Just a Little Bit of Magick • ONC 2020 • ✓

London is Grey and Miserable- Like Me

My legs were numb, my arms were numb, everything was numb.

The water was so cold.

I've heard people talk about how cold the sea is in winter, but let me tell you, it was so much worse than I thought.

My eyes opened.

The swiftly sinking ship-

Nice.

Thanks.

-was infront of me, people still clinging to the railings. Several lifeboats hovered in the area, wanting to rescue people but unwilling to risk their own passengers.

I pulled magick from my faé stone, pushing fé through the water to try and get myself moving.

Katy's cries had disappeared under the water, sinking with the ship.

And all that was going around my head was 'You could've prevented this.'

»--«

I released the Fé as I neared a lifeboat, swimming the last few metres with my senseless limbs. Hands grasped at my clothing, some pulling me into the boat, others handing me a coat.

We drifted for hours, as many lifeboats connected in a chain as we could, watching as the sun came up on the horizon. The light illuminated our tired faces and revealed the sea, filled with the remains of the sunken ship.

The highest ranking officer sent messages up and down the row of boats, organising watches for anything that moved on the horizon as having out what little shelter from the cold there was.

I stayed huddled on my seat, no energy to do anything more than sit.

Maybe using all that Magick wasn't the best idea.

Thankfully, with the dawn came the sighting of land, through a telescope that the first mate had had the foresight to bring, the news spreading fast down the line of lifeboats. The nurses in my boat cheered and whooped, hugging each other carefully. One of the lifeboats had capsized sometime during the night, it's occupants slipping away before anyone even knew they were gone. No one wanted to overturn another one.

I remained on my bench, hunched against the cold.

As the day went on, the smudge on the edge of our vision didn't get any closer, despite the team of rowers constantly moving each boat forward.

Well, I say team, more like any able-bodied man who isn't ill.

They rowed in shifts, some of the nurses, and eventually me, taking a turn ourselves.

Night came and went, the rowing teams powering through, even though everyone was getting tireder by the minute.

»--«

I woke up as dawn came.

We were just passing the coast of what I presume was Ireland. Within moments, everyone was awake and alert.

It only took us a few more minutes to find a safe place to land.

Everyone scrambled out of their boats as soon as they hit sand, most collapsing further up the beach.

Me included.

The sailors secured the lifeboats and a couple of soldiers went scouting for civilisation. They soon found a village; and after a thorough interrogation to be sure that none of us were Germans, the villagers sent a telegram to Southampton and brought us warm food and clothes.

Not in that order of course.

They can't have been that thorough if you got through.

Shut up.