Castaway

by lunabrony

The Return

Have I mentioned lately how much I dislike the ocean? From the first moment I've been out here, it's beaten me up twice, changed the way I look at EVERYTHING, and shown a total disregard for the laws of science.

The wave which plunged me into darkness was a monster, and was immediately followed by a sense of vertigo and helplessness. I had managed to suck in a deep breath moments before, and swam feverishly towards what I thought was the surface. My head was pounding and my arms burned, leading to a feeling of dismay as my fingers clutched the rocky bottom of the ocean floor. My supply of air was rapidly running out, and I did the only thing I could think of.

My feet pressed against the bottom of the ocean, and I kicked off, arms flailing to propel myself upwards into the darkness. I broke the surface of the water and was immediately assaulted by blinding daylight. I groaned and flung my arm over my eyes, taking a few precious minute to adjust to the sudden disorientation.

When at last I could see again, I quickly looked around to catch my bearings. Large masses of land were visible in several directions, the closest one had a harbor from which ships and boats were sailing in and out. Without wasting any time, I began to swim for it.

I didn't even make it all the way to the harbor. I wasn't sure I could. Thank God for patrols.

A routine Coast Guard patrol boat zipped back and forth, I could feel my strength rapidly draining. It only took a few waves and a few shouts to catch their attention, and they quickly made their way toward me. A line was flung from the boat, and I tied it around my waist, eagerly accepting the embrace of strangers. I was hauled in, strong yet gentle hands grabbing me and hauling me up.

I passed out only seconds after being laid down on the deck.

Turns out I was only missing for a few hours. Some sort of time displacement, I guess. I don't understand it now, I'll probably never understand it. The tourist vessel I had been on had survived the storm, and a head count had been taken shortly after its dissipation. I had been the only one missing, and a search had immediately taken place. The recollections I heard from those on board claimed they had never seen a storm come and go so quickly, and nobody was unable to explain it. It was just one of those things, I guess.

I was taken to the nearest hospital, evaluated, and aside from sunburn and dehydration, announced to be in fine condition. A few reporters wanted to get an interview from me, but I turned them down. What would I tell them? I survived in a rip in space that didn't even exist, and had bided my time talking to horses? That I had survived on a mysterious island filled with meerkats? Yeah, that didn't sound crazy at all. I insisted that I was fine, and must have become disoriented.

I don't think they entirely believed my story, or sensed that there was more to it. But I didn't want to talk about it, and eventually the few media which had arrived got frustrated or bored, and left.

Laying in the abnormally white bed and waiting for my parents to arrive was the worst part. I couldn't shake the feeling that the bed was moving, churning, threatening to throw me onto the floor. At one point I looked outside the window and for the briefest moment thought I saw a horse, watching. A horse with an enormous pastel colored mane. I blinked, and the image was gone. I looked again, but there was nothing there.

My parents visited after a few hours, seeming to have aged years since the last time I saw them. They had been contacted the moment the ship was en route back to the harbor, and had been worried sick since then. My father smelled of cigarette smoke, something he did when he was worried but that I don't think he'd engaged in for years. My mother was practically glowing with relief.

"How did you ever manage it?" She kept asking. "What went through your mind, out there by yourself?" She wouldn't let go of my hand, as if afraid I might float away again.

"I dunno." I said. "It's a miracle, I suppose. I just kept thinking of my family and friends, that got me through the worst of it."

My mother looked relieved. "Well, you know what they say. Friendship is magic, after all."

I groaned at the metaphor. "Yeah, right. As if THAT will ever catch on."

Comments

[Multitraveler]

Awe. It was a great story.

[lunabrony]

2694543 FINALLY someone else caught that lmao