Chapter 28. Drowning
Rain poured down on the deck of the Black Siren. Lighting streaked across the blackened sky. Thunder boomed louder than the ship's cannons. The change in weather had been abrupt. One moment Dominick was sweeping the deck under a cloudless sky and the next he was pushing dripping strands of hair from out of his eyes. Captain Drake was shouting over the storm, but Dominick couldn't hear a word over the howling of the wind. He dropped the broom he was still holding and ran to help the others secure the main sail.
"Captain!" One of the men shouted staring up in horror. A massive wave was headed towards them.
"Brace for impact!" Captain Drake called out and this time he did hear it. Dominick gripped the rope from the sail tighter, closed his eyes, and held his breath.
The wave crashed over the ship. Dominick felt how the ship tilted too far starboard and for a moment he thought they would fall completely before the ship righted itself. He let out the breath he'd been holding. When he opened his eyes and with a slight twinge of pleasure he noticed that the wave hadn't taken anyone overboard. That was a good sign.
Captain Drake was yelling out orders again. "Get those sails tied down!" She whipped around to her lieutenant, who was struggling with the ship's wheel. "Julian, get us out of here!"
"I'm working on it!" He yelled back.
Another flash of lightning. Another roar of thunder. Another wave crashed over the ship. Dominick was still rubbing the salt water out of his eyes when he heard the very distinct sound of a rope snapping. He looked over just in time to see a beam swing out and hit Captain Drake, knocking her over the edge of the ship. The lieutenant looked helplessly over the spot she had just been, knowing that if he let go of the wheel the entire ship could be lost.
Before he'd even realized what he was doing, Dominick was leaping over the side of ship after her.
The icy water was nearly as black as the sky and the salt stung his eyes, but he dove deeper. The sea would not take Erika Drake from him. A quick flash of gold somewhere to his left caught his attention. It was one of her earrings. Dominick swam over, slipped an arm around her waist, and swam up as fast as he could while dragging her along with him. His lungs were burning by the time they broke the surface of the water.
"There!" Someone shouted. "Throw down a rope!"
It took several tries for the rope to land anywhere near them. Erika was only just beginning to regain consciousness as the crew pulled them back onto the deck. Someone had taken the lieutenant's place at the wheel because he was at Erika's side in an instant, helping her sit as she coughed up the seawater she had swallowed. Blood trickled down from her forehead where the beam had hit her.
The crew of the Black Siren stared between their captain and Dominick with wide eyes.
...
I can explain. I had two summer classes and I work two jobs and I finally had a day off so here go!
