4. 'The tale-bearer'

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If gravity were to cease, what would become of Earth? If the sun were to vanish, what would become of life? If Kai was Earth, Chuchip was his gravity; if she wasn't there, then he never existed. The thought of it made Kai weak to his bones, as he collapsed to the ground. Every sound from the surrounding became distant and every movement around him simply paused.

But for Sheila, Sal and Chip were nothing more than her patients, atleast for the moment. Before Kai could even blink, she was in the water. With every wave the sea fought, she dueled twice with a heart of iron, swimming and slashing through the cold water, until she grabbed drowning Sal and Chip by their collars. Gabby shook Kai back to his senses. Kai was definitely caught in dwidling time, but he wasn't that weak to let it control him. He dashed into the waves, wiping his damp salted cheeks.

Zaren, with an ambitious plan, approached the scene and started lowering a small wooden boat balanced on a pulley. He made Gabby and the boys to sit inside and hopped into it, just right in time before it touched the waves. As the ember-glowing wood of the RMZ ship crumbled, perishing and sinking into the ocean, many boats lowered from the left over hull. Many people jumped into the water to save their lives, many more into the survival boats.

Kai and Sheila worked together to bring Sal and Chip to Zaren's boat.
"Kai, check if he is breathing. And Gabby, warm his legs." Her command was faster than greased lightning. She patted on Chip's back, as Chip coughed vigorously. "Are you alright? Can you breathe?"

Chip nodded, and instantly crawled towards her father with soggy knees. "Is he okay?"

"Move." Sheila pushed Gabby aside and asked Kai to breathe ​into his mouth, while she thrusted his chest in and out with all her strength. And, eventually she succeeded, as Sal gasped a long breath and went into an episode of cough.

"Phew!"

Everyone left a sigh of relief, including Zaren, even when he was concerned on rowing the boat. And on Zar's tail, there was another line of boats. He waved his hand to a hunky man in the boat beside, with arguably- a long moustache and beard. "Dad!"

But, what puzzled Sheila was Gabby's wide ajar mouth and her frozen stubby fingers sticking to her chest. Her doubts were ascertained when Gabby started pulling repeatedly on her wet arm-sleeve. "Ummphh!" Gabby squealed, her eyes quivering with a strange fear. It was for the first time that Sheila had to witness her zipped mouth.

"What is it?" Sheila sounded annoyed. Kai looked towards the side to which Gabby's eyes were fixated, only to gasp and flinch.

"No. No. Not now, not again!" Zaren clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Rogue wave!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, towards the hunky man on another boat.

"What?" His voice sounded muffled with the whistling wind.

"Look behind, there's a Rogue. Wave!" Zaren screamed again cupping fingers around his mouth.
"And you guys, hold each other tight. No matter what, we are going to stay together. Am I understood?" He raised his shapely brows, glaring at the giant, foamy wave arising at the horizon, which appeared as if it was announcing its wrath.
"And, you. What's your name again?"

"K-K-Kai." Kai rose to his feet, putting his head a little too down.

"Yeah right. Kai. I am the captain in-charge." Kai rolled his eyes at the obvious information. Sheila had taken over her mother's job of healing, while Zaren had followed his father's footsteps. The only difference was, he wasn't there yet.
"I am not introducing myself. If ever something happens to me or, while I am not there - which is remotely possible- you'll be in-charge. Now hold each other's hand, let the kids be in centre."

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