Paper Boats

Three

Marie marches steadily towards the shoreline, the wind blowing fiercely in her face, threatening her to back off. She tightens her grip on the shawl around her in resistance. The old woman, after arriving by the shoreline, places the box on the sand, carefully lifts open the lid, and unloads the countless paper boats into the lagoon.

The paper boat nearest to her expands into a real-life transportation.

The enchanting creatures in the river welcome her fetchingly. They haul her towards the paper boat as the incognito stars cast a glamorous luminescence like a spotlight on Marie. She inches forward.

"Stop, Marie! Don't!"

A young male's voice. To whom does this voice belong? It must be the devil, trying to trick me back to imprisonment. I shall not stop.

The old woman sags ahead until she finally steps onto the boat.

"Marie! Marie!"

The sea must be greeting me.

"Help her! Hurry, do something!"

I don't need help, why would I need help? I'm one strong and independent woman, despite being an old hag.

The sound of sobbing.

Oh, the tears of joy that must be.

"Goodbye, Marie."

Goodbye there, thank God I'm finally leaving this place. Freedom is ahead. This is freedom.

The engine starts. Marie looks behind, but only darkness meets her. So instead, she focuses her eyes to the front. The lights blind her entirely.

The old woman feels colder than ever―must be the temperature of the sea.

The ocean chorus sings merrily, propelling the boat ahead:

*"When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of the lark."

Marie is so tired now, she leans her head on the side of the boat and closes her eyes, enjoying the soothing ocean lullaby.

She will need the sleep for this everlasting adventure.

It begins with a void hole on the deck, then the paper slowly crumples into bits of dust, like the ocean's dark magic in its finest work...