Remember Linda and Anton? The two inhabitants of Windfall Island who were in love but never had the guts to tell each other? Yeah well, this is my way of shipping them. This is just a quick one-shot about their son, Maxwell (my OC).
Enjoy!
Maxwell maneuvered his small yellow sailboat through the calm waters of the Great Sea. His mother, Linda, had asked him to travel to Outset Island. He had been sent to pick up a few things from Sue-Belle, a close friend of his mother's. He would have liked to spend more time at the peaceful island, but he knew he couldn't stay long. He quickly finished his errands and made his way back home to Windfall Island.
As he sailed, Maxwell found himself getting distracted. He kept slowing his boat down to admire small islands or look up at the clouds. At one point he stopped entirely to admire a school of iridescent fish that passed his boat. When his home island began to appear over the western horizon Maxwell sighed.
So soon? I thought I had at least a little more time to enjoy the open seas.
A breeze ruffled his light brown hair and he sighed again. It was beautiful day; temperate with a light wind, bright with a warm sun. The water was even warmer than usual, almost tepid. It was the perfect day to just relax on a quiet little beach and maybe go for a swim.
Maxwell looked once more towards his home then to the luminous water all around him. The ocean seemed be calling to him. After much hesitation he turned the boat due north instead of northwest towards the island.
Just a small detour, Maxwell thought to himself. I won't be long.
Maxwell maneuvered the sail to catch as much wind as possible and let the wind carry him as fast as it could. As he cut through the clear waters of the Great Seas a sound suddenly caught his attention.
He stopped the boat and listen hard. The sound had been ominous and muffled as though it had come from under water, yet it had also been lyrical. As he stood in his boat listening, the only thing he could hear were the sounds of the sea.
He glanced back to where he had heard the sound. Maybe… Maxwell directed his boat back the way he came and sure enough the sound came back. That same mysterious, muffled, beautiful melody. He traveled around slowly, trying to find out where the sound was loudest. Even at its loudest the music wasn't sonorous; it was only a murmur. Confident that he had reached the point where the music was loudest, he began to study the water around him. He so surprised that he almost fell out of his boat. The water all around him was shimmering!
Maxwell took deep breaths to calm himself then tried to see if there was something underneath the water. Unfortunately, the water wasn't limpid enough to see through.
But there must be something under there.
Determined, Maxwell began scouring his boat for anything that might help him hoist whatever was under there up. After a few minutes he found a rope, some hooks and a small chain. He fashioned those objects into a rod of sorts and lowered it into the water.
After a few tries he felt the end of his rod hit something. He then maneuvered his hook under the object and began pulling it up, slowly and carefully.
At last, the object breached the surface, and Maxwell let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. At the end of his rod was a fairly small black box. He brought it over the edge of the boat and gingerly placed it in the floor. The box seemed ancient and as a result wasn't aesthetically pleasing; years under the sea had certainly taken its toll.
What could possibly be in such an old little box? Maxwell asked himself. He then shrugged and knelt down by the box. Only one way to find out…
Maxwell threw the lid open in one swift motion and instantly had to shield his eyes. In the box were hundreds of dazzling jewels, each shining with the brightness of a thousand suns. This was a small fortune worth of jewels! How could anyone shut this up in a box and toss in the sea?
Maxwell reached into the box, enjoying the feeling of holding a handful of jewels, then noticed a note stuck to the lid of the box. It was addressed to "The Finder of this Fortune". Curious, Maxwell unfolded the letter and began reading.
You are very lucky to have stumbled upon this treasure. However, I do
not think luck is the only thing at play. I suspect that one must also be
adventurous, observant and above all courageous to have found this
treasure. Hold on to those traits; they will always prove to be rewarding.
Keep this treasure. Consider it a gift. And continue to
be the brave child you are. One day, you'll achieve grand things.
I know I did.
The Legendary Hero
The Legendary Hero?!
Maxwell sat dumbfounded then eventually broke out into a huge smile. This little detour ended up being very interesting.
Maxwell admired the letter once more before closing it up with the gems. He looked up at the setting sun. His mother would start to worry soon. He was supposed to be back from Outset Island a while ago. He chuckled to himself as he turned his boat towards home.
Wait until she sees what I bring home.
Yeah... I had way too much fun writing this.
Thanks for reading!
Dani~
