Ocean Desert
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
The sun shone on the ocean and its reflection glittered from the water, which was so bright that even when it was the night the light of day still came through. There was no land in sight for days, but the horizon never seemed to grow any closer; they were sailing across a desert where nothing grew: an endless sea of sand dunes with sharp edges and flat tops.
On the wind-sculptured surface stood little tufts of yellowish grass and a few sparse trees here and there that had somehow managed to survive. It gave no sign of having been swept clean by some fierce windstorm. The sea itself was calm enough, but only at first glance did it seem so; it was covered with a thick layer of weed and small stones.
But this too disappeared when viewed under close inspection; the sea was actually as smooth as glass and only the weed and rocks made it look otherwise. Even though it was a desert, they could not see how far it stretched out to the north or south because the sky was cloudless. In fact, all they could do now was watch the horizon in search of any hint of land and the occasional bird’s flight.
They were traveling with a northerly breeze that was constantly changing direction. If they tried to head directly westwards, they would soon be driven back onto shore by the waves. To sail straight ahead, into the wind, they might have gone a couple of hundred miles before the wind changed again.
Instead, they sailed around in circles while the ship drifted slowly forward. They were moving along the coast towards the east. A great number of birds flew over their heads, but they did not stop and the sailors said that there were no islands in that part of the ocean.
When the wind blew harder, it sometimes brought with it clouds, which made them feel better because they thought the clouds would block the sun. But if they sailed under the cloud cover, they quickly discovered that it was not just an ordinary rain shower – it rained sand!
The next time they looked up they found themselves surrounded by a storm of tiny particles, so fine they almost fell like snowflakes, except that this was sand. It clung to everything and every sail had become impregnated with it within seconds.
They could have used shovels to clear the decks but they couldn’t get anything done because the ship was rocking from side to side, making it impossible to reach anything on deck. So they let the storm blow itself out.
The next morning the decks were still covered in the white sand – it stuck to the skin and hair, got into clothes and equipment, and left black spots on everything it touched. The sails also needed to be cleaned before the wind picked up again, and that meant the entire crew had to spend hours working together.
The wind continued blowing stronger until one afternoon when they suddenly noticed that they had rounded the corner and now saw what appeared to be a mountain range in front of them. As they watched, the mountains gradually became higher, then wider, then thicker, until finally they were lost amongst the clouds that were now beginning to form.
The sailors said that this must be the edge of the desert – they were about to enter the Great Desert of the Sea.
As they sailed further inland, they came across more and more gullies and canyons that formed long, narrow valleys and steep-sided cliffs with deep crevasses.
Some of these were so wide that you could hardly see where the two sides met because of all the trees growing right up to the edge; others were filled with water that looked quite deep, while yet others contained only a trickle of water.
The farther into this part of the desert they went, the narrower the canyons became – at first they were barely a couple of feet high, then they became waist deep. Finally, they were able to stand upright in them.
The canyons had many different shapes, some were quite large and broad, while others were small and narrow, and some of them had steep-sided arches that opened out from the walls of rock. Many of them seemed to run for miles without ever reaching an end.
The cliffs were so tall that the ships had to sail very cautiously through their twisting passages. The captain decided to turn back once he realized how dangerous it would be for his ship to continue sailing into such dangerous territory.
They headed back westwards, towards the open sea, but as soon as they passed the entrance to the canyons, the wind dropped and they had to sail in circles for hours, hoping to get back to open water before another storm arrived. But the storm was late, and the following day it started raining again.
This time the sand did not fall from the sky, it remained suspended in the air as a fine mist for hours on end. They could not see what lay beneath the clouds, but the sailors said that when the sun shone again everything would be covered in white dust, like snow after a heavy blizzard.
The next morning, when the ship set off again, there were still dark clouds over the horizon. They sailed past the canyons, and as the sailors looked down the sides of the cliffs they noticed strange markings and patterns on their sides – they thought at first that they were carved into the stone, but when they approached closer they realized that there was something wrong – they were not made by man, but rather by nature itself: millions upon millions of birds’ eggs had been laid and had hardened over the years to leave perfect patterns in the rocks.
They sailed through the day and into the night and finally made it out into the open sea once again. The next day they sailed even further away from land.
There were still storms and high winds, but the seas calmed down considerably and soon they reached a point in the middle of nowhere, where all the waves and wind currents flowed in the same direction, giving them a strong and steady breeze that blew them along towards their destination.
That evening they stopped sailing, but when the sun rose above the horizon they saw land ahead of them. A group of islands lay off to port, and they were not far from each other either. On each island, the captain ordered everyone to gather together, so they could discuss what should be done next.
After much debate, it was decided that they would take their ship between the islands and they would try to find a way off the island before nightfall. That afternoon they sailed slowly to port on one of the larger islands and moored near a beach with several large rocks jutting out from its waters.
It didn’t take long for them to decide which of the three rocky areas they should climb to first, and once they had climbed halfway up one of the bigger ones they found themselves staring at the remains of a small wooden hut built onto the cliff.
One of the sailors was curious enough to venture inside, and he discovered that the hut belonged to a family of people who lived in this island. There was no sign of life around though: The roof had collapsed, and most of the furniture was lying outside on top of the rubble.
One of the walls was cracked open, and the inside was full of dry leaves and twigs from the surrounding forest. The family must have moved away recently; they probably left behind food and clothes, as well as their tools and weapons, but there were none of those things here. The sailors spent some time exploring the area, but there were no other signs of life anywhere nearby.
“This is a good spot,” the captain remarked. “We should rest here overnight.”
The crew agreed, and they quickly gathered some supplies, including dried meat, bread, cheese, fruit, and wine, and then set about cooking the food.
Later that evening they sat around the campfire enjoying their dinner. Most of them were already drunk with exhaustion, but they were also happy to be in a safe place for now, where they were unlikely to face any dangers. The captain told them what had happened on the island they’d just left.
“You should never go to the canyons,” he said. “It’s dangerous. We’re lucky to have gotten out alive. I don’t think we’ll encounter any pirates in our immediate surroundings, but you shouldn’t go wandering through these parts, either. Even if you do manage to stay hidden from the monsters, it will be a miracle if you survive long enough to reach the shore. And the weather conditions are only going to worsen as the days go by…”
Everyone nodded, but none of them seemed worried. None of them cared about the danger, or even knew it existed; the only thing they wanted right now was a few minutes of peace and quiet – it had been a stressful trip so far. Besides, they’d be safe in this shelter for sure:
The captain had taken great care to secure it against the elements, and he had ordered a large rock to be placed directly under the opening in order to keep the rain out. All they needed was a few hours of sleep before leaving early in the morning.
As soon as the sun began to rise in the sky they got up to begin preparing breakfast. By noon, they had managed to build another fire and cook more food. As soon as they had finished eating, they packed up their supplies and prepared to depart.
“There is one last thing I want to show you,” the captain said. “I think you’ll like what you see.” He led them to a spot near the back of the rocks where the cliff was almost vertical, and pointed up to the peak at the top.
“Look there,” he said. “Do you see what it is?” They peered into the distance and noticed that the peak was made of sharp spires sticking out every which way.
“It’s beautiful!” one of the sailors exclaimed. “What is it? What kind of animal lives in there?”
The captain laughed. “I’m not an expert on the subject, but it looks to me like that’s the tip of a volcano.” He took a moment to explain how volcanoes were formed, and what they were used for in ancient times. “They’re created when magma escapes from below and erupts into the air to form a mountain.
When that happens, the mountain gets very hot, and it eventually becomes molten rock. Volcanoes often form around deep fissures in the earth, so the molten lava can easily escape. This one is called Mt. Fuji,” he explained. “In ancient times, people believed that Mt. Fuji protected Tokyo from being destroyed because the goddess of fire would not allow anything bad to happen there.”
“But why does the volcano tip look like a woman’s face?” one of the sailors asked.
“That’s easy to understand,” the captain replied. “It’s because the volcano is shaped like a woman. Women represent the power and strength of the Earth, and volcanoes are considered sacred.”
“So this whole mountain is made of women?” another sailor asked. “Is she sleeping up there?”
“Yes,” the captain confirmed. “She has just woken up from her sleep, so you will be able to see her again after dark.”
The men stared in awe at the magnificent mountain in front of them, completely captivated by its beauty. It looked like something out of a fairy tale: A beautiful girl with long hair and big eyes, standing tall above them like a giant sentinel guarding over Tokyo.
The men felt a powerful sense of calm wash over them as they gazed upon the beautiful face in the sky, a sensation of security and protection. For a brief moment, everything seemed to stand still in their world, but as the sun began to set in the distance, a wave of anxiety washed over them again.
Would it be possible for them to get home safely? The crew members couldn’t help worrying about their loved ones – and especially about their families. They were all thinking about their parents, wives, children, and friends back home, wondering if they too would make it through this crisis alive and well.
***
One month later, in the dead of night, the ship finally arrived in port. With a heavy heart, the crewmembers left the captain to return to their homes and families; many of them had no idea whether or not their loved ones were still alive, and they didn’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily.
Before they set sail for home, the captain had given each man his wages in advance, promising to pay him again once he returned with news of their families safety. The men departed, feeling relieved and hopeful.
They would never forget the beauty of Mt. Fuji; it had been their refuge during a time of great hardship, and it had helped keep them sane and optimistic while facing one of nature’s most terrifying natural disasters.
After disembarking the boat in the harbor, the men found themselves walking among thousands of other sailors who had also come back from overseas. All the sailors stood in long lines, waiting to pass through customs to enter Japan.
Once all the paperwork and formalities had been completed, they could finally find their families and loved ones and reunite with those whom they missed so dearly. They would have to wait several months before seeing each other again; but for now, they were happy to know that they wouldn’t go hungry while waiting.
As soon as they stepped foot into Japan, they knew they would never leave.
The End