Washed Ashore

Part 1

Two weeks of spending a horrendous amount of time relaxing, I am tired and bored of it. My mom had suggested it after going through a stressful senior year and then to meet her in the Bahamas. Terrible idea if you asked me, the hot weather and pretentious rich people on the cruise made me want to go into my room and curl up with a good book. Another terrible idea from my mother dearest to think that I would want to spend a month with snobbish rich people.

Not that I want to seem rude but ever since my dad passed away my mom just thinks money will solve everything. All I wanted was her comfort, someone to hug me and tell me that dad is watching over me but she found a rich guy that's now my stepfather, both of whom I am going to meet in the Bahamas.

During my deep thoughts and detests, I accidentally bump into someone. "I am so sorry."

In the midst of this, I ended up dropping my almost empty water bottle and my AirPods.

The man picked it up while I stood apologising and I won't lie I did admire the muscles but quickly redeemed my composure.

"Thank you so much," he handed me my water bottle and AirPods. "Again, I'm sorry. I should have watched where I was going."

He shrugged and ran his hand through his dark hair, "It's okay, no need to apologise."

The man walked away after giving a tight-lipped smile which I also did. I didn't miss his tired hazel eyes and the light bags that formed under them. It seems he was stressed but who am I to be concerned about a stranger?

Maybe his muscles hypnotised me more than I thought, damn, who knew that wearing a white tight T-shirt and some shorts could do that.

Anyway, back to my self-deprivation and demotivation. Um, right! My stepfather. His name, Frederick. And no he wasn't the type of person where you could call him just 'Fred'. God, he is as old as Grandad Stephen but again I'm only a 19-year-old child, what do I know? That's what my mum says anyway but during my senior year, I was trying to back away from her old-time views and being more rebellious (in her eyes). Now in my year out of high school, before I went to college, my mother had tried convincing me just to marry an old rich man like her.

Her version of rebellious was dresses that come above the knee and my hair not being into pigtails like a child. Not that she knew how to tame my curly hair.

I finally got to my room and slipped off the flip-flops and jumped onto the twin bed and busked in the heat of the weather and the breeze flowing through the window.

I slowly drifted off to sleep.

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My eyes snap open and I have a strange feeling in my stomach. I instantly made my way to my ensuite bathroom and had my head hanging over the toilet, my minuscule germophobia couldn't lead me to get on the floor and touch the bowl like they do in movies, blech.

After a few moments, I gathered that I wasn't going to be sick. I washed my hands in the sink and dried them. The time was currently 2 am. Yep, I've messed up my sleep schedule.

Suddenly a huge crash followed by slight creaking made me scream. Oh, did I forget to mention that I have a phobia of this ship sinking to the point I had an emergency bag packed?

The creaking got louder and my panic rose. I ran to get the emergency backpack and my water bottle. 'Please, don't tell me what is happening is actually happening.'

Screams were heard out of my door and the emergency alarm blared, the bedroom lights flickered off and I switched on a flashlight that was on my nightstand, my breathing turning into pants.

I quickly rummaged through my main bag to pocket a cloth and two lip balms.

Getting out of the room, people rushed passed me and got into lifeboats. As soon as I got out rain poured and the creaking was adamant in torturing my increasing nervousness.

Someone suddenly bumped into me as I tried bee-lining for a lifeboat. "Sorry, Sorry!" I shouted over the waves and the rain.

"Stop apologising. Come on,"

The man had his hand wrapped around my bicep and helped me into a free lifeboard. Pushing and shoving came to one of the people guiding those into lifeboats pressed a button that deployed our lifeboat and before we knew it we were drifting away.

"Hello!" I waved my arms to get their attention but the guide was trying to control panicked people into lifeboats.

I breathed out as we continued drifting into the fog and the cruise ship sinking, sinking, sinking.

"They have trackers on these things. They'll find us after the panic is over and everyone is safe." A man's voice said, calmly.

"Safe?" I gasped, "More than half of those people were still on the cruise ship after we deployed. They didn't notice us going." I gulped, whispering the last sentence.

"You're going to have to calm down or else you'll send yourself into a panic attack."

"I-I can't, I am living my worst nightmare." I took off the backpack and put down the switch-off torch.
"Ok, Focus. Listen to my voice and start breathing in and out." I listened as he continued speaking, his voice soothing.

I lay on my back as the waves started to calm and crash gently against the boat.

My heart calmed and he began counting and I joined him looking up at the stars that dotted the night sky.