Save+Me!

Annie Engen 10-16-09 7/8  Save me! “Bye Sarah!” my friend yelled to me as I got on to the ship, my long brown hair flowing like waves in the wind. “Have fun on your cruise!” I nodded and waved goodbye. I took one last look at the land I would miss when I was gone and hopped on the ship. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to go to my room. Looking for it was a disaster though. It took maybe an hour. I looked like a bellhop lugging all my luggage around. A backpack on my back, a suitcase in my right hand, paperwork in my left, and keys in my mouth. I felt like an old lady with a broken back. When I finally found my room, I had to set everything down, so I just let it all tumble to the floor and form a heap around me. Probably about an hour had passed already since I had gotten on the ship. I was nervous because I didn’t know who my roommate was. What if it was some grouchy old woman? What if it was a crazy teenager? My hand raised and I knocked… no answer. I tried again, still no answer. Great, my roommate was lazy! I reached down to the ground and fumbled for my key. When I came back up, I shoved it in the lock, but nothing happened, it didn’t fit. I was getting very frustrated! As I looked around the empty hallway for assistance, I saw an open door. Maybe someone in there could help me. I walked a couple doors down. When I peeked through the doorway, and knocked on the wall, I realized nobody was in there either. It was empty. Not one bag in sight. I could stay in this room. There was nobody else staying in this room for as far as I was concerned. I plopped my luggage down on the bed and headed for the bathroom. There was a small case sitting on the right side of the white marble sink. I picked it up and peered inside. There, in front of my eyes, was a golden Rolex watch. I gasped! Someone left it here. I immediately walked out of the bathroom to go to the office and return the watch. Right as I turned the corner to exit my room, I ran into and old man coming into the room. He had a gray beard that would have had to take a hundred years to grow. His small body curved as he stared me down. In his eyes I could see the many tough times he had been through in the past. Then he spoke, no, he yelled. “What are you doing in my room?” “I, I…” I knew he had seen the watch in my hand. He snarled “give me back my watch and come with me!” I simply obeyed, too frightened to speak or fight back. His hand gripped the hood of my jacket tight, making it impossible for me to go anywhere but where he did. I tried to speak, to explain what I implied to do, but every time I tried, he would cut me off with his loud growl. Who knew such a small man could have such a big voice? I thought we were headed for the front desk, but when he turned the other way, I got even more frightened. “Where are we going?” I asked quietly. He looked at me and then turned away. “You’ll see.” I gulped, his tone sounded mean, like he was going to do something cruel. When we reached our destination, my eyes widened. We were on the deck. I saw the waves hit the boat, crashing wildly and loudly. He dragged me over to the very tip of the boat. I looked down and gulped once more. What would he do to me? Then he spoke. “Alright, now maybe this will teach you a lesson not to steal people’s... thiiiiings.” The last word faded with each foot I fell. Yes, he pushed me off the edge. A terrible scream came from my throat, and a terrible laugh came from his mouth. This man was crazy. Anger management probably. But forget about him! What was going to happen to me? I was going to die and… “Ouch!” I screamed. My body smacked the water, and the boat sailed right past me. I was surely going to die! I was stranded, alone in the middle of the ocean with huge waves surrounding me, looking like battlers charging at me all at once, cornering me. But outside the battlers, I noticed something, a shark. It was coming closer; my death was creeping up on me. It entered my wave circle, and a sigh washed over me. It was a dolphin. He stopped in front of me as if he wanted me to climb on his back. Desperate, I decided to trust the dolphin and thrust my weight onto him. I gripped his dorsal fin, tight and he started swimming. At first there was a jolt and my stomach knotted, but after we sailed along smoothly. I understood what he was doing; he was going to bring me back to the ship. I thought I saw a big figure in the distance, but it could have been any boat. I was overjoyed, so grateful. Maybe a half-hour had passed, the sun was setting. This was the most beautiful sight of my life. The sky was an orange, purple color; the waves were just little bobbers bouncing around at random, no boats around us, so peaceful. The best part was, I could see the ship! The dolphin pulled me up to edge of the boat where security officers had seen me fall and were looking out for me. I grabbed their hands and they pulled me up. I sat there, stroking the dolphin’s back for a while, but I knew he had to go back. I let him go. I got up and headed back into the ship. One last time I glanced back and looked at the dolphin. He was jumping away. The dolphin that saved me.