A letter from the sea

The year of 1760.

An English captain sailed his ship through the currents of Atlantic ocean. The sea was clam. So the captain decided to set sail for home. He was happy cause the voyage was a success. Above all, he had a newly married wife waiting for him at home. Only a few days away. A smile appeared in his face just from the thought of it. He took in a deep breath of ocean air and felt the fresh breeze filling the lungs up. Like the beginning of a new life. Little did he know, fate have something else in store for him.

He went up the deck. "How is everything, commodore?"

Commodore nodded his head, "Just as planned, Sir."

"Just the answer I wanted to hear." Captain said, "I shall be in my cabin if you need me."

While in the cabin, he was in waist deep in sums and figures then his commodore came and said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Hurriedly captain came up and heard the lookout sailor from the crow's nest saying, "Clouds are gathering in the western sky, captain. It's not looking good."

The captain took a spy-glass and saw the sky. "Keep a weather eye in horizon, sailor.", commanded the captain, turned around and said, "All hands in the station. Slack windward brace and sheet. I shall be in the helm."

The commodore asked, "Should we change course , Sir?"

Lines of worry caressed the captain's face but he said, "No, no matter how disastrous the storm is. I shall not change course. I'm going home."


The commodore left saying nothing.

The night fell. Captain in the helm showing the path in this fathomless depths. Everything was very quiet just like a storm brewing somewhere, ready to stir up the ocean. Still she went deeper the water.

The bell tolled. The sailor continued to work. The commodore heard the sailor whispering like they were planning on a mutiny.

"We are all going to end up in the locker, like the pirates, Heard that? If we go on like this we shall run straight in to the eye of the storm. Dead man tell no tales." One said to another.
"Now, it's between the devil and the deep blue sea. Kill or be killed." Another said jokingly.

"Please only state your opinion when your are spoken to and please confine your pirate belief within yourself. Until then, do exactly what captain asked you to. That would be a pleasure.", the commodore said disgracefully.

It started with a light rain and then lightning struck .Wind grasped the sails of the ship, began to play with it ruthlessly. Soon the rain converted into a storm. The lightening illuminating the dark, attacking the roaring waves. The colossal waves counterattacking the thunderstorm with wave peaks like trident. The sailor witnessed a hellish war between Poseidon and Zeus. Battling against each other with everything they got with the sailors caught in between. The lightning and the tempest no one could be easily conquered.

The waves crashed over the ship and swung it like a cradle. One after another. Until the ship gave up and the mainmast and fall over.

The commodore said, "We are gaining speed, sir. If we continue like this we shall fall straight to the heart of the storm."

The captain looked at him and said, "Take the helm. I have one duty to fulfill."

Then the captain went back to the cabin, took his quill and wrote a letter. Then he put it on a wine bottle. With determination and hope in his heart he finally tossed it overboard into the waves. The bottle began its longest journey.

The captain made his way through the impatience sailors and stepped on his deck knowing this would be the last. He hold the shrouds and said with a strong voice, "Sailors, we have been in many battles together. Smiled and cried together. Fired cannons and rang our swords together, side by side. But now here comes a calamity like none other we came across. It's a battle of our mind and valor of our soul. May god help us and hope be on our side. We shall now change the course. We shall get out of this catastrophe."

"There will be the devil to pay." Someone cried.

The captain himself knew it was too late. The waves had grown bigger and more fearsome. The wind and water turned into a whirlpool. The ship rocked violently and wrecked.

"Captain, give the orders." They cried and yearned.
"Abandon ship. Abandon ship." Someone screamed.
The captain said nothing. Just stood and a tear fell on the deck as rain washed it away. A bolt of lightning was the last thing he ever saw before the dark water devoured him.


An afternoon of 1850,

A girl walking by the shore of Celtic sea. She noticed a bottle laying near the coast line. Curiously she picked it up. It was very old, hazy, moss covered. She shook it and felt something was inside of it. Picking up a pebble she broke the bottle and a parchment fell out, untouched by time or water. She unfolded it and read,

"My dearest wife, I'm writing to you with a heavy heart. As a captain, I'm nothing but a failure. I drove my crews right into the eye of the storm and I have doomed us all. Nothing but death lies ahead. All I ever wanted to put a smile on your face. I can't bear the thought of you being alone for another moment. Now, here I'm leaving you alone forever. I don't know when this will reach you or will ever reach you. Don't be sad cause this isn't the end. I will meet you in the next lifetime, my dear. Just wait for me. I will find you. Death will not part us. I will come to you, my love. - Yours truly, your unlucky husband."