A short story by Erica Fransisca. Click here to read more of my work.
There was a boy who fell in love with the ocean: with the blue of her waters, the coolness of her touch, and the mystery that lies in her depths. The village called him “fish boy” because he learned to swim before he knew how to walk and because he spent more time in the waters than he ever did on land.
He would wake every morning before sunrise just to catch the first glint of sunlight caressing the sparkling surface, which resembled a bed of diamonds. When the boy was old enough, he built himself a boat and rowed until the shore became a tiny speck, so that there was nothing else to disturb him and the sea. There he would wonder about what treasures and beauty were hidden deep below, listen to the water gently lapping his wooden boat, and talk to her. He would come back only once the sun had set, and even sometimes remain drifting in the dark, waiting for a shooting star so that could grant his wish. No matter how far he went adrift, he was never lost, because the ocean guided him.
Yet to say he lived in isolation would be inaccurate as he was never lonely. In the ocean, he found everything a man ever sought. Companion. Happiness. Lover. Peace. Purpose.
One day he was alone with the sea and pictured the water taking the shape of a girl. “I wish I could hold you. I wish you were human so we could kiss.”
No matter how far he went adrift, he was never lost, because the ocean guided him.
“We could,” said a voice from behind him. The boy froze. Yes, he could speak to the ocean, but this was something different. This was not the language of nature; not the tender rustling of the breeze or the sweet crashing of the waves. No, someone human was talking to him.
The boy spun and there she was. A beautiful girl with eyes as blue as the ocean and hair as fair as the clouds, yet still there was a mystical charm about her. He knew exactly who she was, and said, “You…”
“I hear you, you know,” said the girl, whose smile was so bewitching it intoxicated him. “All these years, I hear you. I feel you. And I do want you too.”
The girl could not leave the ocean for she was the ocean, and though the boy was made of earth, he wanted more than anything to become one with his true love. So, he built a larger boat. He filled it with provisions and all a man needed to survive. He spent weeks at a time, sometimes months, without ever returning to shore. Those who knew thought him mad for renouncing civilized life.
But the boy did not care, for the ocean has made herself known to him.
They danced all day and embraced all night. He told her the stories he knew from his childhood days, and she enchanted him with secrets of the seven seas. She helped him swim far deeper than any man could, brought to him the largest, most delectable fishes, and taught him how the waves were like an open book. In return, he showered her with every drop of love, respect, and devotion he had, and she basked in his undying affection.
“This is perfect,” she said one night as they lay on the deck. Their hands were entwined, eyes locked on the star-spangled canvas. “But I’m scared it won’t last.”
In the lifetime of water, man is but a flitting interference—a blink, and they’re gone. The boy did not realize this yet. “What do you mean? I said I will love you forever and I will.”
The girl smiled, “I believe you, and yet your forever is merely one day in my existence.”
He turned on his side to meet her gaze. In those captivating blue eyes, he saw celestial beauty, but he also saw reflected the eons she had lived before she ever met him. Suddenly, he was afraid. He wanted eternity with her; not just his version of eternity, but time’s.
“I know I have longed for the ocean since I was born. Even before that, I think,” he said. “My soul was made to love you, so this body is but a vessel. Maybe in another life, I will come to you again. Can you imagine?”
In those captivating blue eyes, he saw celestial beauty, but he also saw reflected the eons she had lived before she ever met him… He wanted eternity with her; not just his version of eternity, but time’s.
The girl, who was also the ocean, closed her eyes and imagined. For some strange reason, she could. She was old and had taken many lovers throughout her life, yet none of them was ever as sincere as this boy. Perhaps the gods would allow a love as strong as theirs to transcend mortal constraints.
“Do you promise to come back?” she asked.
“Even if it takes my entire lifetime, I will always find you again.”
They lived happily for many decades, ever in love, reassured by this promise. The two became one and forgot who they were without each other. He remained afloat most days of the year; she relinquished the world to be with him.
Nearing the end of his days, the boy reminded his lover of his promise and his intention to keep it still. “Don’t cry,” he said. “I shall be with you again before you know it.”
When death finally came, the ocean mourned but did not rage. There was no storm, no ship wrecked, no drowning. Instead, there was a moment of strange stillness that overcame the seas. The waters were calm and the waves gentle.
Some men assumed the ocean had given up, driven to madness by humanity’s ignorance, and that the end of the world was near. But the ocean was not tired; she was hopeful and waiting for her lover to return.
This short story was first published on Deviantart.