Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [3]

[Charlotte Kendall]

A faint ringing echoed in my ears its constant pitch was coming from God knows where. I couldn't see anything either except for the red and black lights beneath my eyelids. I couldn't breathe as the water burned my nose and escaped into my mouth. I screamed, feeling rapid bubbles blow up in my face as my body was shot up into the air by some kind of current.

I was too afraid to open my eyes as large objects brushed past me underwater. When I opened them I freaked out over how far down I was sinking. I water current was too powerful as the ship's top spun completely under. Before this point, I remember holding onto the rails and taking in my deepest breath possible. The water sucked us down under and I lost my grip on the rails. I lost everything as the boat capsized on top of me.

I was losing breath quickly, I could feel my lungs burning as my arms and legs worked together to climb through the current. My time passing underwater was going fast. Luckily my life vest was pulling me quickly through the water. I was close to the surface as pieces of scrap kept collapsing under the waves.

Once I broke the surface I was screaming for air, coughing up blood and water as my life vest kept me afloat. Saltwater washed me around in the dark waters as large waves kicked me into space. I gasped at the sight of the ship. It was flipped under and bubbling as the suction started forcing me over. The propeller was spinning slowly on top ready to crash down into the side.

I screamed for help several times, fighting the waves of the storm as the propeller began falling to the water behind me. "Help!" I cried, crackling underwater as the force began to pull me under again. My muscles ached terribly but I didn't make it this far to give up now.

"Over here!"

Suddenly I heard a deep voice call out from in front of me. It was too dark out to notice who was calling or where so I kept screaming at it. A male's voice crashed over the sound of the waves and the flickering of the thunder.

Even with the force of the massive ship I was able to swim out of the mess and out into the open, far enough to rest with the shape of the waves.

Then something unbelievable happened and a bright orange octagon floated over a wave that soon crashed over me. I gasped for breath as the wave crashed over me, flipping me around under the current and then spitting me out on the other side.

"Help!" I called for the voice again but didn't receive an answer until I saw the octagon float back into view.

I recognized it as a lifeboat and started racing to its safety. As I swam, screaming frantically for the male's voice that never responded again. I was so close to reaching the side of the rubber lift when suddenly I felt a hand latch onto my right ankle. I screeched once I was pulled under again, out of breath immediately. I kicked and screamed out air from my lungs, fighting the hand that started dragging me under. My arms whipped around in the cold current, batting at the bubbles as I shook the hand from my ankle. Whoever was down there suddenly let go and I took no chance to help them up again. I was out of air and slowly weakening under the current. My arms were giving out finally yet I was so close to the surface. . . so close to the air once again.

My eyes blinked sheepishly and my lungs burned a heavy burden as I tilted my head away from the faraway sky to stare at the unconscious female body floating around below me.

The fading lights of the cruise ship were flickering like a haunted story as I sat still in the freezing liquid, watching the disaster finally bubble up one last time. Slowly my mind started shutting down as one by one lights shut off in the stern of the ship. Underwater screams echoed in my mind and then nothing.