Choices and Consequences
Part 1
By Bridgid
Things were not looking too good as they got closer to Coffs. There were a few boats that had been freed from their moorings and they were washed up on the beach broken and battered. Bridgid just looked at Jack and shook her head.
"I think we're in for a rough ride here."
"Do not worry. I have weathered many a storm in my time, Bridgid. We will secure the ship and hope for the best."
When they arrived at the docks, it was obvious that the yacht had already taken a beating from the wind and surf. She was not in a slip but tied up dockside and the constant thrashing stretched her lines and damaged her bumpers.
Just as Bridgid got out of the SUV, her stern line snapped.
"Oh, shit, Jack!" she said as she ran toward it.
"Bridgid, no!"
As if she didn't hear him, Bridgid took a running leap from the dock to barely reach the deck. Jack followed her, making much easier work of boarding across the gap between the ship and the dock. He grabbed on to her, pulling her into his arms. She could hardly hear him over the sound of the surf and wind as he shouted at her.
"Why? Why did you do this?"
"We can't let her go, Jack. We can't let this storm take her!" she shouted back. Freeing herself from his arms, she went to work checking the battens over the main hatchway. As if on auto pilot, Jack followed suit. Both of them were secure in their footing no matter of the way the deck was pitching. With the bow secure and the stern drifting out, it was a very rough ride.
With Bridgid still on deck, Jack went below to check for damage. He found more than he bargained for. Her belly was taking on water at a rate he wasn't sure the bilge could handle but he started the pumps none the less. Hopefully the batteries would stay dry.
Making his way back up on deck, he caught Bridgid just as she stumbled against a wave that washed over.
"We must secure the stern and go ashore, Bridgid. It is all we can do. It is too dangerous to remain aboard now."
"No!" she replied. "We can't let the storm have her. I won't."
"Listen to me, Siren. This ship is not worth our lives."
Just as she shook her head a large gust of wind turned the yacht stern to the wind and the bow line snapped. It wound its way past the cleat on the deck and the end of it caught Jack at the back of his head. He fell to the deck at her feet taking her down with him.
She managed to get up. He didn't.
