Tidal Insurance
The seas pitched their boat up and down as the waves crashed into and around them. Daniel slopped among the bow trying to hang on for dear life. His fingers clung white knuckled to every rope, side bar and handle he could find until he threw himself into the wheelhouse. Captain Sinclair stood slack at the wheel turning it wildly from side to side. His knees bent and he seemed to be moving with the sea itself. He wore a long thick admiral jacket and a hat that looked like he had stole it from the pirates museum back on shore. He nodded along and sang a shanty over the roar of the torrential sea while whipping the wheel to the right, catching it mid hurricane spin and then ever so slightly spinning it to the left.
“Aye, Daniel , how was the mast ?” He turned his head and peered back at Daniel who was still recovering and wiping the rain off his face.
“Mast? We barely have a ship left, didn’t you know there was storm coming? You told me this was going to be a nice fishing trip.”
“Aye, Daniel, I did, didn’t I” Captain Sinclair rolled his shoulders a few rotations and let go of the wheel to turn and face Daniel “I’m going to let you into a little secret” he glanced towards the wheel then back at Daniel “God will take care of that “ he assured Daniel.
“Let me guess? You lied?” Daniel said as he shimmied upon the side of the back wall to steady himself.
Captain Sinclair nodded. His face was stern, a bushy full white beard covered down to his chest. His eyes blazed a hazy type of gray. “I lied”
A wave picked up the boat and the feeling of leaving gravity behind over took the wheelhouse. Captain Sinclair turned back to the wheel while Daniel pushed himself off of the wall and to the standing handle bars next to the captain. A wave had caught the boat and they were raising into the air, a vast darkness eclipsed their vision and the roller coaster started. They crested at the top of a massive wave and then pitched near vertical drop. The sea opened its liquid jaws of erosive force to swallow them up. Daniel let out a scream of pure terror while Captain Sinclair grit his teeth in a wild smile.
“This is what we live for boy!” The captain roared as the whole boat nose dived.
The front of the boat slammed into the sea. Daniel lost his grip and slammed into the floor and then into the handle bars. His body was being tossed around like it was in a drying machine. The captain rode the momentum, his body bouncing to an unknown rhythm that only a cruel mistresses could teach. As the boat leaned, he leaned against it, as it pitched back and forth he dipped and bobbed as if he was riding a while animal. Even if the force whipped the inside of the cabin the Captain whipped with smooth precision and a liquid confidence. The boat crashed into numerous waves, the wood and metal joints groaned and held with glue made from the heavens.
“We are almost out of this, just hold on a few more seconds”
“Hold on to what?!” Daniel splashed around the floor holding the now broken handle bar.
One moment they were surrounded by darkness and an army of massive waves, the next clear blue skies and a radiating sun shined through the windows.
Captain Sinclair let go of the wheel with both hands with a laugh. He helped Daniel up and opened the door from the wheelhouse onto the small deck. Daniel immediate thew up over the side of the boat.
When he recovered he surveyed the open seas. It looked normal enough until he saw it. Out in the distance, something impossibly big, an island of sorts rose into the clouds. Then he noticed the water. It was a teal color, a thick greenish blue film rests on top of the water and it was completely still. He whipped around to see where they had just emerged from. A wall of pitch black clouds which swirled like a beast wrestling behind a sheet withered at him. They had gone through that, to get to where ever they were now.
Captain Sinclair was fixing the front of the boat which had taken heavy damage when he turned back to Daniel “I have another confession to make”
Daniel was to banged and bruised to even fight with the Captain like he tried right before entering the storm. “I know, no fishing, and I bet you don’t even know how to fish. Probably a real pirate or something”
A sincere look in the captains eyes took Daniel by surprise. Up until now they had shone a crazy and unhinged nature. “I do know how to fish, but the confession, Daniel. I kidnapped you, deceived you to come out here with me”
Daniel nodded with half lidded eyes.
The captain kept speaking “Out there among the Tidal Oceans is an island of unimaginable treasure, but among that treasure is my daughter.” The Captain frowned and turned away from Daniel, he searched the calm sea for words, or pushed back memories “They took her and no one will help me, no one. I have tried every sailor, captain, every person with a soul to help me get her back, brave the torrential storm of Eden and make it back here to the Tidal Oceans. None would help. So I advertised, and found you, tricked you. Now that we have made it. I realized an error. I have done the same, in a different way, as they have done to my daughter. Your only way back is with me, your only chance is with me, you have no choice, but I must speak these words from my lips. I am sorry, Daniel”
The captain brought his left hand to his eyes and rubbed deeply. Daniel knew how to crew a ship, knew how to handle himself among the calmer waters, he was a survivor. He would survive this. The captain was right, he had no idea what was going on and he could not get back through that hell alone. He was exhausted. Confused. All the emotions of madness and anger had dissipated long ago.
“I’ll help you” he breathed to the captain “I just need some rest, your one crazy son of a bitch, I just need some rest”
The captain nodded moving towards Daniel and put his arm around him to help him back to the sleeping quarters “Aye, Daniel, we both do.”
The open ocean and its eternal depths. I have a bit of Thalassophobia I always think about whales being underneath me or if you are on a boat at night and just looking out among the dark ocean. Worst yet, I have seen some of those videos of ships out at sea inside storms. Massive waves crashing against them and all around a chaotic dance of water. I set this story in the middle of the journey through the storm. I was going to make it comedy, Daniel being just some dude that wanted to go fishing caught up in a crazy captains adventure,but I think I could expand in the future if Daniel had some skills.
We shall see.
Watch out for what lurks below the waves
Cheers~