Save My Love

“Are you ready, Mr Hayes?” 

“Uh…yes, I guess. Is it really necessary, doctor? I mean, we could probably sort it out another way.”

“I am sorry Mr Hayes, but this is the best way. Let’s get on board now, shall we?” 

Peggy stood calm at her berth. Her elegant features lit up the water, giving birth to an endless loop of ripples, at last fading through the breaths of water. Her polished wood highlighted the beautiful carves, smoothly shaping her body into a marvellous antique. She was the best piece of work, I had ever come across. 

Yet the temptations would be resented with a powerful blow of will. Echoes of fear repulsed through my mind and no matter how hard I would try, I couldn’t do it. 

“Come on, Mr Hayes” Julia’s voice pulled me back from the reverie. 

She was standing on the boat now, her hand stretched towards me. She was really beautiful, I must say, in her long white dress and golden hair tripping over her shoulders. It had been only two days since I had met her, but somehow I feel an invisible thread of connection between us. A thread pulling us closer each time.

A sudden wave of nausea crashed on me. An uncomfortable feeling too hard to put in words. I stepped back. 

“I am sorry, doctor. I-I just can’t do it” 

“It is okay, Mr Hayes. Nothing to worry about. I am here with ye, alright? Now, take a deep breath and grab my hand” 

I closed my eyes and let the air pass through me. All those moments flashed in front of me. Moments when I felt helpless and annoyed when people would make fun of me. People would judge me. Call me by names. This was my chance.

“Alright,” I let out a shaky breath and grabbed Julia’s hand. Feeling the turbulence and that water underneath, sharp claws of fear squeezed my heart out letting out instant sighs of regret. 

“See, nothing happened.” She let out a light-hearted chuckle while I made myself sit on the wooden seat. She sat in front of me.  A bald man, probably in his forties, untied the attached rope and entered the boat releasing a second wave of tremors all over. Never for a moment, I let go of the taffrail, even when the oars started swinging. 

Julia cleared her throat. “So, Mr Hayes” 

“You could just call me James” 

“Oh okay. So James, for how long have you been experiencing aquaphobia?” 

“Since I took my first step” 

“Any particular reason, you might think of? Any accident you have encountered?”

“None” 

A troubled look swallowed her face. The twitched eyebrows, not revealing a good sign. She quickly jotted something on her notepad and looked up. 

“Anything weird you have been going through?” 

My grip on the taffrail tightened. The building nervousness shaped my lips into a thin line when I finally admitted. 

“Uh..Actually, yes”

“Like what?” 

“It is completely absurd though. I have tried taking pills but-” 

“What is it, James?” Her voice steeled but I could feel it tremble at the corners. 

“Dreams” I finally said. 

“Dreams huh? Weird.” She again pulled her pen to work later continuing “Could you please elaborate.” 

“It’s like-” I try to keep my voice firm but all that escapes are hoarse trembling words. “It’s like I am in the middle of a hustle with large shoes stepping and squashing me. Everything around me seems a lot magnified. Deep cracks engulf the wooden floor letting the thin streams of water climb up my shins. Loud screams of humans numb my ears and later do I realize, I was on a ship.

Beside me stood a beautiful mouse with tears in her eyes. Our tails were intertwined together. Dana was her name, or so said a tiny voice in the back of my head. Thick belts of convulsion surrounded us encouraging the havoc. Large holes break through the surface devouring many of my kind. All I was able to decipher was that I was going to die. 

“Marco” Dana squeaked beside me and put her hands on my cheek.

“Will we be alright?” 

“Of course, my love. Just a matter of a few cheesecs.” I squeaked back and got pulled in a passionate kiss. With the gap of a few moments, a large tide washed through us, throwing us at the fringes. I suffocated beneath the heavy droplets trying hard to make my way above. Hard I try, but I couldn’t. Everything went blank. I was losing breathe. My mind wandered aimlessly at the gates of darkness and death. Impetuously, a spark ignited through my bones brushing energy I had never felt before. I strived up, breaking the momentum, at last finding myself begging for huge chunks of air above the surface. 

“Dana!” I squeaked with the last words I had. 

“Marco! Help- help me!” A struggling voice replied. 

“Dana! Where are you?” Desperacy grew through me as I splashed and swum against the strong current. My limbs ached, hands molten steel but I kept looking for her. Eventually, the voice led me to the mark. Dana was hanging to a wooden rim. Her one leg had been cut off and bled heavily. 

“Dana! Give me your hand!” I screamed and reached out to her. 

“Marco, you are here?” 

“Yes, now give me your hand” 

Our hands met once again and I tried to pull her up with all my force. 

“Marco, I love you. No matter what, d-don’t let go. ” 

“I won’t Dana, I promise. Don’t tell your goodbyes yet. Now try to tug yourself up.” 

But the will of fate wished to keep our threads untied. A huge wave succeeded towards us and swept my love away in the blink of an eye.”

“This is it, doctor. At this very exact moment, my eyes flap open” 

“Huh, that-that’s quite-” Before Julia could complete, we were interrupted by a huge cry. 

“Careful!” The bald man in front of us screamed and a sudden shift of scene took place. Huge waves played with the boat throwing Julia to my side and the weight shifted to the left. This was probably the most vulnerable moment of my life. The darkest moment.

“Doctor!” 

“Are you alright, James?” 

“No!” 

“It’s okay, calm down. It happens often here. We are safe.” Julia consoled but the fear reflected off well. 

We jerked again to the right. 

“What is happening Kay?” Julia screamed to the bald man. 

“Sorry, ma’am. A sudden change of waves. Please hold to the taffrail out tight. And make sure your lifejackets are tightly buckled” Kay replied trying the maintain his grip on the oars. 

“I thought it was safe, doctor!” I managed to speak with the water bubbling against my mouth as we took regular dips in the freezing water. 

“Stay calm, James. We will be alright.” 

“I am going to die” I scream when suddenly another tide sweeps us to the left abruptly throwing Julia offboard. 

“Julia!” I yelp in fear and panic. A strong sense of deja-vu fixed my soul. This can’t be happening. “Julia!” My voice bounces back unanswered. I scream again. And again. Until my lungs give up. 

At last, I stood up. All along, I had been born with a purpose. Every single thing that had happened to me, had roots going deep down. And that very moment, that purpose was knocking at my door. It was my only chance. So, I did what I was supposed to do. 

I jumped in the water to save my love. 

To save Dana. 

And I won’t let go of her this time.