Chapter 13: A Trace in the Sand

By morning, the sea finally calmed.
Along with the charms and prayers, the wild nature fell asleep, and the time of peace took over.
But only on the sea. For Tom and all who survived—if any still awaited—there were inner storms and worries ahead.

On a solitary rock near the shore lay Tom's nearly lifeless body. Whether it was his renowned resilience that saved him or his family's prayers that helped, it hardly mattered now. The most important thing was that he was alive.
But for how long. For besides the seagulls on this beach, there was someone else.

Or rather, something. Something that had been watching Tom all morning without averting its gaze.
— Interesting... When will he wake up...
I'm tired of waiting...
How long has he been lying there?
Oh... Or maybe he'll never wake up?

The voice was enchanting, almost childlike, tinged with a note of worry. For her New Year's gift might truly never awaken...

— Tsk... How boring.
So I've been waiting all this time for nothing.
Come on, wake up already!!!

At last, her pleas pierced through the thick veil of his sleep, and Tom began to cough violently, expelling the last remnants of water from his lungs. Just a little more, and he would finally awaken...

— Finally!!!!
— Where am I...? Charlotte, are you here?

Coming to his senses, Tom didn't know where he was. Whatever he'd dreamed remained unclear, but he likely thought, as he had for the past six years, that he'd wake up at home.
And beside him would lie his beloved Charlotte...
But his first call to Charlotte enraged the entity that had waited so long for her prize. She hadn't yet dared to approach him closely and thus vented her frustration from a distance.

— What Charlotte????

— Ow... Damn it... The sun's scorching.

Tom was slowly regaining his bearings. The sun always did wonders for shaking off morning drowsiness. Though here, it was hardly necessary, since he hadn't slept on soft featherbeds but on a jagged rock...

— Why am I here? I should be on the ship.

It was at that moment that fragmented memories of the previous day literally washed up to Tom.

— Damn it... Did we hit the reefs? But where's the ship? Where's Rich? RII-CHAAARD????

Alas, no one answered Tom's cries. Where Richard and the others were—or if they'd even survived—remained unknown...

— OTTTTOOOOO!
— ALAAAAAN!!

No one responded to Tom's words.
Unless, of course, you counted the cries of seagulls that had found refuge on those rocks.
Only seagulls, the sound of waves, and Tom amid the vast blue sea.
Realizing this was a futile effort, Tom decided to at least glance around and fully recall what had happened yesterday.

— Someone answer me... Where are you?

Gradually, memories returned. How Richard had woken him. How they'd been caught in the storm.
How the elements had mocked his ship time and again. But what came next?
No matter how hard Tom tried, he couldn't recall. Yet after a while, his vision cleared enough to see, dozens of meters away, his ship—his Lottie—stranded on a slightly larger rock.

— My ship... But how did this happen? Damn it! Where's anyone? AHHHOOOOOW.

Lottie's condition was dire. All masts had been chopped down during the storm, and the hull and keel were severely damaged. Yet she had endured the ordeal.
Yes, carpenters would need a heap of time and materials to restore her, but Lottie would sail again—someday.

Tom felt nauseous. During the storm, he'd swallowed seawater.
Perhaps from the fall and drifting among the waves, he'd broken a few ribs. But in this situation, one could call it a success—and some divine mercy.

The sun continued to beat mercilessly on his head, and still, no living soul was near.

— I need to get to shore and find someone... Ow... Is my leg broken...? Damn it.

In such a state, Tom wouldn't get far. He could hardly make it to the shore alone.
Muttering to himself, Tom kept scanning his surroundings in hope...
In hope of seeing something—anything—that might help him.

— I remember nothing... DAMN IT!
What happened after the storm?
Where are all the lads?
How did this all go down?

But, as you know, one must phrase their wishes very carefully, for the world might fulfill them exactly as asked.
The entity decided it was now safe enough to toy with Tom a little...

— Want to see your crew?
— Who's there?!

Tom tried not to show it, but the mysterious voice—coming from an unknown direction—startled him. And that voice... Where could a girl even be here? What was she doing in such a place? And why was she hiding?
Questions already plagued him, but now there were even more.
Reflexively, Tom reached for his knife... but he couldn't find it. It seemed the sea had claimed it, along with part of his memories...
Feeling even more endangered, Tom decided to learn more about the stranger.

— I repeat, who's there?!

But no one appeared. This was all so strange... Perhaps he'd imagined it? The sun was scorchingly hot, so a heatstroke was entirely possible.

— Great... Now I'm hearing voices... Damn sun...
— Silly Tom!
— I didn't imagine that? Show yourself!
— Usually, I'm the last thing a man sees before death... Are you sure you want that?

She was just joking. For the first time in a long while, she was genuinely in a good mood. But it seemed Tom didn't appreciate the irony.

— You want to kill me?! Come out and try!
— I said... Silly Tom! I'm joking...

She felt a bit downcast that Tom couldn't share her joy. Still, she decided to be understanding of his condition.
— I'm not in the mood for jokes... Show yourself or get lost... - Tom's voice was stern, but if you listened closely, it carried notes of unease. And a hint of fear—though faint, it was enough for her to notice and latch onto...

— What if I'm a voice in your head? What do I need to do to leave???
If your head is my home? I can't just take it with me, can I?
Or can I?
— Try!

Tom couldn't tune into the entity's positive vibe...

— You're so boring... I don't like it at all!
— I'm not here to be liked!
— But don't you want to see your crew?
— I do!
— I can lead you to them... But you can't even entertain me... Seems unfair, doesn't it?
— About the crew... You're not lying?
— Ugh! We haven't even met properly, and you're already accusing me of lying...
What a nasty Tom Warren...
— Wait... How do you know my name?
— Who doesn't? Everyone tied to the sea knows the great Tom Warren...
But Tom himself has some issues with that...

The entity was delighted and began to giggle playfully. At last, she'd gotten him talking. And though she had to use the cheapest trick that never failed with any man, it worked.

— I don't understand anything...

The flood of bizarre information gave Tom a headache. His body hadn't yet recovered from the storm, and strange images began to haunt him.

— I'm tired of this! Just answer—do you want to see your crew?
— Y...es... of cooourse...

Weakness and multiple injuries overwhelmed Tom's body.
The heatstroke was the final straw, and he lost consciousness.
Naturally, this disappointed the mysterious entity...

— Eh, Tom... Tom... Why always like thiiiis!!!

She was frustrated, like a child whose parents wouldn't play with her, but the fact that she'd managed to chat with Tom a little still pleased her.

— It's fine, Tom... We have plenty of time... No need to rush...

She gave Tom's unconscious form one last glance, muttered a few cryptic words under her breath, after which a dark cloud appeared over his body, showering him with a light rain.
The droplets were crystal-clear, but under the sun, they began to sparkle brightly.

— I need to tend to the other toys... That's all for now...

With those words, she dove deep into the water and swam toward the island to check on the other unconscious members of Tom's crew.

She had managed to cast healing spells on all the crew members who remained alive, remaining unnoticed.
Why she did this was unclear.
Whether she wanted to extend the lives of her new "toys" or if it was a genuine act of help remained uncertain.
Yet despite the tragic events of the previous day, Tom's crew rested unconscious on the island, almost intact.

Among all the crew, only Otto had perished irrevocably. He never managed to reach the rescue rope Richard had thrown him.

As soon as the crew awakens and reunites, they will surely pay their last respects to him as an outstanding sailor and a good friend. For now, they don't even suspect that in the underwater collection, on a shelf dedicated to their crew, one spot is already taken.