A Very White Christmas

“Oh man, oh man. I can’t wait to see you Adam. I’m just boarding the ship now. I will be on the ship for about a month sightseeing and exploring the caribbean before christmas time. I should arrive on the 23rd. This is going to be the best Christmas vacation ever!”

“I know Brian I am excited to!”

“Anyways, I have to go, talk to ya later buddy, bye.”

“Bye!”

That was the last time we spoke before the incident.

Hi, my name is Brian Mackelroy and this is my death defying adventure.

It all started on a cruise liner in Pennsylvania in November. I decided to take a vacation to myself for christmas and go and see my best friend Adam. I also wanted to sightsee the caribbean so I decided to take a month cruise ship to explore and end up in Alabama where Adam lived. It was going to be the perfect christmas. It would be so memorable. It would be the best christmas ever!

And then it snowed.

The cruise ship started to head towards the caribbean. I just went swimming in the incredible top deck swimming pool and came in to cool off from the blistering sun. I turned on the news and chilled for a bit. There were severe snowfall warnings up for Alabama. I never thought much of it. I wasn’t panicked or nervous at all. I was excited to see a white christmas, little did I know I would get more snow than expected.

The cruise ship had been going for about two days and the snowfall warning was still in effect. Three, four, five days went passed and snowfall was getting worse. Car accidents were getting more common, and schools were getting shut down. Signs of evacuation were getting more common every day.

We were one day away from Alabama. I was packing my bag when a special announcement from the captain came on. It said that the ship would have to take a detour and skip Alabama do to a severe snowstorm. I was heartbroken. The tears rolled down my cheeks in disbelief. I wasn't going to stand there and watch the best christmas ever just slip away from me. So, I marched up to the captains office and demanded that he drop me off in Alabama. I threatened, I swore, I did some things I shouldn't have done but a true friend is someone that you’ll do anything for. And no matter what I did, no matter what I said, the captain wouldn't get close enough to the dock for me to get off. You know what I did? Something really stupid, that's what I did. I wanted to see my friend that bad that I jumped off the boat into the freezing cold icy water of the black ocean not knowing what lurked between the shadows.

The captain shouted for me, the crew shouted for me, the passengers shouted for me, they threw there life jackets and ring buoys trying to save me, trying to warn me of the dangers I was about to become. I didn't listen to anyone. My goal was to see my best friend for christmas and that was exactly what was going to happen.

I swam for what felt like four hours but what was really only twenty minutes. I finally arrived at the snow-filled deck. As I crept onto the deck my eyelashes froze instantly. My fingers, froze my toes froze to my shoes I felt like I was stuck in a world that I couldn't escape from. I started to feel dizzy I sat down to get in the moment again. For a minute nothing felt real. Everyone, everything around me was spinning, my reality had become a nightmare.  A terrible nightmare.

I saw a baby struggling to stay alive in the freezing cold. I ran to him and wrapped him up in my coat. I couldn't save him, I tried,but I couldn't insure that he would survive the storm. At least I can say that I tried to save the poor little ones life. It just got me thinking… am I really going to survive this storm? I have never been in a situation like this before. I started to rethink my decision… maybe I should have gone back on the boat or not even jumped at all. I realize that no matter what I should have done in the past, there is no going back now, I have to keep going!

I started walking in the direction I thought was towards my friend’s house. My eyelashes were frozen together in one big ice blob on top of my eye. It was weighing my eyes down. Slowly closing them and blocking my vision. I could barely see but I kept going. I just kept thinking about warm fires and hot cocoa with little marshmellows floating on the surface. That gave me the oomph to keep going! My heart was racing, my blood was pumping, I couldn't wait to get there. It must have been 30 minutes (which felt like 2 hours) I finally could see the house.

I started running towards it, I was so happy, filled with glee. I ran, ran and ran as fast as I could when out of nowhere, I tripped and fell down deep, deep into a crack in the ground. There was very low oxygen down there. My breathing started getting heavy. I collapsed with no energy. A sudden wave of heaviness came upon me.

I sat in disappointment. To think that I was so close to seeing my friend and now I am going to die in a hole of blackness and sorrow.

I started thinking about the memories we made together. The good times of laughter and joy. I thought to myself, maybe it isn't so bad to die near my friend.

I accepted my death. I accepted my fate. I accepted the fact that my life would be over in the blink of an eye.

Any minute now the crease in the ground would fall and crush me with no trouble and no hesitation.

The world does not hesitate to destroy one of its many beings.

The world does not second guess.

The world will always do.

At that very moment the water came rushing in from the sea and the walls of my grave slowly shattered in front of me.

With one quick movement, one quick shift in the earth I thought I was gone.

I thought I was gone.

The water pushed me down, down, further down the stream. I came to a hard stop. It was the side of a house. The christmas lights shining in my eyes brought me comfort. I thought I was dead. I thought I was in the after life being in the mindset of christmas: my only happy place. I soon realized that my friend that I did this all for was standing right above me like a guardian angel.

In shock, he helped me out, and we spent christmas together. My friend and I sitting by the fire drinking hot chocolate with little marshmellows floating on the surface just like I always imagined it would be.

Even though I almost died, even though I missed my perfect christmas of adventure through the carribean it was still the best christmas ever!