STORM
The weather was getting cold and talk about the upcoming sword fishing season started. Events were held at the local bars where people would get drunk and watch the highlights of last season on the small television in the corner. Fisherman started making bets about who would catch the biggest paycheck this season. Local tournaments started to accept sign ups. Everything was coming together all in preparation for the big day, the day that everyone would gather in Adeltown harbor to watch and celebrate as the sword fishing boats set off on their yearly adventure to the grand banks. The families of the fisherman gathered when their loved ones departed and when they came back, if they did.
John Walter grew up in a small living in a small apartment above a bar in Adeltown. John never really had a mother, John’s mother died from a stroke when he was a few months old. John lived with his father, Timothy. All the people that had been around Adeltown for a while remembered Timothy as the kind of guy that you hope to meet at the grocery store. Timothy was very friendly and always had a story to tell about his past adventures sword fishing on the grand banks. Timothy served the fisherman; he was the bartender at the bar in Adeltown Marina. Timothy worked at the bar for 10 years as a second job aside from sword fishing but Timothy never had a sip of alcohol in his life.
Timothy could not wait to teach his new son to fish, hunt, and play baseball. He wanted to be the best father ever and when the baby was finally there Timothy held baby John in his arms for hours talking to him about all the adventures they would have. One-day timothy decided to take baby John on a three-day fishing trip with him. Timothy was the captain of the bot Dream Catcher. Dream Catcher was lined up with the best crew in the business. They were a group of skilled fisherman that had been sword fishing on the grand banks for years. Although that helped, the main factor in Dream Catcher’s success was Timothy. Some people said it was luck and some people said it was simply experience. Every fishing day right at sunrise Timothy would walk to the bow of the boat and stare into the horizon. After a few minutes of staring into the open ocean he would drive the boat to the exact location that he wanted to have the lines set. Almost every time it ensured success. Every day it was a completely different place. Timothy never revealed his secret, he never told anybody how he knew where to set the lines or what he was looking at in the mornings.
Timothy’s plans to be the best father ever were cut short when his wife died. From that day on Timothy was depressed, he quit fishing and he was no longer known as the friendly guy he used to be. When john started school, Timothy would never allow john to hang out with friends and he would beat him if he failed an assignment.
John was now 17 years old and it was the night before his graduation from high school. Timothy left the house at 12 o’clock at night, he walked over to his boat and left the marina. He drove for several hours and it was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon when he stopped. He was so far away rom shore that he was sure nobody would find him. Timothy walked around his boat one last time. He then grabbed an old rope that was just lying around on the deck. He climbed out onto the outrigger and tied the rope to the end with the best knot he knew how to tie.
A few weeks later, the police found Dream Catcher washed up on a beach. Timothy had hung himself from the outrigger. John did not go to his own graduation on that day; he walked around Adeltown trying to find his father. John got his diploma privately from his principle a few weeks later; nobody was there to celebrate it with him. John moved in with his uncle Andy. Andy was nothing special he wasn’t nice and he wasn’t mean. He fed john and raised him but spent as little time with him as he could. John was never taught to fish or hunt by his dad, or anyone as a matter of fact.
