Hopes for a Better Life

I set out in hopes to find a better life. I was always drawn to the water. The mixture of blues incorporating shadows. Once the sunsets, the reds mixing into the blues creating a beautiful reflection that makes you wonder about the glories of this world and what it holds for everyone. I also wondered about the things the water held within. From the many animals that keep ecosystems alive to the mysteries we have not searched. 

I’ve been interested in the water since I was a young boy. You see, my grandfather was a sailor. 

He was a sailor for his country and kept trade alive. He was about fifty-eight when he started teaching me about the ways of the ocean. Growing up, he never taught me the logistics of sailing itself. He took my down to the dock where his boat was, sat me down, and allowed me to look at a map that presented all the closet waterways. It was my job as his grandchild to pick exactly where I thought the golden treasure was. I always had the wrong answers, according to him, but it was my willingness to try that allowed me to get further. Once I could read and actually was in school, it started to teach my the logistics of the job. From reading a compass properly and how the wind guides the sails in order to go in the correct place. Teaching me how to properly sail a boat as well as the architecture behind a boat. He was knowledgeable behind boats and made me understand why he was so successful. But he never told me exactly how he got his job or what he did, but his stories were the best. From pirates trying to steal his products that he gave to the king directly to the amazing creatures he saw. I wanted to be just like him.  

I grew up, went to college and got an engineering degree as well as enrolling in the navy to create boats. I was very successful in my work; I built the best navy ships and submarines the navy had ever seen in the history of time. I loved my job but I also missed the life of adventure that I had with my grandfather. I wanted to honor his legacy by going on an adventure on the water that would be approved of. Ever since I was little, he dreamed of Alantis. It was a dream that I wanted to be real. 

My grandfather always told me, ̈It's not about the destination, it's about the journey ̈. 

I decided to go back to my roots and create one of my grandfathers ships. I made it from scratch with all the right equipment that allowed me to get there. I used maps and weather patterns that would get me there in about three weeks. The only thing I had to worry about the monsters in the ocean that prevented me from going there. I knew it could happen but I overlooked it and comminuted building my ship. My ship was white with red stripes with sails that were the best of the best. They could survive thunderstorms, hurricanes, and even monsters. I packed enough food and water to last me exactly four weeks. I brought extra food incase of any problems I would have. I set out the very next day after bulging into the ocean that awaited me. The sunshine was out and it was beautiful. Nothing was going to come into my way to stop me: or so I thought. 

Fast Forward to two weeks…  

The past two weeks have been a blessing. I haven had any problems or run ins with any sea creatures or angry waves. The closest I came to an angry creature was a seagull who could not take no for an answer with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I managed to give him the crust which made him go away. As the day went smoothly, I kept an eye on the weather to make sure nothing was going to happen. Night started to approach smoothly, the stars started to show threw reflecting off of the beautiful sea. Continuing on the Atlantis, I knew I was close. My math was right and everything was going to plan.

As I was checking my math, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silent splash go by. I thought it was nothing; however, it kept happening. I started to put my map down when all of a sudden a giant wave came over the boats dock. I immediately grabbed the wheel of the boat to get out of the way. All of a sudden, the boat begin to rock back and forth. However, there was no storm. There was no lightning or thunder or anything. On the side of the boat, my window looked out to the side and I saw a tencle that I never thought I'd ever seen in my life. A dark green, slimy tentacle came over my boat and grabbed it ́s suctions onto the nearest rope taking it into the water with it. I turned the wheel as fast I could in order to leave. I couldn't leave. He had wrapped his arms around the boat preventing me from moving. I ran to get my emergency food and my life rafts to leave. But it was too late. 

He pulled my ship down with him crashing the boat into pieces. He began to climb over the boat revealing a giant peak with two balck eyes hungering for its next meal. It’s head was as big as my ship itself. He gein crashing more and more pieces with him as  he moved causing the boat to break in half.The giant squid was so invested in my ship that I had enough time to escape. I gathered all of my supplies and jumped in the water. I swam as fast as a cloud to the nearest piece of metal that would hold me up. I saw him devour the food items remaining and began to go back down to the ocean. I could not see where he was going but I kept swimming with the piece of metal to hold me above water for my dear life. I managed to swim away and was in the middle of the ocean. I had none of my maps or my compass. I was stranded. 

I began to panic knowing that there was no materials helping me now. I knew all the engineering behind boats and how to survive a boat fire but never a giant squid attack that wasn’t prepared in to any of my courses. But I’d remember what my grandma taught me about astronomy and how the stars were the guide for me to follow, I just had to recognize it. I picked out stars that were closest to the north which allowed me to get to the closet shore. I swam and swam forever it felt like. I had no food or water; only the polluted sea water going in my lungs and nose. As I kept swimming, out in the distance, I could see the sighted piece of land. The moment I saw the land, I swam as hard as I could. I abandoned the metal board that held me above and swam. As I approached the land, I saw a boat. The boat must have been others who were exploring the island. I finally swam into shallow water that allowed me to stand. I ran. I ran faster than any humans have. 

I began screaming, “Hello! Is anyone on this island? Please help me!”

Luckily, I saw two other men in uniform come out of the bushes.  

“Good afternoon sir. What it wrong?”

“My ship was attacked by a giant squid. I had to swim for miles in order to get to this island. How long has it been since you have been on this island?” 

“We just arrived at my friend. We are more than welcomed to bring you back with us. We have food and water with extra clothes for you on our boat. Join us.”  

And that is exactly what I did. I begin to talk to these men and figured out their history. They were nice men who wanted to discover Alantis like I did. I shared my findings with them and realized that the difference between mine and theirs were that I had made a wrong coordinate that made me go into a high activity spot for squids. Both guys names were Bernard and Leonardo. They both were welcoming and both had degrees in engineering. These two committed their lives to the study of the ocean and wanted to know everything about it. We all had similar beliefs and wanted the same which started a partnership. 

This was the better life I had wanted without realizing it. A brotherhood that wanted adventure out on the sea. And that’s exactly what we were. We wrote books about our findings and stories. We became world famous with our findings. This is the life that I wanted for myself. The adventure on the water.