Picture Perfect 1

The black and threatening clouds overtook the normal clear blue sky. The seas churned and tossed the small research boat like it was paper. The only hope that the crew was given were the quick flashes of light. In the sharp strikes of light, the crew could see the waves that threatened to capsize their vessel. The clouds rolled in and dominated the skies with little warning to the fisherman, as they had forgotten to check the weather report. Gradually, the waves grew more and more powerful, and swept the youngest crew member off the deck and into the raging Pacific waters. He was interning on the boat for another 2 weeks, but his mind was concerned with surviving for another minute. The rest of the crew was hiding below deck, so they had no idea he was gone. Percy could only watch as a wave crashed down and invaded his lungs. He struggled for oxygen, but the water kept coming; the storm had claimed its first victim. For days the tempest plagued the ship, with no thought of ceasing. Guiltily the crew had forgotten about Percy. It wasn’t until the fifth day that Thomas noticed Percy’s absence, but nobody else seemed to care. He was only an intern. The moment after Percy was written off was when the hole sprung. The water raced in through the gap, and in minutes the boat began to sink. The storm had claimed its second, third, and fourth victims without remorse.