The Dream Vacation

The Dream Vacation

Rachel clung to the side of railing as best she could. “Help,” she screamed. She knew that there was someone up there walking the deck. Rachel couldn’t be the only one up at 6:30 for a morning walk. She could feel the sun just peaking over the horizon. The warmth of it gave her a tinge of hope so she decided to call out again. “Help, someone, please!” She was clinging to the very last of the cruise ship’s railings. If she could pull herself up she could just squeeze between the bars and to safety. Rachel had not realized that she was leaning that far over. Before she knew it, she was tumbling over the side of the ship and reaching out for something to hold onto. Her hands had managed to find their grasp around the railing and hold there before she plunged to her death. Rachel couldn’t believe it; the ship’s deck was right there in plain view - so close. She called out once more, “Help, someone, please! I’m hanging onto the side of the ship!” No one answered to her call. There was only the distant sound of what could be a whale, Rachel wasn’t sure. Silence was the problem; it deeply bothered her. Suddenly, her left hand slipped off the railing. The sweating of her palms seemed in control, it wanted her to let go. She managed to hold on with her right arm and swing the left back up to grasp her only lifeline. Again she yelled for someone, “Help me! Please, help me!” There was no one and as if on cue her right hand slipped this time, causing her to lose grip in her left. There was no more railing; there was no more. She was falling and wondering why no one had been there to save her.

“Rachel, Rachel, wake up!” Brian Rachel’s boyfriend shook her awake. She came to and murmured, “No one was there to save me.” Brian embraced her.
“It was only a nightmare, baby. Go back to sleep. If it gets worse we’ll never do this again. This was a bad idea.”
“No, Brian. I have to do this. My father died in these waters. I need to face them.” Brian only let go of her and fluffed up his pillow. It was a bad idea to come on this cruise. Rachel had not come to realize that her father was gone. There was nothing she could do about that. He glanced at the clock. It read 6:30. There was no way he was getting up. He rolled over onto his right side to face Rachel. She wasn’t there. He sighed. She must have gone to the bathroom to clean up. Her hair was a sweaty mess. Brian closed his eyes and fell asleep just as quickly as he had woken up.