Enduring the Storm

Chapter 11 Stormy Night

Brooke's POV

I stumble back and forth with each sway of the boat, but at least with my boots on I can grip better. I stumble through the boat to gather all that I need so then I can get right back to the steering post at the front of the boat. I grabbed my beanie as I pulled it over my head before putting my hood on and zipping up my jacket. I need to be prepared to battle mother nature. By the looks of things, she won't be kind and is giving me all she has got, so I need to be smart about the situation before I get myself killed. I turn and lean with the boat and waves, trying to stay upright.

It takes longer than I thought it would to get myself back to the steering wheel, which is where I figure I need to be in moments like this but obviously by my clothing I am preparing for everything I might need to do in this weather. I latch my hands onto the wheel as tight as I can to try to prevent it from twisting back and forth like it has been doing. The waves have been directing my boat more than I have been and that shouldn't be the case. I can feel my knuckles turning white as I squeeze it tight, trying to straighten out the boat as the waves turn the wheel, like there is nothing there to hold it back. I keep trying to steady the boat but the waves have created a motions that I can't seem to go against.

I try to keep the boat afloat as I turn the bow of the boat towards the waves that are coming at the sides. It seems to cut into the waves to make them hit not as hard, but that is not helping much at all because of the wind. I watch ahead of me as the waves crash over the top of the boat with the water washing anything that might have been on the boat away. The sail catches the wind, pushing the boat from side to side, since we seem to be in a cyclone with the wind and waves. The sail catches and pulls every time the wind changes direction, which is quite often. It is making things very hard to control in a setting such as this, so I need to put the sail down if I want to survive this whole ordeal.

I leave the steering wheel and probably the only place I want to be in a storm like this, but since I am the only one on this boat, that is not possible for the survival of everything I have. So I stumble through the boat, holding onto the sides to keep me upright. I swing open the door as the force from the wind tries to push it shut. I use my strength to get me out before the wind slams the door shut behind me. I am hit with pouring rain making me feel almost blind since it hit me directly in the face.

I try to wipe away all the layers of water from my eyes as I stumble back and forth while I use the boat to hold me up. I keep moving forward wanting to get my sail down because that isn't helping anything at the moment. I start to untie the rope as a loud booming strike of lightning ignites right above me, I jump in shock before ducking then covering myself, just hoping it didn't hit the boat because I know it didn't hit me.

I keep a tight grip with one hand onto the rope as my eyes squint shut, but once I open my eyes I can see some chunks of wood moving past me with the water, being slid across the top of the boat. I look around before I see some of the railing torn up and I think it's safe to say that it was hit by the lightning. I knew that hit was close, I was just hoping it wasn't the boat. I keep feeling the water dump across the top of the boat as it keeps trying to take my feet with each direction that it pours.

I try not to let it get the best of me, as I try to stay as calm as possible. I keep letting out deep breaths as I feel my grip in both hands tightening on the rope. I am nervous since knowing this is all I have to hold me onto the boat for the moment.. well that is until I can get back into the boat. I feel smart holding onto the rope until the whole boat starts to tip once again. But this move quickly starts to feel almost stupid as the boat tilts giving me nothing to hold onto except for the rope, which is absolutely terrifying making my heart feel as if it will pound out of my chest.

Another bang erupts right over the top of me again, but this time sounding much louder as if it might hit me. I scream out, feeling the boat tipping again, but this time there is way more force behind it. My feet leave the ground dangling out with my body as my hands hold onto my last lifeline, the rope that I needed to detach and now I wish I wouldn't have put myself out here, no matter how much I know that I needed to.

I hold on with both of my gloved hands helping me grip as I wrap the rope around my wrist and forearm to give me a better hold. The boat tilts the other way, only letting my feet skim across the top of the boat before dangling the other way. The pain in my arm hits me like as brick wall as if it is being strangled in the rope's hold. It seems to be almost unbearable. I groan out as I just try to hold on as I can see that the boat is tilting back the other way. This time I am prepared for this, so I turn my body so my feet can grip, giving me a chance to hold on as I push my feet down, trying to grip as best as I can.

I almost grip but it doesn't work, so I run across the top of the boat to turn around as I swing right back, trying to use the tilting boat to my advantage. I shut my eyes, pushing against the wind as I try to grip the ground to keep my body still, but that's easier said than done at this rate. Luckily, my boots do grip this time around, but I don't know if it is enough for me to finish what I had started.

The wind pushes me back and forth as the rain and water from the waves are dumping down on my body, making things hard to see and wavering my strong hold, but luckily the rope has a better grip around my arm, then my hands do on it. I don't let this stop me as I start to untie the rope that I need to, and hopefully this will help, so my boat won't flip and possibly capsize. I get it untied as the boat tips back again, but the only thing still in my hand is the rope. I try to use my weight to hold me down, but it doesn't work. I tip over as I hold onto the now untied rope, with it taking me for a ride. I feel like I am bungey jumping back and forth across the boat.

It pulls me back across the boat again and since the boat itself is tipped, I have nothing to help me grip. My feet slip until I find myself dangling with my arm still wrapped up. The boat is tipping too far over, terrifying me completely at the inevitable doom at my doorstep. The booms of the thunder and lightning strikes as the wind keeps pushing my boat. We start to pick up speed, which is making me feel lightheaded as I just hold on to the rope for dear life.

The waves look as if they are creating a hole within the sea, it looks dark and is increasingly getting bigger like a cyclone or tornado that is in the water. My boat stays tipped and it follows the lead of the waves, turning in a circle over and over again, throwing us around which is absolutely terrifying. I can't breath, just feeling as if my heart is going to leave my by jumping out of my chest at any moment. I scream out as I dangle at the end of this rope just wishing there was someone to help me, but of course I have no one.

The hole in the water gets bigger, looking like I am in an eye. Maybe this is the eye of the storm. I get further and further down, only seeing a wall of water surrounding me, but hasn't consumed me just yet. My arm feels like it is going to be ripped off at any moment. I screamed out being dangled like bait at the end of the fishing line before waves hit me, throwing me and my boat into the wall of water. I didn't have much of a chance to catch a breath before I was engulfed into this sea. I try to hold what little breath I have in as I try to swim.

Once my arms extended to try to push me through the water, I quickly figured out that I am caught by the rope that once was saving and is now pulling me further under the water. It starts dragging me down as I fight it's strong hold, but the fight seems to be pointless the more I get sucked further into the water by this heavy boat. I push with my arms to try to get through the waves, just enough to get my head above the waves to get a breath of air.. but my now sinking boat is dragging me down.

I try to unwrap my arm but that is not working. The air leaves my body as I try to fight the hold, knowing I don't have much longer before my lungs collapse from the lack of air. I need to act fast as I reached into my pocket to grab my knife, opening it up as I use the blade to saw away at the rope, slowly cutting through each strand of the rope. I finally get through before shoving the knife into my pocket and then using my arms to push me back up until my face breaks through the surface of the water.

I cry out hating the fact that my boat is sinking. My boat is gone and so am I. The waves take me with them as I spin, going faster and faster down the center like I am in a toilet bowl. Life is flushing me and I couldn't be more distraught about it. I have nothing to hold onto, nothing to help me out.. nothing to make sure I survive this.. Maybe this is how I was meant to go. Maybe this is what was meant of me, to be nothing more than just a waste of space who worked for nothing and got nothing in return. This is it.

The waves suck me further down into the center of this eye of the storm, pulling me under as I open my eyes still being pulled down. I can see a big shadow in the water across from me, as it gets closer I can see that it is my boat. It is still spinning with me but completely under the water just like I am. The problem is that it is heading straight for me. I try to push myself through the water to grip my boat before it runs bow first into me.

I keep pushing to get above it since the bow has turned and looks like it is heading for the surface and I need to catch a ride. I pump my arms so aggressively, swimming faster through the water than I ever thought I could, but I guess adrenaline is an amazing influence within my body. I keep pushing until I get over the top of the boat as it pushes under me, then breaks the surface again. I gasp for air trying to find something to hold onto as I slip around the wood with the water, but I have nothing as the boat starts to tip once again. Throwing me to the side as I slide straight into the pole, knocking me out so all I can see is black.