Adrift

Waves crashed, throwing him around like a ragdoll. His head pulled above desperately gasped for air until he was pushed back under. The tide pulled him in farther, arms flailed trying to keep himself afloat. The sea collided, his head snapped back, hitting the rough seafloor. His ears rang, he lost his breath, water filled his lungs as he fell unconscious.

He woke washed up on the shore, the water calmed, and gently tickled his feet. He stood up, violently coughed out the sea he inhaled. He walked along the beach looking for signs of life. Church bells rang in the distance— he followed. He slowly approached the building on the horizon. A church on a hill, the sound of an organ played within. He entered as the sun was setting. Familiar faces dressed in black wept— a casket laid on the altar. His mother cried over the body, mumbling a prayer while his father delivered a eulogy. The sound of mourning continued seemingly getting louder as he walked closer. He peeked inside the crate to discover his body inside. Panicked, he grabbed his mothers shoulder and everyone vanished as if they were never there, his casket was gone— the church was silent.

He ran toward the exit, each stride echoed through the nave. He shoved the door open, sprinted for the graveyard left of the church. He skimmed through each name on the tombstones until he found his own. He fell to his knees— wept.