Mitchell hauls Surly Mermaid down the coast for maintenance but gets swept into an unexpected voyage when Gary, a friend with a casual approach to sailing, invites him to join a group heading south. Among them are Paul and Emma, new sailors on their handmade boat. Mitchell hesitates, then joins.
The forecast is ominous. Winds rise. Mitchell battles heavy weather while Gary “leads” by steering with his feet—losing sight of Paul and Emma entirely. Hours pass. A call reveals Gary’s navigational error. He went east, not south. The inexperienced couple is now lost in rising seas and worsening conditions.
Mitchell urges a search, but Gary insists they’re fine.
Mitchell finds shelter and later, the police arrive—Gary is wanted for answers.
The next day dawns calm. Paul and Emma reappear, rescued and shaken. Their boat capsized; they clung to it for hours before drifting to safety. Mitchell finds and salvages their wreck. He’s hailed as a hero—until Emma learns he hesitated to call for help.
Her anger cuts deep. “You could’ve saved us sooner.”
Ashamed, Mitchell returns to his yacht—resented by Emma, expected home by Sam.
He heads into the wind.
Neither home nor sea offers comfort now. Only the wheel in his hands remains loyal.
[excerpt from SEETHINGS 2 – available for download now!]
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Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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