Drifting

I was aroused from my sleep by the chill of the night wind as I lay crouched on the deck of the ship, which was barely six feet by eight feet in dimension, as it drifted out to sea. Pulling myself up from the deck I became very cognizant of my surroundings. It was unseasonably dark and cold as I continued to drift. The dim fog would only allow me to see no further than arm's length. The shoreline was hidden from view. I would have given anything to get to my destination, only problem was I didn't know where that was or how I was going to get there. And worse yet, I could not recall how I came to be in this predicament.It was only then that I realized that this boat was not equipped with any type of mechanism for steering; no sails, no oars, no rudder and certainly not a motor. So I continued to drift through the night, unable to choose a direction, as the cool night air began to chill me to the bone. I was completely helpless and found myself having to go whereever the elements chose. How long was I drifting? I cannot say but it seemed to be an eternity. Time appeared to stand still.Suddenly, very abruptly, the shoreline appeared into view and as the boat began to drift in the direction of land it came to an eerie halt, about a half-mile from shore. The water had frozen solid and I was no longer drifting. I was completely still, unable to go in any direction. Sitting helplessly out at sea I just waited for the bitter cold air to overtake me, but just then I spotted two individuals on the dry land and they entered the cool water and began to make their way toward me. At last!! I am saved. Help was soon to arrive. As I sat in the numbing cold damp night air my hopes began to rise for I realized that help would soon be here. I could not help but wonder, who my rescuers were. They were approaching my boat at a rapid pace. Just when they reached the boat and prepared to climb aboard the ice suddenly cracked and gave way and my would be rescuers were instantly swallowed up by the freezing waters. Right at that moment a strong wind blew eastward off the coast, rocking the boat from side to side and I became frantic, as a freezing rain began to descend upon me and all of a sudden.................................. To be continued...............