Dead faint

At first, I don’t see anything suspicious in the dark water, not even ripples, which is not surprising because it is raining, and because there are waves. I chalk up what I thought I had heard to the fact that I’m tired as hell and obviously imagining things. Or maybe I’m going crazy too. Crazy seems to be in my family’s DNA.

I’m about to turn away and go back to my cabin to finally get some shuteye when I hear it! The gurgle of water as a pale face emerges from it and a loud gasp as whoever was in the water sucked in huge gulps of air, before being submerged again. Pale, skinny arms flail above the water as the person struggled to remain afloat, but it is very clear that whoever it is cannot swim.

The wind has picked up now, and even though I know it is most likely a futile effort, and that no one was likely to hear me over the screaming of the wind, I yell at the top of my voice for help. The face appears again, and to my horror, I realize that it is Jessica who is in the water. I can see the utter terror in her eyes, the same terror that I’m feeling. I hurry over to where some life jackets were on deck and grab two, before hurrying back to the railing.

“Help me, please. I can’t swim!” Jessica manages to yell above the sound of the wind, but she inadvertently swallows several mouthfuls of water as she goes down again. Even before she speaks, I’m already climbing the rail to jump overboard and get to her. The ship is fast leaving her behind, and the waves are pulling her away, which is much better than if they were pulling her underneath the ship, so at least, that is a good thing. Still, there is no time for me to go get help. If I leave her in the water, she is surely going to drown.

It briefly occurs to me that I’m likely going down to my own death by getting in the water too, but I just can’t leave her alone, especially after seeing the fear in her eyes. Maybe I’ll be able to keep us afloat long enough for help to come. I keep shouting for help as I climb the railing, hoping that someone would hear and come, but the wind carries my voice away. I can’t afford to think about how despairing and frightening this is, or about anything else for that matter.

The first contact of my body against the water knocks the breath out of me in a whoosh, and I begin to hyperventilate, sucking in a mouthful of water as I do so. To my great relief, the water is not as cold as I had first thought it would be, but still, I know we won’t survive out here for long. It takes a good minute or more to get my rapid breathing under control. 

Once I’m able to breathe normally, I glance around, threading water and looking for Jessica, but I can’t see her anywhere. Fear gnaws at me, but I desperately try to keep it at bay, knowing that I can’t give in to it, or else, we’re both doomed. I’m with my phone, which is water-resistant, so I turn its flashlight on and glance around again, ignoring the stinging sensation of the water in my eyes. 

Finally, I see her some distance away, and I swim towards her, grabbing and raising her head above the water as best as I can. Her eyes are wide, and she has swallowed some water, but for the most part, she looks okay. She clings to me as though I’m the only thing in the world that’s keeping her safe, and I suppose that I am, but she’s cutting off my circulation.

It is morning already, and soon, the sun would be out. I left my cabin at five, and maybe thirty minutes have passed since then. Hopefully, the sun would come out soon and provide some warmth while we await rescue. 

“Jessica, you’re fine, okay? Just try to relax and not hold me so tightly, otherwise, we might both drown. Don’t worry. I have you now and won’t let go, no matter what.” I tell Jessica. She’s practically cutting off my circulation with how tightly she’s holding me. From the expression on her wide-eyed face, I can tell that she didn’t hear me, or register what I said. She’s still holding me very tightly and is actually succeeding in dragging me under the water, despite how slim and frail she is, so I deliver a sharp slap to her face to bring her out of her shock.

“Try to relax, Jessica. You’ll be alright.” I tell her again. She still doesn’t answer, but her grip on me lessens. Although it proves to be a herculean task, I manage to help her wear one of the life vests, before putting on my own. All the while, she remains silent and docile.

“Are you alright, Jessica?” I ask her, flushing a bit as I realize that that is probably the most stupid question ever, considering the circumstances. Jessica opens her mouth to speak for the first time since all this started.

“The ship…” She croaks. “It’s gone…”

I whip my head around to see that she’s right. The ship is a good distance away from us. I stare at its rapidly retreating lights in disbelief and more than a little fear. How on earth would we manage to survive until we’re found?

“Oh, God!” Jessica moans. 

I whip my head back around to offer her some futile words of encouragement, even though I feel just as dejected as she is, but I stop with my mouth open. Her eyes are looking glassy, and as I stare at her, they roll up in her head and she slumps against me in a dead faint.