Avast Me Hearties

[Caira Ayryn]

“Zack, Zack!”

There was a high pitched sting in his ear while he heard some heavy breathing and hurried noises. Icy water soaked his sable hair and drenched and ached at the corners of his eyes. The moment swirled around him, and his stomach protested as he turned on his side and choked up some water. The revulsion tainted his expression as well as his tongue.

Caira’s big eyes glowed in the half light and she placed a hand on his cheek and his eyes steadied on hers. Next thing he felt, was the entire ship lurching, both of them were sent over to the nearest steel wall, Caira’s skull collided nicely, while she managed to catch Zack’s head on her stomach. Nice he has something to pillow his fall, luckily her head was really thick, and the pain only pinched.

“We’re HIT!” Gary shouted, and it sounded through the many canals of maze within the submarine, as sudden water roared in their ears and trickled immediately to meet their feet. Zack, dazed and confused, and a little seasick, looked up and steadied himself. Caira’s eyes swept the scene, they’d thought they’d be safe inside, but now, they were in lockdown.

“Commencing emergency sealants around the affected areas, please remain calm,” the submarine announced and certain main doors began to descend.

Immediately, a mammoth tsunami tumbled down on them both. Waves of water hurdled over their shoulders and swept them away with the momentum of the gushing current. Zack slammed back into the wall, glued to its side of the sub, sticking to the metal as a result of the strength of the current, meanwhile, Caira was pushed right through the door and out of Zack’s sight.

That was when the very door she’d gone through began to close. Zack, helpless and defenseless about the water that surrounded him struggled even to lift a finger, it was as though gravity was so dense, it was a solid force, immeasurable and keeping him pinned. The salt stung his eyes only for an instant, before, with his blurred vision he saw the steel begin to descend. He was on the wrong side, with only the breath in his lungs as hope. He struggled. His shoulders buckled at the weight and he felt like he was being pressed too tightly. His face struggled to lift while the Prime lifted his hand inches, in the time that it took the door to get about halfway down. At this point, he wouldn’t make it. His heart sunk. Death by drowning.

Still, he persevered, maybe once the door closed the suction would stop and he could go out the hole that had caused the rupture, but no... There wasn’t enough time. Already he could feel the smoldering in his lungs, and his blood felt as though it were boiling cold. Zack shook his head, to his best ability, and still, grappled with another edge forward. The door was now two-thirds of the way down, and Zack was still a yard away, after moving about two feet. The ratio just didn’t add up, he was going to die, no matter how hard he fought against the gravity of the situation. Death would be the outcome no matter what happened.

Another of his hands went forward, the door was inches from shutting, but the Prime kept his dark eyes on it, for the small chance that something, anything, could change. The steel fell almost completely, before there was a loud grunt that was audible even through the water. Two sets of fingers appeared below the last inch of space below the door, bubbles sprouted from the friction of the door starting to go back up. Zack blinked in disbelief, while he hastened toward his sanctuary.

He went through the ten inch crack of space left from the door upside down, and then, the person who was holding it let it slam behind the Prime’s feet, nearly taking off toes. The water rushed past them, immediately dissipating throughout the space of the large sub, and there was no longer the force holding Zack hostage, so he collapsed to the ground. The thankful prime looked up, expecting to see Caira, however, blinked again and again, upon seeing that it was indeed Gary who had saved his life.

Gary pat Zack’s back to get any of the excess water out, and to help the Prime drink the fresh air in. The two men were dazed and confused, Zack, more so of the two, when Caira turned around the corner, looking much worse off than Zack, and covered in some very slimy looking silvery stuff. Her very step looked weak, but when she saw Zack, compassion spared in her eyes and she ran to him with haste and collapsed into a hug. They had themselves a nice “we’re all lucky to be alive” reunion... Until Zack released Caira from his hug, only to feel her body to limp, and her body unresponsive.

Gary looked down with a knowing expression, as panic coated Zack’s expression, “What happened, what is this stuff?” The silver substance stuck like glue to his soaked black attire.

The captain paused for a moment, and knelt beside the man cradling the girl in his hands. The two men's eyes met, carefully Gary nodded as he spoke, “Son, that’s her blood.”