I felt like a coward. Hiding in my room while our ship was being destroyed? That was ridiculous! Although I believed I had to do something, my feelings were remarkably divided. Should I help uncle Ruben and just forget what he did to my father? Perhaps jump into the ocean and leave everyone behind? I felt a mix of anger, fear and sadness while the galleon yawed. How didn't I roll and hit my head against a wall? I had no idea, maybe it was luck. I could hear many crewmembers screaming from where I was. I frowned and bit my lower lip, wondering what I should do to assist them. I hated sitting there like an idiot. Even though I knew uncle Ruben would take care of everything as he always did, I still felt I needed to help. He killed my father in cold blood, I know, but he was a great captain. My mind was driving me crazy at that moment. I wondered about my uncle's terrible actions and whether I'd survive that ocean storm. At that instant, The Revenger surged, throwing me against the ceiling. I winced with the pain.

"Enough of doing nothing," I stood up and glared at the wall as if it was my enemy. "I need to help!"

I went upstairs to the main deck. When I saw what was happening, I gaped and put both hands on my mouth. Most of the sails were torn, the ground flooded with water and the shrouds were damaged. Uncle Ruben and Lacroix were arguing. Some crewmembers ran with their eyes widened. Maartje held on to the mainmast with her eyes frozen open. Sven tripped, struggling not to fall. Although I tried to reach them, The Revenger swayed again. My bones collided with the wooden stairs that gave access to the forecastle and I screamed in pain. A bolt of lightning struck another sail.

"Steer port, Isaak! Now!" uncle Ruben shouted. "We must get away from this storm!"

Isaak pressed his lips together, "Aye, Captain!"

My desperation to survive was so enormous that I wasn't even thinking of my quarrel with uncle Ruben. The air escaped my lungs as another massive wave hit me and other crewmembers. Some people were thrown off the ship. Once our galleon rolled, my body slid again on the wet floor. As I was dragged away, my clothes tore. With my eyes bulging, I moved my hands in an attempt to hold on to something. When I was about to slide off the ship, someone held my hand. I squinted and felt my eyes burn as the wind struck them with sea water. My cousin had just saved my life.

"Eva, I won't be able to hold you for too long," Maartje knit her brows. "Try to grab the column!"

I nodded. Once the ship stabilized for a brief moment, I dragged myself closer to the mainmast. Many raindrops splashed in my eyes, so I saw nothing but the grey sky for an instant. I bared my teeth and squinted again. After almost ripping my boots, my hand finally touched the wooden column.

My cousin sighed and smiled, "I'm so glad you made it!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I raised my eyebrows. "I'll only consider myself successful if I don't die after this crazy thunderstorm."

I looked in every direction and bit my lower lip. No sign of Sven. I breathed fast, trying to understand why I couldn't see him.

Where are you, Sven?

I gulped, wondering if he wasn't one of the people who'd been thrown out of The Revenger. With my eyes widened, I turned to uncle Ruben and Isaak. Although I knew they were talking, I could barely hear them. Honestly, I couldn't even see them clearly.

"Where should I go, Captain?" Isaak's eyes bulged. "This ocean storm is everywhere!"

Uncle Ruben frowned and bit his lower lip as he gazed at the storm ahead. He appeared to be breathing heavily while walking from one side to another.

"Maybe that's your punishment for killing my father, uncle..." I glared at him and sighed. "I just didn't know I'd suffer the consequences too."

I pressed my lips together as I turned to Maartje.

I hope she didn't listen...

My uncle and the navigator wouldn't stop talking. I couldn't listen or see almost anything. The only thing I noticed was that my uncle shook his head in denial while Isaak struggled to steer the helm. The boatswain, who was apparently feeling better that day, climbed the few shrouds left until he reached the crow's nest.

"I can't see a thing, Captain!" the boatswain looked through a spyglass. "We're sailing towards the storm and there's nowhere to go."

I clenched my teeth, "That's just great!"

At that moment, I sighed in relief and my lips curled into a wide smile. No, I wasn't going crazy, I just did that because Sven showed up. I couldn't believe he was alive. My friend walked towards me while trembling and biting his lower lip. Although my eyesight was limited due to the heavy rain, it was crystal clear that he was pale.

"Grab the mainmast!" my eyes widened as he approached. "Quick, Sven! Come on!"

My friend ran and did what I asked. If Sven had tried to reach the mainmast a second, just a second later, he would've been thrown against the wooden stairwell by a massive wave. The wind blew on my face at that moment, drying my eyes and causing more raindrops to accumulate in them. The Revenger pitched and the wooden floor aggressively hit my ribs, hurling me up. I grimaced as my hands almost slid away from the column.

"You must not turn starboard!" my uncle ground his teeth as he looked at Isaak. "There are too many seamounts in that direction. We can't take any chances."

I cocked my head and scowled. What the hell was my uncle talking about? Another threat? God, I couldn't believe how things got horribly worse after my fight with uncle Ruben... My soul was filled with fear, anger and regret. For a second, I closed my eyes, angry at myself for having abandoned my deceased father to follow my murderous uncle into deadly seas. At that moment, I wished I'd never left Willemstad. The sea was so unstable, what was I thinking? Air escaped my lungs as I started breathing fast. My eyes bulged as I realized I'd gotten myself into a huge mess.

I sobbed while shaking my head in denial, "What am I doing here? What have I done to my life?"

"What are you talking about? You belong here, Storm!" Maartje blinked fast, apparently trying to remove raindrops from her eyes. "Besides, bad weather is part of a pirate's life."

"Really? I wouldn't be so sure," I laughed nervously. "Also, I knew about the bad weather, but no one told me that facing the apocalypse was part of a pirate's life!"

I'm so sorry, father. I should've put up with Hendrika instead of boarding this stupid ship...

While my chin trembled, I squeezed my eyes shut. I no longer knew if the water running down my face was sweat, rain, or tears. My entire body was soaked as if I'd been underwater.

"For what it's worth, none of us expected this..." Sven gazed downward while struggling to breathe. "This is the worst ocean storm I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head in denial, "Great! Now I attract terrible ocean storms!"

Maartje chuckled, "Of course you do! Your nickname is Storm, isn't it?"

The three of us laughed. Although every bone in body hurt and my eyes burned, my friends managed to entertain me during that horrible moment. They were the only ones who kept me from letting go of that damn column so that the weather could kill me.

My mind was a complete mess. That damn ocean storm, the truth about my father's death, my fear of dying... it all hit me like a thousand fireballs. Would I ever stop facing terrible challenges in my life? I knew the answer was no, but a woman can dream.

"We have to turn starboard, Captain!" the boatswain shouted from the crow's nest. "I know it's risky, but it's our only way out."

Great! Now we're going towards the bloody seamounts!

At one of the few times dad and I talked about his work, he told me seamounts were one of the worst dangers for vessels. They were underwater rocks that destroyed a ship's hull, leading it to sink. I never thought I'd have to face those evil stones... at least not so soon.

"No way! We must turn port," uncle Ruben glared at the boatswain. "That's an order!"

The ship swayed again. My fingers slowly slid away from the wooden column. I took a deep breath and dragged myself back to my initial position. The storm intensified, making our galleon yaw. I started getting dizzy and feeling like a bunch of rocks were being thrown against my stomach. My eyes were partially closed. Something acid threatened to escape from my mouth, burning my throat.

Sven's eyes bulged, "If this ship makes any more sudden movements, I swear I'll throw up all the meals I've ever had in my life!"

I laughed nervously, "That makes two of us, mate!"

My smile faded when the seawater hit my face. I winced since my eyes burned even more. Besides, my hands hurt like hell since I'd been holding on to the mainmast for a long time. I almost smashed the wood while I pressed the column more strongly. Maartje bit her lower lip so intensively that blood dripped from it.

"Mon Dieu! What are you doing, Isaak?" Lacroix clenched his jaw and widened his eyes as he approached the navigator. "You must turn port!"

Uncle Ruben bared his teeth at Isaak, "Stop now, or you're going to get us all killed!"

My hands trembled and The Revenger heaved, almost making me lose balance. I wondered if my uncle would kill Isaak if he didn't follow the orders. If he murdered my father, what stopped him from doing the same with his navigator? I gulped just with the thought of it.

Maartje frowned as she turned to me, "What's happening between dad, Lacroix and Isaak?"

I sighed and pressed my lips together, "I don't know, Maartje. The only thing I'm sure about is that I'll have to hug the devil in a few seconds... because I'm going to die."

My cousin's eyes bulged. She hyperventilated while staring at the three men. That was it. The moment where fate would decide if I should live or die. I couldn't see the ocean clearly and yet I had a feeling something would go wrong. Although Sven looked away, he couldn't hide his tears from me. He raised and curved his brows. I could feel his desperation.

"I said not to turn starboard!" uncle Ruben punched the mizzenmast. "Damn it!"

I closed my eyes as the wind cracked my skin. The thunderstorm started to weaken. The raindrops poured less intensely on me and I sighed in relief. I smiled when I realized we might live. Even though the sky was still grey, my optimism increased.

I turned to Maartje, "Are we safe now?"

At that exact instant, the vessel bumped into something, which caused a cracking noise at its hull. The floor hit my ribs violently, nearly smashing my bones. A massive amount of wood split from underneath me. From the chest up I was on one side of the ship while rest of my body was on the other. I gaped once I realized what was about to happen.

"You bastard!" uncle Ruben bared his teeth at Isaak. "I told you your stubbornness would kill us someday, Isaak!"

"This is a nightmare! It has to be..." I ground my teeth while breathing fast. "Wake me up, please!"

Maartje sobbed and bit her lower lip, "I'm afraid it's real, Eva."

At that instant, the ship cracked in the middle, rolled to the right and was swallowed by the stormy sea. I inhaled as much air as I could before the water dragged me to the ocean's bottom. I couldn't believe it, but The Revenger was gone. I put both hands on my face and my eyes widened. Completely underwater, I swam between the wreckage. Some seawater ran down my throat in the process, slicing my lungs like a knife... What could I do? I wasn't the best at breathing underwater! I quickly reached the surface while holding on to the mainmast, relieved as the air went up to my nostrils.

I looked from side to side, "Maartje? Sven?"

Please be alive... Please...

I squinted. Where the hell were my friends? I clenched my teeth as I swam desperately to the right. I couldn't be alone, I just couldn't...

"Uncle Ruben? Lacroix? Isaak?" my eyes bulged. "Is there anyone here?"

When I was about to lose hope, I saw a wooden pirogue floating upside-down. Still holding on to the column, I hit my legs against the rough sea as fast as possible. I breathed through my mouth and my heartbeat wouldn't stop accelerating. Once I touched the boat, a wave dragged me to the left, completely emerging me. The mainmast cracked after it hit a massive underwater rock. It was the seamount that broke the ship's hull.

Damn you, seamount! You'll see hell before I do!

While swimming to the surface again, I held out my hand towards a large piece of the galleon. My fingers barely touched the wood and another wave swallowed my body. I was turned upside down twice by the raging sea. I swam up, reaching for another pirogue, but a massive wave dragged me away. After a while without breathing, I felt numb. My eyes slowly shut as I lost my senses. A large amount of water ran down my throat as my body became more lifeless. The world turned dark and I sank with the wreckage like a broken piece of wood.

****

quick question

Quick question:

I chose Chad Michael Murray to be our sweet Sven Van Hout. I think he would make a perfect Sven if "Ocean Storm" becomes a movie one day. In this aesthetic, I put three of Sven's most remarkable characteristics and some emojis that relate to him. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any pictures of Chad in pirate clothes. I hope you all liked it! Let me know if you also imagined Chad as Sven.