A boy ends up in the ocean. When he is about to drown, he's rescued.
Who is the mysterious man that pulled him out of the water? What is the lesson he has to learn? Will he ever get home again, or deal with the fact that he looks an awful lot like a certain pirate we all know.
Read the story of my life, and review.
Many thanks to beta reader Wednesday 1990.
Whom read revised and corrected this chapter. And after eight chapters never sent any chapter again, even after several promisses But after waiting and read all her excusses for not sending anything back. I gave up after eight months. Jack
Lost and Found:
Chapter 1
Coughing up water, I came up again, and just in time to watch the ship moving away. All white against the dark clouds and rough wild water, I yelled out to no one in particular. I knew he could not hear me and even if he did, I knew he would not bring her around. He just had left me to die and he didn't even care.
He couldn't do this, could he? My Father's brother.
"Uncle! What did I do?" I cried out "Why?!"
My tears where washed away by the falling rain and when I looked around in this big dark tub, I knew I was alone. Lightning struck the dark clouds above me and I felt lost, lost in the ocean, who would soon claim me for herself.
I didn't know how long I was in the water, but I felt cold and started shivering. If I stopped swimming for even a second, then the water pulled me under. My arms felt like as if they carried tons of weight and my legs started to feel numb.
"Jeez," I thought "How long will it last?"
I knew I was all alone, no one who could hear me, or spot me, even though the waves where not that high. My uncle had known what he did, since there was no island in the area. It's just me and this big dark tub of water around me.
"God, please send somebody, anybody please," I whispered when I looked up to the angry sky. Water got into my mouth and tasted awful; I started coughing again, and took a big gasp of air. Something struck my head, scared I turned around, afraid for what it might be. A piece of wood drifted beside me.
"Thank you," I said to the clouds. "Thank you"
I grabbed it and hung on to it. My life literally depended on this small peace of wood. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but for the moment, it was enough. It would help through the night.
A night that seemed to last for eternity. The rain had stopped, but the wind felt cold on my wet hair. The most frightening thing for me was not knowing what was beneath me. I terrified that some mean shark would come and eat me alive, it was a horrifying thought. I had seen the movie Jaws and ever since then, I thought of the possibilities of being eaten by that monster.
The next morning brought a calmer sea, but a burning sun as well. Tired and thirsty I felt a sleepy haze coming over me. I knew that falling asleep would be the end of me. But I was worn out, all wrinkled and cold, and I still couldn't stop shivering while my head felt as if it was being cooked. Below the surface the water wasn't warm, icy cold was more like it. It made me feel confused and my eyesight started to blur, as if I was looking through a plastic bag.
I heard a rumbling noise come from under the water and I started to panic. I looked around, there was nothing there, and then it struck me. I started to laugh hysterically. My stomach had just warned me that my last meal have been to long ago. Oh, I could kill for French fries and a hamburger.
Slowly I drifted on with a grayish view. Water, water, and more water. Jesus, I hated the color blue, totally soaked, cold and a brain that heated up to fast, and I started to think odd things. Mum would be awfully pissed off with me. I imagined I hearing her voice. Warning me, not to stay in the water too long,
"You'll get all wrinkly son, looking like an old man." What was she doing right now? Bleep "Hello boy. You are in the middle of this God forsaking tub doing your best not to drown too quickly, and you are worried about mum? Worry about your own fortunes boy, it is not looking good for you right now."
I looked at the sun that made a circle in the blue sky, slowly making her way to end this day. The red sky told me this day would soon turn into another dark and lonely night. I felt dozing off, and forced my eyes to stay open, but for how long? I didn't know.
Finally, I could not keep my eyes open any longer, and I drifted off into a dream.
I started dreaming of home. I was in my nice and warm bed and I had my blue pajamas on. God I hated the color blue now a days. I started to wake when I dreamed I wetted my bed, I realized I was not in my bed at all, but still in the icy cold water of the Atlantic. All alone, but I was still breathing!
I realized to my horror that I could not open my eyes. I used one hand to feel my eyelids, and they were thick and swollen up.
"Great," I thought. "Why not?"
I examined my lips as well, which were in the same condition as my eyelids. I drifted on until I heard a sound. I couldn't make out where it came from, since I couldn't open my eyes, but I felt frightened and started to scream.
Suddenly something grabbed my arm. I tried to fight it off me, but something grabbed my other arm. Too weak, I gave up and fought no more. Clearly God had decided it was enough, and so did my body, too cold, too tired, too thirsty, too much of everything. Enough was enough.
I heard voices, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Someone patted my back, I started coughing up water, and for a moment, it felt like I was choking. More water came out of me; it felt as if I had swallowed the entire ocean.
I felt someone lifting me up. Their arms held me tight, and a dark voice spoke into my ear. "Here drink up son. It will get ye warm."
The fluid tasted awful. It burned my throat and stomach, but it also gave me a warm glowing feeling. The awful taste made me feel nausea too though, but the same dark voice told me to keep it in. It would make a difference between life and death.
"Ye don't wanna die now do ya? Considering the fact that ye must have been drifting in these waters for hours," said the voice.
He sounded just like grandpa. I started crying, "Grandpa did you come for me? Is Grandma with you? I'm so cold Grandpa."
The tears hurt my eyes, as if they where open wounds exposed to salt. The dark voice whom I believed to be grandpa said, "I know son, I know. You'll be warm soon enough. First, we have to get you out of these wet clothes. I'll put dry ones on you, then I'll tuck you in bed. You are tired and need to rest now. Yer safe!"
That sounded so good, bed and safe, no more wading in the water. Not another day in the burning heat of the sun. Not another cold night alone in the ocean, just sleep. I could sleep for ages. I felt him remove my wet shirt, but that was the last thing I remember. Everything went black.