The figure, still not responding, continued to walk slowly.

Clarisse, with her increasing speed, realized that this was a man holding flowers.

“Excuse me, Sir. Can you hear me?” she called again.

The man sighed and looked up. Clarisse’s heart skipped a beat and she gasped. “You’re alive!” She ran to him, but he took no notice of her. “David! It’s me, Clarisse. What’s wrong?”

He continued to press on, his dreary eyes fixed on the edge of the cliff.

“I thought you were dead!”

David sped up and Clarisse had to jog next to him to keep up. “Say something!”

They had reached the edge of the cliff now, and David took a seat on the grass. Clarisse did the same.

Is he a ghost? Am I seeing a ghost?

“David,” she said, noticing his eyes begin to well up with tears. “David, what’s wrong?”

“Clarisse,” he choked. “I knew I shouldn’t have-”

“Shouldn’t have what?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

He looked off into the sunset. The red of the sky glowed on his face, glittering his tears.

“I shouldn’t have brought you along on the voyage,” he said.

“Why not?” she asked. “I’m okay. It’s you who-”

“I knew something would go wrong,” he continued. “Those clouds didn’t look very promising when we stepped aboard.”

“David, what are you talking about?”

“And then when the storm hit, my first instinct was to put you in your chamber so you’d be safe. But then the cliff came out of now where. Where was the lighthouse?”

Clarisse gasped. “But it wasn’t me-”

“I tried to save you, I did! I carried you to the end of the ship, furthest away from the cliff, but the impact was too much…”

Clarisse suddenly became very dizzy. “But it wasn’t me who—David, look at me! I’m alive!” Her head became very heavy and her vision began to blur.

Within a flash, the vivid sunset disappeared to be replaced by a mass of gray clouds. Clarisse was now on the ship Fortuna, looking out the small window of her chamber as the waves collided into the boat.

Above deck, she heard the captain shout, “Veer left!”

“But captain, there’s no time!” came a sailor’s voice.

“Don’t tell me there’s not time! DeLear, bring the lady from her chamber and give her a life belt!”

Clarisse’s eyes widened and her heart thumped against her chest. She strained her ears to hear more of what was going on. The captain continued to bark orders at the shouting sailors.

Suddenly, the door of her chamber opened, and her fiancé, David DeLear, rushed in, carrying a life belt.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Love,” said David. “Just put this on and come with me.” He handed her the belt.

“Nothing to worry about?” she repeated. “Then why do I need this?”

“Just put it on and come with me!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door and on deck.

Clarisse immediately became drenched from the rain and her eyes widened once more when she set eyes on the cliff.

“This way, Clarisse!” David led her to the far end of the ship, stumbling along the way.

“Why isn’t the lighthouse on?” Clarisse shouted.

“I don’t know!”

They toppled over a rolling barrel and Clarisse fell onto the tilted railing. The roaring sea glowered at her from below. David quickly lifted her up into his strong arms.

“Almost lost you there,” he said with a nervous laugh.

They reached the stern of the boat.

“Now listen carefully. When I say jump-”

Clarisse turned around just in time to see the ship ram heavily into the cliff. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, and heard no more.

“Jump!” David cried.

But it was too late.