Left.... Right.... Left.... Right....559Please respect copyright.PENANAor9Ds58GMz
559Please respect copyright.PENANANf89JD07J7
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAbtp1wNPk6v
559Please respect copyright.PENANAsvG8GAzQYh
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAKi1aT5d9AX
559Please respect copyright.PENANAl6J8rhOoOL
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAemJfit3FKB
559Please respect copyright.PENANAcg99gGMniQ
One of the posters tacked on to the display board caught her eye559Please respect copyright.PENANA3FlxnvexfP
559Please respect copyright.PENANAS4Jb11wv7V
"The ride of your life!"559Please respect copyright.PENANAhsmZSD5Rvr
559Please respect copyright.PENANAzfRwNfVIZk
"Unparalleled delights, unimaginable fun, and everlasting memories to be had!"559Please respect copyright.PENANAKthgAaAX9m
559Please respect copyright.PENANAaPfsQYP220
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?559Please respect copyright.PENANA4mFMEjt3sR
559Please respect copyright.PENANAL2xwvdGc2Y
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAZFeadvbLX8
559Please respect copyright.PENANA7gkzWA3uJu
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANA2bFqfql8TT
559Please respect copyright.PENANAQGsWkFZHuu
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAxOTp25BHB4
559Please respect copyright.PENANAEPsOcRgSNV
A wonderful memory. Shared with all of these people.559Please respect copyright.PENANAp2BNFhcYDR
559Please respect copyright.PENANAYXA8U90HEd
Shared with friends and family.559Please respect copyright.PENANApDGy0m5Iti
559Please respect copyright.PENANAOHHmOxnv5m
...559Please respect copyright.PENANAOCzlTBwBtP
559Please respect copyright.PENANAX2FNg7jthi
And strangers.559Please respect copyright.PENANAROYnUv3Ms1
559Please respect copyright.PENANAAUP9sRAkDV
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAIs7E8xAG1s
559Please respect copyright.PENANAMXSi2RSD7q
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAlqC27u7fdM
559Please respect copyright.PENANAo0pkcudE8Y
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAR7UAFu1rSO
559Please respect copyright.PENANAiryhHQCs9U
Her lids slip shut.559Please respect copyright.PENANA5u0gOppQj7
559Please respect copyright.PENANArwvIyBiUKS
She dreams.559Please respect copyright.PENANAR3ZUXEdQl2
559Please respect copyright.PENANAK8ZenJdTJ1
She crumbles.559Please respect copyright.PENANApBSnBlN89r
559Please respect copyright.PENANAwD4tLug51y
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAgTaEYBSyNJ
559Please respect copyright.PENANAp1Ndij7Tf4
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANATNyPlGqmAv
559Please respect copyright.PENANAcxzvxvCkm4
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAIFfVDKZ59R
559Please respect copyright.PENANAmQjFgkGaZ0
Left.... Right.... Left.... Right....559Please respect copyright.PENANA3SGdgcfKM5
559Please respect copyright.PENANAJT8mHl13c8
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAXVRm25LX7y
559Please respect copyright.PENANAsNNg5RvQUr
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANANC5ILFt5Eo
559Please respect copyright.PENANA05gXRiIIJG
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANA3mRXv3QbCz
559Please respect copyright.PENANAYsFqLpVPEk
An old man sits on 'The Dreamliner' and dreams.559Please respect copyright.PENANAYN5jBFd5Mb
559Please respect copyright.PENANAVgPJx77dUs
His eyes slip shut.559Please respect copyright.PENANAakPntcUkjF
559Please respect copyright.PENANA5xEYmrCLe5
He crumbles.559Please respect copyright.PENANAVNTqexcZvp
559Please respect copyright.PENANA9mGqK7WE5X
...::..::..::...559Please respect copyright.PENANAfUrwW6efrH
559Please respect copyright.PENANAlil4zKputD
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANAyBwWbMA9Of
559Please respect copyright.PENANAn4I6XQB7Hq
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.559Please respect copyright.PENANATeO25W4LPa
559Please respect copyright.PENANAU9wJCH6VZW
"Left.... Right.... Left.... Right.... ..."559Please respect copyright.PENANAaX9UhL47m7
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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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