The cruise was a very enjoyable experience, Rio and Arnoll spent all day doing fun things, like playing in the game room, whale watching from the deck, swimming in the pool, and relaxing on the sunbeds. The first two days were a blast. Rio and Arnoll spent so much time together that others would mistake them for brothers.

By this time, the Maritania had gone far from Canada and was closer to Arctic. You could see glaciers in a distance if you look closely. It was on the third day of the cruise, when the Maritania was caught in a storm. The storm was strong and the captain advised everyone to stay below deck in their cabins while the storm passed over. Rio had never seen a storm and was frightened. He decided to try to get his mind off it by playing with Arnoll.

When he nocked on his cabin door, Arnoll’s mother answered, “His kitten Timmy was scared by the thunder and ran off. Arnoll has gone searching for it. It’s been a while and I am now worried. Will you help me search for him?”

“Yes, I’ll help. I will call my mother. We shall search together,” replied Rio.

So the three of them, and Arnoll’s father started searching for Arnoll. They could not find him anywhere. They all got worried and started enquiring others, incase anyone else had seen him. It was hours of searching when Rio found him.

“Arnoll! Where have you been? All of us have been searching for you,” said Rio.

“I was searching for Timmy, I just found him,” said Arnoll.

At that moment, their parents came, their loud footsteps scared the kitten and it jumped out of Arnoll’s arm and ran onto the deck.

“Timmy!” Arnoll screamed, his voice barely audible over the howling storm as he bolted after his kitten onto the rain-slick deck. The ship lurched beneath his feet, but he didn’t stop. The tiny orange cat darted toward the edge, oblivious to the danger.

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“Arnoll, no! Stop!” voices shouted behind him, but he didn’t hear them—or didn’t care.

Rio was the first to react. He tore after Arnoll without a second thought. Arnoll was like a brother to him, and there was no way he was letting him face this alone.

“Rio! Get back here!” his mother’s panicked voice rang out as she took a step toward the deck, but the captain blocked her path.

“I’ll handle this,” he said firmly, signaling to a few crew members.

They rushed toward the boys, but the storm fought back with relentless winds and pounding rain. The ship pitched violently, making it nearly impossible to reach them.

Arnoll skidded to a stop near the ship’s railing, his eyes locked on Timmy, who was crouched precariously on the edge. His heart pounded as he lunged for the kitten.

Rio, just a few steps behind, shouted, “Arnoll, wait!”

But it was too late.

A monstrous wave—taller than the ship itself—rose from the depths, casting a dark shadow over the deck. For a split second, everything seemed to slow. Arnoll grabbed Timmy, Rio reached for Arnoll, and the wave crashed down with deafening force.

The world flipped upside down.

Rio hit the icy water face-first, the cold stealing the air from his lungs. He clawed his way to the surface, gasping for breath. His eyes darted around frantically.

“Arnoll!”

To his immense relief, he spotted Arnoll bobbing nearby, clutching Timmy tightly in one arm. But Arnoll was struggling to stay afloat.

“I’ve got you!” Rio called, fighting the waves as he swam toward them.

Onboard, alarms blared, and lifeguards blew their whistles. A bright orange emergency float was flung overboard, landing with a splash a few meters away.

Rio kicked hard, his muscles burning, until he reached Arnoll. He grabbed him by the arm and pushed him toward the float.

“Hold on!” Rio gasped as he climbed on beside him.

For a moment, they were safe. The boys clung to the float, panting, soaked to the bone, their hearts pounding in unison.

But then came the snap.

The rope connecting the float to the ship tore loose with a sharp crack.

“Rio…” Arnoll’s voice was barely a whisper.

The float drifted, carried by the unforgiving waves, pulling them further into the vast, churning sea.