Hey everyone! This was actually an entry for a recent writing competition by @readingqueen999 that I won third in! You may have not seen my entry because it was posted on my old account that I don't use anymore called @Crystal_Sea I am just uploading this on my account because @SquishMallows_Yay has a creative writing studio where you can write whatever you want, there is no deadline and you can upload how many pieces you want, so she asked me to post this on the studio! You can also join the studio!
Despite being raised in a family of fishermen, you cannot swim. In fact, you have a deep fear of the water. You know that it seems irrational to everyone around you, but for some reason, every time you approach the water lapping at the shore, your body freezes as if you have been paralyzed. One day you are waiting for your father and brother to return home from a day of fishing when the town bell rings. As more and more people report that family members did not return from their day at sea, the townsfolk panic, and soon they are screaming and crying. Your father and brother are among the missing. After several days of searching, your small fishing village gives up any hope of finding the missing people, but you do not. On the dawn of a cool, misty morning, you walk to one of your family's fishing boats and hesitantly step into it. The water is already rough, and you regret setting sail with no experience. A massive wave rocks your boat, tossing you into the cold water. You struggle to keep your head afloat, but your body has frozen. The ocean envelopes you as you sink into its dark depths. To your complete surprise, you are suddenly snatched from above. You come face to face with the haggard old man who just pulled you from the water. He is excited to have found you, repeating over and over again that his vision was right. He tells you that he saw you in a premonition while praying at the Temple of Poseidon and that he is here to help you search for your loved ones. He points to the ocean and says that Poseidon himself has blessed the journey and will aid you on the quest. When you look at the water, unrelenting fear takes hold of you. The ocean almost claimed you today; you know the next time it will pull you into its infinite depths forever. However, you must save your family. With little choice but to trust this strange old man, you set sail across the vast and perilous ocean.
