Restless Storm

by Jamie Summer

  Maddy’s gaze finally came to rest on someone. I saw George toward the back of the shelter by the beds, talking to a few of the tourists who hadn’t made it off the island yesterday.

  She made her way over and came to a stop in front of him. He turned his attention from the tourists, a pleasant smile on his face when he saw her. I couldn’t stay here and do nothing, so I followed.

  “You know I can’t let you stay here, Madeleine. As much as I feel for you, you’re technically not a citizen of this island anymore. My hands are tied. You need to get off,” George explained, and my heart skipped a beat at his words.

  He wasn’t going to let her stay.

  “You know it’s just a formality. And while it’s a mandatory evacuation, you don’t have to send me away. You can pretend you never knew I was here in the first place.”

  George arched a brow. “I truly am sorry, Madeleine, but I can’t do that. You need to leave with the rest. I need to make sure everyone who wants to…” George stopped and leaned a little closer to Maddy, “or needs to leave this island actually gets on that ship. That’s the last I’m going to say on the matter.” He gave her one last nod before making his way over to an older couple packing their bags. I didn’t know them, so they were most likely tourists.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. Maddy stiffened and slowly turned.

  She raised a brow. “Are you?”

  “Yes, Maddy, I am. I do get your point, but I’m not sorry about putting you on there. That’s all that matters to me. All that’s ever mattered to me.”

  I saw her swallow, but the resolve in her eyes didn’t dim. “It matters to me, too. Which is exactly why I want to stay.”

  I knew we would never see eye to eye on this.

  “Come with me to the mainland,” Maddy quietly suggested, and judging by the look on her face, she knew my answer before I spoke.

  “I can’t. I need to stay here.”

  “Exactly.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. I cursed myself for putting them there, but what was I supposed to do? Keep her here so she could possibly die within a week? I had just gotten her back. The last thing I wanted to do was lose her all over again.

  “I’m sorry,” I repeated, but the words sounded hollow.

  “The boat is leaving in twenty minutes!” someone called. Maddy’s shoulders sagged.

  “I guess I’d better go,” she said, then turned and left me standing there. I couldn’t blame her. It was probably what I would’ve done, too.

  She joined Anna and Scott, exchanged a few words, then walked to her bed. The box of stuff she had taken from her house wasn’t big, but it looked heavy, so I walked over.

  “Do you need help?” I asked, prepared for her to wave me off. Instead, she held out the box. I took it from her and followed her out of the shelter. Anna, Scott, and a few others joined us. People either leaving the island behind or accompanying the ones who were.

  There was another crowd already gathered at the harbor and I caught a glimpse of the huge vessel the Coast Guard had sent this time. There was plenty of room, enough to not have to leave anyone behind.

  Silently, we joined everyone on their way to the docks. I didn’t think anyone knew what we were supposed to say. What was there to say?

  Yet conversations around us buzzed with excitement. I was able to zone out and think about the fact that I had no idea if I was going to see Maddy again.

  “Everyone leaving, please get on the ship now. We want to leave ASAP in order to not catch any of the storm,” a guy called from the entrance as he ushered people on. Maddy stopped. I put the box down, my gaze on her.

  “Maddy?” Anna asked, and Maddy turned to her.

  “I guess this is goodbye then.” Tears welled in her eyes. My heart cracked wide open at the sight of it, making breathing impossible. The ache in my chest threatened to overwhelm me, the urge to keep her here overtaking any hesitation I had before.

  But I couldn’t.

  It would be selfish of me to not let her go.

  “This isn’t goodbye. It’s see you later,” Anna replied with a smile on her lips, but her face couldn’t deny her feelings. She was as unsure about the outcome of all of this as everyone else.

  “You’ve never been a good liar, Anna. But thank you for trying,” Maddy stated, hugging her friend tightly. Her voice was thick with emotion and everything she couldn’t say. It was in every step she took, every gesture she made. There was an underlying hurt and anger in the way her eyes didn’t meet ours anymore, the way she kept clenching and unclenching her small hands at her sides.

  “Scott.”

  My friend gave her a quick squeeze before making room for me to come through.

  Maddy glanced up at me, her hurt on full display. Tears still pooled in her eyes, yet it was paired with a resolve to not let them fall. Showing weakness had never been anything she was good at.

  I knew she waited for me to say something—anything—but I had no idea what. There were so many things I should have told her, so many things I hadn’t said, but none of them fell off the tip of my tongue right now.

  All I had was silence.

  “It’s okay,” Maddy whispered, but it truly wasn’t. Nothing about this was okay.

  So I did the only thing I could think of to show her how I felt. Show what I wanted her to know and couldn’t say out loud. I kissed her with the urgency of someone who had lost too much time, someone who had wasted too many moments chasing ghosts and was finally able to breathe again. Only to lose it all in the next second.

  As we came up for air, we were both breathing heavily. I rested my forehead against hers, knowing our time was up. I studied her face, needing to remember every part of her body, mind, and soul. I couldn’t let myself forget any of it.

  “Goodbye,” she whispered before taking her box from the ground and moving with the throng of people toward the ship.

  I wanted to follow her. I wanted to tell her to screw it and stay here with me.

  But I didn’t.

  Instead, I watched the woman who held every little piece of me walk off with my heart in her hands. I had no idea if this was goodbye.

  If this was the last time I would ever see her.

  I hoped to whoever would listen it wouldn’t be.

  I wanted to see her again. I wanted to feel her again.

  I wanted her again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Maddy

  I was in a haze. The ship rocked under me, but I barely took notice of it as we slowly made our way out onto the wide ocean.

  I watched Jake’s face become a blur as the distance grew, trying hard not to show how much every foot between us brought another stab to my heart.

  Bit by bit, piece by piece, I fell apart.

  Outside, I pretended to be okay. I pretended to want to be on this ship when, in truth, all I wanted was to be back on that island.

  “Here you go, miss,” a man said from behind me, handing me a blanket. I took it and think I thanked him, but couldn’t be sure. I couldn’t see or feel past the ache in my body.

  They had forced me onto this ship. They had made me get on when they knew it would kill me. I had just risen from the depths the death of my dad had put me in, and now I was well on my way back there again.

  I had no idea how much time passed. I could have been minutes, hours. Who knew? I surely didn’t, and I didn’t care. The pain had given way to numbness, and it was all I was able to feel in the flurry of movement around me.

  People walked around the ship, trying to find something to do when all there was to do was wait. Wait for the mainland to come into view within the next few hours.

  It was long enough for me to lose my mind. Long enough for the sadness to spread through my body and sink its teeth so deeply, I would never be able to get it back out.

  Images of Jake and Anna assaulted my brain from time to time, and every moment they did, a flicker of pain crossed my heart. The small headache had turned into a migraine, and a
lady next to me was kind enough to give me something for the pain.

  I had half a mind to ask her for something for the ache in my heart, but didn’t think she had any remedy for that.

  No one did.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to hit a patch of rough sea. Please take a seat and hold on,” a voice came over the speaker, snapping me out of my daze.

  I glanced around, seeing men, women, and children finding an open seat. The ship the Coast Guard had sent was a small cruise liner, the soft, decorated interior giving it a very homey feel. There were several hundred seats on three decks, a restaurant, and snack bar, as well as several bathrooms. I hadn’t taken much notice of it until now, but with the announcement, I wasn’t sure a ship like this was made for a storm. Then again, they wouldn’t have sent one that couldn’t get through a small storm, right? They knew what was on the horizon, so anything less would’ve been a suicide mission from the start.

  I found a seat by the window, my eyes scanning the area outside. Dark clouds filled the sky, and I saw a shaft of rain in the distance, in the opposite direction of where we were going.

  Headed directly toward Crystal Cove.

  I tried to ignore the panic flaring up within me. I wouldn’t think about what would happen to everyone caught in the storm.

  I couldn’t.

  “Mommy, it looks really bad out there,” a young boy next to me said, sounding scared.

  I turned and smiled at him. His mom was busy with his baby sister, so I leaned down and whispered into his ear.

  “That is the ocean talking to us. It means we’re in desperate need of some water for the greenery around us. Trees, plants… They all need water. It hasn’t rained in way too long, which is why the clouds are darker and the rain harder than usual. It’s why we’re going in the opposite direction, though. To let the water make sure our plants get enough, but to keep us away from it.”

  He listened with wide eyes and an open mouth, nodding.

  “Does that mean the area we’re going to doesn’t need a lot of water?” he wanted to know.

  “I’m sure it will need some, so the rain will come, but not as bad as over there.” I heard my voice crack at the last words and tried my best to hide it from him. The little guy didn’t seem too bothered anymore as he looked at his mom, excitingly explaining to her the story I told him. She gave me a curious look, which turned into a thankful smile as he finished.

  I averted my gaze, my job done for now.

  As I turned back to the scene outside, my fears came crashing back.

  They are all trapped on Crystal Cove. There is no way out. The shelter isn’t safe. They will all die.

  With every worry invading my mind, the panic became harder to keep at bay.

  Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

  The edge of my vision cleared of the darkness that had threatened to take over, and I noticed how the ship had started to move with a little more speed. The clouds outside thickened with each passing second, and I studied the window-covered walls. The picture was the same everywhere.

  Nothing but rain.

  I couldn’t see much else, but judging by the way the raindrops fell and the ship leaned to one side, the wind had to be picking up.

  Fear overthrew the panic within me.

  Were we too late? Had the storm been farther along than we thought?

  Looking at the wind and rain, I tried to gauge how fast the storm was moving, but with the way the ship rocked, it was hard to keep track of anything. I reached for the table in front of me to keep a hold on something. As everyone started to realize the situation, several worried voices carried over to where I sat.

  Panic is the last thing we need.

  I searched the area, trying to see what I could do to help. Several men from the ship’s crew made their rounds, trying to calm everyone down, but it only worked for some. The waves crashed against the side of the ship, making it rock from side to side.

  “Everyone, this is the captain speaking. I know some of you may be uncomfortable with the current situation. If that’s the case, I urge you to seek out one of the crew members. We’re perfectly fine with everything going on, and despite the way the ship is currently being tossed around, I expect to make landfall by our designated arrival time. The worst should be over soon, so please, make sure to stay seated and inside. That’s the most important part.” His voice was low and confident. Hearing it made me feel better.

  It did the same for most of the others around me. Their panicked expressions faded to calmer ones.

  Crisis averted.

  While we had an uneasy ride, no one made any hectic movements or held on anymore. People trusted the captain to get them to the mainland safely.

  I waited for the rain to let up or the clouds to clear, but it didn’t happen. After half an hour, the ship still hadn’t stopped rocking.

  “What’s going on? Why isn’t the rain letting up?” a woman next to me asked, snuggling closer to her husband as she did. The helpless look on her face made me want to reach out and comfort her, but I couldn’t.

  Making a split-second decision, I got up and walked over to the main door that led outside and toward the bridge.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go out there,” one of the crew members called out when he saw what I was about to do.

  “What’s going on? Why are we still in the middle of the storm? We should’ve sailed out of it a long time ago. It wasn’t supposed to head in this direction for hours, days.” He watched me carefully. I sighed. “I know a thing or two about storms. Crystal Cove is my home.”

  “Then why are you here?” he asked, oblivious to what his question would do to me. I swallowed down the ache in my chest, trying to ignore the piercing pain slowly moving through my body.

  He must have seen something in my face because he quickly shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. The storm has changed direction slightly. From what we can tell, the eye shouldn’t hit the island anymore.” My heart skipped a beat at his words.

  “That’s a good thing,” I replied, a moment of happiness lighting up the darkness within me.

  “Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know at this point. All we know is it means our ride will be a little bumpier than planned.”

  I nodded. “Bumpier but okay? What exactly are we talking about here?” I wanted to know, careful not to raise my voice with everyone sitting so close.

  “I can’t tell you. We’ll be fine, though.” He avoided looking directly at me, a clear sign he didn’t believe a word he said.

  “We won’t be fine, will we?” The realization was like running into a brick wall. I thought being on the island was the most dangerous thing, but it turned out getting on this ship was just as dangerous.

  “We will be,” he assured me, his voice lacking the confidence I would have liked to hear.

  “You can’t lie for crap.”

  He laughed, a dry sound hollowed out by the metallic walls around us.

  “Look, I have no idea who you are or what you think you know, but I can tell you every person on this ship is our top priority. We will do everything in our power to make sure no one gets harmed while they’re trying to get to safety. Understood?” I nodded again. “Nevertheless, you should stay inside and try to keep yourself away from the windows. The waves are relentless, and I don’t want you getting hurt.” There was a soft edge to his words. I stepped back from my original plan to storm the bridge.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, then gave him a smile and went to my spot. I tried to find one away from the windows, but families and the elderly were crammed in the middle section of the seating area. I wasn’t about to make one of them give up their spot.

  “Is there enough rain to make all the plants and trees bloom?” the boy who I had told the story to earlier asked his mom.

  “Of course there is, my dear. Now, please do me a favor and hold onto the seat, okay? It’s a little bumpy and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  He did as he was told. My heart
got heavy at the thought of anything happening to sweet people like this family. I hoped we would make it through this rough weather without any issues. Without any casualties.

  I saw the wave before it hit the window, but the loud, echoing noise was still unexpected. Several people screamed when the force of the wave knocked the ship farther to the side than before, and I grasped onto my seat and the table. The ship took way too long to right itself, and my heart slammed against my chest as I imagined all the ways we could tip over in the matter of a second. It wouldn’t take much. Another wave like that and it could all be over.

  Panicked screams sounded throughout the whole room. Women and men got up, trying to find cover somewhere when there was no place to go. There were people everywhere.

  More and more moved up from the lower decks, joining us on the third floor. I wanted to yell at them the decks below were just as safe—or unsafe—as this one, but I knew there would be no use. No one would hear me over the screams, the loud voices, or the creaking of furniture being pushed around.

  I tried to walk over to the front windows, hoping to get a better view of what lay in our path, but several passengers blocked my way, some even pushing me backward in order to find a safer place.

  The waves kept coming. Smaller ones, but no less dangerous.

  “Everyone, please stay calm. We have another few minutes to go, then we should be in the clear,” the captain said over the speaker a second time, but barely anyone acknowledged his words. Most were too focused on finding shelter…somewhere.

  I glanced outside and my eyes widened, seeing a huge wave coming our way. It was about fifty feet high. Not enough to cover our ship, but enough to batter it around.

  Maybe too much.

  I knew a bit about storms, but not enough to know the effects a wave like that would have on a ship this size.

  We suddenly turned to the left, heading straight for the oncoming wave. I wracked my brain and thought I remembered something about being able to cut through or go over big waves if you were fast enough. I hoped it was what they were trying to do. Otherwise, the wave would tip us one way or the other, leaving us at the mercy of the ocean.