Drowning Lessons

Calico Jack is walking the beach of their new home, enjoying the warmth that sun still has to offer. Winter will be arriving soon and the boy is determined to enjoy what sunlight he can. It is there, on the white beaches of the Isle, that a short howl reaches his ears. Everything changes in that moment as the boy suddenly pivots, ears pinning against his skull as he charges straight toward the waves. The howl had been filled with desperation and that alone would have been enough to galvanize the boy into action. However, the fact that it the call is from Rivin has turned his heart into a fist full of thunder.

It pounds heavily against his breast as he sucks in a deep breath before plunging into the ocean. With his eyes open, the boy dives down underneath the waves where the current is easier to push against. Long legs kick out, sending him rocketing forward at a quick clip but the boy needs to move faster, to get to her quicker. Calico Jack stays underneath the surface for as long as he can, using long, powerful strokes to slice through the water as he races time on his way out to the girl. Only when his lungs begin to burn does the boy move upward, breaking the surface to draw in air even as he continues to swim out.

A flash of red in an ocean of blue catches his eyes and the boy changes direction. Rivin rises above the water, floundering for a moment before sinking back beneath the waves. Blood coils in the water, defusing the longer it remains in it. Jack doesn’t waste his breath calling out, knowing will be wasted, put he uses the fear that spears his heart to put on an extra burst of speed. Mentally, he ticks off the seconds that she remains submerged, urging her to reappear at any second. Yet, she does not appear and as, he nears the area where he had last seen her, the boy sees her form sinking further and further down.

Inhaling deeply, he dives under the water, knowing the salt will sting his eyes but not caring as keeps them wide open to track her. Legs propel him downward as she drifts further away from him but Calico Jack does not give up. With two more powerful strokes, he is in front of her and he hooks his forearms underneath her elbows. Kicking out, he pulls her with him, toward the surface and the promise of air. The light gets brighter and brighter until… Jack breaks the surface, dragging her up and out of the water for a moment.

Using his body to help her float, he reclines backward slightly and lays her upper half over his chest. Blinking away the stinging water, he moves to check her airway while saying, “Rivin?! Rivin can you hear me?” There is urgency in his voice and fear in his eyes as he looks at her suddenly terrified that he might have been too late…


"Calico Jack"