My name is Samuel Eddings. I live here in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I am thirteen, almost fourteen. I love to go and listen to the sea at night, when the moon is sending out its silver rays into the depths. It’s breathtaking, and you can see and feel the moonlight on your face. That’s when I know everything will be alright. Captain Tory will be back, and when he comes he will take me away with him. This story happened years ago, when I was about 10…    

When I first met Captain Tory, it was actually pretty funny. It was right outside the library. I just bumped right into him and books flew everywhere. His were about sea travel, mine mostly action and adventure. I was really flustered and was apologizing all over the place. He was just being silent, so I thought he was really angry. I picked up his books and mine, and handed them to him. His face was as red as a beet, I thought he was going to explode. Then he burst out laughing! The sound was so
infectious, I started laughing as well! He picked out my books from the stack. That’s when I saw his face. He had shattered bits of the sea spread about in his eyes, the wonders and mysteries of the ocean dancing around his face. I liked him right away. I guess he liked me too.

When he finally got control of his laughter, he held out his hand, smiled and said, “Nice to meet you, though I am sorry it must be under such embarrassing circumstances.” I took his hand and  grinned back. That was how we met.

When I took him to my house, his eyes grew dark. I lived in an old dilapidated house, with my grandma  who didn’t care much for me. I think he decided just then to help me find a better life. I didn’t see him again until one night, a couple days later. He just appeared beside me when I was watching the waves dance to their moonlight song.

“Hello Sam”
“Hi captain” Then we both fell silent, watching the sea.

After a while, he turned to me and asked:“Sam, have you ever been on a boat?”

I replied: “No, but I’ve watched the schooners and skiffs skim by in the daylight.”
He grinned and said, “How would you like to be inside one yourself?”

I felt my mouth crack open into a smile“Do you actually mean it?”

“Yes I do”

When we finally parted ways, after I had asked many questions about the boat. All Tory would say was, “You’ll see when you come.” 

When I saw the schooner, I almost fell over. It was that beautiful, with big, blowing sails, and the bow was shining like there was no tomorrow. I started to run towards it, then remembered Captain Tory walking behind me. I turned back and saw him jogging after me, huffing and puffing, face red, and cheeks sort of puffed out.  He was grinning though, and I could see his sea green eyes twinkling. I smiled at him, then whirled around at the sound of a boat horn behind me. It was a boat heaven! Bow Riders, Cutters, and other boats that I had no idea of.

Captain Tory had caught up to me, “ What do you think?” He asked.

I could barely contain my excitement, “I love it!”

He led me over to a shiningly white schooner. All of its sails up and ready to fly on canvas wings into the sunset. Tory brought me onto the schooner and showed me all around. I was elated at the chance to finally sail. The first day I didn’t get to do much, just was showed around and we went a little ways out of the harbour. By then it was getting dark.

When I got home I went upstairs and crashed face-first into my pillow. I was smiling so much, my cheeks were incredibly sore. I couldn’t help but pull up the events of the day in my mind. Tired, but ecstatic for next week. I could feel my eyes closing, my body stilling and sinking into the dark abyss of sleep.

The next week we got to go farther out into the ocean.  Seeing that sunset, words can never describe it. Out in the middle of the ocean, with fathoms of unexplored depths beneath you. Nothing else shows you actually how small you are. That night was life changing for me. I realized just how much we need to be united. I went home and lay awake for hours, staring out my window at the moon and stars. I didn’t know that Captain was leaving soon, on voyage he would not return from.

The last time he took me out on the boat, it was night. Very different than all the other times on the sea. This time he was hurrying, with me being the one having to catch up. “Why are you going so fast?” I asked.

“You’ll see when we get there” He replied.

“That’s what you always say.”

“I know.”

That was the end of our conversation. We reached the docks and he came to a stop at the edge of the pier, right at the railing. The mist was so thick it was hard to see my hand in front of my face. Tory waved his lantern three times. The schooner, regal and majestic, appeared out of the mists. I gasped, and Tory squeezed my arm. “I knew you would like it” he whispered. We boarded and went for the last time out to sea.

He will come back soon, I can feel it in every breeze blowing off the sea. When he does, we shall go off together, into the star filled, beautiful night.