Shadows On The Ocean
Vast, mysteriously inviting, untamed and unpredictable. These were the words that people often used to describe the sea. But for Captain Jacob Dennison, the sea was home. His father had been a fisherman, and his father before him as well. Jacob was born with sea salt in his veins and the scent of the ocean in his lungs. Following the family tradition, he chose the unpredictable sea over the steady land.
Routine was mundane and home for Captain Jacob was the deck of his vessel the 'Angela Hayes', aptly named after his beloved late mother. The vessel, forged out of the sturdiest wood and iron, was a masterpiece. Decades of sailing had made her timbers strong and unyielding, just like Jacob's determination to conquer the sea.
One fateful morning, as Jacob was steering the Angela Hayes toward the rising sun, a faint cry disturbed the harmony of the waves. He squinted at the source of the sound - a sinking rowboat carrying a lady dressed in white, her hair and gown drenched and heavy from the seawater. Jacob ordered his men to heave the rowboat onboard and, with a great effort, they pulled the unconscious lady aboard the Angela Hayes.
The lady was as beautiful as she was mysterious. None in the crew recognized her, nor did she carry any belongings that could hint at her identity. While the crew nursed her back to health, Jacob became increasingly captivated by her. Her azure eyes held a depth that echoed his own fascination with the sea, and her silvery laughter carried the sonorous lull of the waves he loved so much.
Days passed, and the lady, who asked to be called Estella, became a part of the ship's life. Jacob fell deeply in love with her. Yet, there was a peculiar air of melancholy about her - she spent long hours staring at the ocean, her eyes mirroring its profound gloominess. Sensing his curiosity, she finally revealed her secret to him one stormy night.
Estella was cursed to live a mortal life after she had defied her family - the Sea Gods. Her longing for the sea was her yearning for her home amongst the divine. Estella also confessed her love for Jacob and offered him a choice - a mortal life with her on land or an immortal life under the sea. Though tormented by this revelation, Jacob knew he couldn't let go of his eternal love for the sea and Estella.
The next morning, as the storm calmed, Jacob embraced Estella, his heart throbbing in sync with the ebbing waves. Smiling through their tears, they plunged into the unfathomable depths of the sea. Their love had merged with the sea, and just like the sea, it was vast, mysterious, untamed, and unpredictable.
Even today, sailors whisper tales about Captain Jacob and the goddess Estella. On calm nights aboard their vessels, if you listen carefully above the lull of the sea, you might just hear the mirthful laughter of the sea-captain, dancing with his goddess in the depths of the ocean they both loved so dearly.