Hurricane Child

The streets are empty, and the rain is lashing down. It’s humid and difficult to breathe, and the rain stings Caroline’s skin. A man driving by yells to Caroline that she shouldn’t be out in this storm. Another woman drives by and asks if she needs a ride, but Caroline lies and says she’s almost home. She takes a taxi without paying, and the driver doesn’t mind. She gets on the last ferry of the day to go back to Water Island.

Nobody minds when she doesn’t pay for the ferry, and she hops off, but instead of going home, she heads for her father’s blue boat. She gets in the boat and closes her eyes and lets the boat take off into the water. She gets scared as the boat is pulled far out into the ocean, and the waves crash down. She tries to paddle with her arm but gets knocked from the boat into the dark, quiet sea. The boat is gone, and she is gasping for air. She is sure she’s going to die and feels an immense sadness come over her as she thinks of her father. Everything gets dark, and she sees