Chapter 4 : South Korea, the Sewol Ferry Tragedy.

The wanderer landed on the boat’s deck with a loud thud. It was already his fourth trip through time and he still didn’t get used to the transition from one historical era to another. And as the portal closed rapidly, he glanced down at his clothes; a pair of jeans and a black coat. It must be the modern world. It’s been a long time, he thought. Loud chatter filled his ears and the smell of the sea filled his lungs. In a swift movement, his hand hid his travel necklace under the thick layers of clothes. 

Everyone around him was speaking in a language he couldn’t understand. A quick, deep glimpse at the passengers around him was enough to conclude that he was in South Korea. And driven by curiosity, his gaze shifted to the outer surface of the ship. Slowly but surely he read the flipped letters carved there: Sewol MV.

This name kept ringing repeatedly inside his mind as he lifted his head up. His arms wrapped the coat tightly around him, in an attempt to fight off the cold sea breeze. There was a gentle aura of youth floating around the place, He looked over at the high schoolers chatting and smiling, having the best time of their lives. He closed his eyes and just focused on the mixture of sounds and scents in an attempt to remember the loud silence before the storm. And as the night creeped in, everything made him more alert.  Because as a time wanderer, there was always a purpose in every single trip. A static, quiet voyage was out of the equation.

The morning after, he woke up, put on his black coat and headed to the cafeteria. He sat alone with his food. Out of nowhere, the table was flipped upside down by an invisible force. And just like a domino effect, the passengers watched their plates and their desks fall down. And the wanderer could feel every little movement of the ship. 

Loud screams pierced through his ears. He ran as fast as he could towards the deck. His hand grabbed the metallic rail tightly until it turned white, and then looked around him. Some were already thrown into the deep ocean. The rest were trying to hang in to the front deck.

He felt his mind knot as he tried to think of something to do. Anything. Then, his eyes shot open, a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins. The necklace. All he needed was the necklace to get out of there. His trembling hand reached his neck, only to be met with cold skin and a frantic pulse. It’s gone! He realized with absolute shock, was this the end?

He quickly put back his hand to where it was to keep himself steady. In a fraction of a second, a state of nothingness fell upon him. And a strange cold seeped through his bones. Soon, the hectic sound of shoes hitting against the deck turned to water splashing. It flooded the ferry, from every direction. A huge wave came crashing through and the wanderer was pushed down against the ground as the salty water burned his eyes. And then he saw it. A sparkling thing in the corner of his eyes. Before his brain could process anything, he snatched the necklace and placed it back.

He had three seconds left there. One. His heart was pounding hard. There was this desire in him to carve the chaos of this place in his mind and to make it disappear at the same time. Two. His gaze traveled from the drowning passengers to the ones who were being rescued. Death and a new life in one frame. It was unsettling to see it all, to feel everything and then nothing. And he understood that death is nearer than we think it is. That no one is really prepared for it. And more than anything, he wanted to save every single one there. But he knew he couldn’t change history. There was no turning back. Three. So, heart shattered to pieces, he touched the necklace. And maybe, a tear or two fell down on his cheeks as the portal appeared…

Written By : Imen Abidi.