Shipwrecked

Chapter 1

I reach out for the edge of the ship as a final, desperate grasp for anything  that can save my life. My hand catches on the slippery metal for one fleeting moment, and I hopethat maybe I will live to tell the tale of the shipwreck of the Seaqueen. But my hand slips as a wave crashes over my head and I am surrouded by blackness. I hear the faint voice of my mom as she screams my name, muffled by the water.

I feel teeth scrape against my leg and the familiar feeling of waking abruptly from a nightmare.

Suddenly I am back. Safe. In the ship's cabin. I am panting and my friend, Kaitlyn, sits up and turns on the light. "Emily?"

It takes me a few seconds to wake from my daze, but I come to my senses and instantly feel foolish. Like I always do after a nightmare.

"It was nothing." I snap at her. "Just a stupid nightmare again."

"The same one?" I nod. "Em, you've been having the same one every night."

"I know. It's just this stupid trip." Kaitlyn's look of concern turns toone of surprise and I instantly regret what I said.

Kaitlyn's parents are taking us on a month long cruise to Australia to celebrate the endof our sophomore year of high school. It isn't unusual for a family to take their kid on a graduation trip, but her parents are so rich that they gave us a trip for finishing sophomore year. That's why I regret what I said. I know they paid alot of money for us, and I really have been having a good time. Except for when I go to bed. That's when the nightmares start.

"I'm sorry." I tell her. "I didn't mean that. I just still can't shake this ridiculous phobia."

Kaitlyn smiles at me. "I know you didn't mean it. Just go back to sleep ok? I'm really tired." She pulls the coverz over her head and rolls over.

This is the only time on the whole trip when I've wished mt parents were here. I've been scared of the ocean ever since I was little. I can't explain it. I've had no dramatic accident, no childhood trauma. I don't know. I only agreed to go on this trip to make Kaitlyn happy. I know she really wanted to go with me. Otherwise I would've made something up. An illness, or some huge event that I can't possibly miss.

I lie in bed for a while and try to fall back asleep. But I can't. And I don't want to because I know I'll have another stupid nightmare.

I get up and throw a bathrobe over my clothes. I write Kaitlyn a note that I went  to get something to eat so she doesn't think I jumped ship or anything. ThenI wander into the hall, not caring about what I look like or  who sees me.

I walk past all the silent doors and repeat to myself, "It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was-" That's weird. The hallways seem more...slanted than usual. I feel like I am walking up a steep hill. But I convince myself that it's still just the nightmare getting to me.

The buffet is completely empty. I expected that, it must be one or two in the morning right now. But why are the life jackets, which are usually hanging on the wall, all taken?

I grab a brownie and look out the window. Oh my god. The ship is slanted.

I sprint back down the hallways to my room. I crash into one of the crew members and fall down. "Miss!", He says and hands me a life jacket. "Take this. We're evacuating." Then he runs down the hall pounding on doors and waking people up.

I run into the room and see a very sleepy Kaitlyn climbing out of bed. She looks strwngely calm and it freaks me out. "Kaitlyn!" I scream at her. "Dis that guy come to our room?"

She notices me panicking and says, "Relax, Emily. It's just a routine drill. That dude looked calm."

"Yeah, a routine drill. In the middle of the night?!" She considers this. I move around the room quickly gathering my things. I have a waterproof backpack that I cram all my valuables in: my Ipod, my phone, and all my books. "I'm telling you, this is more than a drill. The ship is sinking. I saw-" I stop before I tell her about the tilt I felt at the buffet. I don't want to freak her out.

Her eyes widen and she quietly begins gathering her stuff. I run to the closet and grab the life jackets. I throw hers at her andwe run down the hall to her parents' room. The ship is noticeably slanted now. Her parents meet us and westart making our way to the top deck.

People are clambering into lifeboats haphazardly and panicky. We find one and climb into it, even though it's already way overfull. I clutch my  waterproof backpack to my chest as the boat takes off.