Aurora Sky: Blackout (Completed)

Chapter 34

Rough waves rose and fell on the tumbling current of the Ohio River, knocking Isaac's kayak rhythmically back and forth. He held on tight with both hands to the sides of the kayak and stabilized as best he could through the most difficult waters, but there were quite a few moments where he felt that he was going to fall out of the boat. That had made him wish for a life jacket. It took some getting used to, but once he found his balance, the wind and the rivers fast current carried him downstream, sparing his aching arms from rowing temporarily. Every so often he switched between paddling for a few minutes, then resting, paddling again, and resting.

He did his best to move out into the middle of the river but it was more difficult than it appeared. He had only kayaked once in his life and it was on a river not even a twentieth the size of the Ohio. But after acclimating to the current and few minutes of strong paddling, he eventually crossed the midline and over to the other side, keeping roughly thirty feet off the shore.

A few miles later he had passed the town of Aurora, Indiana and arrived at Treasure Lake, a hidden gem of Petersburg, and its more famous historical attraction, "The Ghost Ship", the ruins of USS Sachem. He had never been there before but it was on his bucket list of things to do in town. So in the creek where the Ghost Ship lay was where Isaac decided to take a much needed food and water break.

His heavy arms tiredly carried his kayak and paddle ashore and dropped them on the wet sandy bank. He travelled along the creek bed and knelt down on its shore next to the water. Isaac gazed into his reflection and didn't recognize the man in it. His face, hair, neck, arms, pants, and shirt were painted splotchy black. He smelled his hands and the scent of tainted blood suddenly made him feel nauseous. Without hesitation, he jumped into the cool, clear, and very refreshing creek water and splashed it onto his body to wipe off the greasy oil smell. The remains of black blood washed off of him, but it was buoyant and it floated on top of the creek water out to the river. Once he was adequately washed, he took off his shirt and dipped it into the water to wipe down his blackened sword, removing as much of the foul odor and black stains as he could.

Isaac's stomach growled angrily at him as he was wiping his sword clean. "Alright, I hear you." he said as he put a hand on his stomach. He climbed aboard the abandoned ship and scouted his surroundings though he felt no presence of danger. There was peace in this small part of the world. Birds sang, crickets chirped, and the sounds of life breathed with the wind through woods. Untouched plant and vegetation grew heavily on the boat, but he found a place to sit and lay on the comfortable grass. For a moment he looked up at the sun and partly cloudy sky through the rich green maple leaves of the trees above. A revitalizing breeze dried and cooled his hot sweaty skin, helping him gather his strength with every passing breath.

I wonder what time it is. I feel like I've been gone for a while. He didn't have a watch, but by his estimation of the suns position it was well past noon, figuring closer to three or maybe even four o'clock in the afternoon. "Only a few more hours left of sunlight." he said to himself. He knew it was in his best interests for his body to take a break, but he also knew the longer he waited, the less daylight there would be to make it home.

He shrugged his shoulders, "You can take a five," he said aloud to himself.

Isaac found a spot not so overgrown with vegetation and laid down on his back, positioning himself towards the sun. He meditated. When he closed his eyes and drew his first breath, almost instantly he felt serenity sweep through his core. He was alive, and he was more thankful for it now than he had ever been. A few tears began running down his face, his soul was overwhelmed with emotions. But every emotion and thought he had was that of gratitude.

Aside from his own life, thoughts of Malakai came and went. Isaac wasn't exactly sure of the divine beings purpose, but his gut assured him that the sage was guiding him, protecting him, and looking out for his well being. He felt safe and tranquil knowing that he had what he felt was his own "guardian angel" watching over him. But Malakai wasn't just a mythical ethereal angel or being surveying him from the heavens. He was real, tangible. Isaac had touched him and held his strong uplifting hand. This thought and experience gave some reassurance to Isaac that he was still of sound mind and that he wasn't going insane.