(The first part has already been written, but since you've all probably read Becca's already, you didn't really need this info)
‘The Escalade’ had reached the peak of the wave, for a moment Lucille could feel herself leaving the ground, suspended in the air as the ship was hurled forwards. It was this moment that Lucille could feel the ocean’s spray wafting into the room, gently caressing her sweat covered skin. Her heart was beating so hard that it actually hurt her chest. Each breath became shorter and shorter.
And then it was all gone.
‘The Escalade’ hit the sea again, sending half the crew overboard. Lucille could barely hear the screams of the dying men as water exploded into her cabin, sending her crashing into the opposite wall. Within a second she was lying on the floor, air barely getting into her lungs, and anything that did make it into her throat was mostly seawater. She gagged as she tasted the salt burning her throat, making her jolt into an upright position. It took her a few moments for her eyes to focus on the room in front of her. She could now see the hole in the side of the cabin had become much bigger with the impact. Lucille then slowly reached around to feel the back of her head which was now throbbing with pain. In the dim light she could just make out the colour of blood that now rested on her finger tips.
Glindel threw the door of the cabin open, and grabbed Lucille’s shoulders. “You a’right, m’lady?” he shouted above the storm, but the words were completely unregistered. “Ah, damn it! We gotta get you to a boat. This ship ain’t survivin’ any more of this!”
Lucille felt herself being draped over the man’s giant shoulder. She continued to stare at the blood on her hand. No thoughts entered her mind. Save one: death.
Her mind woke again when her chin smacked off the deck. Another wave had smashed against the boat, lifting the starboard side. She shook the hair from her eyes and stared at the boat that was supposed to be her way out and she started to slide towards it because of the ship’s angle. She then stopped as a greasy paw grabbed her ankle.
“I wouldn’t advise that anymore, m’lady,” Glindel said, looking at the boat. Within the next few moments the tethers holding the boat in place snapped and it fell out of sight. One crew member screamed and jumped in after it, but everyone else knew that he would only find his demise, just as they knew they were about to find theirs.
The boat continued to tip as more and more heavy object slid down onto the starboard side. Soon Lucille found herself suspended upside down. The sudden rush of blood to her head nearly knocked her out. She then felt Glindel’s grip loosen, and she then landed on some rope netting. Glindel followed suit, falling next to her.
“Hold on, m’lady, we can still get through this. Just don’t let go. Don’t ever let go, lass.”
She tightened her grip and gathered all the oxygen that her burning lungs would let her. She took one last look at the fast approaching ocean and then closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.
She entered the water in a much less dramatic way than she expected, and allowed herself to relax for a moment. But she then realised how much of a mistake it was to wait. The more time she stayed attached to the netting, the closer she’d come to Davy Jones’ Locker. She tried to free herself, but twisting and turning only made her more entangled. She tried to open her eyes, but the salt burned her. She started to panic. Large bubbles of air erupted from her mouth which tried to scream. As she lost her breath she took in a gulp of water, filling her lungs with cold death. Her attempts to free herself became weaker and weaker until she finally gave in, allowed the sea to engulf her and keep her with ‘The Escalade’ for eternity.
She then tore through the surface of the ocean, the cold air ripping at her face. Glindel threw her limp body onto the side of the hull, attaching the netting she was caught in onto a large splinter of wood. She opened her eyes and knew she was alive. Heaven was definitely not like this. The storm was still raging and waves smacked her legs, but it seemed they had survived the worst of it. Now the agonising wait would come.
“Don’t let go, lass. Don’t ever let go,” Glindel struggled to say. “This is where I say goodbye, m’lady. Just don’t let go.” Lucille stared at Glindel’s eyes; they had the look of agony. She then looked down and saw a large splinter of wood sticking out of his chest. Out of all the crew, she had expected him to survive, especially beyond her. As he fell back into the water and let death take him, Lucille couldn’t help but ask why she had been chosen to survive even this long. What did god have planned for her? “Don’t let go,” she heard in her head again, and tightened her grip on the netting. And then she waited.
By the time morning came the storm had calmed and she stared at the rising sun. And she waited. She didn’t let go. She simply waited for something to come and help her. But there was nothing, nothing on the horizon. No land she could swim to. The only thing she could do was wait. And not let go.
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