by Jamie Summer
I watched as the ship closed the distance between itself and the wave, the front moving upward the closer we got to it.
It was over before it started. The wave passed under us, the ship barely scratching the top as it made its way over. The drop afterward caused everyone to fall forward. The ship met the water and managed to come back up within a few seconds.
I sank into the chair and let out a breath while the boat rocked into a more regular position again. My heart hammered against my rib cage, threatening to bust out of my chest.
That was close. Too close.
I shook off the thought, not wanting to dwell on the fact I could die when all I was supposed to do was get away from the danger.
I stayed where I was for a few minutes, trying to get my breathing under control. Normalcy started to descend on the ship as dark clouds gave way to fluffy white ones, until I spotted bits and pieces of blue sky in the distance.
The captain made an announcement I wasn’t able to hear because everyone was cheering and applauding. After a while, the crowd settled. The smile on everyone’s faces made me realize the captain had to have confirmed the worst was over.
When the ship arrived later, I disembarked on wobbly legs, the whole ordeal having left a mark on me. As my body slowly came down from the adrenaline that had spiked within it the last few hours, I noticed how exhausted I truly was. The line for housing was long, and while I needed to make sure I had a roof over my head for the next few days, I felt a gnawing in my stomach. Food was first on the agenda.
I knew there was a small bar right by the harbor, not surprised to find it filled. All the searching for an empty space resulted in nothing. I was about to turn when I saw someone get up from the counter. I practically ran over and took the empty spot, the bartender smiling at me.
“Hard day?” he asked.
I laughed. “You have no idea.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jake
I spent the better part of the rest of the day keeping busy. Scott and Dustin helped me carry the food from my home to the shelter, then made sure the shelter was ready for everyone who needed it. Most from the island had migrated there, leaving only a few unwilling ones at their homes. I had heard George tried talking some sense into them, but some couldn’t be helped. I hoped they’d be okay.
Afternoon came and I settled in my corner, trying to figure out other things I could help with. I needed to do something. Sitting around would just make me think, which was the last thing I wanted to do. It had taken all I had not to wonder about Maddy every second of the day. Was she okay? Had they made it there safely? Why hadn’t she called yet? The ship should’ve docked half an hour ago, but I had yet to get a phone call. Worry started taking over, but I squashed it down and ignored it. She was fine. She was on the mainland, far away from any danger.
“Jake!”
I glanced up, finding Steve headed toward me, his eyes wide and his steps quick. He had taken up position in the communication center atop the shelter. The structure was sturdy and would hold through a small storm, but I doubted he’d be safe there when it hit fully.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The ship.”
“The ship?” I shook my head, confused. Then it hit me. Maddy. “The ship?” I repeated, scrambling to my feet. “What happened to the ship?” Within seconds, my body had gone from slacking to high alert, every fiber of my being ready to act on whatever had happened. “Is she okay?”
“Yes.”
I blew out a breath, all the horror having gripped me releasing its hold. “What’s with the face then?”
“They had a rough time out at sea. They hit a few high waves since the storm changed its course and went a little farther toward the coast than we expected.”
“What does that mean for us?” I had been so wrapped up in work for the shelter, I hadn’t asked about the current status of the storm in a while.
“The eye has moved a bit farther away from the island, so that’s good news. Hopefully. You never know with a storm. They are unpredictable,” Steve explained.
I knew all about a storm’s unpredictability. Maddy’s dad had to pay with his life because of such a storm.
“But they are safe, right?”
Steve nodded, humoring me since he’d already answered it before.
“Okay, good. That’s all—”
“That matters. I know.” He gave me an understanding smile. “I merely thought you might want to know. I think knowing she made it there safely counts for something.”
“Is she in more danger now on the mainland? With the storm changing course, I mean.”
My friend shook his head. “She should be fine. The housing, which I’m guessing she’ll apply for, is even farther inland, about half an hour away from the shoreline. She is going to get heavy rain and wind, but nothing too serious in the grand scheme of things.”
I knew what he meant. It wouldn’t be as dangerous as staying on this island would’ve been.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I told him, shaking his hand.
“No problem. I’m going to go back and keep an ear out for any other updates.”
“Please let us know, too, all right?”
Steve nodded, then left. I watched him walk off before making my way over to the kitchen area. People sat at the few tables, having coffee, and I knew a bit of caffeine in my system would help me at this point. Contrary to other people, it didn’t make me more jittery. It calmed me.
I struck up a conversation with a few people, giving updates, listening as they told me about issues they still spotted throughout the shelter. Thankfully, most of it was minor and could be dealt with easily.
“Thank you for helping out, Jake. People noticed. They see the work you put in for this island,” Betty whispered from behind me as she passed, bringing a small smile to my lips. Praise from her always meant a lot to me, so I tucked the compliment into the corner of my heart and kept it there.
Several people around me talked about the storm. I had no idea what the outside looked like at this point, so I decided to check.
Quickly excusing myself from the table, I made my way over to the entrance, which led to the small stone booth on the surface with a view of the outside. And our communication to the mainland.
Steve arched a brow at the sight of me. “I thought you wanted me to keep you updated.”
I nodded. “I wanted to see it for myself,” I replied, stopping right next to him. I let my gaze wander for a moment, taking everything in.
The outside was a dangerous, yet beautiful sight. Dark clouds hung low on the horizon, their thickness revealing the storm hidden within. The rain was still absent at this point, but it was only a matter of time before it would start.
“What’s the prognosis?” I wanted to know. Connor, the other guy on watch, answered without taking his eyes off the controls in front of him.
“The first bit should hit us sometime within the next three hours. Mostly rain. Things are gonna go downhill fast from there. The worst should be here in the early morning hours.”
I nodded. “What about the eye of the storm? Is it still on a different course?”
Connor turned to me. “Yes, it is. However, the change was only minimal, so the eye may still pass over us. The island is small, though, so we could get lucky.” His voice didn’t convey any confidence in his statement, so I didn’t hold my breath.
“So all we can do is wait,” I concluded. They both nodded.
“It’s a waiting game at this point, yes.”
I hated waiting games. Patience had never been one of my strong suits. When my life was on the line, my fuse wasn’t exactly long. “Did George tell you guys when to move downstairs?”
“He said to come as soon as the rain hits. There’s nothing for us to do at that point anyway,” Steve explained.
My phone suddenly buzzed in the pocket of my jeans. I hastily took it out, checking the message.
I’m okay. Stay safe, o
kay? For me. See you soon and take care.
I felt relief rush through my body as I blew out a breath. I knew she was okay, but having her text gave me another reassurance she was safe and sound.
“Maddy?” Steve asked, and a smile was all the answer I gave. “Good. Your depressed face was getting me down already.”
My head snapped up at his words, one of my brows arching.
“It’s kind of funny to see you like this, you know. I was never able to read you before, but ever since Maddy came back, you’re like an open book,” my friend said.
“Shut up,” I merely replied, making him laugh.
“Well, I will. Once you answer her message and go downstairs. You have no business being up here, Jake. I’d rather know you’re down there. Pretty sure they can use you.” Steve refocused on the ocean in front of us, watching the clouds roll in.
I typed out a quick reply to Maddy.
Everything is calm here so far. I’ll message you afterward. See you very soon.
Short and simple. Not over the top. I read it twice before sending. I had no idea if it was enough, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Not via text message anyway. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, and I hoped I would get the chance.
I strolled back into the shelter, finding a few new issues that needed fixing. Scott and a few other guys were already at it, so I joined them.
I needed to pass the time somehow.
The storm didn’t start with a bang. It was like a slow current getting more intense with every passing second. Steve and Connor had showed up about two hours ago, reporting that the rain had started to fall and the wind was picking up.
There wasn’t anything to hear at first. The way the shelter was built kept a lot of noise out. Until the actual storm started.
Little things spoke of its arrival. There were periodic squeaks and creaks from the wind, as well as the occasional howl. The sound of trees breaking broke the silence that had descended upon the people sitting in this bunker, waiting.
We heard the ocean moving on the surface, the crashing sound getting louder and louder with every passing second. I watched the door to the shelter, seeing how it reacted to every wind gust or wave crashing into it. The shelter was now our home. There was no turning back.
So far, the metallic door held, but knowing the storm hadn’t fully started, I already worried how long it would. I wasn’t the only one, either. We had all congregated in the middle of the shelter, and everyone’s face showed doubt and fear. George had given a heartfelt speech, giving everyone the hope they needed in a situation like this.
I prayed it wouldn’t go down the drain.
Half an hour later, the furniture started to shake. Slightly at first, then it gradually got worse.
The shelter isn’t made for a storm of this proportion. It’s too close to the surface to get us through.
The realization came too late. We were caught here now, like sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
I should’ve forced the people to get off the island. Should’ve gotten everyone to get on that ship, not just Maddy.
I looked at families huddled together, couples holding onto each other. My heart cracked at the sight of them, fear making my body turn cold and more alert.
The wind grew louder, singing a song of hurt and despair. Of life and death. I had no idea how much time had passed, but I knew we weren’t safe by a long shot. The eye, if it would reach us, hadn’t passed over us yet, the constant wind and rain outside proof of that.
Steve had offered to go up and check the situation, but we all voted against it. We had a small radio that was so old, it actually worked down here. There were a few updates from the coast every once in a while, but they soon became few and far between. We were prepared for a time when there would be nothing but radio silence.
“Let’s have some dinner, shall we?”
I turned toward Grace, seeing her standing toward the back of the group. Betty had gotten up with her, both smiling wide. As if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. As if the world outside wasn’t falling to pieces around us.
I admired their willingness to be strong and stand tall when people needed them to. I watched how several people followed their suggestion, a glint of hope in their eyes.
Anything to keep them from thinking about the ever-growing storm.
“We need to watch the door. If it’s already shaking like this, I’d hate to think of what will happen when the worst hits,” Scott said from beside me.
“I know. I’ve been thinking the same. Do we have the sandbags?”
He nodded.
We were prepared if the door gave way. It may be made out of strong metal, but the wind was supposed to hit over a hundred miles per hour, so we’d decided it was better to prepare for the worst-case scenario. A few of us had filled bags with sand a week ago.
“Good. Hopefully they’ll keep away the worst of the water for a while. But we need to be prepared for something else,” I added.
Scott’s gaze slid over the area. “Flooding.”
I nodded. “We need to put the sandbags strategically around the room in order to minimize the damage and keep important areas free of water.”
My mind was already thinking about the best places to put them while my gaze searched the shelter for possible weak points.
“Agreed. We did a lot of those bags, Jake. We should be okay.”
I glanced back at him, the desperate expression on his face telling me he needed me to confirm it.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “We’ll make it work, Scott.” It was as much as I was willing to give. I didn’t want to give him false hope.
He nodded before he busied himself with the bedsheets in his hands. I had no idea what he was doing, but figured he needed something to keep his hands busy.
“Where’s Anna?” I asked. A small smile played on Scott’s face. I didn’t miss the hint of sadness accompanying it, though.
“She’s helping her mom with dinner. I think—” He stopped and took a deep breath. He looked tense, something I wasn’t used to seeing with him. Scott was truly worried. “I think she wants to spend as much time with her as she can. I’ll go over there to help them in a few. They can always use another hand.”
“I’m sure they can.” I tried to come up with something else to say. Something that would make some of the confidence I knew rooted within him return. But I couldn’t think of a single thing.
“Aren’t you worried?” Scott’s question made me pause.
Am I worried? Of course, yet the panic I saw didn’t own me.
“Of course I am, but dying isn’t an option for me. I can’t allow my mind to even consider the possibility. We’ll get out of this alive. That’s the only thing I can think about. The more we let doubts in, the less we’ll be able to see past it and fight through it. I understand the fear, I do, but when I watched Maddy leave on that ship, I told her I’d see her again. I intend on doing just that. So while I know there’s a chance of this going horribly wrong, I’m not gonna entertain it. I’m going to keep on believing everything will be okay. I need to.”
Scott watched me, his gaze holding mine. I saw some of the determination and resolve return to his body, making me hopeful.
“Okay.”
We stayed quiet, the smell of food drifting to my nose. I made out more rosemary and basil, as well as several other spices I couldn’t name. Add that to the smell of pot roast, and I wanted to go to the kitchen, too. How they had managed to whip up something like the feast I saw in front of me in just a few minutes was beyond my comprehension, but I wouldn’t question it.
“Let’s go. I’m starving,” I said and got up. As I waited for him to follow, a crash from outside echoed through the air.
The sound was louder than anything before, making several shelves in the immediate vicinity shake. My eyes went to the door, seeing the first cracks appear. I had no idea what was responsible for the noise, but it wasn’t hard to imagine th
e gigantic waves pushing on the door with all their might. Nature at its best.
“Shit,” Scott said from my side.
The next crash widened the cracks. Enough for some of it to trickle through, but not enough for everything to fall apart. Yet.
All movement in the shelter ceased, everyone’s gaze glued to the door. Our one exit.
Our one weakness.
Then the alarm within the shelter went off.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maddy
After I had some food, I went over to the housing checkpoint. The line had shortened noticeably, but it still took me a good hour before I made it to the front. I used the time in between to try and send Jake a message. Reception was spotty, at best, so the first few times, I couldn’t get either a call or a text out. When I finally saw the small bars light up, I quickly sent off the message I had typed earlier and prayed it would go through. When no red outline appeared, I counted my blessings and turned to the lady in front of me.
“I’m sorry. I needed to let Ja...my boyfriend know I was okay,” I told her and she smiled at me. “Reception has been really bad and I…” I laughed. “Sorry. I’m rambling. I actually need a place to stay.”
“Do you have any family nearby?” she asked. I shook my head, confused by her question. “I’m sorry. I have to ask you that.” She reached out to touch my hand. “We need to make sure only people completely stranded get a bed. We have limited capacity.”
“I…I have an apartment, but it’s about a five-hour drive from here. Everyone I love is on that island. I can’t be far away.”
Her gaze traveled up and down my body. I had no idea what she was looking for.
“Miss, I’m sorry, but if you have a place to stay, I need to ask you to return there. I’m sure we can arrange transportation, but we can’t offer you housing when you don’t necessarily need it. Like I said, we have people who are dependent on those beds we’re able to provide.”