Page 24 - Highlights 2020 FINAL

Rescue

The water was so cold that I felt numb. The late-afternoon
sun was hanging low, its orangey light bouncing off the

gentle waves. I swam nervously, carefully, unsure of how far

I was from the shore. Currents spurred on by passing
sailboats came and went, pushing me along, but the boats’

passengers never seemed to notice me.

I turned around; all I could see was the flat expanse of
water no matter where I looked. My heart began to sink like

my ship had.

My voice was weak from crying out on floating boards from

the cracked hull for so long. My arms were exhausted from

swimming for hours. It had been morning when my ship first

sunk; I’d only been on the water a few glorious minutes
before I realized something was very wrong, and even

shorter a time before I realized the motor wasn’t working

properly either. I’d managed to propel myself farther from
the coastline in my attempt to return to the shore; the boat

spun in dizzying, sinking circles until it split in two and sent

me flying into the water.

I was getting hopeless. I’d probably been swimming the

wrong way this whole time!

An odd and unsettling something tugged at my numbing

toes. I was afraid to look down.

Highlights 2020 Jewel of the Sea 24
Highlights 2020 Jewel of the Sea 24