The Storm
One violent night that tests the whole crew.
For three days, the sea stayed , and the wind pushed them gently east.
The crew began to relax, and even Diego smiled once or twice at dinner.
But Mara watched the sky each evening with a worried look on her face.
On the third night, the air grew heavy, and the stars disappeared completely.
They were sailing smoothly when the first great struck the side of the boat.
Within minutes, the wind was screaming, and rain fell like stones from above.
Kai had never seen a storm so in all his years at sea.
The waves rose higher than the and threw the little Petrel around.
"Lower the sail!" Mara shouted, but the wind tore it before they could reach it.
The torn cloth flew into the darkness like a wounded bird in the night.
Diego was pulling on a rope when a huge washed across the .
His feet slipped, and in an instant he was hanging over the black water.
Kai threw himself forward and caught the larger man by his wet arm.
For a terrible moment, the sea tried to pull them both into its depths.
Then Tomas grabbed Kai's belt, and together they dragged Diego back on board.
All three lay on the , shaking, while the storm screamed above them.
Lena tied ropes around each of them so that no one else could fall.
They had never worked so hard or been so afraid in their whole lives.
Hour after hour, they fought the sea and refused to give up the boat.
Just before , the wind finally weakened, and the rain slowly stopped.
The Petrel was still floating, but her main sail had been completely destroyed.
Diego looked at Kai and, for the first time, thanked him in a quiet voice.
They had survived the night, yet the danger was far from over.
Because when the sun rose, they saw that the storm had carried away their food.