What's Next?

Lost at Sea

Genre: Romance, Drama

Lacey Blake, a young woman struggling with the aftermath of a seizure that has left her blind. One fateful day out on the ocean with her boyfriend and some friends leaves her traumatized. How many people are so willing to throw someone overboard? To leave them for the ocean to swallow, to be their grave.

Damon Wilder, owner of a shipping company comes across a sight he's never seen before. One night that'll continue to haunt every party involved. Secrets that are made at sea aren't always meant to be kept at sea.

Excerpt:

"Lacey baby, come on! We're already running late, you look fine." Shawn drones out, as I stress and adjust the straps on the new bikini Shawn's sister had gotten for me. Making a face I sigh, it doesn't matter, it's not like I can actually see the stupid thing. The small triangles barely cover the important bits on my body. Smoothing the already smooth fabric, I reach for the cover Shawn has been holding diligently for me.

"I'm sorry, you know how nervous I am meeting new people." I don't exactly want to be doing this in a teeny tiny bathing suit, but since Shawn has decided today is going to be a great day on the water, I have no choice. My hands smooth over my belly once more worrying, when I was a little girl, I wasn't thin. Not even close to thin, I was pretty excessively overweight, obese is probably the better term. It has taken years to go from the almost three hundred pound twelve year old to a twenty-three year old who weighs one hundred-twenty pounds.

It took a lot of time, and patience. My parents couldn't afford the surgery that the doctor recommended, so we did it the old fashioned way. It wasn't easy, pretty or fun by any means. I was picked on a lot. I'm slightly ashamed to say that it lead me to cutting, I hated my body, the added weight and how stupid it all made me look. I didn't see myself as pretty at that age, heck I don't always see myself as pretty at this age. "They're my friends Lacey, it'll be fine." Shawn sighs, handing me my walking stick.

"We're taking Denali right?" I ask, I can hear the nerves in my voice. Going out on the boat on a lake is one thing, but to take it out onto the ocean? I shiver at the thought, I don't think I'm all that confidant in my ability on such a strong body of water.

"Do we have to? Lace, I'm gonna be with you the whole time." I shake my head, I want to bring my guide dog.

"Please Shawn, I'd feel better having him with me." Denali has been my best friend for the past few years. Having his presence through this whole journey of blindness has helped me immensely. Denali was originally trained for detecting and helping me with seizures. Doctors believed that my weight was what caused them, but I've never gotten any real answers. It wasn't until five years ago that I had a major panic attack that triggered a large seizure. I'm not really sure what happened.

All that I know is that when I woke up, I couldn't see much of anything. Rough shapes in the forms of shadows are all that I'm granted now. And even to see them I have to strain to make out a shape. "Fine, he can come along." I wince hearing the aggravation in Shawn's voice. I feel needy around him most days. Our relationship is still fairly new, only being nine months at this point.

"Thank you Shawn." He only grunts in response, walking away from me. I feel Denali walk next to me, rubbing his soft fur against my leg. His way of telling me that he's here. Reaching down I pet his fluffy fur, burying my fingers in his thick coat. He's an American Akita, born and bred to be a service dog. I'm betting he didn't think he was going to have all of this work cut out for him. When I first lost my vision, or at least most of it, my parents wanted to just get me a new dog. I of course refused, Denali has become my best friend.