Sea-Rose
Once upon a time, a ferry was sailing through the cold glinting water of the Fire Island Bay. The sun had a golden streak to it, and it shone down onto the wind-wild hair of a girl who had never known the sea. She watched the horizon as an island became visible, shimmering against a blue August sky. Soon the vessel slowed and the churning motor became still. The boat entered a brown wooden dock and finally stopped. The girl walked down slippery steps and ventured out into a new world alone. She was fourteen years old.
The girl walked along the quiet island streets, trying to find her way. She had never ventured far outside her hometown, with its tall oaks and suburban houses, and yet here she was, in a place of sand and sea and cottages built from beach wood. She had come here, not for vacation, but to fulfill a promise that her father had made to an unknown villain. For weeks, things had been odd at home, with freak windstorms that shook their windows and a plumbing problem that had turned all the tap water salty. Her father could not sleep, for every time he tried he was nearly suffocated by the sand that fell in piles on top of him. The last day before she left she found the closets infested with crabs. Her father had to admit to her why all this was happening. So he told her a story of his past…
He had once been a successful business man, he had explained to her, one with unlimited wealth and power. He had lived in a penthouse in New York City and traveled all over the world. But he had been greedy and selfish as well. One day, while swimming in the bay off the mainland, the undertow dragged him away from the shore and he was afraid for his life. He quickly became too tired to swim any farther. He called out for help and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was on an unfamiliar beach. He looked up and saw a house overlooking the water. As he walked towards it, a glint of red caught his eye. Strewn on the sand were several rose colored pebbles. He picked them up and put them in his pocket, intending to sell them. Then he continued on. Hoping that someone was home, he knocked on the door of the beach house. There was no response, and the door was open, so he came in and sat down on a soft blue sofa. He had planned to wait for someone to return, but he soon drifted into sleep.
As he slept, he had a terrible dream, worse than any you can imagine. He dreamed that the ocean spoke to him, in a thundering, angry roar. It told him that he would not be alive if it was not for its intervention, and that he had been wrong to steal pebbles from its shore. Thousands of clouds began to gather above the sea, and the hiss of the foam made him tremble with fear. No matter how sincere his apology, the ocean refused to forgive. Nothing could save him from the water's fury, except… his daughter. The ocean demanded that she be sent in her father's place, when she was fourteen years old. At that time, one of them must return to this island where the theft had occurred. With the final shout from the sea, he woke up with a start, and found himself in a taxi headed home, with the stones still in his pocket.
So once his daughter was born, he had moved from the sight of the ocean to Columbus, Ohio, a place so far from the waves and the gulls that it was hard to believe they existed. He was able to live without fear and was happy with his family. But you cannot hide from the wild island waves; they are far stronger than ordinary trickery. The daughter was what the sea wanted, and the daughter it must have.
When the story was done, the girl was determined. This was her fate, and she had to accept it. She hugged her father and went to her room to pack. So that was how she had ended up here, entering an enchanted island to save her father from death. Her thoughts were interrupted by a deer that cut in front of her path. It left in silence and she continued looking for her new home.
Finally she came to a big house that was grey with white shutters. It was just as her father had described it. She walked in through the open door and found a large table covered with sand. Words were traced in the sand- "Welcome. Feel free to explore any part of the house that you choose. Join me for dinner at dusk on the beach."
The girl climbed up a flight of steps and came to her bedroom. It was cozy, with a comfortable bed and a ceiling fan, to keep off the summer heat. On the wall was a window that overlooked the sea. It opened up onto a small balcony with a rocking chair. When she went back downstairs, she found a kitchen with well stocked shelves. The living room had a piano and was full with cheery furniture. She continued to enjoy herself until the sun began to set.
The girl knew it was time for dinner when an insistent breeze grasped her hand and pulled her to the door, leading her to the beach. The sun was gone from sight and the moon was rising. The hush of night settled over the island. The tide was rising now, edging closer to her. Then a wave came right to her feet and, when it receded, left behind a china plate with delicious smelling food on it. The place was set with shining silverware. Across from her was a crystal vase with a single rose.
As she ate, the stars appeared. She looked at them and thought of her father- was he watching them too? A tear of homesickness fell on her cheek, but a soft breeze wiped it away. She smiled and just as she was about to say goodnight, she saw words written on the beach sand. "Will you marry me?" it read. "No." she said. "But I wish you sweet dreams." She stood, shook the sand off her clothes, and went back inside.
This routine continued for days and days. Every morning she awoke with a new set of things to explore. Every night she dined with the ocean. And each time, the ocean asked her to marry him. She always refused. But now, they talked more, with the ocean telling her stories about mermaids and sea monsters and the girl explaining e-mail and airplanes. One day, the ocean offered to teach her how to swim. She agreed but still struggled with the most basic strokes. Sleepy from her efforts, she floated on her back as the warm water held her up.
But despite all this, the girl still missed her home. Summer was over, and the leaves in Ohio would be turning gold. Sometimes she wished she could see her family again. One night the ocean wrote, "Why are you so sad?" She responded "I miss my father and my home." "You may go to them if you wish, but know that every day you are gone is a day I will suffer without you." But she promised that she would return in a month. As she turned back to the house, she thought she heard a sad sigh from the waves.
The girl returned to her father as soon as she could. She enjoyed being home and the days passed quickly. A month came to an end and her father convinced her to stay longer. "The weather is terrible at this time of year." he said. She nodded, and stayed for three more months. In December she began to feel her heart crying for her Ocean- she had to return.
The island was different now. The air was cold and snow covered the ground. The house was bleak and damp. The sky was grey. It seemed as if the whole island were dying. The girl ran out to see her dear ocean and called "I am here!" No answer came. "Say something!" she yelled. But the sea was too weak to answer. "I am sorry I left you like I did. I thought that I needed to be home, but it was you I needed more! I love you!" Then the girl dove into the freezing water. The temperature made her numb and she fainted.
When she woke up she was lying on the sand while a boy looked at her with a concerned look in his shining green eyes. "Are you ok? I was worried about you!" "Who are you?" she asked. "I am a prince who was cursed to become the ocean spirit until a girl falls in love with me. And now I ask you, will you marry me?" The girl was overcome with joy and all she could say was "Yes!"
So the island was full of cheering crowds and a wedding was held like no other. The prince and his princess lived for many years in that palace near the sea, and when the prince became king, he moved his country's capital there so that they would never have to leave. They lived happily ever after.