Stolen Dream

Prologue

Herbert stood at the rail and stared hard into the murky waters below, his eyes straining to pierce the shadowed depths. The white crests of the water ricocheting off the hull of the boat was mesmerizing to a young boy who dreamed of the sea and all the wonders it hid.

He was ten years old and it was his first ever trip on the water. He was whale-watching with his family, and more than a little excited to get a glimpse of the elusive dolphins and whales that made their home in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Oh, look!" his mother exclaimed excitedly, pointing out past the left side of the boat, or, rather, off the port bow. He had just learned the terminology for the sides of the ship before they left the dock, but it was sticking with him thanks to his fascination with all things aquatic.

He hastily followed her direction and watched with awe as a Humpback whale surfaced and blew out a large stream of water, droplets flying everywhere. They all watched as the beast vanished under the water again, only to rise out of the water once more to flop sideways onto the surface with a giant splash.

"Wow," he breathed, momentarily lost in the beauty of the display the small pod was putting on for the boaters. Remembering the disposable camera his parents had bought him for the trip, he hastily began photographing the whales.

"Amazing, isn't it?" his father asked, clasping his hand on Herbert's shoulder and giving it a fatherly squeeze.

Herbert nodded enthusiastically, his eyes never leaving the water.

It didn't seem like he'd gotten nearly enough pictures before the pod vanished back beneath the waves and slowly faded from view.

His parents lost interest and were drawn into conversation with another couple on the trip. They wandered a short distance away to converse farther from the noise of the water that was drowning out what they were trying to say to each other.

Herbert stood alone at the rail and watched the water, his camera at the ready. He still hoped to see a dolphin or maybe even a sea turtle!

"Hey, look, a dolphin!" someone called out.
Everyone rushed to look, but Herbert stayed put; something had flashed just under the surface of the water and caught his attention. He frowned down at the water, trying to make out a shape, a colour, but he couldn't quite see well enough from his angle.

He leaned over the rail a bit and could just about make it out. He just needed another inch or two. He shifted up a bit more, his feet leaving the safety of the deck and his eyes widening with shock. He quickly snapped a picture just as he was yanked back from the rail.

"Hey, now, be more careful, son," his father chastened him as he pulled Herbert to safety. "You don't want to end up down there with the whales."

Herbert nodded, but his mind was on what he had seen. He clutched his camera and vowed that he would find the creature he had spotted. His father set him right, giving him one last warning look before returning to his wife.

Herbert said nothing, just turned to once more stare at the deep blue of the water with a sort of wonder and fear that a new discovery, a new path in life opening up, could inspire in a young mind.

Nobody would ever believe what he had seen, that what he had caught a glimpse of could possibly be real. He stared over the vast expanse of water and shook his head in awe. He found himself upset on the elusive creature's behalf that one of their own had been careless enough to be spotted, possibly even photographed. Oh, how he hoped he'd managed to catch it on film. He knew—even if he did have a picture—that no one would believe him. He knew, because he wouldn't even believe it if he hadn't seen it for himself.
He kept his mouth shut and went with his father to the other side of the boat to see the dolphins and take pictures.

But he would never forget what he had seen and it would become the center of his entire existence, shape his whole world.

He would find them.