would've made it to the island. But...what if he hadn't? What if he'd gotten his foot stuck too (in a rocky formation)? Or if he'd been hurt with coral slicing into one of his limbs? And worst of all...what if he was dead?

A million thoughts were pulsating throughout my mind, mainly about life, death, my parents and Michael as well as what I was going to do. The environment confronting me was harsh; even more harsh for a child. How would Michael survive something like this? I had no idea what was going to transpire.

Even if I did make it to the island, what was I supposed to do there? I didn't want to remain on an island for the rest of my life. It seemed like my main task was to ensure that Michael and I waited for help...help which hopefully was going to find us in a relatively short period of time.

"Michael! Where are you!" I shouted. "Michael! Please tell me where you are! Michael!"

I looked over towards the ship, still searching for Michael. That was when I saw the strangest thing...it looked like massive octopus tentacles latching onto the ship! Were these tentacles for real? Was this seriously happening? It appeared as though it was about five times the size of the ship...unimaginably surreal.

The waves seemed so insignificant to this enormous sea creature. It was nightmarish as it continued to demolish the cruise liner. I witnessed another monstrous tentacle come upwards from out of the ocean and wrap itself around the ship. It appeared to tighten its grip around the cruise liner, practically denting and flattening it.

I saw clusters of people falling from the ship and dropping into the ocean...there were so many. I hated to think that as the tentacle made contact with the ship it must've pulverised fleeing passengers. It was defying to view the ship being elevated like a toddler playing with Lego blocks in an uncoordinated fashion.

The tentacle then released its hold of the ship...causing it to thunderously smash down into the ocean. The ensuing splash was monumental and tragic. That was just the beginning, as it also caused a minor tsunami. Once more, I heard the ocean water coming in my direction. I whirled myself around to observe that it was another wave. A massive tidal wave...even bigger than the ones I'd previously witnessed...this one was inescapable.

I was severely incapacitated, freezing, scared and exhausted. I wanted to resume swimming as fast as I could, (even knowing that it was pointless) ...however, the speed of the tidal wave was incomprehensible. It would've been a miracle for me to be able to outswim it. Even so, I didn't start crying or screaming. As the wave came closer, I continued to tread water. I didn't do anything else, I actually couldn't. I just continued to gawk at the wave.

Was this...my end? My death? How was Michael going to fend for himself and survive without me?

The wave crashed into me and I was pushed under (yet again). The force of the wave was tremendous and unrivalled. My head slammed into something hard; more than likely another rocky build up. My forehead started to throb. I felt completely drained of all energy.

I couldn't move. I couldn't swim away. I just couldn't do anything. The momentum of the wave just seemed to keep pushing me deeper and deeper beneath the ocean. I was truly terrified...I didn't want my life to end like this. I didn't want to be killed because of a lousy wave. Would I be remembered as the insignificant girl who was pummelled by a wave? This whole disastrous scenario was beyond pathetic.

My head continued to ache badly. My body went numb. Everything in my vision started to fade out. I didn't know what was going to happen. I had no idea if my life had actually come to an end. Coupled with my drive to continue living, and for Michael's sake, I hoped that I only fell unconscious.