Page 28

Rafael

The thunder roared like a monster. The sky, once a blanket of white clouds, morphed into a canopy of ominous indigo as thunderclouds billowed overhead. Waves crashed into the tiny boat, tossing us about, and the winds sliced us like razors. Streaks of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating Mattie’s terrified little face.

It wasn’t like this when we took the rowboat out this morning. Stickney Island was a fifteen-to-thirty-minute boat ride, tops. We should have beaten the storm that was coming. My weather app said we had a solid two hours before the storm would start, and it wouldn’t get truly hairy for another two hours after that.

Four hours. We should have had four hours to explore the island and get back before things got rough. How could this be? The dark waters tossed the boat about, throwing our bodies against the hard, wooden sides. I looked at Mattie and saw blood gushing from his nose. He must have smacked his face off the boat while being tossed about.

I gripped the sides of the boat and desperately tried to reach him. Mattie’s eyes drooped, and the lifejacket hung loose on his body. “Pull it tighter, Mattie!”

I clutched the boat to keep from falling overboard and finally reached him. He couldn’t hold on. His eyes fluttered. His limbs flailed as the waters continued their assault on us. I pulled Mattie into me. One arm wrapped around his chest while I used the free hand to yank at the straps of his life vest, but they were too slick, and I couldn’t get a good grip. A wave crashed over us, enveloping the boat and filling the interior with water.

“Stay awake, Mattie.”

He was fading, and the boat would capsize—too much water was in it. My body trembled as I fought the straps, pulling at them over and over. Another wave crashed over us, and its force tipped the boat over, spilling us into the sea.

The current pulled me under, and the water tried to rip Mattie from my grasp, but I held onto the straps. The force of the pull caused a sharp tearing sensation in my shoulder, but I held on. I couldn’t let go.

The waters pulled me deeper. Blackness. I couldn’t see him. My free hand searched the sea. I couldn’t breathe. The salt stung my eyes. I needed air. My other hand found the strap, and they gripped it as I forced my legs to pump. We needed air. My legs pushed with every last ounce of energy they had. My head breached the surface, and I gasped.

I saw the neon orange life vest and Mattie’s still body nestled within it. Mattie’s head was underwater. I wrapped my arms about him and pulled him on top of me. If I kept him above the water, he’d have an air source, but the waves kept crashing over and over, pushing us beneath the surface.

The capsized boat floated past us, and I grabbed onto the rope hanging from it. It could keep us afloat. My hands gripped the straps of Mattie’s vest. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t talking. I looked down at his face and saw…

Cody? Cody was there. His face was pale, and his eyes were closed. His rosy lips were blue. Water consumed us—a wave crashed over the top of us. The boat slammed into me, forcing me to release the straps. Where is he? I thrashed about in the water. Where’s Cody? Another wave pulled me under. The vest. The orange revealed itself, and I raced to it. I had to get it. Grab the straps. The water was so black and rough. One minute the orange was there, and the next, there was nothing. Where is he? Cody! Cody!

“CODY!”

The dark room was unfamiliar. Where was the boat? Where was I?

“Rafael. It’s okay. Look at me.”

My eyes landed on the body I’d just lost in the water. I lost him. He was gone. “Cody?”

“You were having another dream.” Cody reached for the glass on his nightstand. “Drink this.”

The water hurt my throat. My heart pumped like it might cause my chest to rupture. I lost him.

Cody wrapped his arms around me and pressed his head to mine. “Are you okay?”

No. I wasn’t okay, but I nodded and plastered on a smile. “I’m fine now. Go back to sleep. Sorry, I woke you.”

Cody caressed my back and whispered, “Don’t be sorry. I want to help. Are you s—”

“I’m fine. " That sounded harsh, so I adjusted my tone. “Really, I’m fine. Get some rest.”

He nodded, giving my back a final rub before resting his head on his pillow.

My body shook, and the tears fell from the corners of my eyes, no matter how tightly I clenched them.

I lost him.