the exits.
It was no use. Kim knew his mother was in the grip of her deepest fear - there was no way she would get on a lifeboat of her own free will.
It's up to me to save her , he decided.
On the other side of the passenger deck, Will Adams continued to peer out the window, straight into the eyes of the monster called Godzilla. And Soonji continued to tug on his leg.
Abruptly, Godzilla turned his mighty head, and the spell that seemed to paralyze the young American was broken. Will looked down at the young woman clinging to his leg.
"Come on, Soonji," he said, "let's get out of here."
Outside, Godzilla was slowly walking away from the disabled ferry. But the crew and passengers weren't out of danger yet. As the creature departed, Godzilla's tail swished back and forth, churning up the water. Some of the overcrowded rubber rafts that dotted the Sea of Japan were overturned in the turbulence. There were screams of terror as people fell into the sea and sank below the surface. Some would never rise again.
Another angry swish, and Godzilla sideswiped the ferry with his long, powerful tail. The whole ship vibrated like a drum. The tail struck again, and the side of the hull caved in. In the enclosed passenger deck, windows shattered, raining glass down on the people still trapped inside.
The Pusan ferry was looking less like a ship - and more like a soda can that had been crushed in the middle. And it was sinking fast.
Will struggled up from the deck and shook off pieces of broken glass. Everyone who was still aboard the ferry had been knocked off their feet when the ship was swatted by the monster's tail for the third time. Now the ferry was listing precariously to one side. Footing was difficult on the steeply pitched deck, but Will managed to remain standing.
He spotted Soonji, who was struggling to get up off the heaving deck. This ship is going to capsize , Will realized with horror.
He knew he had to get out and take Soonji with him. But people were still choking the exits. In their panic, the passengers were actually making escape through the doors all but impossible.
Then Will turned and saw the shattered windows. He grabbed Soonji by the hand and yanked her to her feet. She yelped in surprise as he dragged her toward the broken window. There was still some glass blocking their exit. Will pushed his shoulder hard against it, and the cracked window collapsed into shards. Most of the glass pitched into the sea, but some of it rained down on him. Blood began to flow from a cut on his forehead.
"Through here!" he cried, pushing the young woman.
Soonji was about to climb through the window when she saw a Korean boy tugging on an older woman's arm. The woman was curled up in a ball and utterly refused to let go of the heaving deck. Soonji pushed Will's hand away and pointed. He saw them, too.
Will rushed to Kim's side and grabbed the boy. As he lifted Kim over his shoulder, the boy started kicking and shouting. "Mother! What about my mother?" he cried.
Of course, Will didn't understand Korean, but he got the message. Before he could act, Soonji grabbed the woman's arm.
"Up, old mother," Soonji said in Korean.
"No!" the woman screamed. "I can't swim!"
But Soonji would hear none of it. She grabbed the woman by her hair and yanked upward. The woman hollered and jumped to her feet. Soonji dragged her to the window.
The ferry continued to sink. The ocean lapped against the hull only a few feet below the broken window. Will's eyes opened wide with hope when he saw an empty rubber raft bobbing in the water about thirty feet away. Will pulled the Korean boy off his shoulder and pointed to the raft.
"Can you swim?" he asked the boy. Will made swimming motions because the boy obviously didn't understand English. Kim got the message and nodded enthusiastically. At that moment, Soonji appeared at Will's side, dragging the Korean woman behind her.
"I can't swim!" the woman screamed again and again in shrill Korean. "I
It was no use. Kim knew his mother was in the grip of her deepest fear - there was no way she would get on a lifeboat of her own free will.
It's up to me to save her , he decided.
On the other side of the passenger deck, Will Adams continued to peer out the window, straight into the eyes of the monster called Godzilla. And Soonji continued to tug on his leg.
Abruptly, Godzilla turned his mighty head, and the spell that seemed to paralyze the young American was broken. Will looked down at the young woman clinging to his leg.
"Come on, Soonji," he said, "let's get out of here."
Outside, Godzilla was slowly walking away from the disabled ferry. But the crew and passengers weren't out of danger yet. As the creature departed, Godzilla's tail swished back and forth, churning up the water. Some of the overcrowded rubber rafts that dotted the Sea of Japan were overturned in the turbulence. There were screams of terror as people fell into the sea and sank below the surface. Some would never rise again.
Another angry swish, and Godzilla sideswiped the ferry with his long, powerful tail. The whole ship vibrated like a drum. The tail struck again, and the side of the hull caved in. In the enclosed passenger deck, windows shattered, raining glass down on the people still trapped inside.
The Pusan ferry was looking less like a ship - and more like a soda can that had been crushed in the middle. And it was sinking fast.
Will struggled up from the deck and shook off pieces of broken glass. Everyone who was still aboard the ferry had been knocked off their feet when the ship was swatted by the monster's tail for the third time. Now the ferry was listing precariously to one side. Footing was difficult on the steeply pitched deck, but Will managed to remain standing.
He spotted Soonji, who was struggling to get up off the heaving deck. This ship is going to capsize , Will realized with horror.
He knew he had to get out and take Soonji with him. But people were still choking the exits. In their panic, the passengers were actually making escape through the doors all but impossible.
Then Will turned and saw the shattered windows. He grabbed Soonji by the hand and yanked her to her feet. She yelped in surprise as he dragged her toward the broken window. There was still some glass blocking their exit. Will pushed his shoulder hard against it, and the cracked window collapsed into shards. Most of the glass pitched into the sea, but some of it rained down on him. Blood began to flow from a cut on his forehead.
"Through here!" he cried, pushing the young woman.
Soonji was about to climb through the window when she saw a Korean boy tugging on an older woman's arm. The woman was curled up in a ball and utterly refused to let go of the heaving deck. Soonji pushed Will's hand away and pointed. He saw them, too.
Will rushed to Kim's side and grabbed the boy. As he lifted Kim over his shoulder, the boy started kicking and shouting. "Mother! What about my mother?" he cried.
Of course, Will didn't understand Korean, but he got the message. Before he could act, Soonji grabbed the woman's arm.
"Up, old mother," Soonji said in Korean.
"No!" the woman screamed. "I can't swim!"
But Soonji would hear none of it. She grabbed the woman by her hair and yanked upward. The woman hollered and jumped to her feet. Soonji dragged her to the window.
The ferry continued to sink. The ocean lapped against the hull only a few feet below the broken window. Will's eyes opened wide with hope when he saw an empty rubber raft bobbing in the water about thirty feet away. Will pulled the Korean boy off his shoulder and pointed to the raft.
"Can you swim?" he asked the boy. Will made swimming motions because the boy obviously didn't understand English. Kim got the message and nodded enthusiastically. At that moment, Soonji appeared at Will's side, dragging the Korean woman behind her.
"I can't swim!" the woman screamed again and again in shrill Korean. "I
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