OCEAN WITHOUT DIRECTION

Chapter Eight

Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this. Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
-Robert Jordan

__________________________________

As I wake my head pounds like the beating of a drum and my eyes begin to focus on my surroundings.

Zack is standing in front of me discriminating every feature on my face. "Sometimes I wonder why I do things like this, but then I find that I don't regret it. "

Trying to move my hands I find that they're bonded tightly behind my back and my ankles are too. When I try to speak a gag stops me from doing so.

My screams are muffled and Zack is standing with an amused look on his face.
Then it's replaced with a dangerous look and it reflects in his eyes.

He steps closer until our noses are almost touching. "You Xena are a pain you know that" I'm breathing heavily through the gag.

"You know you took my freedom from me. I was forced into marrying you. You were an ugly child I'll give you that" my movement stops and I glare at him and his rude comment. "But now look at you. You're gorgeous, and have an amazing future in front of you. Unfortunately you won't live to see it."

Shaking my head I refuse to let the tears fall. I can't let him see that I'm weak, that I'm not rattled by the fact he threatened me with my life.

My ankles sting and with my bound wrists I can't soothe them with a gentle rub.

"Everything I could've had has been lost because of you. I could have a better payed job, enough alcohol to last a life time and a wife I actually wanted." He continues to fire insults at me until I'm shaking with detained anger and embarrassment.

"I could have had everything!" He bellows and suddenly my life flashes before my eyes and I'm falling. Fast.

A giant splash sounds and I'm sinking, trying to kick my way up to the top of the ocean. My limbs are cramping and I'm losing a dangerous amount of oxygen.

As my head breaks the surface of the ocean the slapping of the waves are the only thing that I can hear. Still trying to keep myself afloat I begin to pull and tug as hard as I can with the rope tying my wrists together.

My organza gown is sticking to my skin. Some of it is beginning to tangle between my fingers and the rope making it almost impossible to untie.

Just as I'm about to give up it finally let's go and floats away. I rip at the rope on my ankles and that too comes undone. Just as I'm about to take the gag off of my mouth, my leg cramps badly due to to the hard kicking that's keeping me afloat.

My head disappears below the surface and I clutch at my leg in pain. It's almost unbearable, I can't move it. It's almost like my leg has a mind of its own.

As I'm about to lose air again a harsh tug on my waist has me rocketing out of the water. "Xena are you okay love? Did he hurt you?"

Liam.

I pull away from him dropping my now fine leg. I begin to pull and tug at the gag making me silent.

He swims over and pulls at the double knot untying it with ease. "What the hell are you doing Liam? Did you jump off of the ship just to get to me? " I shriek.

He nods guiltily, shaking my head I begin to look around and see no sign of the cruise ship. My heart beat accelerates until I'm hyperventilating. We're going to die out here.

A soothing voice sounds behind me and I see a worried Liam. "We'll be okay Xena" glaring at him all I can reply with is, "if you didn't come and get me you would be living. I'd much rather die in the middle of the ocean than be with two men who are as gullible as each other." That seems to hit hard as I see hurt and anger flash in his beautiful eyes.

"You know I wouldn't forgiven myself if I didn't come to get you. You know that Xena."

I know that.

"I wish you didn't come Liam. I'd much rather stay put here by myself than be with someone who has a brighter future than me."

He stares at me like he doesn't believe what I just said.

"We're in the middle of the ocean and the only thing you can think of right now is that I have a better future than you."

"You admitted it though" I point out, he rolls his eyes scowling at me.

If I didn't know better, I'd say he doesn't regret coming out here even if I'm not being a very considerate person.

After a few painfully silent minutes I begin to swim the way the tide is flowing.
Liam follows silently, the only thing that we can hear is the ripples of the waves and our arms slapping the water continuously.

After hours of swimming I'm about to give up. Liam is swimming ahead of me going full and strong.

"Liam" I croak out. My lips are cracked and I can feel the stinging sensation of burned skin. He continues swimming not hearing my distressed whisper.

"Liam, I can't swim anymore" this time I raise my voice and he hears me quickly turning in time to see my tired body fall beyond the waves.

Everything hurts. My head, my bones, my muscles. Everything. Liam pulls me up and wraps my legs around his torso pulling me closer. We manage to stay afloat and I embrace him more.

I've never been one to touch for long amounts of time but this is different.
It's either I let myself give up and sink to the bottom of the ocean or let Liam hold me. Keeping me out and breathing.

We stay like that for a few minutes until we start swimming again. Hours go by and I'm surprised Liam is just beginning to wear out. We haven't seen land for almost a day and we're about ready to stop.

Just as I'm about to halt again and float for a minute or two a bird can just be heard above to clouds. Looking to Liam he closes his eyes on mine and I realise he heard it too.

We swim forwards a few more metres and within the thick fog we can just see the outline of an island.

"Xena, look" he points to the sky and I look up to see a whole flock of birds heading towards the island.

Smiling slightly I wince at my chapped lips. We continue to race forwards until my face hits sand. Glorious sand, golden crystals that help form this land I'm too happy to see.

Resting my head on the sand my dress is rising and falling in time with the waves. "We did it" I whisper before closing my eyes and clutching the sand in my hands. "We did it Xena, we really did it" I hear Liam mumble back and I feel his hand grasp my waist and pulls me close.

The last thing I hear was birds squawking above our heads and the waves washing up onto the sand. Hoping that this is not in my head I finally close my eyes a sleep for as long as my body allows.

______________________________

Vote/comment/share