Chapter 43 Taking Risks
Kristen's POV
I sustained a dislocated kneecap and a sprained ankle when I jumped into the sea due to my fright of having a five-year-old tied to a wood, floating on the sea, over hundred yards away from the yacht.
"Kristen!" Calhoun calls out to me but I pay him deaf ears. I as I take swims towards the floating child who is starting to get out of my sight.
It seems as though something is happening on the yacht because right before I turn away from Calhoun, people on his side are already shifting as if preparing for a fight.
My bad knee and twisted ankle are trying to slow me down, but I don't relent. Had I known, I'd have dived into the sea right at the moment I saw what those men did.
My throat itches and a sharp pain burns through my chest.
Chances of me drowning are high because swimming in this condition may leave me stuck the moment I start giving in to the pain.
How could those men be so cruel to do such a thing to the Alpha's youngest child? He's so innocent, small, and fragile.
Can it be that they already killed him and dumped his body that way? This thought comes into my head and it's close enough to make me give up, but I can't. I didn't even tell anyone what I saw. The look on Ben's face, when he saw his mom's dead body is still plastered in my mind, and even though my mom and I are not on good terms, I'll never want her dead.
And Calhoun, Christ, had he drunk from that wine glass, he would've been a dead man by now.
I put in more effort in swimming, kicking my uninsured leg in the sea in a non-stoppingly abrupt manner because the kneecap of my other leg hurts so bad.
Things are getting complicated right now because of my terror, and I am so afraid that Ben's little brother might get consumed by a shark or monstrous aquatic creatures.
The more I swim forward, the more wood floats away from me. Making use of single-leg support tends to slow down things, even though I am spreading my arms wider than normal. I wish Calhoun was here with me, things would've been easier if he had jumped in the sea to trail right behind me.
Just as I am cursing myself for not telling anyone what I saw, something worse happens.
It's a wave that is going up to a high level and then it carries the wood up before more of it swallows the wood and takes it down, out of the reach of my eyes.
"Oh my god," I rasp out, with a thudding heart.
Going underwater is useless because I can't find Ben's brother or the wood, things are already getting out of hand.
My gasp is audible and shaky when my head resurfaces the water because I held my breath way too long under the water.
A sigh leaves my mouth when the log of wood appears a few yards away from me.
Ben's brother hasn't even woken up even though he was underwater for some second, I can't even tell if he's alive or just unconscious.
And as I swim to grab the wood, pain shoots through my knee, holding me still at once.
Gritting my teeth, I whirl my head around, hoping to see Calhoun because he saw me diving in the sea, but he's not here. I can't even see the yacht anymore.
A groan leaves my mouth when I think about how far I've swum to come this far.
So I swim until my hands get a hold of the wood. This makes relief cascade through me.
My heart breaks as I pull the wood closer to me because I don't want to think Ben's brother is truly dead. He's still unconscious, despite coming this far.
For the umpteenth time, I wish Calhoun was here.
And I hate myself for not thinking straight enough to alert everyone of Ben's little brother. He looks so small and vulnerable like this.
The wave comes again for the second time, and I mutter some curses, hating everything in the entire world at this point because this situation is awful.
I am separated from Ben's brother when the wave swells up to a high current and takes us down into the sea.
When it subsides, I see Ben's brother awake, and thankfully he's near me.
"Ben? Dad? Where am I?" He's confused with eyes wide in their sockets, he pauses to cough, "I don't like it here."
Thankfully, he floats to my side and I am quick to hold onto him.
"They're coming to get you," that's the only reassurance I can give to this kid.
He's too small to have this kind of horrendous experience.
"I don't feel so good, where's mom?" He asks carefully and then his mouth parts in horror when it hits him hard that he's in the middle of the sea.
"Where am I?" His voice is shaky, and I can see his body trembling with fright.
"Just calm down, I'll get you out of here."
"I'm so scared."
"No, don't be afraid of anything," my hand secures the wood protectively because I am starting to feel weak and lightheaded.
To my surprise, Ben's brother nods and manages to stay still. He's so brave for this, not crying like other kids.
The third wave is coming with force this time, and I cling tighter onto the wood, fully prepared.
"Are we gonna die?" Ben's brother questions me upon seeing the wave.
And my heart breaks.
Because going into the sea for the third time might lead to our death. I can't even swim anymore because of my ankle and kneecap. The pain is now excruciating because I haven't had the time to rest.
"What's your name?"
"Clarke,"
"Okay, Clarke. No one is dying," I lie, when in fact I don't have much faith that we'll survive when death is so close. No one makes it out after a third wave without a life jacket.
Will Mom ever cry if I die by drowning?
And Calhoun... will he miss me?
I had no idea this was what I signed up for when I accepted Ben's invitation. My friends, they have no idea I'm even here.
Clarke is already sobbing and I fight against the urge to burst into tears, but I fail.
My ears kick in the sound of a speedboat and when I cast a shoulder glance, I see it heading in our direction.