Chapter One

"Layla!" There was a voice, a panicked, distraught voice that was screaming my name. "Layla, get up!" There was a tugging on my arm, urging me to get to my feet, but I couldn't move a limb. My whole body felt like iron was weighing me down and not allowing me to get up. My head was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears, causing me to groan. My mouth was dry, and tasted of sulfur. Forcing my eyes to slowly open, I looked around, my stomach dropping as I realized what was happening around me.

The cruise we were on was in blistering flames, the room we were in was filling with smoke and across was me was being swallowed more and more by the illuminating death. When my ears finally stopped ringing, the sounds of people screaming bloody murder as the boat was steadily sinking. The scorching fire was spreading quickly, making my heart rate speed up as my breath got hitched in my throat. Our room was ablaze now, smoke pumping out through the only window we had. Turning my head, I now noticed how the furniture in the room was scorched and covered black in soot.

"Layla, get the hell up!" The voice shouted once more, this time I could recognize it. It belonged to my friend Aurora, though when I looked up at her, I could barely tell it was her, she looked much different. Soot covered her face, covering almost all of her freckles from the bridge of her nose to the apples of her cheeks. Her ginger hair was sticking out in all directions, little grey speckles covered the top of her head, it almost looked like snow, but I knew it was grey ash from the fire. "You inhaled too much smoke, I don't know if I can carry you Layla," she said in almost a whisper, seeming defeated already.

Before I could say anything in return, I felt her grab my arm and sling it over her shoulder, hauling me out of the bed as she started walking, dragging me slowly along with her. "I'd be a fool if I didn't try," she grunted heavily. The floor was burning hot on my bare feet, making me wince with each step I took. Aurora was struggling to carry me out of the room and down a long corridor, the once white walls were now burned with black and grey, fire coming out of each room we passed and the loud flames crackling behind us. I knew I was weighing her down, but I couldn't move! Why couldn't I move! My body was slumped onto hers as she continued to haul me up a flight of stairs; her grunts and whimpers drowned out the roaring of the flames.

Finally, we reached the top of the deck, a cool wind hit my face like a slap, making me take in a fresh gasp of air. Smoke was coming out of the ship like a backwards waterfall, going up into the air as ashes sprinkled down like rain. I saw a woman run with a child in her arms, the child screaming and crying out. Men, women, and lost children littered all around us, making me uneasy as my eyes darted around. Were there enough lifeboats for everyone?

Aurora began coughing violently, putting one hand up to cover her mouth, yet kept her grip on me. "I can't keep this up Layla," she coughed. My friend fell to one knee, dropping me to the ground as she was now on her hands and knees, coughing her lungs out. I groaned as I looked around, the screams of people being muffled as my ears rang painfully. Glancing at Aurora, my adrenaline kicked in, making my vision somewhat clearer as I took in several deep breaths, trying to block out everything and clear my head.

Mustering up all of my strength, I did the only thing I thought was wise to do. Slowly, I got onto all fours, then to one knee, then to my feet. I was wobbly, but I made my way to the railing, looking over it as I saw the hungry ocean. The full moon was up, making the ocean look like a vile black hole that was ready to swallow anything that went into it.

Looking over my shoulder, I was relived to see that Aurora had gotten to her feet as well, slumping towards me as she grasped the railing. Her once beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot and teary, her eyelashes has sprinkles of ashes on them as her cheeks were powdered the residue of this disaster.

I took one last glance at my friend, who looked like she was about to burst out into tears at any given moment. I opened my mouth to speak, but no ones came out. My throat tightened as I coughed, gripping onto the railing tighter.

Feeling Auroras hand on my shoulder tightly, I drew my attention away from the ocean to look at her. "Layla, you can't swim. There's no way I can help you in the water," she cried, a tear sliding down her cheek and streaking the soot. I placed my hand on top of hers, giving her a comforting squeeze. There was no way I was going to let my best friend die just because I couldn't swim; there was only one way off this boat, and it was jumping.

Hoisting myself up, I placed one leg over the side, looking down again before I took in a deep breath of cold air, preparing myself for the worst. Pushing myself off the railing, my body limply fell. I felt the wind in my hair and heard it whistle past me as I fell closer and closer into the sea. Closing my eyes, I held my breath and braced for impact, knowing damn well this wasn't going to feel good.

When my body hit the water, it went numb. The water was freezing, bone chilling and making my body feel like pins and needles as though a million daggers were piercing my skin, and taking their time while doing it, hitting every nerve in my body. The taste of salt filled my mouth and stung my eyes, making me hope this was all just a dream, that I was going to wake up on the cruise ship with nothing wrong.

The thought of this being a dream was wiped from my mind when I started hearing thumps that crashed into the water after me, I assumed it was other people who had the same idea as me, and I prayed that Aurora was one of them. I hoped that she had followed me into the freezing water, there was no way she would've survived on the boat for much longer.

I didn't understand anything that was going on. How did the boat catch on fire? Why was there no other ships around? Was there help coming? How did this all happen?

My thoughts crumpled away as I realized, 'oh shit, I can't breathe'. I struggled to kick my legs and move my arms, but like all the other times I've tried to swim, I wasn't moving. My lungs were screaming for air, though there was nothing I could do but sink lower and lower.

I began to relax. The coldness slowly went away as well as the pain, making me slip into a very peaceful nothingness. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything; it was all black and silence. I was nothing.

Suddenly, I felt a muscular arm wrap around my waist as my body was pulled upwards. The peace was gone, all the pain and coldness came rolling back as I squeezed my eyes, wanting it to all go away once again. I broke the surface in yet another coughing fit, my head was leaning on something, it felt like a body. I had no idea who it was, and it didn't feel like Aurora.

Hearing muffled voices, I figured people got to some life boats. Relief washed over me at that thought, I didn't want anyone to get hurt, even if I didn't know them. The memory of the mother that was gripping onto her child as if her life depended on it made me sick to my stomach.

I felt hands grab me roughly as I was pulled upwards, then I was laid down on my back. Opening my eyes, I was a very blurry Aurora and some other people surrounding me, their muffled voices sounded like they were trying to talk to me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. My ears were ringing, and I was blinking intensely to try and get the burning salt water out of my eyes.

My body wouldn't let me move, that was until I was turned on my side and went into a fetal position, beginning to hack my lung out. Water came up and I continued coughing, feeling someone's hand rub my back; I assumed it was Aurora. I started calming down, laying on my back and breathing slowly.

Then it all snapped back into place. I could see, hear, and feel everything once away. I shot upwards, my breathing increasing as I backed up. "Layla, calm down, its ok," Aurora soothed like a mother, making me calm down only slightly. Some of the soot had washed off her face due to jumping in the water, though she still looked rough; her wet red hair sticking to the sides of her face.

Glancing around, I saw two other girls and three boys. One of the girls was very young, she looked to be about seven years old. When I began to register all of their faces, another boy lifted himself onto the small lifeboat, his breathing heavy. I couldn't exactly make out what he looked like due to the only light I had was the moonlight, but I could tell he was very much shirtless.

"Jesus Luke, you good?" One of the boys chuckled, giving the soaking wet guy a slap on the back. The man named Luke looked up at me, looking like he wanted to say something, but he was still trying to catch his breath.

"Luke!" The little girl screamed, running up to him as she latched onto him, hugging him tightly. I saw him smile as he hugged her back, placing a small her on the top of her head.

The sound of shrieking caught all of our attention. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" One of the girls kept repeating, her eyes wide as she stared at something. I turned around to see what she kept staring at, gasping when my eyes finally landed on it.

The large cruise ship that I was once on was sinking inch by inch, people screaming and running around on the deck. The boat was pouring out flames, some of the fire was even dancing on top of the waves, the gas and oil of the ship must have seeped out. Aurora's mouth was gaping before she put her hand over it, tears started to roll down her red cheeks. "Please, oh God please," she whispered. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the swarm of people that were flailing in the water, crying out for help and screaming in pain.

One man that was on the deck of the boat was pleading for help, his body engulfed in flames as he finally leaped over the railing, crashing onto some ruble in the water before his body went limp. My eyes glassed over with tears as I could only sit and watch as the destruction of the boat carried on, hundreds of people wailing for help.

One of the other girls latched her hands on the side of the boat as if she was about to jump in. "We have to save them!" She yelled in panic, but a boy snatched her by the waist, yanking her back into the small lifeboat. They landed with a thud, but the boy held her down as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "Let me go Bryce!"

"Don't be stupid Harper! You know they'll bring you down with them, we can't hold anymore people on the boat or we'll sink; there's too many as it is," he growled, finally getting off of her as he got to his feet. The bright hue of the flames from the cruise ship illuminated our small lifeboat, allowing me to make out everyone's features quite clearly. Bryce was a tall boy, having a strong muscular build with dark brown hair that was faded on the sides, two snake bite piecing on his lips as well as one on his eyebrow. His black t-shirt he was wearing had burn holes in them from the flames, and it seemed like a nasty burn wound was on his arm as well.

Our small boat was drifting slowly away from the large cruise ship slowly, it seemed as though hours went by, and the cries and wailing was starting to die out. My eyes never left the horrid sight, my stomach tied in knots as I only watched the flames now dancing atop of the surface of the deep water, the light flickering until it was gone.