don't want to go into the water!"
Soonji and Will ignored her. While Kim watched open-mouthed, the couple lifted his mother up and placed her on the broken window sill - careful to avoid the spikes of glass that were still embedded in the frame. She resisted them with all of her strength.
Finally, Soonji had had enough! "Shut up, old mother," she cried. "Shut up... or I'll let you drown!"
When the woman heard the word drown , she began to scream and fight with new determination. Soonji turned and faced Will. He couldn't believe it when she actually smiled at him. "Watch this," she said in English.
Then Soonji put her foot on the struggling woman's rump and booted her over the side!
Before the screaming woman even hit the water. Soonji, Will, and Kim had dived over the side, too. In seconds, they were all splashing into the cold waters of the Sea of Japan.
Though Will thought of himself as a strong swimmer, it was hard trying to get to the inflatable raft. He squinted as salty sea water stung his eyes. The raft bobbed tantalizingly near, but the waves, which were violently churning in the wake of Godzilla's passage, kept pushing him back, toward the hull of the sinking ferry.
Exhausted, Will had to rest. He flipped over on his back and tried floating in the rough waters. As he drifted, he could see Soonji, the Korean boy, and the boy's mother. They were huddled together in the water, clinging to a broken cable hanging over the side of the ferry.
Will noticed that the ship was sinking faster now. The sea had risen almost to the top of the hull. Soon the decks would be awash with water. If Will didn't get to the raft and rescue the others, they would be dragged to the bottom of the Sea of Japan by the suction of the huge sinking ferryboat.
With renewed determination, Will struck out again. He'd swum about halfway to the raft when another wave knocked him backward. Sputtering and swallowing water, Will reached out and grabbed blindly for something to keep him afloat. At last, his hands connected and he held on.
With a gasp, Will realized he was clutching the corpse of an old man - one of the passengers - who had already drowned. Will pulled back in horror and kicked the body away from him. He swam on frantically.
A few minutes later, gasping for breath, Will climbed aboard the empty raft. His arms and legs felt like lead, and he could barely lift himself to his elbows as he lay at the bottom of the bobbing rubber boat. Vaguely, he heard Soonji's voice in the distance. She was frantically screaming his name.
Will lifted himself up and saw the reason for her panic. The ferry was sinking very rapidly now. Waves were washing across its deck, and Soonji, Kim, and Kim's mother were barely able to hang on. The three of them were being battered by the sea.
Clambering up to a sitting position, Will searched the raft for oars. There were none, so he dropped to his belly on the side of the rubber raft and began using his tired arms as paddles. It seemed to take an eternity to move the raft close to the ferry, but Will managed it.
Weakly, he reached out for the others. Kim was the first aboard. The boy was able to swim the few feet to the raft and climb aboard. He helped Will and Soonji pull his mother onto the nearly swamped rubber boat. The woman was numb and paralyzed with fear - but thanks to Soonji and Kim, she was alive. Will cupped his hands and began bailing water out of the tiny, crowded raft.
Just then, an underwater explosion shook the ocean around them. The hull of the ferryboat shuddered. Smoke began pouring out of the windows and hatches as the ferry upended. The few passengers who had stubbornly remained aboard now jumped over the side, or were thrown overboard by the violent explosion.
As Kim, Soonji, and Will paddled away from the ship, using their arms as oars, the stern of the Pusan ferry lifted out of the water, and then the entire ship slipped beneath the waves.
As it disappeared, the ferry left a
Soonji and Will ignored her. While Kim watched open-mouthed, the couple lifted his mother up and placed her on the broken window sill - careful to avoid the spikes of glass that were still embedded in the frame. She resisted them with all of her strength.
Finally, Soonji had had enough! "Shut up, old mother," she cried. "Shut up... or I'll let you drown!"
When the woman heard the word drown , she began to scream and fight with new determination. Soonji turned and faced Will. He couldn't believe it when she actually smiled at him. "Watch this," she said in English.
Then Soonji put her foot on the struggling woman's rump and booted her over the side!
Before the screaming woman even hit the water. Soonji, Will, and Kim had dived over the side, too. In seconds, they were all splashing into the cold waters of the Sea of Japan.
Though Will thought of himself as a strong swimmer, it was hard trying to get to the inflatable raft. He squinted as salty sea water stung his eyes. The raft bobbed tantalizingly near, but the waves, which were violently churning in the wake of Godzilla's passage, kept pushing him back, toward the hull of the sinking ferry.
Exhausted, Will had to rest. He flipped over on his back and tried floating in the rough waters. As he drifted, he could see Soonji, the Korean boy, and the boy's mother. They were huddled together in the water, clinging to a broken cable hanging over the side of the ferry.
Will noticed that the ship was sinking faster now. The sea had risen almost to the top of the hull. Soon the decks would be awash with water. If Will didn't get to the raft and rescue the others, they would be dragged to the bottom of the Sea of Japan by the suction of the huge sinking ferryboat.
With renewed determination, Will struck out again. He'd swum about halfway to the raft when another wave knocked him backward. Sputtering and swallowing water, Will reached out and grabbed blindly for something to keep him afloat. At last, his hands connected and he held on.
With a gasp, Will realized he was clutching the corpse of an old man - one of the passengers - who had already drowned. Will pulled back in horror and kicked the body away from him. He swam on frantically.
A few minutes later, gasping for breath, Will climbed aboard the empty raft. His arms and legs felt like lead, and he could barely lift himself to his elbows as he lay at the bottom of the bobbing rubber boat. Vaguely, he heard Soonji's voice in the distance. She was frantically screaming his name.
Will lifted himself up and saw the reason for her panic. The ferry was sinking very rapidly now. Waves were washing across its deck, and Soonji, Kim, and Kim's mother were barely able to hang on. The three of them were being battered by the sea.
Clambering up to a sitting position, Will searched the raft for oars. There were none, so he dropped to his belly on the side of the rubber raft and began using his tired arms as paddles. It seemed to take an eternity to move the raft close to the ferry, but Will managed it.
Weakly, he reached out for the others. Kim was the first aboard. The boy was able to swim the few feet to the raft and climb aboard. He helped Will and Soonji pull his mother onto the nearly swamped rubber boat. The woman was numb and paralyzed with fear - but thanks to Soonji and Kim, she was alive. Will cupped his hands and began bailing water out of the tiny, crowded raft.
Just then, an underwater explosion shook the ocean around them. The hull of the ferryboat shuddered. Smoke began pouring out of the windows and hatches as the ferry upended. The few passengers who had stubbornly remained aboard now jumped over the side, or were thrown overboard by the violent explosion.
As Kim, Soonji, and Will paddled away from the ship, using their arms as oars, the stern of the Pusan ferry lifted out of the water, and then the entire ship slipped beneath the waves.
As it disappeared, the ferry left a
Similar Books
