Hidden Sanctuary

An enormous wall of water rising over one hundred feet high was rushing towards the ship from behind. Luis had never seen such a monstrous wave before. The wall of water blotted out the sun behind him as it caught the ship in its grip. As the wave began to break over the ship Luis took a deep breath, grasped the wheel and hung on. Through the churning water his mind seemed to go numb. Luis watched in fascination as the water began to slowly creep up the now rapidly approaching cliff face. Luis saw the tidal wave pound its way through the opening between the stone columns as it struck solid ground. Luis thought it curious to die by drowning now after having survived so much. Luis felt totally detached, taking in the events more as observer than active participant. He watched as the Pueblo De Los Muertos was hurtled by the tidal wave towards shore. Then his air began to run out and Luis began to drown.

The ship’s prow struck the leading edge of one of the stone pillars, causing the ship to swing around. As the ship swung, the second column bashed through the ships bottom beams, impaling the ship. The Pueblo De Los Muertos was now wedged tightly between the stone columns. The tidal wave had already spent its energy and lost its momentum. The water began receding after completely inundating the valley beyond the columns. The water drained away quickly leaving the ship hanging suspended between the columns. The Pueblo De Los Muertos would never set sail on the open seas again. Its journey was over.

Luis began to regain consciousness. I must be dead he thought as he struggled to a sitting position. He could not sit up. His head pounded with a fury equal to the storm he had just survived. His head began to clear. He was sitting tangled up in a pile of lines and rigging tackle attached to a fallen mast that lay a few feet away. Luis numbly noted he was lying against the starboard side railing. A slow rumble began somewhere behind and directly below him. The ship suddenly lurched. Then it continued on and completed its roll as it turned turtle until it came finally came to rest in a completely upside down position. Luis was swept over the side as the ship rolled. Everything stored directly beneath the hatches tore loose as the ship turned over, burst through the hatch covers and dropped into a scattered, jumbled pile on the sloping ground below. Luis was lucky enough to land clear of the debris off to one side where he slid down nearly twenty feet further to level ground. Luis sat up stiffly, and then looked towards the inland side. The valley was gone. Luis could see a lot of debris from the shattered ship floating away from him. Then he looked up at the remains of what had once been a beautiful ship.

Staggering to his feet, Luis moved out from under the ship’s shadow. Holding his hand over his eyes Luis squinted up at the ship. From where he stood he could hear a lot of groaning and grinding noises as timbers shifted into positions they were never meant to take. Luis stepped further to one side and began scrambling up the incline. As he came even with the inverted main deck, the ship collapsed. Luis dropped to the side, instantly shielding his eyes to protect them from flying debris. The debris continued to blow in the wind for several minutes as it settled on the ground around the bases of the stone towers. Luis choked on the dirt, dust and debris as it swirled in the air, turning his face downward to shield his mouth and nose from falling debris.

Join us. Read Hidden Sanctuary. See what can happen after a man’s world is completely destroyed, he’s left alone in the middle of a vast country and yet succeeds in the end.