A TALE OF SURVIVAL

 GENERATED BY META AI The night the ship sank is one day I would never forget. I could still remember the incident clearly like it happened all over again. No one would have ever believed that the greatest Elixir could sink. The ship was a wonder, constructed to accommodate over a million people on it. They assured us it was unsinkable, unbreakable even. The inside of the ship was a world of it's own. Very beautiful and homely. I can still remember the laughter's from families, friend and loved ones, spilling into the night as they enjoyed themselves. The soft music playing along the decks. Then came the crack. The ship had collided with a large piece of ice. For some seconds, nothing happened, then it began. Water flooded the ship from the cracked opening, drowning people from the inside. People struggled to get to the outside. And little by little, the ship began sinking. People shouted in fear, everyone panicked, running around in search of a life boat to escape. Chaos clouded the once peaceful atmosphere as people struggled to get out of the ship. There were just a limited number of lifeboats available. Probably enough to contain just about two hundred people. What then happens to the remaining eight hundred or so? With an instinct to survive, the ship turned into a ground of chaos. Everyone struggled to get into any lifeboats by all means. It was a matter of survival. People were pushed and tossed about. I took Sarah's hand in mine, holding it firmly as we pushed through the violent crowd, in search of any lifeboat we could find. Most of them were all filled. The water was spreading so fast, we had little time left. Finally, we saw one, almost filled up. Without wasting any more time, we ran towards the boat, pushing our way through the crowds which clustered around the boat begging the guard to allow them in. “Women and children first,” the guard chanted like a song, not paying any mind to the males gathered there. “You! Get in,” he said, pointing at Sarah. Sarah squeezed my hands tightly, unwilling to let go. “Listen Sarah! You have to go, I’ll be right behind you,” I found myself saying, knowing it was a lie. She nodded her head vehemently, refusing to go. “Not without you.” she said, tear slipping through her eyes. I held her chin with my palms,staring into her eyes. "One of us has to make it here alive. I promise you I’ll find you,” I said, fighting back my own tears. She was about to protest again, however, I cut her short. “Please, do it for me,” I begged. She looked up at me with a defeated look. “Promise me you’ll live.” she said stubbornly. “I can’t,” I struggled to say “You can, promise me!” she demanded, tears slipping through her eyes. As I stared into her eyes, something snapped, determination burned within me. The zeal to survive by all means coursing through me. “I promise,” I said with fierceness. I helped her get into the lifeboat and watched it drop into the river. Immediately, adrenaline pumped through my veins, survival was the only thing my brain could understand at that point. Shortly after, the ship broke completely into equal half. Before I knew what was happening, I fell into the sea. Water splashed around me also, as people kept on falling little by little into the waters. I struggled to swim upward. The water was freezing, I couldn't help the chattering of my teeth as I struggled to get to the surface of the water. Around me, I could hear the cries of people in the freezing water also. Everywhere was so dark, the moon was our only source of light that night. My instincts kicked in, it kept me moving, until I saw a broken door, some of the remains from the broken ship. I clung onto it for dear life, resting my arms and upper body on it as it continued floating. Time ate away slowly, minutes turned to hours. We remained in the ocean, trapped in the middle of nowhere with no help whatsoever. As time flew by, my limbs grew weak and heavy, my teeth chattered involuntarily as the freezing water did a number on me. I felt my eyes closing slowly, wanting to give in to the darkness. Then suddenly I remembered Sarah's voice. “Promise me!” Soon dawn came, and I could've sworn I saw a strip of land on the horizon. I looked again but there was nothing. Was my mind playing jokes on me? I wandered. Nevertheless, I clung on to that thought. Perhaps, there was a chance of me living. With a new found hope, I began plunging forward, using my hands to steer the door I held forward. My hands ached painfully with every stroke. I had to constantly remind myself, I had a promise to fulfill. The current tilted me off course several times. The waves attempted to consume me, the sun shone brightly above me, heating me up. I still hung on, spitting out seawater from my mouth several times. Finally, I could see it. A distant shore. I stroked faster, forcing myself to move forward quickly. Until I felt something sharp brush my skin, a rock. I laughed heartily, I had made it. I continued moving forward till I could feel the sand on my feet. I crawled slowly until I came face to face with the earth. I collapsed onto the sand. My voice, barely a whisper. “I made it. I’ll live.” I began to hear voices, they were humans. One wrapped me in a cloth. They were fishermen. Shock filled their faces as they tried carrying me up. But I was so tired. I finally let my eyes close, not giving in to the darkness but out of exhaustion. “You're safe now” was the last thing I heard before finally letting go.