Sink or Swim

Simply a drabble. Make of it what you will.

The boat was sinking.

That was her only thought as the floor rocked beneath her as if it had a life of its own. The wind howled outside the window and the waves slammed against the dented metal. The boards underfoot creaked. The glass on the old dresser capsized, spilling its contents and turning the white sheets a murky grey. She could hear people yelling out in the corridor as she swayed and stumbled towards the door.

  

    There wasn't much time.

The captain gripped the railing at the front of the bridge. His men scrambled around on the deck, their feet seeking purchase on the water-logged metal. The sea below churned and sputtered, spraying salt into the faces of those brave enough to be near it. The sky roared and lit up the sea with splinters of lightning. Every wave and every gust of wind seemed to push the ship closer to its breaking point. It was obvious that the sea had already breached the hull and it was only a matter of time before the ocean swallowed them whole.

 

    The deck.   

That had to be the safest place, she thought. It was only one level higher than she was, but the water was rising rapidly. The floor continued to pitch and buck wildly as she slowly made her way down the carpeted hallway. More water seeped out from the rooms and from under the wooden floorboards. Passengers could be heard in their cabins. They were screaming, but she felt nothing. Only a dark emptiness that held no room for compassion.

 

     It was a challenge.

A challenge from the sea. The captain struggled to keep his hold on the rail. The waves continued to crash around him as screams arose from below. The passengers apparently had discovered the leak, but it was already too late. All doors to the deck were locked. He was instructed to get them all there alive, or not at all.

    The door was locked.

She tried it a second time in hopes of a miracle, but to no avail. The door was not going to be the escape she thought it would be. Looking to her left, she noticed a small rounded window that had yet to be circumferenced in broken glass.

 

She threw herself to the sea.