Left.... Right.... Left.... Right....1134Please respect copyright.PENANAJMcv7PelN2
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAMilnrcwB4U
The swaying of the ship seemed almost hypnotic as the lights slowly went out on deck, leaving just the small fairy lights twinkling, a simulacrum of the night sky. Passengers stumbled back to their rooms on the ship, the after-effects of the night's partying clear to see - some staggered off in groups of 5 or more, still clenching their glasses and laughing raucously as they disappeared down the stairs; others dangled uselessly like rag dolls between their more sober friends, barely conscious enough to put one foot in front of the other; and still more were left to doze on the deck, the metal dishes that had earlier held chips now cradled the heads of sleepy drunks. A 'Just Married' sign looked down on the scene, the couple in question having snuck off a few hours into their wedding party, to 'continue the festivities' below deck.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAbdAFgkV7oT
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAAtAhF925rK
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANArC5whgmBAh
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA4jRxOXY9nE
The bell, hung in the top corner of the doorframe, rang for the first time in a long while. All the heads in the cramped office turned to see who it might be. A young couple, still caught in the awed stage of "I can't believe we're getting married", strolled through the glass doors of the tour agency, fingers tightly linked. The girl smiled sweetly at the nearest tour agent and dragged her fiancée (her fiancée! The thought still made her giggle) over to the counter.1134Please respect copyright.PENANA2rYyXk1fv4
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAcLIgFy1xF8
One of the posters tacked on to the display board caught her eye1134Please respect copyright.PENANAiF2k9aVHic
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAoOq7v71EJy
"The ride of your life!"1134Please respect copyright.PENANADEwosJghUQ
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAanQ6K8sKyD
"Unparalleled delights, unimaginable fun, and everlasting memories to be had!"1134Please respect copyright.PENANAUx9eiT44WT
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAgPzkc741N3
The cruise ship was marketed as the best out there for people searching for an unforgettable experience, with voyages to exotic locations and low prices. Still reeling from the various student debts they'd accumulated through college, the young couple jumped on the opportunity of a cheap, but memorable wedding. Better yet, the girl excitedly whispered into her fiancé's ear, a wedding on a ship - how much more romantic can it get?1134Please respect copyright.PENANAEBhoV7t5qX
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA9CKuOip4dv
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANALPVaQ0rVk2
1134Please respect copyright.PENANACw7x3IKmE3
The young man smiled as he watched his wife-to-be float down the aisle on the arm of her proud father. She brought up her bouquet to hide her wide smile before she remembered that there was a veil, then had to fight the urge to turn and press her blushing face into her father's arm. The pair had reached the altar by this point, and she took her husband-to-be's outstretched arm, brimming with happiness at the thought of finally being married to this man.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAJpOzJKK8jr
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAtbdffWab1Q
The ceremony passed in a blur - the pair would be hard-pressed to say what they recalled of the priest or his message - but it all sharpened - like the smell of the sea-salt in the air - as the priest blessed their marriage, and "you may now kiss the bride" echoed in their ears. The two happily obeyed, lips meeting in a soft press as their joy overflowed. The crowd cheered along with them, celebrating with them. Finally breaking apart, the married couple smiled bashfully at their guests. She wondered if she would remember this moment forever.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAxWKCGHj3Gy
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA5a1VJBOrhg
A wonderful memory. Shared with all of these people.1134Please respect copyright.PENANA0UzNJ27j0B
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAIZGym7gtXn
Shared with friends and family.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAGDCI0Gsr3b
1134Please respect copyright.PENANATIaAh2Vi5F
...1134Please respect copyright.PENANA4tgzfRCRdk
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAxUQ8GcLfjM
And strangers.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAJujNkoAE5u
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAIlMNVrg1Aj
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANAlu1U6Tom2k
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAabQHRoUQ8s
They'd been on this ship for... A day? A couple days? He looked down at his wife, still dressed in her flowing white gown, the gown that now matched her flowing white hair, still held up in twists and pins - like on their wedding day. She smiled up at him, and, with a smile on her face, closed her eyes.1134Please respect copyright.PENANASSEerpAwGX
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA3It9WA2FA1
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANASt0AlxJAmL
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0t5Py27Lw
Her lids slip shut.1134Please respect copyright.PENANABZaohCXI7K
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAFJYzph5ojl
She dreams.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAj5OfkGRihB
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA3NA856IYnr
She crumbles.1134Please respect copyright.PENANA7nqdPRK26c
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAXO10pqNGUi
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANArWstFSyoEA
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAS3B3JSxAZh
The old man returns to his cabin, alone. He sits silently at his desk, makes a mark on the notepad in front of him, like he's done every night. Today's different though: today, he sits there and writes.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAs7gkmlTd2V
1134Please respect copyright.PENANANuFyR8hWDf
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANAn0udJ00LvA
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAhGmEuQBqUM
Left.... Right.... Left.... Right....1134Please respect copyright.PENANAgX0xlKeYfi
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAuCUmxKesWr
The swaying of the ship seems almost hypnotic as the lights slowly go out on deck, leaving just the small fairy lights twinkling, a simulacrum of the night sky. Passengers stumble back to their rooms on the ship, the after-effects of the night's partying clear to see - some staggering off in groups of 5 or more, still clenching their glasses and laughing raucously as they disappear down the stairs; others dangle uselessly like rag dolls between their more sober friends, barely conscious enough to put one foot in front of the other; still more left to doze on the deck, the metal dishes that had held chips now cradling the heads of sleepy drunks. A 'Just Married' sign looks down on the scene, its frayed edges flapping gently in the breeze.1134Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZOi6JGFZB
1134Please respect copyright.PENANATWWYvY0cjt
An old man sits on the deck and as the wind blows, his hair flutters for a moment, then is swept up in the air currents like puffs of dandelion fluff. His once pristine wedding suit now hangs off his haggard frame, the red rose he'd tucked into his lapel - just that morning, he was sure - having crumbled to pieces - much like his wife. His hands fumble as he tries to stuff a note into a bottle, fingers slipping with the cork multiple times before he finally manages to stopper it properly. He clenches the bottle tightly in his hands, and closes his eyes.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAat5U5jr0rU
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAehizaZucSI
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANAfOK3o5Z02z
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAs5c6HQsPwf
An old man sits on 'The Dreamliner' and dreams.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAHTYZuwsOd0
1134Please respect copyright.PENANA0nlns8SHLI
His eyes slip shut.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAjKw77E9or7
1134Please respect copyright.PENANANWB6nZMeIG
He crumbles.1134Please respect copyright.PENANA52jUSRKLJA
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAMwwPZfkkgY
...::..::..::...1134Please respect copyright.PENANAwslgbUbLa9
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAKzjON2UA9V
A bottle washes up on the shores of Pelican Island. Children dig it up out of the sand with their little shovels, grabbing it with their little grubby hands. The parents aren't as amused by it at first - it's like the feeling you get when your cat brings you a dead rodent on your birthday with a self-satisfied smirk on it's stupid cat face - but then they pull out the letter wedged in the bottle.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAXcT6ruNRms
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAeyzPwlOkuA
One side of the yellowing paper is covered in black marks, neat rows of |||||s filling in the lines, like a tally sheet from a generation ago. The other gives the black marks a much more somber meaning.1134Please respect copyright.PENANAG7K3MkIRvp
1134Please respect copyright.PENANAmWZMqTmsPD
"Left.... Right.... Left.... Right.... ..."1134Please respect copyright.PENANAZpB4OWjNnT
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Adrift
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Cherrywoodandwalnut
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Adrift
Fantasy
Romance
Last updated: Jul 4, 2015
Total word count: 1,060
Total reading time: 5 Minutes
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