Tale of the Raging Sea

Chapter 13

I should've been happy sailing again, but I wasn't. The feeling of being attacked, by the Japanese, at any moment made my heart race a few times. The Battle of the Pacific was something that sounded like a typical headline. It was a lot more scary actually being there. There were a few assaults and attacks on several of our fellow US vessels. I heard the Japanese carried well made swords they called katana, which were deadly sharp. According to some reports, American naval officers were beheaded with those swords. It was a quick death, but it was too much even for myself. I rubbed my neck and gulped. The Japanese were people that were feared. Suddenly, patrolling was more of a chore than a relaxing experience.

Several of my commanding officers checked to see if I was still alive. I assured them I was okay. I was just having small panic attacks. I've noticed those seems to reoccur after Pearl Harbor, besides nightmares. I usually calmed myself by looking at a picture of Annabeth and reminding myself that I had another chance at life. Even so, I felt like the life I've come to love would flash before my eyes and sink to the bottom of the ocean; just like my first nightmare I had months before. Or was it a year? I wasn't sure anymore. In a war, time seems to stand still. Chaos doesn't have time, so neither do we.

I repeatedly used my binoculars, scanning to see if the enemy was near. When I saw nothing, I let them rest on my chest. It was like for hours. Nothing, but water. The clear waters of Hawaii was replaced with dark blue, black, then the occasional green, then back to black at night. Of course, I loved the sound of the waves crashing against the vessel. I leaned forward, rested my arms on the railing, and looked out into the darkness. I wasn't looking for something. I was trying to block out things from my mind. I tried to imagine the good posibilities. When the war was over, I wanted to settled down with Annabeth somewhere quiet and have a few kids. Annabeth would've clocked me right in the face, if I told her I wanted 6 kids. I wanted my kids to have someone to play with. Since I was an only child, it was boring at times when I had no one to talk to. My fellow classmates ignored me. I never was anyone's favorite. Annabeth's, but that was then. Eventually, I thought about everyone else. Jason and Piper; what would they do after the war? Would Jason marry Piper? They were together a lot longer. I was sure they would. Hazel...I wondered how she was holding up. Thinking of Hazel made me think of Frank, which was really painful. He and I started to become really good friends. I would give him advice and he would tell me about cool spy stuff and techniques. He wasn't suppose to, but he did anyways. It wasn't like I was going to ever need it at the time, but I was glad he showed me.

Just when I began to think about the nightmare, Lt. Jeff joined me at the railings. He smiled at me and rubbed his chin.

"Something on your mind, Jackson?"

"Yeah."

"A girl?"

"A lot more."

"Whoa!" He nudged my arm. "Lady killer!"

"No, no. I meant a lot more than just my girl. My friends...my mom..."

Jeff sighed. "Jackson, you should really let them go."

I looked over to him. "How can you say such a thing?"

"It's easier to do it. You don't fear death as much." Jeff explained.

He had a point. If I thought of them in the middle of a fight, it could get me killed. Even so, I feared death more than anything. I had so many hopes and dreams. My aspirations of becoming something more than just the troublemaker from New York were greater than any wish a man could possibly make. I had people who were counting on me, waiting to see my face on the horizon. I thought of all those men who lost their lives during Pearl Harbor. Was it better to die then or die on enemy territory? These questions circulated around my head for a what felt like forever. Ever since that unfortunate day, I felt like I lost part of my sanity.