Those who were taken...
They never came back, dragged beneath the waves never to return.
Their haunting screams were a symbol of their horrific deaths.
Like shadows they lay in wait, the deep blue waters hiding them from view.
With sharp claws they...
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~•~
The boat rocks unsteadily in the waves, its top heavy mast pivoting back and forth in the wind. Cally's mother sits next to Ethan while Cally and her father reel in the sail. After about an hour on the water, there was a unanimous vote to stow the sail and use the small motor to drive back to shore. The wind had picked up exponentially, what was once a steady breeze had become a harsh wind. With the winds, the waves had also increased.
"That should do it," her father says as he ties the final strap over the mast, its once billowing sail now tied securely to the frame.
"This was a terrible idea," Cally mutters dejectedly.
"At least it won't take us too long to get back, right? That's the shore, isn't it? Only about three miles out?" Her mother says, almost worriedly.
"Don't worry, I got this. We will be back in no time," her father says cheerfully, but Cally can hear the slight tremble to his words.
He starts the motor with ease, the small boat slicing through the waves as it starts its journey back to the dock. The motor isn't a large one, they probably aren't going much faster than about ten miles per hour, but it's better than nothing.
Cally shuffles closer to her brother and wraps a towel around the two of them. The sky has darkened considerably and, combined with the wind, has dropped the temperature quite a few degrees. She tries to ignore the worried look on her father's face as the storm continues to come towards them at a faster pace than the boat, the dark line of clouds only a couple of miles out.
"We probably shouldn't have come out this far," Cally says, voicing her concerns. Her mother pins her father with an accusing stare.
"Well, I wasn't really expecting the storm..." he says, avoiding eye contact.
Cally sighs; she supposes he is right. The man from the marina did say they would be fine. Then again, Cally has had a feeling this day wouldn't go well, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.
Ever since she heard what the village man had to say, something has been nagging at the back of her mind, begging--pleading--to be heard. Quiet whispers in the back of her mind urging her to stay away from the water.
As the waves start to crash over the front of the bow, Cally realizes she should have listened to the voices--should have listened to their pleads to stay away--to run. Fear spreads through Cally's system as her instincts tell her this is wrong.This won't end well.
A loud clap of thunder sounds, frightening the small family. A small cry escapes Ethan's lips as more thunder rumbles, the occasional bolt visible among the clouds. Cally pulls her brother closer to her side.
"The owner did say life jackets were in the bench, right?" Cally hears her father asks.
"Yes, why?" She replies, eager to have the safety of a life jacket around her.
