First Love..again

Chapter Eight: A Storm Is Coming

Rise and shine. It was early dawn. The camp was as quiet as could be. Ben laid awake in his tent.

“Something just feels off,” he quietly whispered to himself. He wasn’t sure what it was either but something in his gut was telling him that something no good was on its way.

“Please let nothing bad happen to Heather or my kids! I wouldn’t forgive myself for not being there!”

He wasn’t able to back to sleep after that worry came over him. So, instead, he lay awake, just waiting for the bottom to drop out. He prayed that he was wrong. But, he rarely was when it came to something like this.

“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!” Ben looked at his watch. It was time.

Collectively, the group packed up their tents again and hopped on the boats towards the last island on their scheduled journey. This time though, the weather forecast noted a major storm was coming that evening. They hadn’t had much warning. Instead of setting up shop, the group intended to drop supplies off at one central location and head back toward the mainland early, in hopes to get ahead of it. They didn't want to risk being stuck in tents when a storm was taking place.

So, that is exactly what they did. The Captains drove the boats as fast as could be towards the final location. They were going to be quick. Victoria found herself putting her head in her lap to try to keep out of reach from the cold breezy water. The boat was easily doing twice as fast as the last time that she had ridden in it. She certainly understood why, but she didn’t have to like it. This was not what she had signed up for.

When they arrived at the smallest of the Islands the group was greeted by a husband and a wife, who introduced themselves as Tom and Markal. They very much looked like your standard natives living off from mostly the land.

Charlotte explained how the situation had changed for them due to the weather and asked them where a good place may be to leave their relief supplies.

Markal told Charlotte that they could leave them in the town square. He pointed them in the appropriate direction.

“Thank you,” she agreed to do as such.

Each of the twelve crew members, and this time the two boat captains all carried the rest of the supplies from the boats to the town square to speed up the process. No formality were given on this trip. It simply was a drop and go operation. That was their mission.

Quickly back at shore, the twelve volunteers all reboarded the boats, and made their way toward the mainland to return home. It would take them a good two hours to make it back, they knew. They only hoped that they hadn't wasted too much time and that they would be ahead of the storm.

Although, the sky was already getting dark and the waves were crashing upon the shoreline. It wasn't looking promising for them.

Madison recalled the previous shuffle earlier.

"Let's stay in our groups from yesterday," Charlotte declared. "It will make things quicker!"

Everyone agreed and took orders from their fearless leader as they boarded the boats swiftly.

On one boat it was Ben and Madison, Victoria and Nelson, and Charlotte and Tommy Todd. The other boat contained the other three pairs of volunteers.

After only about twenty minutes in the boats, the tropical rain began to fall. At first, it was a welcomed relief from the humidity. That relief didn't last long though.

Madison sat on the edge of the boat with the wind blowing her mid-lengh wavy blonde hair in the breeze. Her hair was becoming moist from the falling rain, but she was loving it. It felt so exhilarating to her!

Then, suddenly, in the midst of her enjoyment, the boat Captain made an announcement over the loud speaker that all passengers should put on a life preserver for the remainder of the trip.

"We're getting word from the Coast Guard that choppy waters are ahead, and a major tropical storm isn't far away! Put on your life preservers for the remainder of the trip, and hold on tight. We may drift off course some but we are planning to head in the direction of the mainland," the Captain announced.

Suddenly, this beautiful rain, became a horrific reality. All of the six guests looked at one another in both boats and began to follow the Captains orders, just like little soldiers.

"Will we be okay, Benny," Madison asked nervously as the rain began to pick up?

She wasn’t much of a boater. She had no idea what if anything they could withstand in a storm.

"Of course we will," he did his best to reassure her!

He could tell that Madison was now getting scared, as he could see the worry on her beautiful face. He gently placed his hand on her hand. "I won't let anything happen to you," he tried to comfort her!

Madison greatly appreciated the sentiment. Although, she didn't know what Ben could do to save her from what lied ahead, she appreciated that he cared enough to try. That was good enough for her. She immediately felt safer, just knowing that whatever would come their way, they would be together. She wasn’t alone on the boat.

Ben immediately started rummaging through the supplies below the seats of the boat for anything that could be used in case the boat capsizes or someone fell overboard. Fortunately he found two small blow up boats for recreational purposes. He didn't care though, they would be good to have.

He handed one of them to Charlotte and the other to Madison. "Zip them inside your life vest," he ordered!

"What about me," Victoria became both scared and offended that Ben didn't instinctively think of her or sooth her after he realized that he had not included her in his generosity.

Ben had nothing for her, he knew. He felt guilty. No one deserved to not feel safe. Ben ignored Victorias comment and continued to search around for anything he could use. He reached his hand over the side of the boat as the waves crashed all around him. He could feel something. He had come across a round life preserver ring that could be used if someone were to need to be dragged back to the boat. That would work!

"Here," he said to Victoria. "Take this," he assured her kindly! "Put it around you!"

“Thank you, Ben!” Victoria truly hugged him with no expectations attached for once.

This just left the men with just life jackets to protect them from the elements. He had nothing extra for them, including himself. What was he to do? These me. We’re relying on him to lead them now.

"Grab your packs," he shouted to Nelson and Tommy over the whipping weather! "Put them on. If something happens, at least you will have basic supplies," he added. "They should also float," he said confidently!

“Good idea!”

“Yes, thank you!”

The men did as ordered and Ben followed suit.

Madison was impressed just how much Ben took charge. He was definitely strong under pressure. She was thankful to be assigned to his boat. Avery, she knew would have done the same. She missed Avery now, more than ever. He would have been there to hold her and assure her that it would be alright. But she felt in her gut that it wasn’t alright.

The wind and the rain now began to pick up even further. About fifteen minutes later, the sky around the boat became completey black. The rain was now cold from the whaling wind. Waves had white caps, much higher than the boat has been and the Caption had all that he could do to keep the boat upright.

“Hold on tight for your lives,” the Captain ordered!

Ben could see that the second boat had gone off or drifted in the opposite direction. He wasn’t sure which. While they once road side by side, they now couldn't even see one another. He knew that that alone wasn't a good sign.

The crew members all held on to the boat tightly for fear of capsizing or being tossed over board.

A howling whipped through and pierced the water. Suddenly, one quick wave swept up from above the boat and ripped the boat down.

“Crash, was all that could be heard, and it came in an instant.

All six crew members now floated in the ocean, as the wind whipped, waves crashed, and the rain poured down around them.

The Captain however, unfortunately, refused to leave his command. He was swept below the boat, into the raging waters below. The relief crew now watched from afar as the boat sank next to them. It didn’t take along either, oddly enough. I suooose that was good for the captain. It was less time for him to be scared or in pain.

The screams of, "Hello," could be heard over and over again from the six survivors between the strong winds and piercing rainfall around them Each of them tried to swim with the current, to be closer to one another, with little luck on their sides. The storm was just too strong.

"Charlotte," Tommy hollared! "Charlotte, are you there," he asked repeatedly? Tommy took off his pack so it wouldn't weigh him down and could more easily look for Charlotte.

No response.

“Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte!!!”

Finally after a few minutes, which seemed like hours in the cold waters, Charlotte could hear her husband's calls.

“I'm here, over here!"

Tommy, with all his might swam toward his wife, grabbed hold of his her life preserver, and the two managed to keep themselves together successfully. Fortunately for them, although Tommy was a seasoned individual in life, he was in excellent shape for his age, and swam in their pool daily. This was probably the only way that he managed to reunite with his love.

“I thought I had lost you,” she kissed her husband with cold trembling lips.

“You aren’t getting away from me that easily!”

Meanwhile, the other four were floating aimlessly in the waters. The jolt from the boat mostly took a toll on Nelson, who was no doubt the eldest of the survivors, and the frailest. The crashing waves pierced his body and shook him around like a rag doll. He struggled to free himself from his pack. Finally, after exhausting all efforts he was able to do so, but it took a lot out of him physically.

Victoria hit her head on something once she was jolted from the boat. She floated in the water with her life vest and life preserver still around her, scared and dizzy, but safe for the moment. She was most thankful that Ben had given the life preserver to her now. She had given him a hard time, but it truly was a godsend.

Ben and Madison although not together, seemed to fair the experience unharmed. They both knew enough to go with the flow, conserve energy, and not use all of their strength to fight the current.

About 10 or 15 minutes after the accident the storm above seemed to drift off.

Madison suddenly remembered that Ben had given her the blow up boat before they jolted into the water. With the waves still crashing, she knew it would be a huge task to blow it up by herself, but with no one else with her, she had to try.

Madison pulled the flaccid rubber boat from her life vest, the sharp plastic edges scratching her neck on the way out, but she honestly couldn't even feel it. Maybe it was the shock or maybe the adrenaline that was pumping but Madison was focused. Madison released the cable that held it together and the boat began to spread out. She searched for a few minutes for the air spout, and finally was able to find it.

Blow after blow, Madison gave that tiny boat all she had. She was glad that she had not chosen to fight against the current or she wouldn’t have had any energy to rally.

Ben was floating in the water now, dragging his pack,. He didn't want to let that go. He was also trying to search for scrap salvage that may have survived the crash. Not only was finding something to float on imperative for his strength, but he was aware that where he found himself now was also shark infested waters. He definitely didn't want to be swimming aimlessly once the storm fully passed and been susceptible to natures beasts. However, nothing that he could climb upon seemed to be anywhere in sight. His only hope he knew would be to find either Madison or Charlotte, both who were equipped with the small blow up boats that he had given them.

About an hour later, the storm has finally started to move off too far to for anyone to see. The water had now fully calmed. It looked as if nothing had ever happened. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was as if nature hadn’t stricken them down. But it had!

Charlotte and Tommy managed to stick close and had worked to get her blow up boat intact. Once completed, he then hoisted her inside to safety. Charlotte struggled to get her husband inside afterwards, but finally she planted her body as firmly as she could and allowed him to wrap his arms around her neck and pull himself up.

Madison now had her boat fully inflated also, but she wasn't sure how she would get inside. It almost seemed impossible. Everytime she tried to get in, it would just tip up. She finally decided that if she wanted to save herself, she would need to call out again for her other crew members.

"Hello! Is anybody there" Madison hollared over and over, now sobbing a little each time. She was tired, thirty, and out of breath at this point. It started to feel hopeless. She had a boat right at her fingertips and she couldn’t manage to get inside.

"Maddy! Is that you," Ben hollared?

He was now fearing that his ears were playing tricks on him. He thought he heard her voice, but he couldn’t be sure. He hadn’t seen another soul.

"Ben! Benny," Madison began to get excited after finally hearing a response!

"Yes I'm here," he screamed back. "Hang on, I'm coming to you!”

He swam with all his might! Ben could then see Madison now off in the distance. She had the boat up, but she was still fighting the elements in the water. Faster and faster he swam to her. Upon reaching her, Ben let go of his bag and gave her a big hug. He could see that she was crying.

"It's okay," he tried to comfort her. "I'm here now," he added.

Madison, with her arm still wrapped around the rope of the boat squeezed him tightly.

"I've never been so happy to see you Benny!"

Ben looked deep into her eyes. He had felt the same. He had certainly missed her in the past, often, but none like today. H couldn’t help it. He too began to tear up a lot with joy causing him to gently kiss her forehead. In that moment, there was no one else in the world but the two of them.

His lips were warm on her cold face. She needed to get warm, and this was the first she could feel of any warmth.

"Let's get you on board," he smiled at her.

"No! We have to get you in first," she demanded.

"No Madison...," he was cut off!

"Benny, I won't be able to pull you in," she made it known. "I'll stabilize this side, so it doesn't tip, and you pull yourself up on the other side," she explained!

He nodded in agreement.

"Good idea, Maddy," Ben let go of her and tossed his pack into the inflatable boat, along with his life preserver. He knew he couldn't pull himself up with it on.

Madison did her best to keep her side stable in the water while Ben managed to pull himself up. Five days a week in the gym definitely paid off. Once inside, he reached his arms for her, however swimming not far away, Ben could clearly see the fin of a small shark heading their way. He didn't want to tell her though, for fear of starling her and bringing attention to themselves.

"Okay Maddy! This is it! Wrap your arms around my neck and I'll pull," he said. “Quickly!”

Maddy did as she was told, and Ben easily hoisted her aboard like a wet towel. She was practically dead weight, but he wouldn’t let that stop him. He wouldn’t lose her!

"Don't look now Maddy," but there is a shark over there," Ben stated cooley as he let go of her and allowed her to get settled into the tight quarters.

"Oh...Benny," she screamed!

"There there, it's okay," he tried to calm her nerves. "You lay here and relax. It can't hurt you now," he tried to assure her. Although, he knew that if the shark wanted them bad enough, that tiny plastic and rubber boat wouldn't stop him! They were at his mercy.