Calm…tranquil…peaceful…silent…words like these come to mind on nights like tonight
Calm…tranquil…peaceful…silent…words like these come to mind on nights like tonight. The stars are shining and the moon reflects off of the still waters. The breeze whispers softly around us, exchanging the secrets of the unknown. The warm summer air caresses my face and stirs the dust on the railing of the little fishing boat. We're drifting along, my friends and I, allowing nature to carry us across the sea. And I fade into blackness…
I awake to the sound of fearful yelling, and a roaring in my ears. I open my eyes, and what I see seems a dream, even as much as the tenderness of late evening. Darkness meets my eyes, and through a flash of light I see my friends rushing around the boat. I feel the sharp rain pelting my face and smell the salty brine of the sea too close to where I was. The chill down my back awakens my mind and I realize that we're in trouble. My first thought is to panic. The wind is the roaring I hear, tossing us back and forth, making walking, let alone running, a most difficult task. Then something breaks through the haze that is the back of my minds and tells me not to panic. I calm myself down and think rationally, blocking the screams from my ears.
I scramble down the ladder below deck. "Master!" I cry, shaking the sleeping man. "Master, help! We are all going to die!"
The man opens his eyes and immediately gets up. He puts a hand on my shoulder and asks serenely, "Have you no faith?"
I follow him up the ladder back onto the deck. Another flash of light and my friends are still, watching, waiting. Not a breath is taken as the man holds his hands out and commands with authority, "Be still."
Calm…tranquil…peaceful…silent, once again.