The Sailor and the Spectre

Day Two

Nikolai awoke with a start. The cabin lay in shambles about him; broken glass, shredded paper, and ashes littered the floor, as if left in a hurricane's wake. He looked down at his outstretched hands— unbloodied. That's a good start, he thought, pushing himself weakly to his feet.

His ankle flared in pain, causing him to stumble as he took a first step. Finding a deep gash just above his foot, he bound it with a rag, intending to pay it more attention later. Favoring his left leg, he stumbled about the room, clearing his few possessions from underfoot.

He bent, lifting a framed picture into the rays of light which streamed from the hatch above. Through the cracked glass he saw the expressionless faces of a woman and two children staring back at him. The paper was faded with time, but the memories were immortal. Placing it atop a low cabinet, he patted the top fondly, then glanced away, eyes misting.

No sign remained of the spectre from the previous night. Nikolai began to wonder if the encounter had only been a product of his drunken state. He sighed, cursing his lack of will, then proceeded to pick up his shattered memories from where they lay. Books were arranged carelessly on a small shelf, followed by what few bottles and glasses had survived the night. He fingered a pack of playing cards reverently, then, breaking himself from his melancholy thoughts, placed it with his other things.

He decided to go on deck to find his current position. The best thing for him to do at this moment would be to try to forget his nightmare from last night, for that is the only thing that could be done under the circumstances.

Topside, he found himself in an unfortunate spot. His ship lay cradled between two rocky projections from the nearby shore. Thankfully, the ship appeared to be mostly undamaged— no splintered boards, no apparent water leakage.

Nikolai leapt from the deck, landing atop the salt-crusted sands. He instantly regretted this, though, as fresh pain raged through his leg, causing him to grit his teeth in anguish. The sailor looked about; nothing but blue skies and still bluer waves surrounded him. Though he wasn't positive, he thought he could see the opposite shore through a patch of palm trees up ahead. He muttered under his breath, glancing about again for the familiar sight of ships on the horizon, but none showed themselves beneath heaven's watchful gaze.

Trudging forward, he sought to find the full extent of his misfortune, and in an hours' time, he was successful. He stood upon a single, solitary island with no more than a dozen trees to its name and certainly no wildlife, except for the bright colored parrots which gave him suspicious glances from their lofty perch.

Nikolai was just about to give up on finding anything, when he chanced to see a shape dart out of the corner of his eye. He raced to a clump of bushes where he could have sworn a small figure disappeared. Parting the green fronds with his hands, he found something— a fay.

The delicate, translucent creature danced about merrily, disregarding his looming presence. It appeared in the form of a young woman, a blue aura of light forming a long, regal, flowing dress about its small frame, which blew furiously about as it darted and leapt in the air. He watched it intently for some time; stories of his youth flashed before his mind's eye, stories of the strange beings which inhabited these remote islands. The fays were known for their docile, almost childlike nature, and they would sometimes aid people in need... or so he hoped.

It finally noticed him, stopping its revelry. The creature looked him up and down suspiciously— arms crossed as if in deep thought. Nikolai stayed motionless. He was unsure what to do, only that he needed help, and fast. It beckoned him over with a wave of its hand as it turned and ran deeper into the trees. Its "footfalls" caused small shimmers of yellow light to spark where it landed— constantly illuminating the ground about it in bright flashes.

The fay led him to a separation in the earth— a crack in the island's surface. It leapt down through the aperture without waiting for him, and it was all he could do to scramble after it through the aperture. The cave would have been uncomfortably dark, especially after the previous night, but the creature lit it dimly with each step.

"She" led him a few yards beneath the surface, finally halting before a great mound of algae, reaching to the ceiling, which, by now, was several feet above Nikolai's head. He was confused by this, for the fay sat itself down upon the damp mound, staring back into his watching eyes. It pointed its small hand outward, toward the far wall. Looking in this direction, he finally understood her insistence.

A well fashioned wooden board rested against the cold stone. Puzzled, but glad, he lifted the board and carried it to the mouth of the passage. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him, like someone clearing their throat. Turning his head, he saw the creature with hand outstretched, waiting expectantly for something.

He fished in his pocket and found a shard of colored glass, which he placed in her delicate palm. Her eyes brightened and she laughed joyfully, disappearing out of sight, though the light remained. He returned to the surface after a few minutes, board in tow.

Nikolai strolled down to the beach, the tide just rolling in. He trudged through ankle deep water, finally making it to where the ship still lay stranded. Angling the board between the hull and the rocks, he tugged on his improvised lever. Nothing happened.

He grunted, applying more force. Still nothing. The sailor leapt atop it, hoping that he might free his ship with brute force. The board slipped against the slick hull sending him crashing into the icy waves. He cursed under his breath, kicking the board in frustration.

Soaked to the skin and mad as a hive of wasps, he resigned himself to whatever fate he was now stuck with. A crash shook the island. Nikolai jumped, thinking that a tree had fallen over, but, to his surprise, a group of fays had crowded behind him— gesturing wildly and laughing riotously.

He was about to yell at them, but a thought occurred to him. Jumping aboard the ship, he disappeared below deck, only to emerge again with a bucket of glass. Placing this before the fays, he tried to bargain for his freedom, which worked, and, before long, the deceptively small creatures had freed his ship... in return for a bucket of shattered memories.

With fate having cleared a path for him, hereturned to his vessel— a free man again.