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T he storm came like a ghost in the night. One minute, we were sailing on clear water, and the next, we were being attacked by the sea as it threatened to rip us apart.

I grip the portside railing, my knuckles white with the strain as the wind howls around us. Rain pummels us in torrents so heavy that I can barely see what is directly in front of me. Waves crash over the deck, loosening my grip on the railing with every blow.

The storm rages like an angry dragon, roaring and sending its fury down upon us. I can’t hear the commands of the Captain and crew.

I look out over the sea, spotting a blurry mass in the distance.

Is that land?

We are miles away from any charted piece of land.

It isn’t possible unless we veered off course, but the compass holds true.

We have taken this new route as a test. It is supposed to save us a full day's worth of travel.

I look down at the map now soaked with rain, and there is no land, only an endless sea.

So what have we sailed into, and what is beyond the storm's clouds?

A bolt of lightning splits the sky, sparks fly, and I spin at the sound of cracking wood, watching in horror as the foremast falls into the churning sea. I watch it sink below the waves with a whimper. We are doomed.

A glimmer flashes in the sea, something pink and sparkling.

I lean over the railing to get a better look.

The ship lurches, and I hear a loud crash before I fly overboard.

Gripping harder, I hold onto the railing with one hand, dangling over the furious, white-peaked waves of the ocean.

We hit something massive, and the entire front of the ship is gone.

We are sinking. We aren’t getting out of this alive.

Suddenly, I hear a beautiful sound echo through the howling of the wind, a song sung by a heavenly voice.

It draws me to it, and I search for its owner.

It is absurd, but a sudden sense of serenity washes over me, even as I plunge into the icy water and the sinking ship drags me further beneath the waves.

That euphoric calmness is all I can feel.

So, when I take my final breath, pulling the salty sea into my lungs as I fade into the cold, dark depths of the sea, I feel no fear, only an overwhelming sense of peace.