There was nothing to say it would be cloudy that day in the August sunshine. The albatrosses were making their early calls and a yacht cruised on the surface of the water. Dolphins raced along with the yacht leaping into the air and back into the water again.
The air was crisp and warm to the skin. The wind intensified and the jib billowed in the strong breeze and the crewman in charge pulled it in, catching the breeze and increasing the rate of knots they were travelling at.
Warren kept the tiller loosely in his hand, feeling the strength of the wind and the currents vibrate through him. He loved this kind of life on the sea, just cruising the blue waters and smelling the salty sea air.
His yacht was precious to him as most things were. He cherished it and made sure it was cared for. He just wished his daughter could share the same passion. But he had to merit her; she had come with him, as he hadn't sailed for a good three to four months to a heart bypass. This was her treat for him and he loved her for it.
He knew she had understood the love that he put into his lifetime of sailing. She had bought him a new boat and dragged him to Portsmouth to see it. Her compassion for his love of sailing was stronger then her own fear of being on top of the water.
She wasn't aquaphobic in the sense of her being afraid of water; she was aquaphobic of just being on it. Warren had never understood and still intended of getting an answer from her, but for now he let that query rest. He concentrated on the waters, and gently moved the tiller.
They had sailed up around the British Isles, stopping at various islands to pick up the necessary supplies and the occasional parts to do a repair. Kathleen, Warren's daughter, had become a skilled cook and one that would match any celebrity chef like Gary Rhodes or Gordon Ramsey. She could carve wood beautifully, she had once carved a Great White from a piece of oak they had found floating on the water. She caught fish with she could and Warren never got a look in on doing the gutting parts.
He had promised that they would sail over the Atlantic once they had fitted the ship to her best and got plentiful supplies. That was five days ago and now they were cruising across the Atlantic. He could hear her grumbling about something under her breath and he chuckled. This was her usual self.
Kathleen looked up at him and smiled. She wasn't the little girl he knew anymore, she had grown into a beautiful rustic woman with the skills and talents of a man. She had a wonderfully wise mind and had a strength he didn't have. He watched her as he kept hold of the tiller, admiring her beauty. She had roughly tied her hair back and some of the hair that escaped the binding framed her weatherworn face. She didn't bother wearing make up even at dinner parties and social events.
She looked up and her face grew a little sterner, verging on grim. She spoke clearly and concisely, still looking at whatever she was looking at. He followed her gaze.
'Looks like a storm out…that'll explain why there are no seagulls'
'Doesn't look that major Kath, it'll be all right' Kathleen knew he was just as stubborn as she was and it was a pain in the neck at times.
'Doesn't matter Dad, small storms are just as rough as the biggies.' The storm was quickly turning in on the comparatively little boat, menacingly dictating its prowess. 'Like now would be great'.
Warren brought the vessel round with Kathleen taking her place at the bow of the yacht but it was too late. The storm engulfed the small yacht and toyed with it as it pleased. Warren dug his feet against the foot straps designed to keep you in when tacking, the yacht swayed and bucked precariously. He struggled to see Kathleen at the front but the storm's fog was heavy and he couldn't see much.
'Kathleen!' He called out hoping for an answer, his eyes searched frantically as he tried to stop the yacht from capsizing. A sudden cracking and crunching noise alerted him that the rudder had gone and the tiller was of little use now. He gave up and head towards the bow, hoping to see his daughter.
He could just about see her pulling down the jib as fast as she could but it was the vessel capsized. He felt water hit his face and salt reached his tongue. He went under momentarily before kicking towards the surface and bursting through the darkened water. He gasped for breath and remembered he was not alone.
'Kat! Kath!' He shouted her name repeatedly before exhaustion overtook him, the last thing he knew was that he felt being pulled, hands groping his torso for a stronger hold.
--
Kathleen struggled to pull her father in the water, Exhaustion clouded her eyes but she pressed on, letting her stubbornness take over her tiredness. She was not going to fail her father here nor anywhere life took them. She kicked hard in the water. She felt like home in the water but she wasn't the greatest of swimmers and she preferred the air or earth to the sea.
Her stubbornness and strength of her own will, won out in the end and she eventually reached a shore. She turned, able to stand now, although she had to keep replacing her foothold as her feet started to sink into the wet sand. Keeping his head above water, she dragged him to where the water couldn't quite reach.
She collapsed to the floor, allowing herself some rest on the white sand. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, hoping to get her racing heart down to a rhythmic beat. Coughing and spluttering brought her back to the world and she opened her eyes to find her find struggling to get air and was spluttering. Immediately she lifted him so that he was on his side. Water came out of his mouth in quick intervals.
Warren stopped spluttering and managed to regain some strength although he felt his legs were going through hell and back.
'Hey' Kathleen came into his view and he smiled.
'Thank god you're okay' He choked out, his throat still slightly sore from the coughing and spluttering.
'Thank god we're alive…the yacht's lost and I don't know where the hell we are' Kathleen muttered darkly, her eyes searching the plateau to the north of the beach, green fronds and trees leaning dangerously on the edge of it. 'We'd better try and find some kind of civilisation Dad…can you walk?'
'I have yet to try' Warren pulled himself up and staggered to his feet, with the help of Kathleen. They allowed themselves a moments rest before trudging up towards heavy undergrowth from a tall canopy. After a while, the strength returned to Warren's legs and he was able to walk by himself. Kathleen led the way being used to trudging through unfamiliar territory after going to several places in the world with her friend, David who had disappeared a month after they had got back from the Sahara.
The day wore on and they battled their way the growth. A sudden roar erupted from somewhere in front of them and Kathleen stopped to listen. Her father bumped into her not looking where he was going and looked at her confused. He opened his mouth to speak but Kathleen held up a head to silence him. She turned slowly.
'That was no mammalian's roar' she told him solemnly, glancing back in the direction of where the noise had come from.
'Let's go towards it, might bring us to people' Warren offered and Kathleen only nodded. She continued to lead the way, carefully holding back bendy branches so they wouldn't hit her father in the face. She hated it when people didn't do that; she had received a bruise that didn't go until a week later because of that.
It was nightfall by they time they reach what appeared to be a small outpost. The floor was muddy and ridden with numerous tracks, many lost to bigger prints. Kathleen and Warren stood in silence, looking at the evident destruction by this place.
'Bomber?' Warren asked?
'No…I'm not inclined to agree' Kat countered, her eyes searching and analysing the place. 'Look at these tracks. There's hundreds of them, and they are going towards that building.'
'It looks like its seen better days…we should get moving.' Warren said. He suddenly felt worried for both his safety and his daughter's. He didn't like this place, it grew creepier and scary and it totally freaked him out. 'Please Kath?'
'Yeah…look!' Kathleen pointed to what she found. She had moved closer and Warren frowned but looked in the direction she pointed to. He saw small prints in the shape of a normal human foot. He could have leaped for joy and hugged his daughter. 'Okay, you're choking me' He let her go and she smiled at him.
'Looks like they went this way' Kat gestured with her forefinger on her right hand, gently creating a glance on the direction. Warren nodded and started that way. 'Hey! Wait, dad' Warren turned and frowned deeply. She had irritated him somehow. 'We can't go further tonight, dusk is already falling and there's no telling what comes out at night' She informed him, authority followed her every word. Warren recognised an order when he saw one and he wasn't surprised.
Kathleen had gone into the Royal Navy to keep tradition with the family and had reached the rank of Commander before she asked for leave so that they could go the adventure of a lifetime. She had held that rank with the responsibility it held and took her job seriously but she knew when to have fun. Warren deemed she was in her element here, dictating their path and their action.
Warren went back to her and they opened the door to a derelict building. There they found abandoned bunks, blankets and even bowls of fruit.
'It's like they were here only a moment ago' Kat breathed, taking in the scenery of the place. Bunks were near the windows and the room, or what was left of it had been decorated in a style Kathleen did not recognise.
'Do you think these are edible?' Warren asked as he picked up a green fruit that reminded Kathleen of a star fruit.
'Dunno…the only way of knowing is trying it out but I wouldn't recommend it. We got to find some water sometime soon, I'm parched' Kathleen muttered as she gathered blankets from a corner. The ones at the top of the pile were damp and horrid, but the ones beneath were dry and were slightly warm. She gathered the dry ones and put them on a bunk, dividing some between the two. She grabbed two pillows that weren't reaping water and lay down exhausted from the day's journey.
Warren was quick to follow her lead, not daring himself to eat the star fruit like object he had picked up before. He lay on the bunk and stared into the ceiling. A slight snoring sound alerted him that Kathleen had fallen asleep and wouldn't wake for another five hours. Her body was used to little bed rest.
Early on in his fatherhood he had insisted she'd get up early in the morning, since she came back from the Navy he had insisted on her getting us much as she could. Recalling memories was easy now then before when it had been rather difficult. He hadn't a bad relationship with his daughter but back home; it had always been rather strained. Here, those strains seem to ease and he slowly fell into a uneasy slumber.
Dawn arose and Kathleen woke, stretching her arms. She jerked them back when a roar was heard again. It was similar to the one they had heard before. Not waking her father, she crept outside. What met her made her blood froze and her mind to start questioning the Earth's history.
A full grown Tyrannosaurus was standing in front of her, leering down at her making his dominance known. He roared again and Kathleen kept still, hoping on hope it would lose her. It didn't. It kept its unruly gaze upon her and she frowned slightly. She stood her ground; life had told it would never do to run away from it, as it could always outrun you. She kept a firm gaze at the king of the dinosaurs and the Tyrannosaur lowered its large head.
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