The Castle

(This is my first attempt at writing in a few years and I am a little nervous about posting this.  I hope you enjoy it.)

                                            The Castle

         The castle walls towered above her as she sat in the courtyard.  All day she had been working to complete what was this morning just a glorious dream.  From the watch towers that stretched high about the ocean to he moat that surrounded to castle to keep out unwanted intruders, her castle was perfect. 
         With pride in her eyes she stood up and yelled to her mother, "Look mommy I finished it."
         "That's nice dear." Her mother said with a passing glance her way.
         Not satisfied with the response of her mother she yelled out to her father.  He was stretched out on a chair and his eyes were closed.  But, she knew if there was anybody in this world that would appreciate the hard work and dedication that she had put in to the castle it was her dad.  "Hey, dad look at what I made."
         Here father opened one eye and looked over at her.  "Good work sweaty.  I like how you dug the trench around it."
         "How I dug the trench?"  The little girl said to herself.  He doesn't even know a perfectly built moat when he sees one. 
She glanced over at her little brother who was digging in the sand next to her mom.  He hopeless she thought, as he started throwing sand in the air.  He is way too little to enjoy this kind of grand architecture.
She turned her attention away from her family members and noticed a wave quietly sneaking up the beach toured her castle.  The water started to stop just shy of the castle walls and filled in her moat.
The little girl looked up at the sky and thanked God.  Now here castle was perfect.
She laid back down in the courtyard and stared up at the sky.  The sun was starting to set and the sky was a deep purple with ripples of blues, and oranges.  This was the most perfect moment she could remember I her six years of life.
But her tranquility was quickly washed away as a stream of water came bursting through the entrance of her castle.  The inside quickly filled up with a few inches of water.  She stood up.  And, to her horror another wave was charging up the beach.  This wave was a little bigger than the last and the rush of water ripped the entrance open even wider as a part of her wall fell in.
She yelled to her parents,"Mom, Dad, look at what the Ocean is doing to my castle."
Her mother glanced over and said, "Where going to be leaving in a few minutes.  Make sure you put your shovel and pale away."
"What?  But, mom my castle..."  She was shocked.  How could her mother tell her to put her shovel and pail away?  That would be like telling King Arthur to send his Knights home in the middle of battle.  The enemy has already breach her main defenses and the castle walls were already starting to fall.
Her mother obviously didn't understand the nature of war.  Her castle was under siege.  She yelled to her father, "Daddy look!" 
"Listen to your mother," He replied, with out opening and eye.
How could he sit there just a few feet away as this horrible seen plays out before him and not even open and eye? 
She turned back to her enemy and was devastated at the destruction that lay before her.  The watch towers had fallen with out even a word of warning.  She had planned to man the towers tomorrow with her brother's toy Army men.  If only she had thought ahead and brought a few of them with her today things may have been different.
But, this was no time to think of what she should have done.  This was a time to act.  She started to dig and dig.  She was going to build a wall so big the Ocean would cower in fear before it.  She spent the next ten minutes digging and packing sand on the wall. 
Only the Ocean wasn't intimidated by her wall in fact it had risen and was now just a few feet away.  Its waves were coming faster and more powerful.
"Honey, a wave just took you pail.  You better go get it before the ocean takes it and you never see it again."  Her mother said as she was picking up the sand toys.
The little girl looked up and sure enough her pale was being drawn into the deep by a retreating wave. 
"So, the ocean is trying to take my pale hostage."  She ran from her wall in to the coming tide and retrieved the pail by the handle.
"Bring that pail up here." Her mother said.
"But, mom..."
"No buts, little lady listen to you mother." Her father said.
"Yes dad." She replied.
She ran the pail up to her mother.
"Thank you." Her mother said, taking the pail from her.  "Now go find your shovel."
She turned to get her shovel and the perfectly build castle with the moat was gone.  So was the wall she had been building.  And, once again she saw the Ocean trying to take another tool hostage.  She ran into the water and retrieved her shovel. 
She turned back around and looked up the beach.  Her mother was already walking to the car with her brother.  Her father was standing at the edge of the water holding a chair and a towel.  The little girl walked up to her father and he handed her the towel.  She took his hand and started walking with him to the car.
She took one last look back at the place in the sand where her castle had been.  It was now covered in water.  She turned back and looked up at her father.  He was also looking back at the spot where her castle had been.  Only, he had a little smile on his face.
"Daddy have you ever had to fight to keep something?"
"Only everyday." He replied.
She looked up at him not understanding what he meant.
He continued, "But, it was nice of you to fight that battle.  I needed a day off."
The little girl looked up at her daddy and his smile had gotten bigger.  She didn't know why, but she felt a little pride swell up inside her.
"Dad this was the best day ever.  Can we come back tomorrow?