by J. O Mantel
She slowly walked over to the bathroom and turned on the tap. She prepared herself a nice warm bath to remove the stress that had filled her body. She finished her tea, removed her clothes and sat down in the bath, placing a towel under her head. She let out a slight sigh of relief and slowly closed her eyes.
They had been at sea for two days and had passed through the Bahamas, and several surrounding islands. Today they found themselves near the coast of Cat Island and the journey was going smoothly for Lukas and the rest of Dark Falkon. The sea was calm and they spent most of the day attempting to catch some fish but didn’t have much success. For Lukas this was something new, he was used to always being on tour and constantly on the go. Having some downtime took some getting used to and he couldn’t stop thinking about Sienna, he knew she would be freaking out about him.
“Hey, space cadet,” Matt snapped his fingers, pulling Lukas out of his trance.
“Huh?” Lukas said.
“Where were you just now?” Matt asked.
“Sorry, just thinking,” Lukas replied.
“Dude, this isn’t the first time you and Sienna have been apart,” Tyler said.
“I know, but it’s the first time I’ve gone away without her while she’s pregnant.”
Dave appeared before them holding four bottles of beer. He handed one out to each of the guys and sat down next to Lukas.
“What did I miss?” Dave asked.
“Nothing, lover boy here was just wishing he was somewhere else,” Matt joked.
“Lukas, take it from someone with experience. It was the same with Tash and I before Mariah was born. Whenever I went on tour she freaked out, she didn’t know when I was coming home and was always worried that I’d miss the birth.”
“How did you handle it?” Lukas asked.
“It’s not a job, Lukas. Everyone handles things differently, you’ll learn that in time when your kids arrive. Besides, and take it from someone who’s been there, enjoy the freedom while you can. Once the babies come along it’s going to be a lot of late night feeds and changing stinky diapers. Having children can be a handful, especially with twins. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with all that anymore, but having said all that, I wouldn’t change any of it, even if I had the chance.”
“I’m already going through the mood swings with Sienna. One minute she’s happy and as horny as a rabbit, the next minute she doesn’t want me touching her. Honestly, I can’t keep up.”
The four of them laughed and sipped on their beers. There was a light breeze that brushed against their faces, but other than that, it was a calm night and Annie was maintaining speed at around eighteen knots. Lukas grabbed another bottle of beer from the fridge and made his way to the bow of the ship. He leaned over the railing and sipped his beer as he stared into the sea. Matt joined him a few minutes later and the two of them stared out into the open sea.
“You’re worried about Sienna, aren’t you? Matt asked.
“I just want all this to be over, so I can get on with my life and plan my future…our future,” Lukas replied.
They finished their beers and both headed back to Tyler and Dave, who were now on their third bottle each. As the night went on, the weather got cooler and soon the guys found themselves heading inside for a late night game of poker.
By the time they finished their game it was well after midnight. They cleaned up the mess, and Annie stopped the motor for the night. She lowered the anchors and called down to the boys; “Goodnight, guys,” she yelled from the deck.
“Night,” they replied, as Annie turned in for the night.
One by one the guys said goodnight and each headed to their own beds. Within a few minutes everyone was sound asleep, everyone except Lukas. He rolled over and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He opened it up and fumbled through the contents inside until he found the photo of him and Sienna. It was taken just after their rock climbing in Banff. He gently ran his finger down her face and smiled; “I love you,” he whispered, before kissing the photo and placing it back in his wallet. The gentle rocking of the boat from side to side was comforting and enough to send Lukas off to sleep.
A bump on the head woke Lukas several hours later. He found himself pressed against the wall and the boat was rocking from side to side.
“Ouch!” He said, rubbing his forehead as he rolled over and looked at Dave and Tyler. Both of them lay still, clearly not affected by the rocking, which was now becoming fiercer.
Lukas got out of his bed and put on his flip flops. He walked toward the door leading out onto the deck, and he could hear strong winds. He quickly walked over to Matt and shook him; “Matt,” he whispered loudly, trying to wake him.
Matt rolled over and opened his eyes, he stared Lukas in the face.
“Lukas?” He said groggily. “Wh-what’s going on?” He asked.
“Can you hear that?” Lukas asked.
Matt sat up and listened carefully, he could hear the wind blowing and the waves crashing against the boat.
“It’s just the wind, Lukas. Go back to sleep.”
“Matt, the boat is shaking. Something’s not right, we need to alert Annie.”
Matt yawned, he could hear the seriousness in Lukas’s voice.
“Ok. I’ll wake Dave and Tyler, you go get Annie,” Matt said.
Matt jumped out of the bed and shook Dave and Tyler vigorously, trying to wake them.
“Annie? Annie?” Lukas called as he climbed up the stairs, leading to the upper deck.
The wind was really howling now, and Lukas struggled to open the door. He could hear the others wake up below him. He jumped back downstairs and raced over to them.
“Guys, I can’t get the door open,” Lukas said.
Dave, Matt and Tyler all made their way up the stairs and pushed against the door with full force. It took some time and effort because the boat kept rocking from side to side and the wind kept pushing against the door. Finally, the four of them managed to push the door open. They climbed the stairs quickly and walked over toward the captain’s quarters, but Annie was already out on deck.
“WHAT’S GOING ON?” Lukas yelled to Annie.
“THERE’S A BIG STORM ON THE WAY,” she replied.
“IN THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY? ANNIE, I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE SEAS WERE CALM THIS TIME OF YEAR?” Matt yelled.
“WE’RE IN THE CARIBBEAN MATT AND AT SEA, THE WEATHER’S UNPREDICTABLE. IT CAN TURN IN AN INSTANT.”
No sooner had she said the words, it started to rain. The sea became rougher and water was crashing against the boat, rocking it harder and harder.
“QUICK, WE NEED TO TIGHTEN DOWN THE SAIL, IF WE LOSE THAT WE’RE IN TROUBLE” Annie screamed, as she headed for the swinging boom.
Lukas and the rest of them followed her, but it was extremely difficult to see where they were going.
The rain was coming down hard now, making the deck slippery. The boat continued to rock side to side and Lukas lost his balance and tripped over.
“ARE YOU OKAY?” Tyler yelled, helping him up.
“YES, COME ON LET’S CATCH UP TO ANNIE,” Lukas replied.
They caught up to the others, who were already at the mast. Annie tightened all the ropes for the mainsail and the jib, then she quickly tied the ropes off, as tight as she possibly could.
“COME ON, LET’S GO BELOW DECK. WE’RE SAFER DOWN THERE,” Annie yelled.
As they proceeded to move to the lower deck, Dave stopped suddenly and looked out at sea, his eyes widened. He could see something in the distance, it was quickly approaching them.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” He asked, alerting the attention of Annie and the others.
Annie quickly looked out to sea, her eyes too widened.
“SHIT!” She yelled and ran to the boat’s wheel. The guys could do nothing but stand there and wait. The four of them stared out to sea, struggling to see what was ahead of them. The rain continued to fall heavily and the wind was noisy, it was difficult to hear or see anything. They h
eard the engines start and could feel the anchors being raised below them.
“DROP THE SAILS,” Annie called from the wheel.
“WHAT?” Lukas called, unable to hear over the rain and roaring winds.
“THE SAIL,” she repeated.
“BUT WE JUST-”
“JUST DO IT!” Annie yelled.
The four of them ran over to the mast and frantically tried to drop the sails that Annie had only just secured moments before, making them difficult to drop in a hurry. The wind was strengthening and the waves were constantly washing onto the deck of the boat, making it increasingly hard to move around without slipping over.
They finally managed to drop the sails, and they could feel the boat starting to turn to the starboard side, but as they turned, the horror of what was happening suddenly became very real. The four of them looked up as a massive wave, rising at least ten meters high approached them. They could feel the boat still turning, but the wave was moving faster than the boat. It continued to travel toward them, the rain fell heavily, and more and more water filled the deck.
“ANNIE?” Lukas called.
“IT’S A ROGUE WAVE,” Annie yelled, frantically trying to turn the boat. She picked up speed, and the boat continued to turn, but it wasn’t fast enough.
“GET DOWN,” she screamed as the wave crashed onto the deck throwing Lukas, Matt, Dave, Tyler and Annie to the ground. The boat swayed, Annie stood up and grabbed the wheel, trying to keep them afloat. The boys got to their feet and managed to tighten the swinging boom, just as more water filled the deck. The boat began to rise on its left side; the wind picked up speed and loosened the ropes of the swinging boom. It swung away and as Annie tried to keep the boat afloat, the wave, with all its fury, struck the boat on its side.
She swung the wheel back to port, hoping to balance the boat, she was fighting it, and trying everything she could to stay afloat.
“WATCH OUT!” Dave yelled as the boom swung back and hit Lukas in the chest sending him overboard, hitting his head on the railings as he fell. He went head first into the sea.
Matt quickly grabbed a life preserver and dived into the ocean after Lukas, but the raging storm made it difficult for him to stay afloat or see anything and he kept falling beneath the water.
Back on deck there was a loud cracking noise. Tyler looked up and saw that the mast had started to crack and was breaking apart. More water covered the deck as Annie continued to try and keep them afloat.
The mast snapped and fell on top of the cabin, smashing the windows and missing Annie by mere inches, sending shattered pieces of glass all over the deck. The wind howled and the rain showed no signs of easing.
“MAN OVERBOARD!” Tyler yelled, looking out into the sea, searching for Lukas and Matt, but he couldn’t see a thing.
More water crashed onto the deck, almost capsizing the entire boat. Annie grabbed a flashlight and threw it down to Tyler. He flashed it over the ocean, but there was no sign of Lukas or Matt.
“MATT! LUKAS!” Tyler yelled, but there was no answer.
The waves crashed through the cabin, sending more water onto the deck and breaking more glass, but Annie managed to keep the boat afloat.
She looked out onto the ocean for any signs of movement, but the conditions were so bad that she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. The sharp jabs of the rain against her face were painful, but she fought off the tears to stay afloat for her crew.
“LUKAS! MATT!” Dave yelled, just as the wave took one final plunge at the boat, sending more water into the lower deck.
“CLOSE THE DOOR,” Annie yelled frantically.
“WHAT?”
“THE DOOR TO THE LOWER DECK, CLOSE IT. IF THAT GETS FILLED WITH WATER, WE’LL SINK,” Annie screamed just as the engine ceased.
She tried turning the key again, but the engine still wouldn’t start. It took some time and force, but Dave and Tyler managed to secure the door shut.
Suddenly the water started to recede, but the rain continued. Annie looked in the direction of the wave, it was finally easing.
It was almost fifteen minutes later, and it looked as though there were no more threats of any further waves. The rain continued to fall hard, but the immediate danger of the boat capsizing appeared to be over. The seas were still rough, but it appeared that they were out of danger.
The howling stopped and the wind slowly started to ease. Annie made her way down to the deck and grabbed the flashlight from Tyler. She flashed it into the water and scanned around, but there was no sign of either Lukas or Matt.
“LUKAS! MATT!” she called, but there was no answer.
“LUKAS! MATT!” Tyler and Dave yelled.
“I’m going to see if the radio’s still working and get some help,” Annie said, handing the flashlight back to Tyler.
There was still no sign of Lukas and Matt. Annie turned on the radio, but all she kept getting was static. She flicked through the stations, trying to get a signal.
“Mayday! Mayday! This is Annie on board The Delta. I have two men overboard. I repeat, two men overboard. We have been hit by a rogue wave and have severe damage and engine failure. Can you read me?”
There was silence and she could hear Tyler and Dave on the deck calling out to Lukas and Matt.
“Mayday! Mayday!” Annie repeated. She waited a few minutes, but there was no answer.
She joined Tyler and Dave on deck as they continued to search for Matt and Lukas.
“There’s no way they can survive these rough seas,” Tyler said.
“Matt’s a good swimmer, I’m sure he’s already found Lukas and the two of them are probably on shore waiting for us to find them,” Dave replied, trying to convince himself that they were okay.
“Any luck with the radio?” Tyler asked.
“Nothing! All I managed to get was static. I’ll keep trying, hopefully someone will hear us,” Annie said.
She stood up and went back to the wheel, picked up the radio and flicked through the channels again.
“Mayday! Mayday! She repeated, as she watched the ocean for any signs of movement.
“Come on, Lukas,” she whispered praying that he was okay.
The night was eerie, and all that could be heard was the sound of the waves splashing against the boat and the rain.
Despite the severe damage to the boat, somehow they managed to stay afloat. But with no mast, sails or engine, they couldn’t go anywhere. They were stranded, and slowly drifting.
After her shower, Sienna changed, prepared herself a fruit salad and sat down on the sofa. She turned on the television and flicked through the channels, trying to settle on something to watch. She couldn’t agree on anything, so she decided to watch some reruns of The Simpsons while she enjoyed her salad.
As the show went to a commercial break, the television was suddenly filled with an urgent news break.
“In breaking news, a fishing boat carrying all four members of rock group, Dark Falkon was caught in the middle of a freak storm in the early hours of this morning in the Caribbean. A nearby cruise ship received the distress call several hours after the fishing boat, The Delta, got caught in rough seas and was hit by a rogue wave.”
Sienna’s eyes widened as she stared at the screen, her fingers gave way and the bowl of fruit salad slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. She stood up and walked over to the television as the anchor-man continued the news coverage.
“The Delta struck rough seas, and was hit by the rogue wave at approximately 2:30am local time this morning, just off the coast of Cat Island. The captain of the boat raised the distressed call when two of the band members went overboard. The boat suffered severe structural damage and engine failure and was left drifting in the Caribbean. Two members of the band were still on board together with the boat’s captain when a nearby cruise ship, THE LOUGRAY, discovered them approximately an hour ago. A search and rescue is currently underway to find the remaining two band members, Lukas Dark and Matt Wills. The two were swept ove
rboard during the storm.”
Sienna couldn’t stop shaking as she listened to the anchor-man deliver the news. She was trembling, and she suddenly felt extremely cold and had a sick feeling in her stomach. She could feel her insides churning, she stood up and quickly ran to the bathroom and shut the door.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her face was red and her eyes bloodshot, she looked down at her hands which were shaking.
Suddenly, she heard her phone ring from the living room. She raced out of the bathroom, scrambling around for her phone.
“Hello?” She jumped.
“Sienna. Have you got the television on? Are you ok?” Ivy’s voice asked from the other end of the phone.
Sienna looked back at the television and watched as the coast guard safely rescued Tyler and Dave with a helicopter. Her entire body trembled as the news chopper circled the boat and nearby island, desperately searching for any signs of Lukas or Matt.
“Sienna?” Ivy called, but Sienna remained glued to the television, afraid she would miss something. She could feel the babies kick inside her and she rubbed her belly.
“Sienna?” Ivy called a little louder, she could hear Sienna crying and breathing heavily. “Hon, I’m coming over,” Ivy said and she hung up the phone.
Sure enough, within fifteen minutes, Ivy let herself in. She saw Sienna crouched by the TV, and she ran over to her. Sienna looked up and Ivy embraced her with a tight hug. Sienna squeezed her tight and burst into tears.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let him go. I had a bad feeling from the start. I never should have let him get on that boat,” Sienna sobbed.
“Sienna this is not your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault. You didn’t know this was going to happen,” Ivy said.
“I had a bad feeling, Ivy. I knew something wasn’t right. I should have stopped him.”
