Calm Dot on the Horizon

The sea lapped gently over the soft white sands, a deep red sun beginning its slow descent behind the horizon. Soft orange and red light reflecting in the still waters below and sky above. Looking out from the beach one would think all's right with the world at this moment. All that could be heard was soft waves over sand and gulls nearby. The landscape views one of serene beauty … the line of the horizon broken only by a small dot. From this distance the great cruise ship seemed not to even move, just a calm dot of black against the blood orange sky. Little would any onlooker ashore suspect the calamity soon to befall on board that vessel …

A young woman stood on the bow, her white gown shifted and fluttered in the breeze. Her feet were bare, the soft alabaster tones of her skin shining out, her toes painted a bright and happy pink. Long reddish-brown hair flowed over her face, the faint glow of red skin, and a trail of dried tears coating her cheeks, just visible beneath the curls. Her deep green eyes ringed in fiery red from crying. The perfect porcelain of her arms tainted by deep bruises from being grabbed and thrown around. Her hands gripped the rails tight as another stream of tears began to flow, dripping down into the deep and darkening water of the ocean as the cruise liner sliced through the waves ...

The harsh words of her abusive ex-lover echoed through her mind as the tears flowed down onto her delicate white gown. It all started when he discovered her secret, and just got worse when she tried to explain she wanted to leave him ...

‘You can’t leave! I won’t let you leave me!’

‘But … please,’ she pleaded. ‘We don’t love each other … not anymore. I don’t love you.’

She paused, took a deep breath and bravely spoke her next words.

‘I love her … I’m leaving. It’s over!’

The movement was so quick and violent, face flush with rage. An angry arm lashed out, his open palm striking her across the face.

‘You bitch! You won’t leave me to be with some filthy dyke!’

He grabbed hold of her soft delicate arm, his hand squeezing tight and yanked her, throwing her across the small cabin aboard the cruise ship. Hitting the ground hard, she let out a yelp.

‘Who is she?’ he bellowed, veins popping over his forehead as he moved towards her. ‘I’ll kill her before you can leave me-’

He stopped, realisation falling over his face.

‘She’s on board isn’t she?’

Her face sank with a new deeper fear than her own physical safety.

‘You stupid bitch …’

He stormed out of the room, no doubt heading to the bar. Shaking, she stood up and tried to gather herself.

‘Just so you know …’ he said, peering back into the room, making her jump. ‘When I find you with her … I’ll make you both pay, I can wait, so go on and have your fun for now.’

He laughed as he closed the door. She waited to hear he had left before moving a muscle. Standing in her room she had no idea what to do now. For a few minutes she just stood in a panic, the tears began to well up. She was meant to meet her at one end of the ship soon, a night liaison she had longed for since the ship left the docks …

Leaning on the rails as her tears finally slowed, she checked the time. Just a few minutes until they were meant to meet. But the fear of him finding them, of hurting her … it was becoming too much.

She pulled out her phone, typed a hurried message and pressed send. She kissed her hand and touched it softly to the phone screen for a moment, before reaching back and hurling her phone over the rails as hard as she could. Her hands shakily returned to the rails once more, the cold metal barely feeling like anything, everything was numb now ...

Standing at the rails of the stern was a blonde woman, a smooth satin dress of lavender draped over her hourglass figure. She was shaking with a nervous energy as she waited, constantly checking her phone for the last ten minutes she stood here.

Her phone buzzed, a huge smile spread across her face when she saw the sender, she opened the message excitedly.

“I’m sorry … he found out everything.

He knows about us …

I can’t risk him hurting you.

This is the only way to keep you safe.

I love you.”

The blonde’s hands shook as an immense sense of fear and worry gripped her. A blaring siren rocked the silence of the ship in the dusk light. She dropped her phone from the surprise. A loud blaring siren sounded once again, followed by a loud and soul-crushing announcement over the speaker system. They had done the drill, and she knew that the protocol was the same term no matter who it was, man or woman … she collapsed onto the decking, screaming in anguish as the speakers repeated the cruel message …

“MAN OVERBOARD!"

"MAN OVERBOARD!"

"MAN OVERBOARD! ..."