Lauren St. John - Wave Riders

For Lucia, who, like me,
loved oceans and dolphins.
Im honoured and humbled that
our paths crossed on the page.

I am not afraid of storms for
I am learning to sail my ship

Louisa May Alcott

We have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears.
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back
to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it,
we are going back from whence we came

John F. Kennedy

It all began with a rogue wave.

Later, Jess would think: What if the sea had been wilder that night? What if the wave that broke ranks and ambushed their yacht had been one of those monsters sailors dread, with a glittering crest as high as a house and enough breaking pressure to crush a cruise ship or dash a helicopter from the sky?

What then? Would she have lived to tell the tale?

The freak wave that slammed into You Gotta Friend at five minutes to midnight on the third Saturday in November wasnt a super-sized killer, but its impact was enough to hurl Jess against her cabin wall, bashing her cheek and splitting her lip.

Blood and wood varnish met on the tip of her tongue. Fear kickstarted her heart.

She snapped upright in her sleeping bag and flicked on a torch. Her books just seven dog-eared copies, each more precious than gold were wedged safely in their nook, but the small oil painting that was the sole reminder of her mother had wrenched free of its nail and fallen on to her bunk. Jess laid it carefully beside her pillow. Shed hang it up again when the crisis had passed.

Rubbing her cheek, she waited for Captain Gabriel Carters familiar shout: Life jackets, kids, and dont forget your safety harnesses. Jude, if I catch you on deck without yours, youll be in trouble.

When theyd first set sail from Bantry Creek, Florida 154 long days ago, her twin brother had pretty much believed that their guardian could walk on water. Now, increasingly, Jude and Gabe butted heads.

But to Jesss surprise, there was no call to action from the skipper. No rustle of waterproofs or stamp of boots on the companionway steps that led to the deck. Only the whining of the wind, the clanking of the halyard and the slap-slap of waves against the hull. Through the salt-splattered hatch, the sky was panther-black.

Were it not for her throbbing cheek and stinging lip, Jess would have wondered if shed dreamed the wave. Whatever it was couldnt have been serious or Gabe would have yelled for them, and Sam, their Swiss Shepherd dog, would be barking madly.

Jess decided that no news was good news.

That was her first mistake.

Her second was switching off her torch and hunkering back down into the silky cocoon of her sleeping bag.

Next thing she knew it was 8.59 a.m. That was unheard of. Her brother was the noisiest boy alive. He was also an early riser. Dawn was his favourite time of day, and she and Gabe had no choice but to enjoy it with him.

Its like living with an elephant, Jess had complained after being rudely awakened for the zillionth time by crashing pans, whistling and stomping, and exuberant bursts of song.

Thanks for the compliment, sis, Jude shot back with a grin. Elephants are famously quiet. They tread so lightly on the savannah, they barely leave a trace. Im touched that you think Im as sure-footed and silent as they are.

That was Jude: irrepressible. Life was one long joke to him. Gabe was constantly telling him that his best quality was also his worst. It was impossible to get him to take anything seriously.

Jess padded into the galley in her pyjamas. It was as immaculate as shed left it the evening before. That was odd too. By this time, thered usually be at least two mugs in the sink, plus a smear of jam, a spill of milk and a trail of crumbs on the teak dining table.

Sleepily, Jess moved to the fridge to look for juice, almost treading on an upturned chocolate cake and twelve scattered candles. A plate had shattered too. It was only then that she remembered it was their birthday that day, hers and Judes. Theyd planned to celebrate. Now their cake was ruined.

Judes cabin door was propped open, his neatly-made bunk on display. Gabes cabin was empty too. Usually spotless, it now resembled a scene from Titanic. A locker had burst open. Sailing gear and the contents of the first-aid kit were strewn everywhere. Bandages and Band-Aids sagged in a spill of soda from an overturned can.

But what really made Jesss scalp prickle with unease was that their dog, Sam, didnt come racing down the steps to greet her, the way he had every morning for the past five months. He always yelped with joy and spun in circles as if he hadnt seen her in forever.

Gabe? she yelled. Jude? SAM?

No answer.

Something was wrong.

Out of habit, she pulled a life jacket over her pyjamas before climbing the companionway steps to the deck. Her brother was fast asleep in the cockpit, his tanned face squashed up against a blue-striped cushion, wheat-coloured curls falling over his eyes.

Jesss relief was short-lived. Her brother didnt stir and neither did Sam. The dog was sprawled on his side on the wet deck, unconscious, his creamy-white coat lifting in the wind.

Jess felt a bolt of pure fear. Sam was the best guard dog ever to take to the seas. The chances of him dozing through so much as a tiptoeing mouse were zero.

There was no sign of Gabe, and not a lot of places he could be. They were on a yacht, surrounded by open ocean. The lifeboat was stowed securely in its compartment. Gabes safety line hung from its usual hook.

Jess leaned over the side, hoping that Gabe had merely gone for a swim. Thats when she saw it. The anchor warp that shed helped Gabe put down when theyd moored near Devils Bay the previous night, had snapped. The yacht was adrift.

What was going on? Had she slept through some emergency? Had the rogue breaker that flung her against the cabin wall caused Jude and Sam to slip and bang their heads? Had Gabe gone for help?

But, no the dinghy was still tied up at the stern, bouncing on the waves.

Fighting off panic, Jess shook her twins shoulder. Jude, wake up! Jude, come on, this is not funny. JUDE!

His hazel eyes opened a slit before closing again. Woz up? Tired. Lemme sleep.

She shook him harder. Jude, I need you. You have to wake up. Wheres Gabe? What happened? When her brother didnt stir, she turned on the hose and squirted him with a jet of cold water.

He sat up in a hurry then. W-w-what was that for? Ow, my head hurts. Whys Sam flopped out like that? Is he ill? Wheres the skipper?

Thats what Im trying to find out.

What do you mean? If hes not on deck, he must be down below.

No, Jude, hes not. Hes nowhere.

A terrible coldness was creeping into Jesss bones. After checking on Sam, who was whimpering drowsily, she hurried to the bow.

To starboard, and a long way off, were the volcanic outlines of a couple of islands. Elsewhere, there was nothing but empty ocean, without another boat or seagull in sight. The expanse of blue made Jess feel claustrophobic, as if the water was closing in on her, making it hard to breathe.