Page 1 of These Rough Waters

Prologue

The clouds overhead tumble, rain lashing against the sea as lightning and thunder clash across the sky.

Waves rock the boat, the ocean angry and rough, throwing us around atop its surface. Just a few more miles, I urge, I just needed to get us a few more miles.

The storm had come early, it had been forecasted for later this evening, but it had rolled in much sooner. It transforms the seas around us to turbulent walls of water, and the skies to a deep ominous grey that lights up as bolts of electricity shoot through the sky.

“Hold on!” I roar, trying to stay in control of the vessel, my heart dropping into my stomach as the boat tips onto its side, battling a wave that should have capsized us and yet we crash back down, cold, sea water spraying onto the deck, soaking us all.

Grace sits with Leo on her lap, one arm wrapped tightly around him, the other clinging to the side of the boat as it sways and pitches beneath her. The rain stings as it hits my skin, like little icy needles, and the wind whips my hair around, despite the shortened length.

I could see the bay from here, several miles out but right there nonetheless, I just had to fight nature a little longer to get Grace and Leo to safety.

“Torin!” Grace cries as another wave smashes against the boat, throwing us over so dramatically water floods across the deck.

“Almost there, Gracie,” I yell, muscles aching and protesting as I fight to keep control.

I’m paying all my attention on that horizon, on the shore and the dock, that I don’t see the tall wave heading right for us, cannot prepare for its strength as it slams into the side of the boat.

With the rain lashing at us, the wind and sea fighting, the boat tips and it tips until it’s no longer stable enough to remain floating. It flips into the water, sending me,us,everything, into the raging ocean.

I go under, the world around me becoming muted, debris, sharp and deadly slashing through the water like daggers. I kick against it, heading towards the light above me. Internally, I am screaming. I’m crying out for Grace, my wife, pleading for my son, Leo. Praying to whatever is out there tosave them. Take me instead butsave them.

Breaking the surface I suck in a shocked gasp, the icy chill of the wind instantly biting at my wet skin, but I spin and flail in the water, searching for a head of darkened blond hair, searching for a smaller body with the same-colored mane, but I see nothing but broken wood and litter from the boat.

Cutting through the water, I head for a large piece of wood floating somewhat chaotically in the water and balance my weight against it, shoving my body as much as I can onto it so I don’t have to fight the strength of the sea and frantically look around, but I don’t see them!

“Grace!” I yell, voice raw from the salty sea water, “Leo!”

A wave slams me into the plank, my head bouncing off the unforgiving surface with a hard thud, “Grace!” Another crash of a wave, severe enough this time to cause fog at the edges of my vision.

I call her name a final time, the sound hoarse now, weakened and drowned before another violent wave pounds into me, slamming my skull down but this time the lights go out. There’s no fighting it.

When I wake, it’s to a grainy rough texture beneath my cheek, the salt of the sea drying out my lips and throat, and my body screams with pain, my head pounding, but all of that is pushed to the side when my mind goes to Grace and Leo.

I push through the pain, teeth clamping painfully together as I force myself to my hands and knees and swing my gaze around the beach I’ve washed up on.

Debris and boat parts litter the sand and within the clutter of destruction, I see a mess of blonde hair, an arm and loose, wet clothing. I begin to crawl towards it.

This was my fault.

All of this was my fault!

“Grace,” I croak, “Leo.”

But when I get to them, and I see their bodies, I know there is nothing to be done.

Grace cradles Leo to her chest, my small boy curled up tight while her arms band around him, protecting him even in death. Both are pale, blue in the lips and their chests don’t move.

There was no saving them, no life left to bring them back.

And all I can do is bring both of their lifeless bodies to my chest, holding them for a final time as I scream to the clearing skies.

One

Five years later

Iload the crates into the boat, hauling the heavy cargo onto the deck, stacking it to fit as much as possible inside. The bay beneath was full and these were the final boxes that needed to go back to the island.

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