Storm at Sea

The storm came faster than anyone expected.

Captain Elena had sailed these waters for twenty years, but she had never seen the sky change so quickly. One moment it was grey and calm. The next, the wind was screaming and the waves were twice the height of her boat.

"All crew below deck!" she shouted.

She held the wheel with both hands, fighting to keep the bow pointed into the waves. If the boat turned sideways, it would be over.

For three hours, she battled the storm alone on deck. Her arms ached. The rain hit her face like needles. But she did not let go.

Then, slowly, the wind softened. The waves dropped. The clouds pulled back, and a strip of orange appeared on the horizon.

Elena exhaled. Her crew emerged from below, wide-eyed. "Is it over?" her first mate asked. "It's over," she said. She didn't tell them how close it had been.