I instantly knew something was amiss. From the moment I stepped onto the boat I could sense the danger as if the water was trying to warn me of the peril that lay ahead.
On normal days, when the sun's beams pierced through the clouds, the sky's blue colour reflected off the water, and I could see ten feet in front of me, I felt at peace on the water. Not today, something was different. I could feel the abnormality of the day, as if it was pulsing within me, warning me of what lay ahead. The boat seemed to vibrate, as if the water was trembling in fear.
I squinted and gazed ahead, but it was impossible to see anything. The fog which billowed in the light breeze like a sheet, blocked the view that I was used to. It blocked the new cottages that had just been built next to ours. It also intercepted the sight of the green bulrushes that grew next to the few docks that had been built.
Slowly I sat down and put my head in my hands, trying to determine how I had become subject to peer pressure-again. Typically it wasn't like me to be stupid enough to go boating when visibility was so low, but my mind had been clouded, eager for a little fun and adventure. That eagerness had disappeared long ago.
My green eyes darted over the small boat my family owned. I shook my head. How was it possible that the other side of the boat seemed to have disappeared?
I was sitting in the front, right in front of the controls. The cool plastic of the windshield pressed against my back. I squinted, trying to see the rear of the boat, but it was merely a faint silhouette.
A warm breeze passed across the deck, but despite the warmth, a shudder racked my body. When the fog touched my skin, tingles rushed to the surface, trying to push their way out of me while the fog seemed to search for a way in. It wasn't normal fog: it seemed to be alive.
I got up and walked to the back of the boat, lowering myself so my head was just above the sick looking water. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to picture what the lake was supposed to look like: sparkling in the hot sun, reflecting the empty sky, and showing off its plentiful supply of fish and cleanliness by allowing anyone who stepped near it to see to the dirt at the bottom.
When they fluttered open, the sight was nothing like what I had envisioned. It was the exact opposite; murky, polluted, and gray. My knuckles whitened around the railing.
"Em, are you still there?" my sister Sapphire called snapping me out of my daze.
"Yeah. Are you sure this is a good idea?" I looked over at Sapphire and even her dark blue eyes were almost invisible in the fog.
My parents had a thing for gem names. My full name was Emerald, but I preferred to go by Em. They had named Sapphire and I because of our odd coloured eyes. Mine shone a brilliant green, and Sapphire's a midnight blue.
"Of course it is. Mom and Dad will never know. They're gone all day golfing and Jasper won't tell them a thing."
I wasn't so sure that Mom and Dad would be gone all day. It was hardly ideal golfing weather, considering no one would be able to see a golf ball flying towards them or where the hole was.
Then there was our brother Jasper. At nineteen, he was two years older than us and also named after a gemstone.
Sapphire, Jasper, and I had an understanding as a result of past events. We all had wanted a little more freedom in our house, due to Mom and Dad's strict rules. We made a truce, willing to turn a blind eye whenever one of us did something against Mom and Dad's wishes, or when one of us was gone for long periods of time.
Most of the time I enjoyed doing a few "forbidden" things here and there, but I was definitely regretting the agreement. It didn't matter much anymore, as Jasper was so rarely home. He was gone more than he was at home, especially within the last five years. He had changed when Mom and Dad had separated for one year. That was when he was fourteen; five years ago.
I turned my attention back to the current situation. "What about the fog?" A sigh escaped my lips as I continued to try and figure out how Sapphire had convinced me to go along for the boat ride. It was probably because we were twins. I always felt bad for letting her do stupid things on her own, because then she would have to be punished alone.
"Come on, lighten up this is just fun. Don't be such a worry wart." I ran my long thin fingers through my brown hair, shaking my head at her.
"I guess no one else would be stupid enough to go out in this weather anyways," I muttered, glancing past Sapphire. A flash of brown arose against her jet black hair. I jumped to my feet and gawked at the area where the fog had momentarily parted, as if trying to show me something.
"Stop the boat," I screeched and dashed over to Sapphire, who was at the helm. Thankfully she trusted me enough to listen to what I had asked of her. Once the boat was no longer moving she turned around and glared at me.
"What's wrong? So help me if you just wanted me to stop because you're too scared to keep going. I'm not turning around. If you want to go back, than you can jump out and swim."
I quickly shook my head, but my focus wasn't on her. I squinted through the fog, looking for another flash of colour, but everything was still as if nothing had happened. The fog was its thick, billowing self again. I rubbed my eyes, hoping the worry wasn't getting to me.
"No, I saw something, over there." I pointed in the direction where the flash of colour had presented itself, but Sapphire narrowed her eyes.
"Em, are you feeling okay? There's nothing here. I would've seen something out of the corner of my eye if there had been something. Maybe we're close to the shore and you saw a house or something, but you're worrying too much."
I glared at her and shook my head, returning to my original thoughts. "No, there was something there. I know I saw something. I don't know what's happening, but something is definitely wrong."
"With you maybe," she muttered turning back to the controls. "I came here to have fun. We're on vacation, at the cottage and Mom and Dad told us to have fun. They can't get mad at us if we're trying to do so, if that's what you're worried about then stop worrying."
"Sapphire, stop the boat," I pleaded, but she wouldn't listen. "This is not fun, you could get us killed."
"If I die, at least I had a fun time living unlike you."
"So you want to die? Is that what you're saying?" I demanded. My eyes darted back down to the water and saw how close the waves were to flooding the deck. The water appeared to be...angry.
My eyes squeezed shut again as I tried to figure out how to explain the situation to Sapphire. She would think everything that came out of my mouth was an excuse to get off the water, but something was coming. Words couldn't describe the feeling, but dread welled up inside of me. The water almost seemed to speak inside of my head; warning me to leave while I could. Its persistence seemed to grow, making my head pound.
My heart was a drum. A loud drum. I couldn't catch a breath, I couldn't breathe. Sapphire didn't notice and I saw the water begin to pass by at a faster pace.
"Emerald Danielle Clemons, of course I do not want to die. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not turning around? If there was a hurricane blowing in, I would not care. I will turn this boat around when I want to." I winced when she used my full name. I hated when she did that. She seemed to think she was more important than me.
I opened my mouth to yell at her, but I never got the chance.
Out of nowhere a gaping hole appeared in the fog, as if a portal had been opened. There was a flash of brown and a massive ship cut us off. There was no way Sapphire would be able to stop us in time; we were going to hit the boat. I dove for the railing, but not before the collision took the deck from beneath my feet and I flew briefly through the air.
I couldn't breathe as the coldness of the water seeped through my clothes, but that feeling didn't last long as I felt a searing pain in my head. Blackness slowly closed in around me until everything disappeared and I began to sink beneath the waves.
When I opened my eyes I had no idea how long I had been unconscious. I tried to look around, but I was surrounded by darkness. Is it nighttime, or am I dead? I wondered. I heard a painful buzzing sound, and couldn't imagine being alive.
Thumps sounded above me, resonating like footsteps. Alive, I confirmed.
I tried to sit up, but something cool dug into my arms, legs, stomach and neck. My arms attempted to free themselves, but something bit down into my wrists binding me to whatever I was lying on. Each movement caused a clanking sound.
"Hello?" I called out, hoping someone would hear my voice and come to help me escape my prison. I felt surprisingly calm considering everything that had happened.
The only thing I cared about was Sapphire's safety. She had to be okay. She had to have escaped the accident alive. Maybe she was already home and apologizing to Mom and Dad. Maybe she was looking for me. Maybe, she was regretting the stupid boat journey that got me to where I was.
Despite how hard I tried to be hopeful, I knew Sapphire hadn't escaped the ship. My gut was telling me she was in the same situation I was.
"Sapphire," I called out into the blackness, "You there?"
No response came. I waited a few more minutes, but nothing sounded. The silence became its own sound. I finally lost my patience and decided to use a different technique.
"Help! Someone help me! Get me out of here!" I screamed as loud as I could and as desperately as possible.
Laughter replaced the daunting silence, quiet at first but growing louder with every second. Relief washed over me as I realized the voices were approaching my room.
I tried to listen to the conversation, but the voices were getting lower and quieter. The hope left me, until I realized they were whispering right outside my door.
"Young lass...awake....friend..." I heard the other voice hush him and there was a click.
A beam of light brightened the room, seeming like it was the sun itself. A creaking sound filled the air and I saw the shape of the door as it slowly opened, moving closer towards me with every second.
When the door was completely open, I covered my eyes, allowing them to slowly adjust to the difference in light. Finally, I dared to open them, quickly taking in my surroundings. There wasn't much there. The room was made of wood, and I was lying on a wooden table. Beside the table, the chains that bound me, and the handcuffs, the room was empty.
Two men approached me. I could almost see tendrils of their smell rising off of them, swirling around before entering my nose. I held my breath, but not before the smell of body odor and alcohol filled my senses. Despite the smell of alcohol, they seemed perfectly sober.
My eyes followed one of the men, as he strode across the room, slowly approaching me. His salt and pepper hair was held back in a ponytail with a faded, red bandanna. A long black coat hung over his small but muscular frame, hanging down to his knees. There was a matching black vest underneath it with a white shirt and dark pants.
I felt something nagging my mind as I slowly put all the pieces together. Wooden ship like from a movie; strange clothes, the lack of hygiene, alcohol...
If any of what I had learned in history class was true, there was only one possible answer. People from the twenty first century didn't dress like that anymore and they sure didn't sail wooden ships out of inconvenience. There was only one thing that could make sense. I was aboard a pirate ship, which meant I was as good as dead.
A/N: Thanks for checking out my story! :) Hope you guys enjoyed it! I would love if you would vote and comment what you thought. I love hearing from everyone! Also I entered this novel in the 2015 Wattys so I would love if you would vote for it!