Stranded

I've always despised the ocean, the vastness of the open sea. The creatures lurking beneath the water's surface have always filled me with terror. The fear of the unknown, not knowing what lies beneath your feet, haunts me. Sharks, jellyfish, and even sea monsters have been the source of my nightmares since I was a young girl. I would dream of drowning in the ocean, so close to land but unable to reach it. The dreams would take me deeper and deeper into the unforgiving waters, until I would be devoured by a shark or a sea monster.

For 45 years, I adamantly refused to set foot in the ocean, especially on a boat. But my husband, Arthur, finally convinced me to go sailing to Ireland with him for our fifteen-year wedding anniversary. We were setting sail off the coast of Florida, not far from where we began our life together in Miami.

Arthur has always loved the sea. Since childhood, he would embark on long trips and adventures with his father. After graduating, he became a fishing captain himself. Every few years, he would sail to Ireland to visit his family, leaving me at home with our two children. But this year, he convinced me to join him. In my mid-thirties, I decided it was time to experience something exciting, to leave the nest. So, Arthur purchased a beautiful houseboat, our whole family fell in love with it, even though we never ventured far from land.

As we made our way up the decks towards the boat, I could sense the panic rising in my chest. Arthur must have felt my hesitation because he laced his fingers with mine and gave a reassuring squeeze. I looked up at him and managed a small smile. He truly is an amazing husband.

"Are you okay? Are you sure you're ready for this?" Arthur asked, concern evident in his big brown eyes behind his black-framed glasses. I nodded in response.

"Yep. It's now or never." I took a deep breath and pushed forward.

But the uneasy feeling didn't dissipate; if anything, it grew stronger as we approached our boat, The Juniper, named after me by Arthur to persuade me into more sea adventures. And it worked, considering the boat was a stunning masterpiece, built with dark wood, boasting a full kitchen, a cozy living room, and a bedroom on the main deck. It had a fully stocked bar below deck and two bedrooms upstairs, with a spacious balcony wrapping around the top deck. The steering wheel proudly sat at the front, accompanied by a large leather couch. Over the past year, we had taken more day trips and overnight stays off the coast of Florida than ever before, but we had never ventured this far into the open sea, never this far from land.

"I checked the weather for the next few weeks," Arthur reassured me as he helped me onto the main deck of the boat. "It should be sunny with clear skies for most of our trip."

"Should be?" I gulped, struggling to hide my panic.

He stepped closer, gently taking the heavy duffle bag off my shoulder and placing it on the deck. Cupping my face in his hands, he spoke softly, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Listen to me. I've made this trip countless times in my life, even through storms. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck, breathing in the scent of his familiar cologne that brought me comfort over the past fifteen years. He always reassured me. We would be okay.

The day passed quickly as we unpacked our clothes and prepared the necessary equipment for the rest of the journey. Arthur took care of everything related to the boat, while I swiftly handled the interior chores. Watching him get the ship ready, checking the gas, engines, and sails, helped ease my nerves. Together, we double-checked everything on the list, ensuring we had enough supplies and not forgetting even the smallest essentials like our toothbrushes.

After about an hour, we finally set sail. I settled onto the white leather couch next to Arthur as he steered the boat, watching as the land gradually disappeared from view. He glanced at me with compassionate eyes, trying to reassure me that I would come to love sailing as much as he does by the time we returned home. But I remained skeptical. Every time my mind wandered, anxiety would creep in, bombarding me with 'what if' scenarios. What if there was a storm? What if the ship flooded? Even the supposedly unsinkable Titanic met its tragic fate on its maiden voyage. What was stopping the same fate from befalling The Juniper?

During dinner, we indulged in leftover steak and mashed potatoes, accompanied by a few glasses of red wine in the bar area, my favorite spot on the ship. The walls boasted solid dark wood, while the floors were adorned with white marbled tiles. The bar itself was a magnificent black structure that wrapped around the entire room, stocked with an impressive array of liquors, from beer and whiskey to tequila and rum. Across from the bar, a luxurious red leather sectional beckoned us to sit and relax, as we reminisced about our life together.

"Do you remember Kayla's tenth birthday?" Arthur asked me, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia as we settled onto the comfortable leather couch.

"How could I forget?" I chuckled, a fond memory flooding my mind. "My mom showed up completely wasted and spent all her money on gifts, bounce houses, and clowns for the kids. That's how we ended up with Waffle." Waffle, our beloved German Shepherd, had become a cherished gift from my mother, who sadly passed away a few years ago.

"We specifically said no animals, and yet she got her one anyway," Arthur laughed, acknowledging that Waffle had become more his dog over time. It was impossible for a ten-year-old and a seven-year-old to take care of a dog back then. Now, our daughter Kayla had just turned fifteen and our son Landon was twelve. They were staying with Arthur's parents while we embarked on this journey, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. I had never been away from them for such an extended period before.

As if reading my thoughts, Arthur took my hand in his, his touch providing a comforting reassurance. "I know you miss them already, but we'll be back before you know it. And we'll bring them souvenirs from Ireland."

"How do you always know what I'm thinking?" I asked, my voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and admiration.

"It's pretty obvious, love. Your face is an open book. Plus, after all these years, I just know you," he replied, a warm smile spreading across his face. I set down my wine glass and leaned in to kiss him passionately, grateful for his understanding and love.

Three days had swiftly passed, and to my surprise, I was enjoying myself far more than I had anticipated. I had even learned how to navigate the ship myself, although it wasn't particularly challenging. For the first time in ages, I realized how much I needed this break from my role as a mother and a homemaker. While I still missed my children dearly, I relished the opportunity to spend quality time with my husband. Over the past few days, we had indulged in day drinking, intimate moments, and even shared some marijuana that Arthur had sneakily brought along, making us both feel young and carefree like high school teenagers again.

However, my aversion to venturing out into open water with Arthur had not waned, and I couldn't help but experience heart palpitations whenever he jumped overboard, despite his assurances that he did it all the time.

"You're a fool," I half-jokingly scolded him. "A shark is going to come and take a bite right out of your ass. Then what?"

He chuckled, unfazed by my worry, as he climbed up the side ladder onto the lower deck, giving me a soft kiss. "I guess you'd have to come in and rescue me then," he teased.

I laughed and shook my head. "At that point, you'd be shark bait."

"Shark bait hoo-ha-ha," he dramatically quoted, referencing the Disney movie Finding Nemo.

Rolling my eyes, I laughed at his playful antics. "You're such a big child sometimes."

"Yeah, but you love me," he grinned, and he was right. I loved him dearly, even if he could be a pain in the ass at times.

The rest of the day and evening were spent in the bar, munching on the fruit bowl and sipping whiskey straight from the bottle. We laughed uproariously, reminiscing about our wild high school days and relishing in the memories before we became parents.

After a few hours, we stumbled up to the main deck, ready to marvel at the sunset together. However, our excitement was dampened when we noticed an alarming number of dark storm clouds filling the sky. Concern etched on my face, I turned to Arthur. "Should we be worried?"

He gazed at the storm clouds, his voice unsure as he replied, "No... It'll rain, but the storm shouldn't be too bad."

"What do we do if it gets worse?" I asked, my worry intensifying.

"We'll go below decks into the bar and secure ourselves to the ship, but it shouldn't come to that," Arthur reassured me as he sensed the concern etched on my face. Wrapping his strong arms around me, he sought to comfort me. "It's going to be okay, my love. I have navigated many ships through countless storms before."

His words were meant to put me at ease, yet an uneasiness gnawed at my gut. Something felt off, wrong, but I trusted my husband's experience and judgment. So, we made the decision to stay on the main deck, positioned near the staircase that led below deck. Just in case. Just in case the weather took a turn for the worse and spiraled out of control.

For about an hour, the rain was merely a gentle drizzle, and Arthur smiled at me, triumphantly declaring, "See, I told you it's nothing to worry about." But as that hour passed, the atmosphere shifted. The weather grew increasingly volatile, and the waves grew larger, crashing against the sides of the ship. The combination of our inebriation and the violent rocking of the boat proved to be a perilous mix. In a moment of misfortune, I slipped and stumbled, inadvertently falling over Arthur, propelling us both down the stairs. The force of my fall caused my head to collide with the wall, and darkness consumed me as I succumbed to unconsciousness.