Daughter Of The Sea

Captain Kilgore proudly inspected his ship, the S.S Starlight was his pride and joy. He had spent most of his life sailing the vast ocean. When he was only twelve years old his father introduced him to saltwater fishing. He loved the smell of the sea and the feeling of controlling his own ship and crew. Fishing for Alaskan Shellfish was much more than a means of securing the necessities of life. It was an intoxication that surged through his veins and filled his heart with jubilation.

The only drawback and disadvantage was the enormous amount of time that he spent away from his family. He had been out on the sea for as long as six months, storing thousands of tons of fish onboard in massive freezer compartments.

It was difficult being away from home for such long lengths of time. His wife Maria once sailed with him, those were the most perfect of days. The two basically lived on the water, making good money and experiencing the wonders of life together. A slight tear fell from his eye as he walked the deck. He remembered how he would bring Maria here late at night while the crew was sleeping. They’d spent most of the night lying on the deck looking up at the multitude of stars overhead and listening to the calm ocean gently rocking the ship. "How she loved the sea" he whispered.

That was fifteen years ago although it felt like an entire lifetime. Maria gave birth to their son Bailey while they were at sea. The delivery had come early and unexpected. Due to complications, Maria died before the ship was able to reach land. He had never truly forgiven himself for allowing her to go out on that trip. She should have stayed home with her mother. Bailey should have been born in a warm hospital bed with doctors. Instead, he was born on a cold, stormy night onboard the Starlight. He shook his head trying to clear out the images of that night, the blood and the screams coming from Maria still haunts him. She was the daughter of the sea. He spread her ashes all across The Bering Sea.

Sometimes on a silent, calm night, he could hear her voice singing over the waves. A few times he thought that he had even seen her walking the deck late at night. He didn’t believe in ghosts but it sure would be nice to see Maria’s beautiful face just one more time. The thought of her spirit lingering close by gave him comfort.

Tomorrow is Baileys' eighteenth birthday; he had been raised on the ship and already knew all that there was to know. He had helped the crew work on the ship, cooked, pulled in nets, and even took full control of the Starlight when his father was ill. He was more than prepared to take the ship full time. Kilgore rested his hand on the boat wheel as he peered into the sky. “Dear Maria, let me know that I’m doing the right thing,” he whispered. In the morning he intended to announce to the crew that Bailey would be the new captain and he would sign ownership of the S.S Starlight over to his son.

As the morning sun glistened over the waves, the crew had all gathered in the galley for breakfast. Even though they were on a ship, hundreds of miles from land, the cook prepared exceptionally good meals. He watched carefully as Bailey bantered with the crew about catching a mermaid. There was nothing wrong with having some fun, although he wished that his son was a little more serious. This could be a very dangerous job, the lives of every one of these men would be resting in Baileys' hands. “Is he capable of making life or death decisions at a moment's notice?” he wondered.

“Everyone get up on the deck, I have an important announcement to make!” Captain Kilgore announced.

He waited patiently as each of the crew members made their way to the deck. “Bailey, come stand beside me.” he motioned. “Most of you have been here with me to watch Bailey grow up. He has lived most of his life here on this ship, this is the only real home that he has ever known. His mother gave birth to him right here on the Starlight and I know that her spirit is here with us right now. Today he turns 18 years old; he is a man and from this moment forward, he is your new captain.

Silence fell across the deck and suddenly laughter and cheers erupted into the cool, salty air. Bailey stood in shock starring at his father. “Happy birthday son.” he smiled and held his hand out to Bailey to seal the deal. Feeling Bailey's hand in his reminded him of the very first time that they had shaken hands, on the day he was born. Those tiny little fingers grasping onto his. He turned and wiped another tear from his eye.

“If I’m the captain, what will you be doing dad?” his voice was shaky and filled with emotion. “I’ll be right here of course, if you don’t mind having an old man tag along.” They both laughed as they embraced in a strong hug.

Bailey’s first day as the captain went over smoothly, the crew seemed to work well with him. The mood across the ship had changed under Baileys' leadership. The men were much more laid back and easygoing. “Was I too hard on them?” Kilgore wondered as he looked around. “They never laughed and joked so much when I was in charge.” he thought to himself. He smiled as net and net of Alaskan Crabs fell across the deck. “It’s going to be a big haul!” Bailey cheered and the crew saluted his positive motivation.

Kilgore was stretched out on the deck taking in the warm rays of sunshine and enjoying his retirement as captain. He couldn’t remember a day when he didn’t have anything to do other than just relax. He groaned as Bailey swiftly interrupted his nap. “Dad, what is this and where did it come from?” he questioned while holding a suspicious package wrapped in brown paper out to his father. “We haven’t docked in weeks and I have never seen this before,” he admitted. Kilgore examined the package “I don’t know, maybe one of the crew members found it. They’re forever losing and misplacing mail when we dock.” His explanation seemed to calm Bailey's mind as he walked away.

Bailey found the crew in the galley playing cards and enjoying their short break. “I found this laying on my desk, did one of you misplace it?” he held the package up so that the men could clearly see it. “I did!” a young fisherman admitted while starring at his hand of cards. “I found it laying on the deck this morning and put it on your desk.” - “Who left it on the deck?” Bailey was growing more and more agitated. All of the men shrugged cluelessly while looking around at one another. “Okay, I guess a seagull flew over and dropped it. You have got to be more observant! This could be very important, what if it had been lost! I better not find another misplaced piece of mail!” he complained as he made his way back to his desk.

Bailey inspected the suspicious package before opening it. There was no name or indication of where it had come from. Suddenly Bailey threw the package and quickly ran to the deck. “GET OFF OF THE SHIP!” he yelled. His father raised up, “Bailey, what in the hell is going on!” he asked in a frightened voice. “It’s a bomb, the package was a bomb!” he screamed. Kilgore ran into the captain's office and grabbed the package. It was ticking and vibrating. “The timer started as soon as I pulled the string to open it!” Bailey shouted.

Kilgore ran back to the deck and threw the package out into the sea.

“GET THIS SHIP OUT OF HERE!” he shouted as Bailey attempted to speed up the ship. “She’s not moving fast enough dad!” he cried. Some of the men frantically jumped overboard while others were rapidly lowering the lifeboats.

Suddenly Kilgore heard the explosion, water sprayed high over the ship crashing down with thunderous force. Everything around him was moving in slow motion. The only sound that he could hear was the silent buzz inside of his head. The bomb had exploded. There was blood all over the deck, washing away in crimson waves of atrocity. He saw the lifeless bodies of the crewmen floating in the red water. The ship was sinking, he snapped back into reality as the cold water rose higher and higher.

“BAILEY!” he shouted. He ran to his son who was slumped over the boat wheel. “Son, we have to go, the ship is going down.” Bailey didn’t respond. “I SAID WE HAVE TO GO NOW!” he yelled as he reached for his son’s shoulder. Bailey was gone, his lifeless body hit the deck with a sickening thud. He looked around at the all of death and destruction surrounding him. “It’s all gone. They’re all gone.” He cradled his son in his arms. "Maria, I need you, WE need you." he cried.

He slowly made his way into the captain's office and sit down in the chair still holding Bailey's lifeless body close and tight. The water was now waist-high as the haunting, infiltrating sounds moaned through the wind.

He reached for the captains' hat that Bailey had given him years ago. He placed it on his head and closed his eyes. He felt Maria’s warm arms wrap around him as he descended into the dark, penetrating depths of the sea. The daughter of the sea had come back to claim her family. This is where they belonged, together in the place where they were most happy. The ship was never found nor were the bodies of the crew.

Others have claimed that while sailing The Bering Sea late at night, an eerie and haunting song can be heard carrying across the waves. The ghostly, mysterious song is all that remains.

(Daughter of the sea)