The wave hit the wall behind them with the force of a locomotive. The shack shuddered around them, the stones groaning beneath the weight. Eduard squeezed his eyes shut—the pounding he heard in his ears was the sound of his heart, rapid with fear. He felt Reza’s breath on the back of his neck, and his fingertips turned white from the strength of Reza’s hands in his. As the wave rushed by them, the change in pressure made Eduard’s ears pop; the door to the shack did the same thing, the distressed wood finally giving in under the weight of the sea. It splintered apart into toothpicks as the water rushed in its place.
Knocking the cot away, Reza stood and pulled Eduard to his feet. Cold briny water lapped around their feet; within seconds, it licked at their calves, their knees, their thigh
