Harsh gale winds broke against the bow of the ship, tossing it like a child’s toy. Although he wanted to be sick, far beyond his stomach, he stood in awe of the colorful pallet displayed on the horizon. Just within his sight the shadowy silhouette an island lined the horizon. It was midday, yet the dense clouds overhead and the pounding winds made it seem much later. As much as the gusts of wind threatened to destroy the ship, they also seemed to focus and simply push it with urgency. Indeed, often the others on the ship commented on how much faster they journey plodded forward then what was scheduled.
Washing across the deck a massive wave tossed him violently from one end of the ship to the other, ending with him crashing head first into the wooden protective rail. Around him everything became fuzzy and he choked out repeated mouthfuls of the salty water. Scratching at the deck he tried to pull himself form the rail. Without knowing which direction to go, he collapsed again and held onto the rail as if there was nothing more important.
“Brother Kyl hold the line.” A shipmate yelled through the roaring waves. “Its too late to get you below.”
The man’s gruff hands worked in blinding speeds tying the rope around the stunned man waste. As another massive wave crashed into the vessel, Brother Kyl felt himself flip over the rail and slam into the side of the boat. Before his vision fell into blackness he saw every detail of the face of the man who tied the rope to his body. He could see the man had accepted and known he was dead. In the final instant he offered a toothy grin. Brother Kyl’s mind was forever burned with that smile as lost all sense of himself.
Brother Kyl awoke as something continued to pull against his waist. Finally opening his eyes and seeing the rope, he followed it as it fed out into the water, still attached to a large chunk of the rail he was tied to. Regardless of the pain he was thankful to be alive. Immediately the face of the shipmate filled his vision. Quickly Kyl rose to his knees. Carefully drawing a curved symbol into the sand he whispered a prayer, closed his eyes and lifted his face to the skies. Dropping his hands into the sand, he scooped up the sand holding the symbol and tossed it into the air as he said another prayer.
Returning to his feet, Kyl realized how tired he was as he worked to loosen the knot pressing into his side. Every movement of his fingers sent pain and fatigue screaming through his wrists and up his arms. With each wave he stumbled back and forth fighting the constant tugging of the rope. Finally the knot fell slack and he was able to drop to his feet. Exhausted, Kyl blindly walked further inland. His mind blank, his legs collapsed and comfort was found as his head landed in soft grass. Sleep came immediately.
Beyond the soothing waves, everything around him was silent. Kyl could hear no sounds of anything else. No birds, no insects and no animals broke the silence. Something far beyond himself seemed to beckon him with only one thing certain, he would follow it.
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