I could not believe my eyes. I looked through the window into the first-class area. There were many families relaxing on that Sunday afternoon. Children splashing about the pool and many were sunbathing or snoozing on easy chairs. However, I was not feeling well on that day. All my life, I had been frightened of boats and sea but Rafael, my fiancé, had persuaded me to make this journey.
About halfway through the two and a half journey, the ship suddenly slowed. A waiter was seen gesturing to the guests in the restaurant to vacate the place. Rafael and I tried to move with the big crowd. Suddenly, the ship tipped to one side. People started to slide across the tilting floor, shirking in horror as the ship tilted once again. Everyone was panicked.
I was numb. Rafael tried to quell his own rising panic, he asked me to hang on while he tried to find some life jackets. Suddenly, the ship lurched again and we were engulfed by the sea of passengers. Rafael was swept away by the avalanche of screaming people. People started throwing themselves into the sea. “Rafael, Rafael, Rafael!” I screamed loudly. Rafael saw me among the crowd. Fighting in his way, he tried to reach but the floor was rising beneath him. Then, I could not see him anymore.
Meanwhile, I had been swept into a huge swirl of bubbling water. I swarm as hard as I could but my efforts were hampered by panic-stricken hands. It was very hard for me. Then, I suddenly heard the heartwarming sound of Rafael calling me in the darkness. |We met after a few minutes later and I started vomiting. A few meters away, we noticed that the ship had sunk. Rafael pulled me away from the ship. The screaming was gone. Instead, it was replaced by some eerie wails and sobs. I tried to keep up with Rafael. Fortunately, the strong current helped. “We have to swim to that island,” Rafael pointed to the lighthouse which was some distance away. It looked near but I knew it was more than...