It Began With the New Year

Writing Prompt:

Finish the story: “It began with the New Year.”

It began with the New Year. Hope. The realization that anything was possible, and Mary and her mother could start with a clean slate somewhere warm. Mary bought their tickets on New Year’s day, with the plan to leave the following day for a cruise.

The cruise started out like any other, but terror quickly became the norm as they found themselves floating on a small raft in the middle of the ocean with only a few other survivors. Disaster struck when the raft was struck by part of the boat, sending Mary’s mother and a couple of others into the ocean, where they watched in horror as they were quickly swept away by the waves.

Panic set in when they realized there was little to eat, and almost nothing to drink for the few that remained. This was not the way Mary wanted to start a New Year. In that moment, she would have gladly traded the warmth of the sun for the cold snow and safety. 

For days, they drifted through the ocean until the water was gone and the food was barely left. Despair set in. Then on the 5th day, they saw it; hope. An island. Desperately, they tried to paddle towards it, and found relief when the waves began to assist. 30 minutes later, relief washed over them as they made their way ashore. Their ocean journey was done; their island journey had just began.