Into the void

In dedication to the heroes

The abrupt tilting of the ship sent all of the passengers tumbling into the cool steel walls of the MV Sewol. The screams and desperate cries echoed throughout the ferry and a chill ran down her spine as Ji Young grasped the back of her head in pain. She held onto one of the metal bars above her head as she sat on the ceiling of the ship.

‘What in the world?’ Ji Young thought as she leant back against the wall to stabilise herself from the swaying of the ferry, however in doing so caused her uniform to become soaked with ice cold water that was trickling through the ship from above. ‘No…’

Bringing herself to stand up in the sea water that was slowly filling the ship, Ji Young staggered through one of the lounges on the third floor. There, students had huddled against the walls in fear, terrified. Ji Young pulled the lever situated near the entrance of the lounge to reveal at least fifty life jackets. Four or five students scrambled to their feet to grab the jackets from the crew lady with gratitude as they distributed them throughout the room.

“Get up, you all need to get out.” Ji Young watched the class stare at her with uncertainty. “What?” A student, no taller than she, stood and said in a whimper, “But… the captain said not to…” Bewildered, Ji Young began to usher the children out of the ship until she was interrupted by a booming voice crackle from the speakers attached to the ceiling, which in perspective was now situated at their feet. “Everyone please stay calm. Help is on the way. Everyone is to remain seated lest the sink rocks and sinks further.” That bastard. Knowing him, he’ll be the first off this shipwreck…so much for captain’s sinking with their ship.

Ji Young shut her eyes in an attempt to calm herself from her fury. “No, you all need to leave. Climb the stairwell on the left side and pass out jackets as you go.” She hastily handed the leftover life jackets to three boys however they did not move, as if locked into place by the captain’s orders. “Now!”

With a slight push and a hesitant shove towards the exit, the students began to file out of the lounge with careful steps, trudging their way through the icy water that had risen up to their knees. Ji Young hurriedly checked each room on the third floor and proceeded to climb the stairwell to aid the civilians on the fourth escape the capsized ship.

The chilling water was up to her waist by now and the haunting cries that she once heard from beneath her, the passengers and crew members that were trapped on the top of the ferry, had been silenced by the unforgiving ocean.

After passing out all of the available life jackets on both floors, Ji Young helped lift the passengers up the stairs and into the cargo hold where they could exit from the bottom of the ship. The last passenger on the fourth floor was an elderly man; he held Ji Young’s hand as she led him towards the stairs. The water was up to their chests and their skin had gone pale and wrinkled due to being drenched for too long.

“Why don’t you have a life jacket?” asked the shivering man as Ji Young helped him lift himself into the bottom of the ferry. She paused. Why am I doing this?

“My priority as a crew member is to ensure your safety. Once you all are safe, only then will the crew and I evacuate. Now sir, please find the exit.” That much was true but Ji Young knew it was too late for her.

Out of breath, Ji Young let go of the man as he pulled himself up, his clothes were heavy with water and it provided the man with a challenge on his frail body.

“Thank you, miss.”

And with that, the last passenger was gone and Ji Young was left with the water up to her neck, the level rising rapidly with each passing second. With one final breath, Ji Young sunk beneath the water’s surface. The coldness of the water begat a numbing effect upon her body, it started at her fingertips and her toes, slowly engulfing her as she sank into the void, as if calling her, pulling her into the depths along with the people beneath her.

Ji Young drifted for what seemed like hours, days even, she knew that this was her end yet why did she continue to hang onto this last breath of hers? Because it was too early, she had so much to live for but not nearly enough time. No one truly does.

She is going to go to university, finally be able to provide her family with the support they need, she is going to build a life for herself. Was going to build a life for herself.

Now, all that Ji Young has to look forward to is the darkness and the unbearable cold that awaits at the bottom of the sea. And with that, she watched her breath float upwards. Letting go.