The Drowning Girl
The angry sea keeps roaring, vowing not to calm down tonight. The icy wind forewarns of a destructive storm. In the threatening chaos, a small boat bravely moves forward.
The tiny crew of three people aboard feel like daredevils tonight. They don’t have a specific reason to be here tonight, just that they miss the sea while on the land. Terrorizing or serene, these waves feel more like home to them.
The captain looks up at the sky, but all he can see is a dark velvet blanket that seems to have concealed all the stars. Here and there, lone stars still shine, like their boat, whose only source of light is a small lamp. Nothing else is present to guide them on their path but they still continue. Cool air whips their hardened faces as they laugh and talk.
Suddenly a splashing noise distracts the captain. The others seem to not care. On a night like this, who else would be mad enough to bring a vessel in these waters? The captain raises the light and begins to search. Finally, he spots a struggling figure. A little distance away from them, a girl is drowning. Alerted, the captain turns the boat in her direction.
The frothy waves push the boat back, warning them to return. But the chivalrous boat fights ahead.
The girl moves her frail arms gasping for breath. Her haunting eyes are visible even in the dim light. Her skin is white in the ice cold water.
Wasting no time, the captain extends a strong arm towards her. But to his horror, she moves away from the boat. The crew, now concerned, try to pull her aboard, but she pushes herself away from them.
Every time they try to catch her, she slips from their hands. The storm appears ready to arrive any second. Suddenly, she buries her head inside the water but one of the men grabs her thin arm. He tries his best to pull her out, but she fights back. Perplexed, the man exerts all the force he can.
Between breaths, the girl keeps making strange noises, puzzling the crew even more. Her screams clash with the roaring waves. She tries her best to return to the water, not wanting to leave. Scared at being pulled out, she tries her best to escape. She keeps slapping their wrists, but her energy seems to be draining.
Water splashes inside the boat as the girl continues her struggle. Finally, they are able to get her on the boat. Covering her shivering body they stare at her, their faces a mixture of annoyance and relief.
Her eyes do not meet theirs. Still gasping for breath, she looks down, but a pair of legs stare back at her instead of her tail.
© Jaya V 2019
