10 and a half days

Jessica stared over the ship's railing as she recalled the accident that had changed her life. She remembered the amusing afternoons and the sudden thunderstorm. Her husband, the captain of the ship, had fought vigorously to ensure that the ship survived the storm but she didn’t. After braving the storm for 10 and a half days, at noon the ship crashed. Only one person, Jessica, survived. Her friends, her family, her daughter, her husband, everyone drowned and she couldn’t save them. She still trembled every time she boarded a ship. She was rudely interrupted in her daydreams when the captain came to give her a tour of the ship.

They started with her room. It was small but neat and cozy. A writing on a steel plate which said ‘Jessica, the marine scientist’ was on the door. Jessica rather liked the room. Next, they headed to the engine control room. As she entered the room she wished that the lights were off. The bright fluorescent lights cast a harsh glare over the room, illuminating an array of control panels and screens. Each panel was a complex mosaic of dials, levers, and digital readouts, their blinking lights and shifting numbers a dance of technology and precision. Then, she saw the galley. The moment she entered the galley she could smell fried bacon and eggs. The galley was probably the most active part of the ship. Compact and efficiently designed, the space was a marvel of maritime engineering, where every inch was utilized to keep the crew well-fed and the operations running smoothly. The walls, lined with gleaming stainless steel, reflected the soft overhead lights that illuminated the galley’s every nook and cranny. A series of metal shelves, stocked with an assortment of spices, cans, and dried goods, ran above the countertops. The shelves were meticulously organized, each item in its designated place. From the galley, a corridor led to the crew’s mess hall. The crew’s mess hall was a bustling, lively space, where sailors gathered to eat and relax. The room was spacious relative to its purpose, with long, sturdy tables arranged in neat rows. The tables, made of polished wood and reinforced with metal edging, bore the marks of countless meals shared over the years. Each table was surrounded by bench seating, the cushions covered in durable, navy-blue fabric. After that, the captain took her to the deck. The mooring deck was a broad, wooden platform stretching out over the water. The planks were old and gray, weathered by the sun and sea. Thick ropes and chains were wrapped around metal posts, and rusty metal cleats dotted the deck. The salty sea air mixed with the gentle sound of waves brushing against the wooden posts. Along one side of the deck, a worn railing offered a shaky view of the darkening water below.

When she was staring at the water she thought she saw someone in the water. It looked a lot like, her husband?! She must be imagining it and yet the figure looked exactly like her beloved Pierre. He had the same bushy eyebrows and that cute scar below his lip. He had a warm, olive complexion. His hair was dark brown and slightly wavy, kept short but with a bit of a tousled look, making him look a casual person. But, there was nothing casual in his expression. He looked panicked. He was flailing his arms in the water, desperately, as if he were drowning. His hazelnut-brown eyes were staring directly at her. They seemed to be screaming for help. Jessica had to help him. She couldn't lose him a second time. She extended her hand over the railing to pull him out of the water. When she looked over the railing she saw no one was in the water. She was shocked. It simply wasn't possible. She had seen him, she was sure of it. Since no one was there she must be imagining things. She was proved wrong that night.

Around midnight she woke up after hearing a slight sound. She was surprised to hear such a sound at night. It sounded like whispering but it couldn't be whispering. Who would be creeping around the ship at night? At first, she thought of pirates but then decided that was a silly thought. Full of curiosity, she climbed out of bed. The sound seemed to rise from the deck. When she went near, she saw a person. Was it Lizzy, no it couldn't be her!!! Jessica stumbled towards her daughter. She couldn't believe her eyes. Questions raced around her mind. Why was Lizzy standing there? Why didn't Lizzy greet her? Was Lizzy really alive? When Jessica came within arm's reach of Lizzy, no one was there. Jessica was shocked. She knew she had seen Lizzy, so where did she go? Jessica searched throughout the ship but couldn't find her. Eventually, Jessica assumed that her grief had been stirred after boarding a ship again and she was imagining things.

The pattern kept repeating, and Jessica’s attempts to understand what was happening led her to realize that she was likely hallucinating. She got frustrated and confused. She tried to escape the ship but there was no escape in the middle of the sea. Often, she would spot her husband alongside Lizzy, yet every time she approached, they had vanished without a trace.

For ten and half days she fought with her emotions, her grief, the same way her husband’s ship had fought in the stormy sea for ten and a half days. On the 10th day around noon when everyone was asleep, she spotted Lizzy and her husband again. They both seemed to be beckoning her towards the deck. She followed them to the deck then she saw that they seemed to be jumping overboard. She realized they wanted her to take her own life, and part of her mind was tempted to comply. She couldn’t bear seeing her daughter and husband and yet not meeting or touching them anymore. She had nothing to live for. No one to love. No friends. She decided to end her miserable life, so she climbed the railing and jumped off. The wind whistled in her ears. She felt her clothes getting drenched. When she fell in the water her last thought was that she would finally be reunited with her husband and daughter before the water enveloped her and she gave in to darkness.