Docking with Oblivion

As she kept packing, a running thought kept going through her mind. What am I doing? I don't know how to sail. Like a melody on repeat, but she kept packing. Yesterday was the beginning of this whole new adventure when she had got the results from her tests. Cancer, the word its self, is like a death sentence. Having no family of her own and a handful of friends who would honestly miss her. She stopped her packing for a moment to survey everything laid out to be put in duffle bags on the bed, next to the piles of clothes, hygiene products, medicine bottles, bandages, favorite books, GPS, and two pieces of unreadable notes. "Ok, next call, mom, and then I'll log on for just a bit," she said to herself. She picked up her cellphone and began to swipe through her contacts, and found her target. "Hi mom, how are you?" she asked. For the next fifteen minutes between the sobbing and pleas for her to stay, she finished with telling her that she would keep in touch when she reached places to dock and resupply. She set down the cellphone and took a small drink of her tea. Walking over to the desk where the faint illuminated light coming from the laptop, like a tractor beam, drawing her to review her plans one last time. She gently sat down, set her glass in the ring clearly seen on the desk. Letting out a gentle sigh, she logs in and checks emails and her reservation at the marina.

Now even though, it had been years since she had been on a sailboat, she thought to herself, it's just like riding a bike. Once I get to the marina and get settled, everything will be alright. Everything was in order, so she powers down the laptop and carries it with her to the bedroom. Sliding the electronic in its bag alongside others that she had packed. Looking up there on the wall was a picture of her and her brother. "I'll see you soon, Lee, she said out loud. She stood there looking at the image from a Christmas gathering at her mother's eight years prior. The last time she had seen her younger sibling, the night the photo was taken, he had taken his own life. The family did not find out for a few days after the actual event. Like in most cases, the suicide of a loved one leaves more questions than answers. Lynne was inconsolable. After two years of therapy and hospitalization, she came to mutual terms with her doctor that she was able to be released and trusted to live on her own.

Finally, she breaks her gaze from the photo and walks to finish her nightly routine of locking doors, taking nightly meds, then a hot shower. Stepping out of the hot shower and sliding the glass door to the side to step out, "Hey Lynne, Lynne," the voice cried out, and the voice sounded oddly familiar. Frozen in place, she quickly takes inventory of the room through the steam. She stood silent to trying to listen for any other noise or voice. Nothing, "I'm more tired than I thought." she said softly. Wrapping the towel around her and the second round her head, Lynne get us the blue one; that's the one we need," The voice said again. This time it was so close it was like a person was standing beside her and whispering as if it was a secret in her ear. She whipped her head quickly to the left, then to the right, and back again to the left. No one was in the house with her. Slightly trembling, she said, "Who's there?" No answer, just the wind blowing outside was the only sound that she heard. Quickly drying off, slid on some shorts and a tee-shirt. She wraps her hair up in a bun securing it with a scrunchy, quickly surveys her small little bungalow for any evidence of someone being there with her or anything to explain what she had heard. Rechecking everything, all doors and windows locked. Trying to shrug off the weird event off, she goes to the bedroom, sets her alarm for the very early time of four a.m. Lifts back her blanket and sheets so that she can slide into her side of the bed and get some much-needed rest. Her medication had kicked in even with the small surge of adrenaline, and falling asleep came as easy as it would for a newborn baby.

Throughout the night, she tossed and turned. In her dreams, she and Lee had been sailing just off the coast of Texas, where they had lived since they were small children. "Lynne, grab that sail; the wind is really starting to pick up," Lee shouted from behind the wheel of their small doublehander. This dinghy was handed down to them from their father, but they both dreamed it was a catamaran, and they were on a grand adventure each time they sailed together. As they grew up, they had jokingly planned a great experience and childish fantasy of finding Atlantis each night at dinner. If they couldn't find Atlantis, they decided to rent a big enough sailboat and sail to beautiful, tropical destinations all over the world. The siblings had always had a close relationship, even though they had been three years apart. He had been Mr. All-State in every sport he played, and she was the book worm, nerdy type in school. Their love for the sea and sailing meant the world to both of them in all their differences.

Suddenly she sat straight up. She shivered and looked on her forearm and clearly seen a handprint. It didn't hurt, really, but it was cool to the touch as she glided her other hand over it carefully. "What in the world" she exclaimed. Then the alarm she had set went off to startle her yet again. Laying her right hand over her heart, she started to giggle "well, I'm awake now," shaking her head she gets out of bed. Walks into the bathroom and starts to get ready. Today she isn't reminded of cancer or tumor in her brain. Or how she was given only months to live; today, she was finishing a dream. She and Lee's vision, she starts to tease, "Hey Lee, guess I'm the captain now, so navigator, what's the heading?" The hot water in the sink steam rose to fog the mirror, slowly the letters appear before her own eyes A-T-L-A-N-T-I-S. She dropped her toothbrush and put both hands over her mouth so she couldn't scream. Stood there, too scared to move but wondering how that happened.

Her family didn't go to church, and she wasn't into ghost stories or life after death. Though she knew this wasn't normal. Slowly removing her hands from her mouth, "Lee is that you?" she said, barely louder than a whisper. Nothing, dead silence. She looked down and saw the time and ran into the bedroom as if nothing happened. Throwing what she needed in the 3 black duffle bags and reviewing the inventory one last time, then loading it up in her car. As she closed the door, she wondered if she would make it back or if it would be like Lee, sudden with no answers. Right now isn't the time, she thought to herself and got in her car.

She pulls into the parking space at the marina. Drops the keys off to the attendant with the instructions and forms for her mother to retrieve the vehicle. Grabs the three duffles, purse, backpack and confidently strides down the dock towards a 34 foot Odyssey design, white with blue trim and beautiful deep blue sail. As she gets closer, she sees the name of the masterpiece "Atlantis". She slows down, a cold chill runs down her body as she sees a male coming up from the hull. "Hey, I'm still the captain; remember that, Sis," Lee said. "Man, I missed you," he said as he reaches out, helping her with her bags. "Lee ?" she asks. As Lee sets down Lynne's bags, he hears and feels a massive thud behind him. "Well, better than I thought," he jokingly says as he lifts his sister off the deck. Thinking to himself, I can't believe it either, kiddo, I missed you too.