Under the microscope
Author and lecturer James McCreet puts a reader’s first 300 words under the lens
THE LOSS OF “PERCEPTION” 1
Head first 2 I plunged into the inky night 3 swell of the Atlantic 4. This was no accident; 5 John my sailing companion 6 knew well the dangers out here7. He had shaken me awake to help clear one of the lines from the rudder of our sloop.8 It was nearly time for me to relieve him at the helm, so half asleep I tumbled from my bunk already clothed and made my way up the steps to the stern. 9 John seemed to be trying to get the torch to work, banging it against his hand and muttering to himself.10 The light came on as I passed him to lean over the back of the yacht to feel for the obstruction.11 There was a bang and I thought he had dropped the torch, then my ankles were grabbed and before I could think of resisting he lifted me over the stern into the sea.12 No mistake!13 No time to yell!14 Premeditated and neatly done.15
Below me were many fathoms of ocean and we were about fifty miles from the Portuguese coast.16 Somersaulting below the surface in the dark I started 17 threshing around in panic,18 the cold gradually penetrating my survival suit19 and robbing me of any vestige of security.20 Then my lifejacket tipped me upright and I burst to the surface.21 I could see nothing, no point of reference except the stars crystal clear above me.22 The seducing creep of cold water penetrated every part of me23 as I gasped and gulped trying to steady the panic that was engulfing me.24 I had been deliberately pushed over the stern of the boat…25 and now I was going to drown or die of the penetrating cold.26