Cora's Cove

One

 I've just finished packing my bag and sling it over one shoulder heading out the back door of my home towards the boathouse. A sense of pride fills me as the sun beats down and the cool breeze blows my straight brown locks around my face. It feels good to finally be a home owner, even if I have a ways to go as far as home improvements. I don't mind the work and the projects, gives me the chance to to really make this house mine. Not to mention the weather has been terrible the last few weeks and I've been stuck inside anyway. Today, however it's beautiful out and I finally have the chance to take my boat out.

 I've always been a bit of a loner, I enjoy the quiet and solitude. Sailing is my passion and there is no better way to spend a day than out on the ocean. I toss my bag in the boat and give it a firm and steady push out into the open water. After I've untied the ropes holding me back, I hop in and hoist the sails. It doesn't take long before my house becomes a speck in the distance. I sit back and relax, letting the sails carry me out further. I pull my sundress off overhead in favor of getting some sun on my all too pale skin. Sailing in a simple purple  bikini, everything feels right with the world. Time flies by and my mind wanders in a relaxed state, startled slightmy as dark clouds roll in. I groan, I had checked the weather repeatedly and there shouldn't be rain today.

 I'd planned for a short route, but as the wind kicks up I decide I better turn back now. I shift my sails, feeling a little defeated. At least I was able to enjoy a couple hours of nice weather. I battle the winds, which only intensify, rocking my boat and spraying the ocean into my face. This storm is coming in quickly and I feel my heart start to beat hard, anxiety gripping me as it becomes harder and harder to control my boat. An aggressive wind tilts the entire boat and I hear a snapping sound. "Oh fuck" I mutter under my breath as I see the line to the helm, loose and drifting in the air, unattached. I have no way to steer to the boat now and the panic sets in. I quickly sit, hoping my body weight will even the boat out. I pray I won't capsize and reach for my life jacket, in case I do.

 I have no control over the winds which carry me way off course. I lose track of time, minutes or hours could have gone by. The sky darkens as rain starts to pour, accompanied by the loud cracks of thunder. I work to stay calm as the boat rocks and water begins splashing into me in big waves. More lines snap and I hear a cracking, that I don't know whether it is the boat or the in the skies. I'm at a loss for what to do.

 Eventually, the boat hits something hard, jolting me forward. I try to regain my position, but everything happens so quickly. Suddenly I'm in the water, tangled in loose lines with waves crashing into me. Despite the life jacket, my body is pulled and pushed around by the current. I feel like a rag doll, as the water and my preserver combat each other. My head dips below the surface multiple times as I try to untangle myself from the ropes, gasping for air. I choke and cough as water fills my lungs and my panicking only worsens my situation. Tunnel vision sets in and soon everything goes black.

Two

Drowning isn't an experience I'd wish on my worst enemy. Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing you're dying and being unable to help yourself. Everything is black and I have no control of my body, I guess this is what death feels like. Confusion clouds me as I feel the cool rocks below my body. A painful pressure on my chest brings me back to. I'm coughing up water violently, my lungs and throat burning. I finally open my eyes as the coughing subsides. It's dark and cold as I look around what appears to be a cove and I couldn't tell you if I'm alive or dead at the moment.

 It takes a few minutes of labored breathing before I regain my wits. I'm most definitely alive, my body aching with a pounding headache. The water is only inches from me and I scoot further away until my back hits the cool rock.