Celia at Sea

As I took my first step on the gangplank, I turned and looked back at my parents as they stood on the dock. My mother was crying and my father was comforting her the best that he could. I slowly walked up, not looking back until I got to the railing. I waved goodbye to my parents, my home, my school and everything I loved.

My parents were sending me to a boarding school in the states, thinking this would be a better education than my home town school. I was an only child from a rich family and they were obsessed with my schooling. My mom thought I was too young to be crossing oceans by myself. My father had a different view and he said I was fifteen and more than capable of taking care of myself.

So now I’m off with a two-month voyage in front of me. I watched the land grow smaller until it vanished.

As I stood there, the first mate came up to me saying, “Miss, the captain told me to escort you to your cabin.”

I thanked him and followed him to the lower deck bunks. He opened a door that led to a smaller room that had no more than a bed, dresser, and a small window.

“Can I be of anymore service to you, Miss?” he asked.

I answered no, I only wanted my trunk.

“It is in the top cargo because it would not fit in your cabin, Miss.”

I washed my face and knocked next door. A little girl answered, asking my name. I told her it was Celia.

“What is yours?” I asked.

“Alice, I’m five,” she said, holding up six fingers.

I smiled and asked where her family was.

“Daddy is talking to a sailor, Mommy is taking Julius, my seven-year-old brother, to the restroom.”

I went to the top deck and explored when I bumped into Captain Rawlings.

“Pardon me, Miss Celia. My apologies, I’m honored to have your father entrust you to us for the voyage.”

I thanked him and started to ask a question about the upcoming voyage when the second mate came over.

“Cap’n, the watch on the main mast spotted signs of weather change. A tempest, he believes.”

“Thank you, tell the crew to bring in the sails. Tie down every boat, barrel, and your waist to something. Dismissed.”

The captain then told me to hunker down in my cabin and inform the Greenblooms. Then, he turned and strode to the first mate, who was at the wheel. I ran down two flights of stairs to the Gleenbloom’s cabin and knocked, asking them to stay low. I then opened my door, but a strong rocking slid my dresser to my window, cracking it. Afraid to stay, I dashed back upstairs to the deck. With trembling fingers, I tied a lead to my waist. I ran to the closest sailor and asked what I could help with, because my cabin window broke.

“Go hide in the captain’s cabin,” he told me.

“No! I want to help, what can I do?”

I didn’t know what had gotten into me. But I was determined to help.

He handed me a dagger and told me to cut the line connected to the fore royal on the bowsprit. I looked around, not knowing where the bowsprit was. The sailor tapped me on the shoulder, pointing.

He said, “Over there, Miss.”

I made my way slowly over to the forward part of the ship, fighting against the wind and the rocking floor. I finally made it and clung to the wood as I cut the rope.

When I finally got it, I felt my hand slipping and I plunged into the vicious and dark sea. I tried to get to the surface when a wave pushed me down.

I felt a tug at my waist and knew that they were trying to pull me in. The ocean fought hard for its prey. But at last, I was pulled in, dripping and chattery.

I was put in the captain’s cabin to wait out the storm. Hours later, when the storm had died down, the captain came in with the first mate. They both looked beat and tired, both with cuts on their arms and hands.

Seeing my condition, he roared, “Who told you to do that?”

“Brig,” I stuttered.

I began to tell him what happened, but he ignored me and turned to the first mate.

“Inform Brig that I would like to see him in my cabin immediately,” he said through clenched teeth.

He turned to me, “As for you, young lady, go to your cabin and change. Gregory will take you to get some clothes.”

Stunned by his attitude, I obeyed. As the sailor, Gregory, took me back to my cabin, I asked what he would do with Brig.

“Oh, probably be flogged because he’s made these mistakes before,” said Gregory casually.

“Why do you-“ but I didn’t hear the rest because I was running to the captain’s cabin.

“This is the last straw; you will have to be punished.”

Not waiting to hear the rest, I knocked on his door and pushed in.

Rawlings looked shocked, “Yes, Miss, what would you like?”

“Don’t beat him,” I begged, “I was the one who wanted to do it. I made him tell me.”

“Miss Celia, you are not to be blamed. Brig has been known to be lazy and careless. He shall have to be punished. Now, please go back to your cabin before you fall in again. By now, your window will be fixed, so you don’t have to worry.”

He led me to the door. I went to starboard and watched the crew repair a sail that had gotten damaged. All I could think of was Brig and his punishment. I couldn’t sleep and lay awake all night. I finally dozed off before the first half-hour bell.

When I woke up, I heard the “All-hands-on-deck” bell, so I got up and dressed. When I climbed the stairs, I saw the crew crowded around the captain and Brig, who was tethered to a pole with a bare back. The captain picked up his leather whip and struck him.

I cried out, “Stop!”

But nobody heard me.

“This is what will happen to anybody who is careless enough to endanger our passengers again.”

I tried to make my way to the front and stop him, but I got nowhere in the mob.

Brig looked my way and saw me crying.

He mouthed, “It’s okay.”

I couldn’t watch any longer, so I went to my cabin, crying all the way. I got a knock on my door hours later.

“Come in!”

Brig stood there awkwardly, “Cap’n sent me to bring you some soup. He thought you would be hungry.”

“I’m so sorry, I…”

“No need to apologize, Miss, it’s all over. Can we be-“

But, a strong thud rocked the ship violently, cutting me off. I fell to the floor, banging my head on the dresser.

I heard a crash and saw the soup bowl broken in half on the floor and its contents all over Brig’s shirt and face. In any other occasion, I would have burst out laughing, but now I was too shocked.

Brig grabbed me and we made our way to the deck. The captain was at the wheel, trying to keep her steady. Brig caught hold of a rope and started to climb it to the royal yard.

Suddenly, I saw a giant tentacle wrap around the ship and break the main mast. I let out a piercing scream as I saw Brig and Jim get plucked off the sail and tossed into the wild sea.

I couldn’t grasp how terrifying and large the animal was. When I saw its eight slimy tentacles wrapped around the stern, its one eye and snapping mouth. I realized that it was what all sailors fear at sea: THE KRAKEN. The most fearful animal to ever live at sea.

I shuddered as his large eye stared at me and a giant tentacle reached out, trying to wrap around my waist. But at the last second, I found my wits and made for a boat.

That’s when I saw the Greenblooms tipping over a dory and I realized that it was every man for himself. I wanted to get in, but knew that the dory would not hold all five of us.

Mr. Greenbloom pushed me in and let the boat down with Alice, Julius, and I.

“Head south and you’ll reach land before nightfall.”

We caught our last glance of the octopus and all who we had left behind, before a giant wave lifted us up and pushed us away from the Kraken. The sea calmed down the further away we were from the wreck. I realized that I would have to row.

In our mad scramble, we forgot oars. So, I grabbed a floating wooden plank and started to row. We weren’t making much progress with my inexperienced rowing.

I knew I wouldn’t be getting any help from Alice or Julius because they were huddled on the floor crying. At every little noise, I jumped, thinking any second that we’d be crushed by large tentacles.

We finally spotted land and I realized that we were out of the Kraken’s territory. We jumped into the water and laughed with relief. We all fell asleep on the sand.

The next day, I saw a merchant ship anchored down that came ashore.

“We saw the wreck and wondered if there were any survivors,” said the captain.

“These two children and I are all that are left in one piece,” I replied, trying to keep the tears back.

“Come with us, we will get you to a harbor. Then, you are on your own.”

“Much obliged.”

We climbed aboard and made it to New York Harbor. I saw my school teacher standing on the dock with a man, waving. She was tall, blonde, and wearing an elegant gown. It made me look down at my own dirty, crumpled, and torn dress.

I climbed off with Alice and Julius.

“You must have had an adventurous voyage,” said Grace. “This is my fiancé. And who are these little ones with you?” She asked, shaking Julius’ hand.

“They’re the Greenbloom’s children, Alice and Julius.”

“Why don’t we go get your cab,” said Samuel, leaving Grace and I to talked as they walked across the harbor.

“Their parents died during the attack,” I said.

“They will have to stay in an orphanage until they get adopted,” Grace said.

I knew there was no point in arguing. What would a 15-year-old girl do with two children in a boarding school?

A few weeks after our arrival, Alice and Julius came running up to me, saying that they had been adopted by a rich family.

I asked Grace as she came up, “Who are they going to? Will I never see them again?”

She laughed, “I wrote to your parents and they decided to adopt them. They’ll stay with me until your parents arrive on a ship.”

I finally will have siblings. That’s what I always wanted.

I set about recording my adventures to show my father my progress and how much I had learned since he last saw me. I looked forward to my parents’ arrival, and now, I love boarding school because Grace is there.