Shipwreck in Paradise

We were on our way to a secluded spot off the coast; I was in the boat with my brother, Carroll, Peter Mel and the Internet technician. When a couple of the guys screaming at the captain “Killers,” dude look… I sat straight up from my seat in the den and ran up to the deck to see these waves breaking as high as a four-story building, and roaring like a 747 on takeoff. I felt my stomach turn to knots because I knew the guys wouldn’t think twice about grabbing their surf boards and jumping in now that we have jet skies to pull us in. For me, Killers is less like a dream and more like a nightmare. I much prefer a long, peeling point-break wave like those that roll into Rincon, California. Where the breaks are usually 2 to 10 feet tall and go on forever.

August 23, 2001 today is the most glorious day of days!!!! I was heading towards the ocean for a swim when I see this box drifting towards the shore a couple of yards away. I dropped my stuff and dove right in and swam so fast I even surprised myself. When I reached it, I realized it was from my boat with the quicksilver logo stamped on it and then I saw Kelly’s name on it. I didn’t waste any time getting to shore, just swung my right arm tightly clasped around the box and swam as fast as I could back. When I got to the beach I reached for my spear to cut the box open, it was pretty heavy with strong tape covering the box. As I began to cut the tape with my spear I could feel my eyes weld with hot wet tears. Were these tears of joy or sadness I wondered? Could this be the answer to my prayers could their be a radio to call for help or could this mean that the storm that caste me away to this island could have crushed my boat with my friends all aboard. Could they all be dead? All of a sudden I didn’t want to open the box, I was too scared, I couldn’t bring myself to open it. I just sat their next to my unopened box, with my spear in hand and the crashing waves behind me crying, crying so hard I couldn’t make a sound, nothing could come out but the sound of my whimpering. I cried all night just staring at the box, I laid in bed just staring contemplating whether or not to open my mysterious box or not.

t a sign of great swells, it was a sign of a storm forming. The Internet technician was shouting to us that a tropical storm warning was in effect and that we are going to hit it pretty soon. I was getting worried along with the rest of the group, the ocean was getting even rougher and the wind was picking up fast. I could feel the intense strength of the waves pounding the deck of our tiny fishing boat. We had no lifeboat, no first aid kit, and no emergency supplies at all. I fled to the bathroom to go and calm myself down when all of a sudden I heard screaming and yelling that one of the guys fell overboard. I ran out of the bathroom to the deck where the crew was searching the ocean surface with spotlights and throwing over rope to see if they could get a hold. I grew frantic when I heard it was Ralph that fell over. I went on my gut instinct and sprinted over and secured a life preserver to myself and jumped into the raging black sea. I was blind out there in the dark I swam the very best that I could, searching for a sign of my brother, I called his name but all I heard were the screams of the pounding waves smashing the ocean. Then I turned around and was facing a huge black wall of a wave climbing higher and higher until I could see it starting to break; I swam as fast and hard as I could, pounding the water, splashing, kicking harder and harder until…

August 20, 2001 I have been here almost a month and no sign of relief, my hopes are starting to fade. I found two kinds of plants that when mixed with water I can make soap, and I found a beautiful fresh water spring not to far from my camp, so now I can do any washing, cleaning, and also fishing there.

August 7, 2001 Well no luck on the food and water I really don’t know what the hell I am gonna do I am getting so thirsty I think I’ll start drinking from the ocean. Ha! Ha! I thought I would joke a bit you know ha ha laughing, god do I miss that, but of course to laugh, and have fun, I need someone else to talk too. Yeah right, well I do admit to talking a bit to the rocks that are my new found friends. I think it might rain soon, I can see the clouds growing darker and forming into storm clouds. I better prepare now.

Some topics in this essay:
Ha Ha, Bye August, Rage Machine, Rincon California, Baltimore Aquarium, Oh God, Mel Internet, Blue Lagoon, , Ralph Hagen, swam fast, internet technician, food water, till tomorrow august, peter mel, tomorrow august, till tomorrow, spear cut, palm trees, fishing boat, i’ll write,