Page 36 of Wrecked
“What do you need, Dad?” she asks warily, her voice like music to my ears. The soft angelic sound travels through the space between us, embracing me with its warm resonance.
“Help your daddy to his room, baby girl.”
Absolutely not.
I lift my fist and bring it down hard against the door, protecting my girl the way I plan to do for the rest of our lives.
CHAPTER 18
ELLIE (PRESENT)
The wind whistles in harmony with the waves, their rhythm lulling me into a dreamlike trance as we near our destination. My lungs burn as I swim hard against the strong current, struggling to keep pace with Nate. My legs feel heavy from the relentless kicking, yet oddly light as if I’m floating, an unsettling sensation of being both exhausted and weightless at once. The calming influence of the ocean’s melody quiets my overactive thoughts, but does nothing to diminish the physical demands of my current task.
Foamy whitecaps begin to form around me, and the sounds of gentle whooshing are replaced by the powerful roar of waves crashing onto the distant shore. The aerated water makes it impossible to continue floating, so I pump my legs harder, fighting against the reduced water density. The only thing preventing me from sinking below the bubbles is the makeshift float I’m holding onto, one that is quickly descending underneath the waterline.
I focus on pushing beyond the crest, distancing myself from the deadly white water. As I hum my favorite song, the familiarmelody wraps around me like a shield, offering the comfort I need as I concentrate on the task ahead.
The birds chirp from above…
The fish swim between my toes…
The sun shines brightly in the sky…
Black smoke pollutes the air.
One of these things is not like the other.
Glancing over my shoulder, I observe the fiery remnants of our plane. I watch as it continues to plunge into the never-ending depths, taking the souls of everyone onboard with it.
Everyone but me and Nate.
He saved my life.
He once promised that he would protect me with his last breath. I believed him then, and I believe himagain.
I turn back and concentrate on my current mission, surviving. I try to avoid drinking the salty water so that I don’t accelerate the rate of dehydration. It’s hard when the frothy water slaps against the metal wing, forcing me to inhale airborne droplets that leave a salty residue in the back of my throat. I gag at the intensity and try to cough the briny taste away.
Large waves begin to form around me, pushing me forward and then dragging me back.
It’s time.
The presence beside me offers a peace I could get from no one else. He releases his hold on the nearly submerged wing, but keeps my hand in his. The loss of our pseudo raft inspires a sense of doom, even though the water had reached the surface and we were swimming more than floating.
The small coastline peaking over the horizon seems more reachable now that Nate has my hand. The plan is to dive beneath the surface and break through the crest so that the waves can carry us to the shoreline.
Sounds simple, right?
He gives my hand a gentle squeeze and glances over at me, a tight smile on his face.
“Ready?”
“As ready as I can be.” I try to sound confident, strong, but my words fall flat. The fear is evident in my tone, just as much as it is on my face.
“There’s a chance we could be pulled into a riptide, Pip. Don’t let go of my hand, and if the ocean starts to pull you, let it. Let it take you, and I’ll come for you. Whatever you do, don’t panic…okay?”
The face I give him is probably comical.
I reach back into the very depths of my long-term memory and search for everything I know about riptides.
