A short short story...with a twist. |
Rachel clung to the side of railing as best she could. "Help!" She screamed. Rachel couldn't be the only one up for a morning walk at 6:30. 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 to safety. She had been leaning too 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 ensued. It deeply bothered her. Suddenly, her left hand slipped off the railing. The sweatiness of her palms, forcing her to let go. She managed to hold on with her right hand 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 her grip completely. 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. 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. Though, a cruise sounded a appealing and relaxing, Rachel was coping with the death of her father. He drowned in a boating accident, but Rachel didn't want to believe 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. |