. A small section of wave broke away from the rest and rolled forward. As the top turned, a cap of white foam formed. It crept up the shore, smoothing out small footprints which had not long been there. Another wave made its way onto the sand and into the crevices of a hand still embedded in the sand.1
The owner of the hand lifted it and watched as the waves washed the indentation away. She pressed both hands down this time. A tear dripped off her cheek and into the ring finger of the left hand, where her wedding band had made a small impression. A widow’s ring now, though she refused to accept it then.2
A small breeze came off the ocean whipping her light dress against her thinning frame. The dress had seen better days, as well as the young body within it. The wind pulled at her red tresses, plastering them to her tear stained face.3
Out of a pocket on the bodice of her dress she pulled a small note. Creases criss-crossed the page and the paper was worn as if it had been folded and re-folded so many times before. She opened it once more. The words were smeared in places from the tears she had shed, but the message still rang clear. He was not coming back.4
She took the paper, and just like many times before, carefully folded it up, putting it in the pocket closest her heart. A seagull suddenly perched on a rock jutting out oddly not far from her. It sparked a memory not long in her past. It was her last memory of him. It came to her as clear and vivid as the tide pools that surrounded her home. 5
A couple walked hand in hand down a sandy beach. A ship had thrown down anchor not far off. There was quite a bustle on deck, but the beach was quiet.6
They walked in silence, just enjoying the last few moments of each other’s company. He suddenly turned in front of her, clasping both of her delicate hands in his capable callused ones. The boyish grin on his face let show none of his sadness of the loaming departure.7
“I’ll miss you,” he said, with the grin never leaving his face. His eyes twinkled to match. They were the color of the sea, but seemed as if long days on deck in the sun had faded them. She loved the way those eyes looked at her, now and always. “It’ll be a short trip, but we should be able to live off the wages for a while. Most of us sailors don’t like the route cause of the natives, but they’re perfectly friendly if you speak the language. I’ll be back in no time, you’ll see.” 8
He looked into her eyes, a small grin still on his face until he saw semi-agreement in her. He kissed her gently on each cheek, then fully on the lips. The kiss was brief, and not deep, yet it still left them each with a feeling of breathlessness.9
He untangled his hands from hers and strode away across the twinkling sand. He looked back only once, and then only with his small two-fingered wave. She just stood there because she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t do anything really. She didn’t move in fear of losing herself-control and running after him like a foolish girl would after a first love.10
She watched until high noon, when the ship started out onto the endless blue sea on its voyage. As she turned away finally, she saw a gull on rock, curiously jutting out from the sand.11
12
Another seagull dove at the one perched on the rock. They both took off together, and she watched them swooping and diving until they could no longer be seen. 13
She took that note forsaken note out one more time, the last time. Tears of rage, rage like the dark ocean on a stormy night, filled her eyes as she tore the paper to pieces no larger than her chewed and bitten finger nail. How dare he leave her? How dare he not be more 14
careful?15
She had finally abandoned all hope of his return. The place deep inside her heart where a small spot of hope had cowered, but still had dully shined through, had now been snuffed out. 16
Of coarse what was left of her family had warned her about giving her precious heart to a sailor. Too many were taken by the sea to their watery graves, but she had not listened. She had loved him, and would continue to until the end of whatever she could salvage of her life. She thought this all, when her grief had turned to anger, but soon it subsided back to the sobs of a morose woman weeping for the one she had loved with all her being.17
She fell to her knees, right where she had been standing. Some of the pieces of that note were still on the sand, clinging with little hope of evading the ever seeking sea breeze. In a way she had been trying to escape her grief, like the paper, but like it had little chance and had finally succumb to the full blown reality of it. 18
This was something she would never live a day without forgetting, no matter how hard she tried. Not that she wanted to forget him. He had been everything she wanted, and needed. She hadn’t been aware of how much he had fulfilled her until those times when he was absent. It was like being able to see flowers, but no color, and hear sounds, but no music. Everything was still available, but it was lacking, as if it was missing its beauty, without him present.19
Her feet carried her down the beach. Only a few thoughts ran through her head, mostly outrageous options to end her predicament, but they were all sounded quite rational to her grief crazed mind. The sand was just warm in the early morning light, and the seas were empty as far as the eye could see. Empty, except for a small dock, the dock that she had now reached. It was the dock he had left from, but never returned to.20
Sailors moved quickly at their work. The rough soles of their feet scuffed against the old smooth, yet well maintained, planks. The oak planking creaked each time her own small heal hit; her walk was no longer as graceful for the sorrow that pulled at her soul.21
A small section of dock was clear at the end from the normal coils of rope and stacks of barrels, past the ship’s docking at the side. All she met through her walk was pitied glances from eyes of all colors of those left of crews that her love had sailed on before. Only a few were there. Many were off in a tavern, drunk, sailing other waters, or sunk at the bottom of the blue expanse with ships, fish, and him. None of those left offered comfort. None stopped with the rhythm of their work to speak two words. Just pity was all she received and that was worst of all.22
She stood at the end and gazed our across the deadly azure killer. It had taken him, and now it would take her. Doing nothing more, she leaned her thin frame toward the deep ocean and just released her emotions as she released tension in her body. She cried out as pale body first struck the frigid water, but the liquid soon entered her lungs, enveloping the last of her hurt, and cooling her slowing heart.23
********************************************************************24
Work barely paused as the scream of a falling woman rang out, but what ever break there had been did not last long. One man though, did drop the rope he had been rechecking and double tying, to put forth a burst of speed to that dock edge. He dove into the water with the leap of an experienced swimmer. The cold rushed in around, but did not faze him. Reaching his quarry, he swam with strong practiced strokes to the surface, pulling the dainty and lifeless body with him by her thin wrist.25
He surface broke with a sparkle of tears as he gasped for air. Handing the woman up to a set of waiting hands, he used his own worn hands to boost himself back onto the dock. He leaned over and felt for a pulse in the vital spots, but failed to find one. He was too late and nothing could be done to help her now. 26
He reached down to brush the woman’s eyes shut with his finger and it traveled down to a locket at her neck on a gold chain. It seemed to be familiar, but it took him long moments to remember. He had seen it before, or something very similar, only in the hands of a sailor not much younger than himself. They had become acquainted at a small inn in one of the coastal cities during a warm and humid evening. He had seemed so excited to have acquired the small piece with its inlaid ivory rose. The sailor, who always seemed to have a small grin on his face, said that it matched one he had given to his girl back at home at their wedding. He was planning to place a small lock of her hair and a small picture in this one to keep near himself as soon as he could find passage back home and get back to her. That had been but twenty-eight days previous, right before this failed savior’s last voyage. He looked at the young lady that lay across the dock at his knees, wondering if the other sailor had been speaking of this woman, who had needlessly thrown away her life, and killed her man’s spirit with her.27
A tear rolled down his sea moistened cheek to fall between the cracks of the boards. The salty tear joined the rest of the saline water, as just one teardrop among the ocean of tears.28
29
Author notes
I've been working on this for a while, and have considered multiple endings. Any and all suggestions and or critisism are welcome, as I want this to be improved upon. I'm sorry if it gets a little confusing with all the he's and she's. I'm trying to get it almost less person, in a broad sense that it could be anyone.
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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Very sad story. It does tug at the heart a bit. It is very endearing and all, although the plot is a bit predidctable. It is non-the-less a good write. Good job and good luck in the contest.
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Thanks sooo much for reading...and I'm soo sorry I didn't comment on this...I swear I did!! I feel so bad for not commenting. I remember reading this!! It's a truly enjoyable story and I think that you have the art of using detail in a beautiful down. Thanks for entering!!!
Sara
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May The Force Be With You!
I Didn't want to edit the story because I thought I might loose the italics, but I did read the rules. :-P -
This was great, beautiful imagery and an interesting plot. This has a classic feel to it, as the 'lost at sea' theme used to be common, but is rarely used anymore. Also, the way you've written it makes it seem as if it could be any time period, today or a century ago. Great job, and good luck
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wow, this was spectcular! This didn't seem very long to me (in regard to previous comments) and it was delightful to read! I loved the theme and plot, her character seemd so well established, and the POV was great!
Love,
Katy
~*LiquidLullaby*~ -
this was very long. ME and you are diffrent you read the whole thing i read the first couple of lines but sounds very interesting good job.
Katie
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great
wow.. this was great.... im speechless.. yes.. it makes complete sense.. not confusing at all.. such skill was brought out from this.. the imagery was umbelievable.. i loved it.. wonderful story.. well thought through.. well written.. it was ended very well.. i dont think it could be any better.. this was a very beautiful piece.. and i hope there are many more that follow.. very nice write..
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