Chapter 2. Nightmare

The first room had a wide space and a calm painted wall which was beige color with the touch of brown. The queen size bed was warm and nice.

The couch and the red carpeted floor were well set perfectly. I put down my shoulder bag to the side table and sat on the bed.

Maybe I’ll peek into a room later because my view is already fixed on the window. The fresh air coming from the sea shore made me flinch. It also reminds me of someone.

Someone I couldn’t forget, someone I love... but all of it could destroy me enough, but even so I preferred to be close to it, cause ‘I knew somewhere deep in my heart he was shouting and begging for me. I cut off my gaze out the window and started to lie down to sleep.

“Emory!” that voice that kept coming back to my mind.

I looked where the voice was coming from but I could only see the pounding of the angry wave.

“Hezekiah?!” I shouted back.

But no one answered, I held on tightly to the railing where I was on one of the ships and the rain was pouring down heavily.

I heard a loud siren. “The ship is going to sink!” shouts of rushing people.

But I stood still in the middle of the ship. My body wasn’t moved even though I was being hit by confused people.

“Emory!” I looked up at the man who slapped one of my arms. “The ship is sinking, we need to get out of here.” His voice was full of determination especially when he pulled me to wrestle with many people.

I could hardly see where I was going because of the crowd, adding that it was late at night and very dark.

“Don’t panic! Rescuers will be coming any moment now!” I was stopped by a uniformed man where he guarded the safety vest distributed one by one by some of his colleagues.

“What are you saying don’t panic?! We’ll all die here if you won’t give us safety vest!” shouted the man from behind us.

I closed my eyes tightly because of the heavy downpour in my eyes. But I felt Hezekiah’s grip on me so I looked up.

“It’s okay dear, just stay here don’t leave.” His lip fell on me which I gladly accepted.

After that, when I looked at him, I realized that he was also talking to the person who provided the safety vest.

I clasped my palms as the crowd became more and more agitated as the ship moved violently. So it could no longer control the people who broke the glass to get the safety vest.

“Dear,” I whispered as he seemed to be covered by the thick man in front of me. I could do nothing but say a prayer and close my eyes emphatically.

Due to the continuous movement of the ship, I was out of balance and tossed, I couldn’t stand anymore because of the stampede that was taking place. I felt people stepping on my toe and hand so I shouted.

I wanted to lose consciousness because my knees hit different parts of my body. But I still tried to get stronger and shouted.

“Hezekiah!” I shouted out loud like it was my last breath, my tears were dripping due to extreme fear.

At that point someone pulled my hand upright and hugged me tightly.

“It’s alright, I’m here dear,” he said as she hugged me tightly, I didn’t know what else I could cry about at these times.

“I’m afraid, dear, that something bad might happen to us,” I whispered so he pressed his palms to my two cheeks and stared into my eyes.

“Trust me, I won’t let that happen, okay?”

I nodded at him, inevitably shaking my lips because of the force of the rain and the cold it brought.

“Here, wear it.” Without saying a word, he hugged me with the life vest he tied tightly to my body.

“W-how about you?” I shouted loudly for him to be heard. I noticed that he was not wearing a life vest like me.

“I’m okay baby,” he whispered and lightly patted my wet hair before looking around.

I was stunned by the anxiety that enveloped me, “No!” I shouted and tried to take off my clothes but he held me tightly.

“No! Wear that and don’t take it off! Don’t worry about me I can swim.” He still got me to smile despite everything.

“But...” I stubbornly said.

“Let’s go, let’s find some boat.” He held my hand tightly again to wrestle with the crowd.

We reached the end of the ship where the others wearing life vests were already arguing. Some fall deliberately because of the hustle and bustle of people.

I looked at the group of people scrambling on the boat, while some were still fighting just to get first.

I sighed heavily. A heavy sigh was also released by Hezekiah next to me as we watched what was happening.

“Dear,” I whispered after a long moment, holding his arm tightly.

“We need to find a boat. It’s hard to go with the waves. The storm is even stronger!” he shouted next to me with the view below.

I glanced behind us as the ship turned a little and could capsize at any moment.

“Zekiah, we need to find a life vest for you first, so we can jump,” I said.

But he did not answer.

“Zekiah?!” I called.

“No more life vests, dear, but it’s okay. We can make it, right?” He was still determined to speak.

But I was not comfortable with what he said or with my answer.

“Promise me one thing! No matter what happens, don’t give up,” he said in a baritone voice.

I nodded as tears welled up in my eyes.

“I love you...” he said softly.

“I love you too,” I answered quickly. He planted a quick kiss and hugged me tightly.

It was there that the ship shook so hard that we almost stumbled, if it had not grabbed the railings we might have fallen into the water at the same time.

“Come on! We need to jump!”

I cried out when I saw that the people were already jumping. Even the lifeboat didn’t seem to be mapped to me even to ride there because they were already pushing even to the bottom.

“No, I can’t,” I said, terrified of the possible outcome.

“Yes you can baby or else we are going to die!” he told me out loud.

“No, please let’s find some life vest for you!” I looked around again, but like us, almost everyone left there was purely wearing no life best.

Trembling I peeked below, the waves strong, some forced to swim while some were drowning. I couldn’t bear to look at some floating corpse because it wasn’t wearing life best.

No, I can’t bear to see Hezekiah floating and lifeless, no! I shook my head one after another.

“Come on, we have no time Emory!” It calls my name out loud.

But I still couldn’t answer when a man pulled me. “Give me your vest if you don’t have plan to jump!” Someone strongly pulled on what I was wearing.

I cried out in shock. But Hezekiah struck it hard and threatened him.

“Don’t you dare touch my wife!” he clutched the man from me and followed by a blow so he fell to the floor.

He turned to me and held my hand tightly.

“Jump!” he shouted so my eyes widened in fear. I also noticed the resurrection of the man who was ready to approach us.

“I said jump, now!” I glanced at him and without saying a word I climbed the railing, he did the same and held my hand tightly.

“Stop thinking, I’m just here for you!” he smiled at me so my heart pounded and I blinked emphatically.

“Haah!” I got up violently with my forehead wet with sweat, tears also gradually fell in my eyes which I immediately wiped with both palms.

Dream... Everything is just a dream.

“Hezekiah,” I said in a low voice.