The storm waged on relentlessly, lashing those out in it without mercy or remorse. The sea was fierce, its choppy white wash eroding anything it could lay its evil intentions on, its touch like icy needles stabbing ferociously into anything that foolishly chose to invade its privacy. Aside from a couple of hungry mother birds foraging for food to keep their young nourished, there were only two sodden humans out in the elements' wrath.
The panicked creatures in question clung to a curved piece of driftwood for dear life, knowing that if they became separated in the storm they stood the chance of never seeing each other again. The male's vision was poorer than his comrade's, as his hair stuck against his face and hindered what he could make out in the spiteful spumes frothing violently as it collided with the wood. Breathing was extremely difficult as each gasping mouthful gathered much more than just precious oxygen; they also collected seaweed, salty water and sharp shells if their fortune was not in their favour. Their clothes clung to their bodies, adding further restrictions to the girl's breathing as they'd been nice and loose when the weather was pleasant, but in this squall they were almost lethal from the unbearable constriction.
Suddenly disaster struck; the girl lost her grip and she went underwater instantaneously, her friend's cries nothing more than an incredibly low whisper in the howling wind, even though he screamed her name at the top of his voice. He swallowed a mouthful of air, wishing he hadn't as the astounding sting made breathing even more difficult than it had been before and he spluttered when he initially dived to look for her. He couldn't see anything underwater, and had no idea where she could be as visibility was limited to a foot in front of him in the dark, choppy waters. He surfaced but his replacement mouthful of air was even worse than the last one he collected, and his palm finally struck against something fleshy as he propelled himself in the direction he thought his partner had sunk in. Karma was yet again not on his side, as it wasn't his partner he found, but an angry predator instead.
He kicked outwards and tried to raise his body to the surface so he could release a howl of pain gathering within, holding his chewed arm tenderly next to his body. The wounds weren't life-threatening, but it hurt from shock of the unexpected attack as well as the salt continuously hitting into the open cuts. His unseen attacker had bitten him twice, the first time deeper than the second, instantly tearing through his clothes and the skin in his upper arm. He frantically searched the rough sea around him, trying to locate some indication of where his comrade should be, praying that she was not forsaken to the gods' choosing yet. Suddenly, in the distance, he caught sight of a brief but easily distinguishable glimpse of red, not crimson like the blood seeping from his wound into the water, but the red he'd always associated with her hair colour.
He awkwardly struggled to meet where she was, thankful in one sense that he was working with the current, as it was his stronger arm that was affected by the unwanted attack. He beseeched to all supreme beings watching over him that he would not be detected by other water-dwellers, knowing the inviting aroma of his vital liquid would spread across the waters with each stroke he made. He saw the red flash up again and he held her tightly, ensuring his tight grip would not affect her breathing. She was still conscious and her eyes, though heavily teared through her distress-induced sobbing, thanked him for his help. She held onto him with half the strength she'd clung to the wood with; she was tired and unable to continue the battle for much longer, knowing her friend must be feeling equally as weary. His grip loosened on her as she held his wounds, and with an almost incomprehensible scream he released her, and the merciless tide pulled her back into its grips instantly. He grabbed her hand but it slipped through, so he dived yet again to catch her, knowing they were near some sharp rocks and couldn't risk her impaling herself on any underwater as it would be the end for her surely. A fork of lightning tore across the horizon, illumination the surrounding area momentarily for him, allowing him a chance to see her.
His eyes met a sunken ship, and he saw her being sucked backwards through a hole in the starboard from a vacuum evidently created by the atmospheric conditions in an area that was usually so calm. She stretched her arms out in a flailing attempt to grab his, her natural instincts crying out for her to work as hard as she could for her survival. He caught her with a stronger hold this time, but he was also caught by the wicked suction the vacuum created. It pulled them back where a couple of boards had rotted away and fallen to the ceiling below, as the ship was upside down. She spread her legs and pressed her heels firmly into the wood to give both her and her partner some leverage for their route to the surface. She lost her air as the boards providing her support crumbled beneath her from the pressure her feet applied to them, her chest ripping as the rusty nails that held them in place sliced into her skin. He pulled her up carefully, knowing that if they lost control for a second there then the whole chance for escape would be eradicated, especially since hers wasn't as likely as his.
She stood on the protruding hull of the ship tenderly as she leant back against the rock that caused the ship's decease, not wishing for the same fate to fall upon her even though where she stood consisted of iron, not decorative timber. The lightning struck again, and she saw her friend's face mirror her appearance of sheer exhaustion. He treaded the water rather than invite the metal to give way beneath them, pressing his hands against the sharp textured rock so his back would break the harsh waves rather than her bleeding chest.
He prayed again for the dangerous inhabitants of the water to stay away from them, her blood adding to his, willing the weather to calm down so their battle to continue would not be in vain. The driftwood suddenly came crashing into the centre of his spine, making him collide rather heavily with the woman in front of him unintentionally, their teeth catching loudly but it was another sound lost to the shrieking winds. She was momentarily stunned by this as it was far from expected, and he'd hit her chest heavily. A half-smile to herself informed her that she wasn't allowing herself to die because their supposed first kiss was not one to write home about, and he'd have to make it up to her later. If she was less the coward she always was when it came to her heart, that is. He resumed his position, feeling even weaker now from the blow, his mind reeling as he longed for redemption from the blinding pain it had delivered. A light push with his left hand sent the wood into around the rock, making him feel even gladder for the effect water had on density.
Lightning illuminated the terrible seas once more, but this time the man noticed a stretch of land in the near distance, a horrible distance for them to travel with their various lacerations, but it would be safer to attempt the distance rather than wait the squall out, especially as their energies faded by the minute and the tempest could last for days. He pointed into the distance, knowing that talking would do no good in the blustery weather, and after a couple of minutes of complicated sign language, she got the gist and they headed out together. The struggle was a test against their endurance skills, but eventually they made it safely to the shore. They dragged their weary bodies as far up the sand as they were capable then collapsed almost simultaneously with exhaustion, too spent to continue once they knew they were safe. As they drifted into an exhausted sleep, the sand attacking each of their wounds, they didn't know that it would be the last time they'd see each other for a substantial amount of their lives.