stormy weather

chapter one () sinking

Life and death.
Two easy words.
Two easy concepts.
You're either alive, or you're dead.

Of course, there's some exceptions- If you were only kept alive by life support, and happened to be brain dead, are you really alive?
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On the news, sometimes you'll hear horrible stories and will pity the people fallen victim to the darkness of this world.

But you'll never understand what they're going through. Those families stricken with grief, loss, and pain.

You'll never truly understand what they go through unless you experience it yourself.
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May 5th, 2017.
The day my very first cruise was set to take place.

It was a luxurious trip to the Bahamas with my family and my plus-one, Marco.

Marco, with the sparkling eyes. Blue eyes so deep you could drown in them.
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I can remember it so clearly- the look on my mother's face as she watched the ocean liner burn into a pile of ashes.

The look of shock on the face of the one I wanted to spend my whole life with as I found them with the little device.

He cracked a smile. "Caught red handed?"

"Marco? What the hell is that? It doesn't look safe, back away from there!"

"I love you,"
"But out of everyone, you couldn't save me in the end."
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I can still hear the screams of those unlucky many who burned down with the cruiser.

Seventeen of us.

On a lifeboat only made for about nine.

Marco, is this what you wanted all along?

I miss you...

I wish I could have saved you...

I wish you loved me the way I loved you.

Either eight of us on this damn boat volunteer to die,

Or we all will.