The salty sea slams against the ship, shoving me forward. As a teeter on the edge of the bow I feel the rough hands the first mate grab collar of the my blouse and pull me back to safety. "Whoe there" he calls, as I regain my footing, "can't have you taken' a dip now can we?" he quickly ties a rope around my waist, I see its connected to the main mast of the vessel. I nod and quickly turn, once again scanning the choppy horizon. Searching . I know she is out there, waiting to be found.

As the winds subside, I begin to pace across the deck. Hair coming lose from its bun, flapping in the wind. The crews' eyes follow my path, I can see the concern on there faces but I don’t care. I don’t have time to care. All the room in my heart, my mind, is taken up by this need. This need to find her, save her from the sea.

When the sky goes purple, then inky blue, and finally black, I see it. With the moon out bright something is on the water, bobbing in the waves. I cry out and run to the rail, reaching. The crew all jump and begin running about. I don’t care, so long as they get the ship closer. Closer so I may reach out and save her. Tears begin to cloud my vision, burning hot down my cheeks.

As the ship drifts nearer, I lean over the edge, trying to see. Trying to reach the piece of wrecked ship she’s clung to. I scream out, I’m too short, she’s too far. With a glance over my shoulder, no one is close by, I take a deep breath. Deeper than any breath I’ve taken before. And leap.

Cold. So cold. My eyes pop open and quickly shut again, salt water stinging. I kick and reach, hoping to find the surface or her makeshift raft. My eyes burst open again and I take a swallow of air, gasping. So cold. So dark. I spin, kicking and flailing, trying to locate her. There! I swim hard, struggling against the waves and my soggy skirts. Why isn’t she reaching for me? I grab the board and see some rope, securing a limp figure to the wreckage. No. No it’s not true.

As dawn breaks, my ship is nowhere to be seen. The crew never wanted a woman on board to begin with, they didn’t care about my mission. My need. None of it matters now. Her body is limp, straining against the rope holding her tight. I stare into her unseeing eyes. She’s gone. I wasn’t fast enough.

I look into the ocean and see my thin frame, choppy and distorted in the waves. Then a flicker, something in the deep. I smile. With my cold, sunken hands, I begin to untie her body from the raft. The moment she’s free I grab her arms and put them around my neck. Our clothes tangle together and we begin to sink. Deep into the cold, the dark. I keep my eyes open, ignoring the sting. It doesn’t matter now. The one I love, the life we were to have together, is lost. Never to be. I see the creature coming, it’s fast. I sigh, bubbles that are my last breath float quickly to the surface. I hold my love, my life, as darkness envelopes and swallows us whole.