Towards midnight, the mooring lines slipped of their own accord; the boat eased out onto open water with the aid of a gentle breeze.
Later her engines powered up unbidden, and with a gentle ‘put-put’ she headed towards the estuary.
Beneath the surface of the water, ancient timbers succumbed to the occasional caress of tree roots, the nudge of an abandoned oil-drum, and the scrape of shingled shallows.
Lower she sat, and still lower.
Lionel, blanketed in morphine, did not feel the chill of rising water, nor the tilt of the keel as ballast shifted.
A long voyage, but now his ship was coming in.
How cheery was that, hey??? 🙂 Well, today we were contemplating starting the second leg of our three-stage winter pilgrimage, this time from mid France to the Spanish border. Fine sunny weather was forecast – so we woke up to find the boat frosted with snowflakes, now predicted to continue all day. When I come back, (if I come back) I’m going to be a meteorologist. It seems like a fairly undemanding way to earn a crust…
Rochelle kindly let me have a preview of the photo in view of our travel plans, so I’ll probably be first up today. Thank you Rochelle, as always. And thank you Georgia – a picture after my own heart.
Dear Sandra,
It’s nice to know that meteorologists are consistent the world over in their “accuracy.” I definitely chose the wrong career. Where else could one make so much money for error?
Your story is another thing. You hit the target square in the middle. Beautiful descriptions blanket us and ease us into the sorrow of the last line.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 3 people
Rochelle,
I think a baseball player might be on a par with meteorologists when it comes to making money for failing. Miss hitting the ball seven out of 10 times and you’re considered one of the best in the game!
LikeLike
Dear Sandra, Great story and as usual, well penned! Scary and nice at the same time. Poor Lionel will be home soon. This would make a wonderful opening to a movie – if it used ‘flashback.’ Powerful imagery. Nan 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you Rochelle. 🙂 Yes, meteorology is beginning to display all the credibility (and marginally less accuracy) than astrology these days. I blame it on the weather…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliantly written. Always a pleasure to read your work, no matter what the subject.
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
i like the third sentence, nice post, great
LikeLike
Many thanks for reading.
LikeLike
So near yet so far… that’s the lingering feeling I had.
But I am sure that wont be with your Journey, whatever may the weatherman or the weather itself may decide ! Have a lovely trip !!
LikeLike
Thank you Horus!
LikeLike
I hope you come back safely with all of your fingers and toes intact.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a beautifully written story … brilliant descriptions and a serene but sad ending … a great write.
LikeLike
Thank you. The photo was a terrific prompt.
LikeLike
And I thank you, I’m glad it inspired you! 🙂
LikeLike
Have a great trip, Sandra. At any rate it’ll be a tremendous improvement on the short, tragic trip of your character. Seems it’ll be his last. if I’m not mistaken, a ghost, or ghost boat, seems involved here. Either that of in his state of drugged mind it just seems that way. Well done at any rate and as usual. Great description; I could feel the chill of the water. — Suzanne
LikeLike
Thank you Suzanne, glad you liked it.
LikeLike
What a good story to go with the picture. You gave us the scene then hit us with the tragedy.
LikeLike
Many thanks Irene.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The description in this is hauntingly beautiful. I could read it over and over and still find it just as engaging.
LikeLike
Thanks very much Carol.
LikeLike
Dear Sandra,
You wove a deep and beautiful metaphor here. Nicely handled.
Enjoy your journey.
All my best,
Marie Gail
LikeLike
Thanks Marie-Gail. I particularly enjoyed yours this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sandra – how melancholy this is. Nicely done. Safe travels.
LikeLike
Yes, I shall be back to ‘offing’ people with gusto quite soon, I think. 🙂
LikeLike
What a description, I have it all in my head. Such an undercurrent of tragedy.
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
Very cheery! 😉 You really set up a peaceful image here — peaceful, like Lionel. Nice!
LikeLike
🙂 Thanks Caerlynn.
LikeLike
Wonderful writing again, Sandra. I guess we need to feel happy for Lionel that his suffering is now over. 🙂 Have a great trip.
LikeLike
Thank you, I’m looking forward to a change of scenery.
LikeLike
Wow. this extended metaphor remaining unexplained until the very end reads like pure poetry. .. wonderful word choices.
LikeLike
Thanks Bjorn. 🙂
LikeLike
Right from the off, there’s a heavy sorrow in this story, Sandra, and yet it ends on a strangely positive note – the blanket of morphine is just enough to suggest we can be happy for him to find this gentle end. Lovely.
Enjoy your ongoing travels, I hope the snow is at least pretty!
LikeLike
Thanks for reading Jen. Yes, it is a bit melancholic. I had another one but that was a bit technical (in boatie terms) so I opted for this. We’ll be underway later today for Perpignan.
LikeLike
Bleak, haunting…great prose….
LikeLike
That had a viking feel to it
LikeLike
Yes I suppose it does Bill. Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
What a vivid scene. Sad, yes, but brilliantly written.
Bon voyage, Sandra!
LikeLike
Thank you Rachel – on both counts.
LikeLike
Reminds me of poor auld Boromir 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
When I saw the photo, I thought “Oh, Sandra’s going to like this one!” Another expertly written story, this one particularly haunting.
LikeLike
Thanks Barbara. I love a boat story! 🙂
LikeLike
nice… you hooked me… I wanted more
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
I loved it all and especially the last line. Beautifully written.
LikeLike
Many thanks for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, a haunted boat. Why did I not see that?
I aspire to be as clever as you.
Safe travels!
LikeLike
Thanks Dawn. I shall be glad when we get to Spain and see some sunshine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely – That third sentence is excellent.
Cheers
KT
LikeLike
Many thanks KT.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sandra,
a beautiful story, as always, but no, not very cheery. 🙂 I hope nothing of that sort happens on your voyage. I envy your peregrine ways.
-David
LikeLike
Thanks David, I’ll be more up-beat next week I think, under a bit of Spanish sun.
LikeLike
That sounds wonderful, Sandra. My wife loves Spain and she’d live there permanently if she could. I’m hoping we can get enough money to visit every couple years. Have fun there, and on the trip there.
LikeLike
Nicely done. I always enjoy your takes on the prompts,
LikeLike
Thanks Roger! 🙂
LikeLike
Safe and wonderful travels, Sandra. This is indeed a cheery story (not), but so wonderfully done! Fantastic use of the prompt! I was going to congratulate you on your early place in the cue (I will never be that girl– most weeks I forget to link up!), but love that you had a head start. 😉 Bon voyage!
LikeLike
Thanks for reading Dawn. I like to be early in the proceedings, but I’m not usually first. All down to Rochelle. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re generally in the first few… I’ve only been first (or maybe 2nd) once. I was in the hospital and not sleeping– I don’t think that will happen again soon. 😉
LikeLike
A great metaphor for those last hours? Wonderful nautical language.
LikeLike
You’re right, that wasn’t too cheery. But every word leads us to the end and that powerful last line. I need a drink!
LikeLike
I had always dreamed of my ship coming in. Now, I’m thinking I’d better find a new metaphor. Beautiful choice of words. I loved the flow–all the way to the sinking conclusion. 🙂
LikeLike
Poor Lionel – your descriptions of the boat gently descending as Lionel does is beautifully done.
LikeLike
Dear Sandra,
I’m late to the party. Apologies. Was helping a friend who was sinking.
Your story is beautiful and otherworldly and I got lost in its rhythms as I read. Lovely work from a lovely writer.
Aloha,
Doug
LikeLike
Poor Lionel 😦 A very dark and atmospheric piece that fits with the ‘feel’ of the image.
LikeLike
Poor Lionel. I wonder if he has ghostly friends. Or enemies. Poignant & sad and a good read for this dreary day. (Our weatherman was spot on, more’s the pity.)
LikeLike
a nice exclamation point to a life i hope was well-lived. i suppose you’ll be back unlike this fellow in your story.
LikeLike
Mesmerizing, Sandra. Such vivid and rich descriptions. I surprised by the sad end, but knew it wasn’t going to end well. Happy travels! Can you take a heated blanket in that boat?
LikeLike
Hauntingly beautiful, though sad, but strangely not, if that makes sense. Travel safe and don’t forget to write from time to time! 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful. So much to ponder. Lionel has obviously made his choice, and is going to a peaceful end.
LikeLike
Descriptive and melancholy. Beautiful piece!
LikeLike
Beautifully descriptive 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful piece Sandra for a murder? Suicide? My uncle has told us he wants a Viking burial, you know push the boat out into the lake and light ‘er up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A burial at sea, it seems. Beautifully written, Sandra.
LikeLike
This is a beautifully written piece with wonderful description! It has such a pervading sense of melancholy that’s brought to culmination with the fate of the morphine blanketed Lionel. 🙂
LikeLike
Very cheery! Even so I felt lulled and sleepy, along with Lionel. Love the line ‘ancient timbers succumbed to the occasional caress of tree roots, the nudge of an abandoned oil-drum.’ Our first boat being a wooden one, this had added meaning for me.
LikeLike
I got a little chill reading this. Lovely, as always.
LikeLike
“and the scrape of shingled shallows.”
Such great wording in this one. The boat sinks, but the quality doesn’t. 🙂
LikeLike
Finished this piece thinking of of a Viking burial boat. Something to do with the morphine. The ‘ghost’ knows best.
Hope your travels have begun – enjoy!
Ellespeth
LikeLike
A perfect use of the prompt this week Sandra,up to your usual high standard and very well written. I too felt the chill of the water, hope your travels get warmer and warmer!
Take care
Dee
LikeLike
Authentic use of language (of course) poetic, atmospheric, sad and I would like to go in similar manner. 🙂
LikeLike
P S I like your nudging oil drum and scraping shingled shallows.
LikeLike
Pingback: A Good Samaritan? Friday Fictioneers, August 2016 | castelsarrasin