He saw her. Much further away than he thought she would be and now off the stern of the boat. He wasn't sure if she had been pulled along by the sea or if the roll of boat had caused him to lose all sense of direction. Either way, she was more distant than before. He immediately dove from the boat in her direction and began swimming harder than he ever had in his entire life. As he pummeled the water he realized the panic he was in, he doubted he had ever done anything in this much of a frenzy. Luckily he was moving in the same direction as the waves, which meant he wasn't catching them in the face, making it easier to keep a bead on her location. He could see her in glimpses when the waves were in sync and they both peaked simultaneously. He could see her arms waving but wasn't sure if she was motioning to him or just getting tossed about.
        It occurred to him that this is what people meant when they talked about "Life or Death". There was a strong possibility that someone might end up dead in this situation. He tried to push the thought from his mind but each time he saw her his body tingled with the fear that he might not make it. She was only thirty yards away but she might as well be on the other side of the universe if he didn't get there in time. He couldn't be sure, but thought he heard himself letting out a sound, a rising groan of urgency as he thrashed through the water. In his mind the terror kept repeating, "I'm never going to see her again. I'm never going to see her again. I'm never..."
        He was getting closer, he was starting to make out the details. She was waving, she did see him, she knew he was coming. She was holding on. The nearer he got, the calmer he became. As he crested the final wave to her she became very real again. She was in one piece and very much alive, reaching out to him as soon as they could touch. They grasped hands and pulled to one another, embracing as they tread water, burying their faces in each other's necks, sheltering one another from the wrath of the world.
        "Are you okay?!", he screamed.
        She answered only by nodding her head vigorously, her entire body trembling against his. He looked back over his shoulder, waiting to get a view of the boat on the swells. He became aware of her grip on him, her hands were clawing into his back as if he were the only thing in the world. Seeing how little of the hull was still showing above the waterline he realized that is exactly what he was.
        "Should we try to get back to the boat?", she asked loudly.
        He shook his head and squeezed her tighter. "The hold was still open. It isn't going to last much longer", he tried to sound flat but could hear the defeat in his own voice. The waves were also working against them, so making their way back would be much more difficult. Already he could see that they were farther from the boat than when he left it. They were being carried away by the storm.
        The rain continued to come down hard and the sky offered nothing but darkness. He wasn't sure what time of day it was, but he didn't think they could have slept for very long. It had to be early afternoon, yet the world surrounding them was very dark. Literally. Figuratively.