Thunder echoed.

His eyes narrowed, noticing the black clouds over him. He could hear the waves, which made the ship sway, his feet having to move carefully to not stumble.

The storm was building up. Everything was dark around him. And still, he held the toolbox tightly, his mind already focusing itself on the task.

There were loud rumbles. The big engine that controlled the fishing net of the ship had broken down, rocks surely latching to it. The storm had caught them all by surprise.

He could only tremble while the heavy rain fell onto his coat, all the others rushing inside. There was nothing they could do.

Only he knew how to repair this thing. Only he could use his tools to make the engine start again and force the net to unlatch. To leave, they needed to free it. They could not cut the net with knives; it was out of reach, lowered into the waters.

He took a deep breath and neared the edge slowly. The contraption was long, extended towards the water below. Strong waves were hitting the side of the boat.

And still, he forced himself to get over with it, even if he dreaded doing so. He had to reach for one part that loomed past the railing. Of course, it had to get stuck like that, mid-motion; just their luck. It was an unusual sight, a strange malfunction.

However, he was not one to complain. The sea was always unpredictable.

His hands got a hold of a wrench. Then he leaned over the railing, huffing as he struggled to reach. He worked there for a few minutes, careful to not trip while he loomed, watchful of the sways of the storm; always careful, always fearful.

All would have been alright. He was alright… until a sudden rumble struck the side of the boat; right where he was.

His eyes widened, his figure leaning too much. The rumble caused the whole ship to tremble, and him to stumble. Forward… and down.

The fall was quick. His startled scream was muffled and silenced by the loud waves. His tears mixed with the salty water as he collided with it.

He thrashed, unable to see anything but black. His much-needed breaths escaped him as he opened his mouth in fear, in a blind panic.

His body was dragged along by the strong current, like a simple weightless doll. All his air escaped him. The water rushed into his lungs, drowning him. Nothing he could do against it. He could feel his mind grow foggy, unable to swim much against this storm, much less call for help.

He would have fainted, due to fear and shock. Sadly, he felt something else instead.

His eyes shot open again, a sudden flow of pain sinking in, an intense stab. Or multiple ones.

He thrashed, for something dragged him along, gripping him. It was not the current this time. Something black moved onto him from the darkness.

His eyes displayed nothing but horror, a sudden trail of red flowing beside him. The shadow dashed away, finally letting go. And then, he finally saw something as he floated in shock. A slight trail of moonlight pierced the big waves above.

The sight made him fear more than ever, more than drowning could make him. He trembled, seeing two sharp red eyes, narrowed with amusement at him.

There were sharp teeth, a sick smile. Nothing he had ever seen.

Sharp teeth, tainted in red. They were nearing, closer. His screams were muffled, unheard. His struggles were kept down, he could not move away.

His screams could not be heard, not under the loud thunder and rain.

He couldn’t feel one of his arms. He couldn’t move.

I feel-

He felt something touch him.

“Ah-hh!”

His eyes shot open as he thrashed forward. He heard a loud pained whine as he gasped for air. His hand had lashed sideways when he moved blindly, to try to push teeth away.

Matthew gasped for breath, feeling a cold sweat, his whole figure trembling. He soon sobbed, staring tiredly at the blankets.

There was no water, and he could breathe. No eyes were piercing him with hunger. No more delusions…

Shamira brushed her snout with a paw, sitting there at the edge of the bed. Matthew’s hand had struck her.

The young man wheezed a little, looking at the dog sideways, gulping as he tried to speak.

“…S-sorry… I- I…”

A nightmare.

Shamira lowered her paw, her loving eyes hinting worry as Matthew laid his hand over her ears, petting gently. His voice was barely a whisper.

“G-good girl.” He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push the dream away. “Again…”

He smiled sadly, because Shamira gave him another nudge and curled onto his lap, knowing.

The collie always knew. She always woke him up when needed. She was always there to help him… since last year.

She helped, he felt better every day. It had been a while since he suffered a nightmare.

Matthew opened his eyes slowly. His bed was near a window; it offered a vast view, because his bedroom was on the second floor.

A sigh escaped him as he calmed down slightly. Still, he could not help but brush the black piercings on his right ear to ground himself. Strong drops of rain were colliding against his window, brought by a huge storm. The beach was far, yet he could still hear the fierce waves striking the coast. Lightning glinted in the horizon, blending with the dark sea.

“Fucking storms.”

This one seemed even worse than the one that made him fall.

He blinked and looked down when Shamira let out another worried bark, seeing him glaring at it all. So he chuckled a little, ruffling her fur.

“I know, I know…” Her attentive eyes relaxed when Matthew reached for the window. He raised an eyebrow at her, letting the shutters fall, blocking any sight of waves in the far distance. “Happy?”

His hazel eyes narrowed with amusement, for Shamira let out a yawn, finally plopping down. He did as well, slowly, letting out a long tired exhale. His eyes closed, even if he knew he would not sleep tonight. He did not bother taking any meds either.

The echo of thunder was too loud, and the night long.

———————–

Lightning struck once more. He clenched his teeth. Loud growls escaped him while he held onto the rocks, his hands gripping them painfully.

A sigh of relief escaped him, because he saw Iara finally win against the fierce current, managing to sneak through a set of coral and rocks. Her figure was slim enough for her to fit in between, allowing the current to flow over her.

She was safe now. He on the other hand…

Her azure eyes watched worriedly while his tail whipped, his silver eyes narrowed in determination.

“Hold on, Al!”

“I- I try!”

He panted, trying to keep up with the strong waves. They both flinched, hearing the loud thunders above them. The tides brushed them mercilessly.

Even if they were deep in the water, the current of the waves still managed to reach them. The storm was huge, strong, and fierce. Nothing they would have expected in this area. It took them by surprise while they slept on their nests. There was not enough time to try to go deeper into the sea and avoid its pull.

Iara gasped, seeing one of Alon’s hands let go. His mouth opened in a pained snarl, his tail pushed back. No matter how strongly he swam, he could not get back that grip.

“Alon!”

She got out of her hiding spot, seeing him struggle. Her arm outstretched for his hand, their eyes meeting as he tried to reach for her too.

Sadly, she could only cry in alarm, while he did with shock. He lost his hold on the rocks, for they broke slightly under his tight grip and the flow. She stumbled in the current as he was pushed back, dragged away from her.

Alon huffed; he felt himself brush the sand below him, every wave making him hit it. The strikes hurt his skin, pushing him down and towards the coast.

He tried to swim up in a blind attempt. His big back fin broke the surface, accompanied by a loud exhale. Only for water to hit his face, every wave taller than him.

The orca kept on diving in and out, trying to take some kind of drive, swim against it. Yet his eyes could only cry, his tears unseen with the water. For he saw that he was being taken away, from her, the waters painted black between them.

The only thing he could focus on was his fear, seeing himself near the beach, every second closer. The waves were bringing him towards dangerous rocks…

This side of the cay was sharp. The moon brought high tides, and with the storm, the normal altitude of the water was gone. The sandy shore was not there, sunk below. Instead, there were sharp ledges that loomed above it in the day. On them, there was a long line of black rocks leaning towards the waves. Years of wind caused them to be beautiful and rare, but deadly for him now.

He cursed, damming himself, wishing he could be slender like her. Her tail could use the currents in its favour, small enough. She was made for this kind of seas. His figure was adapted for the cold ocean and its vast openings, able to break any ice that blocked his way if necessary.

Here… he had no space. He almost could brush the bottom already. And the rocks.

He struggled there for hours, all the while hearing Iara call for him. All he could do was scream to her, seeing her try to near him. He told her to stay away, knowing that even she could get stuck.

He felt relief when she did listen, her expression showing how torn she was. Her tail was whipping onto the waves while she fought them ahead. Meanwhile, he fought to keep himself out of reach from the rocks, just barely, moving his arms and tail wildly. Sadly, he eventually could not keep on, exhausted.

Iara cried out when she saw his tail stop moving, because then a wave finally struck him squarely. It hid him from her sight for a moment.

Loud thunder echoed, muffling a strong thud. His silver eyes closed in pain, feeling himself hit the sharp edges. Luckily for him… the waves pushed him on top of some, between tall cracks. None stabbed deep.

He tried to crawl away, knowing he had to try. But he gasped and wheezed; more strong strikes of water pushed him deeper between the rocks. And so, he let go again, unable to fight it. A hiss escaped him when he felt how his tail got stuck between stony shards. His upper body hanged slightly below the upper cracks.

He slumped there, bracing himself for every hit, feeling the faint pain of cuts. His vision grew foggy, due to the shock and exhaustion. And yet, he still heard her calls. They were insistent, afraid.

It lasted for hours. It made him feel cold and near death. By the time the storm faded and the sun came up over him… he could not move, too tired. He was trapped.