SUNBURN | JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

080

The warm, golden sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft, ethereal glow over the completely still waters of an unknown ocean. The light danced on the surface, turning the water into a shimmering, liquid gold. Everything was serene, as if the world itself had paused in reverence to the beauty of the moment. The only disruption to the perfect stillness was the overturned hull of the Phantom, floating gently in the water, a silent witness to the chaos that had unfolded. The gentle light reflected off the water's surface, turning the ocean into a shimmering, golden mirror that stretched out in all directions, serene and infinite.

John B lay sprawled across the bottom of the capsized boat, his body draped limply over the slick surface. His eyes fluttered open, the sunlight stinging them as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He felt the rough texture of the boat's underside against his cheek and realized where he was. Suddenly, he began to cough violently, expelling the saltwater that had filled his lungs. Each cough racked his body, but the life jacket he had managed to put on himself and Gabriella before the ocean swallowed them provided a small measure of warmth and comfort against the cold.

Ignoring his own pain and exhaustion, John B's mind snapped to one thought—Gabriella. Panic gripped him as he looked around frantically, the vastness of the ocean suddenly overwhelming. His voice cracked as he began to shout, his words punctuated by desperate coughs. "Gabriella? Sunshine? Gabriella?"

The fear in his voice was palpable, his heart pounding with the realization that he couldn't see her. The mere thought of losing her was enough to make him feel like he was drowning all over again. Without Gabriella, there was no John B. They were bound together, their souls intertwined from the moment they met. They were one. If Gabriella was gone, then so was he. They were soul-tied, inseparable since the moment they met. Their souls had fused into one, and without her, there was no John B. The despair was overwhelming, and he felt the dark temptation to let the ocean take him, to sink beneath the waves and disappear.

Just as despair threatened to pull him under, he heard a faint, desperate cry from the other side of the boat. "Booker!" Gabriella's voice, filled with panic and relief, cut through the silence like a lifeline. She was on the other side of the overturned Phantom, coughing and gasping for air as she clung to the boat, her body trembling from the shock. The sound of her voice sent a jolt of life through him, and he whipped around, his eyes scanning the water. There she was, struggling to stay afloat, gasping for air as she coughed out the remnants of the ocean that had tried to claim her. Relief washed over him, mixing with the cold water that still clung to his skin.

John B's heart surged with hope. "I'm coming, Sunshine! It's all right. I'm coming," John B called out, his voice filled with a fierce determination. He forced his tired body into motion, swimming toward her with everything he had left. The water felt heavy, like it was trying to hold him back, but nothing could stop him from reaching her.

When he reached Gabriella, she was still struggling to catch her breath, her body shaking from the ordeal they had just survived. Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto his, and she threw her arm around him, clutching him as if her life depended on it—because it did. He could feel her trembling, the shock of their survival still sinking in. This wasn't a dream. They were alive. Gabriella's fear eased, and she found her hand finding his face. Her fingers brushed against his cheek, and John B leaned into her touch, his own arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her close. He couldn't let her go—not now, not ever.

John B wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her close, their bodies floating together in the gentle waves. He nuzzled against her, burying his face in her wet hair, breathing in the familiar scent of her that grounded him. He couldn't let her go—he wouldn't let her go. Her fingers found their way into his hair, stroking it gently as she tried to calm both him and herself. Their foreheads met, and for a moment, the rest of the world ceased to exist. It was just them, suspended between life and death, between despair and hope.