A Dangerous Job

I looked over the bow of the ship, second-guessing my decision of being on board for the season. The cold, salty sea spray stung my face, amplified by the chilly arctic air. I pulled the fur-lined hood of my coat closer, attempting to dampen the assault of the elements against every inch of exposed skin, to no avail. I sighed deeply, my breath coming out in a thick plume of almost frozen condensation.

I hear a barely audible shout, “All hands on deck!”

It was the seasoned captain of the ship. The sound of his words nearly lost, caught on the rippling winds that swirled around us. I turn, careful to try and keep my footing as a massive wave smashes against the hull of the ship, nearly sending me reeling. I catch myself before I stumble, stealing a glimpse of the captain through the chilly haze. The Captain is a lifelong seaman, weathered, with an attitude, and a beard to match. He seemed unphased by the constant assault of the waves, his footing steady as he moved with the rocking and swaying of the boat. The Captain gestures for me to come over.

“Quickly!” He bellows. “And secure your safety!”

I look down, quickly realizing that I was not secured to an anchor point on the boat. This could spell trouble if the surf becomes more violent. I look over to where the rest of the crew are standing, getting ready to pull up our first catch of the day. I quickly make my way across the deck to secure myself to an anchor point.

At that moment, I hear a commotion and shouting from the crew as they frantically point and check to make sure they themselves are secured to the boat. I look up, and see a wave, easily three times the size of the vessel approaching rapidly.

“Secure yourself!” The crew screams at me.

I quickly scramble to the anchor point, attempting to clip myself to the boat. My fingers, so incredibly cold from the arctic air, are having an insurmountably difficult time managing the clip. I try once, twice, three times, to secure myself, but it was too late. I don’t even have time to react as the exceptional force of the wave crashed into the boat, throwing me against the railing of the ship. I manage to wrap my frozen glove around the rail, holding on with every last ounce of strength I possess, frantically attempting to pull myself back onto the boat.

“Man overboard!” The Captain bellows as the crew moves quickly towards me.

I hold on with all my might, the crew is almost upon me. I’m almost safe. I’ll make it home alive after this. A determined grin spreads across my face, everything is going to be okay. My other hand manages to grip the railing now. Two hands firmly planted on the side of the ship. The crew only a few steps away now. They start to reach out, as a look of horror slowly spreads across their faces. I barely have time to register their looks as they frantically reach out for me before another massive blow from the ocean crashes against the ship. I feel myself being ripped from the railing, a single glove left behind, frozen in place as I crash into the water.

“It's a dangerous job, I won't lie to ya. But there's a lot of money to be made.”

Famous last words, I thought, watching the final traces of light disappear, as I sink deeper and deeper into the frozen sea.