Wordsmiths Fiction Week 1: The Disappeared Leader
Greetings,
In the heart of the endless ocean, under a sky bruised with grey clouds, a small cargo ship named Albatross fought against the fury of the storm. Ten souls clung to its battered body, waves crashing like angry fists against the hull. Their GPS, compass, and radio were all dead—swallowed by the storm’s rage. The only thing they had was hope… and each other.
Captain Rehan, a man of serene wisdom and decisive action, stood on the deck that night with eyes sweeping the horizon like a lighthouse yearning for its haven. As if nature was moved to mercy, they saw it, a small island arising like a specter from the fog. No one knew where they were, but they didn’t matter. Land was land.
They made it. Barely. The ship was broken, the engine dead, the radio still. The crew made the night on the disabled ship, safely anchored in a hidden bay of the mysterious island. The place was eerily quiet—a complete absence of birds, wind. Just the sound of waves and the breathing of tired men.
The next morning, chaos returned—but this time not from nature. Captain Rehan was missing. One of the boats was gone.
“He would never desert us without a word,” said Harris, second in command, his voice trembling more from confusion than fear.
Here and there over the island, about his name went the shouts, tree-chestnut and rock-studded paths. Nothing. No footprints, no signals, no sign. Harris, who took command, told a three-man search to seek along the coastal footpath. However, it was as if Rehan had been swallowed by the island.
Days passed.
The men grew restless. Food was low. Water was limited. But the greatest thirst was for information.
During nighttime when the crew gathered by a driftwood fire the elderly Naveed expressed his feelings about the island. The entire island atmosphere remains disturbing to you. Like it's watching us.”
“Don’t be silly,” muttered another. The sensation was within every man's heart even though it was against their rational beliefs. The island exhibited more than an absence of sound since it maintained an inscrutable nature.
Then came the twist.
During the fifth morning of their supplies when the crew was making their rations the forest emitted a soft but distinct noise. It was humming. The humming came as a soft melodic tune that sounded like a gentle singing lullaby. The men froze. Out walked Captain Rehan.
But he wasn’t the same.
His face appeared pale and eyes far away from us since he witnessed unexplainable things. His body also appeared thinner than before. He carried in his hand something which resembled a shell and a compass. The sailors watched him from a distance while uncertain about approaching closer or leaving the area right away.
“Captain?” Harris stepped forward. “Where were you?”
Rehan didn’t speak immediately. After hesitating he took a deep breath before he confessed "I had to discover something important." The object drew him to something greater than what the island offered from the surface.
Everyone leaned in. His words carried forward in a soft tone that matched his recollection of inner visions.
An entrance into the island rocks can be accessed at its distant end. I followed it… The passage ended at a hollow space containing both symbols and brilliant illumination. The object I possess attracted my eye as soon as I picked it up.
Harris frowned. “You left us... for that?”
Rehan shook his head. “No. I didn’t plan to. The island seemed to guide me through its path. Coming back proved difficult because the passage of time behaved unlike anything I had experienced. A period lasting hours there in reality spanned entire days while I remained trapped inside.
Why did you decide to search for the entrance over everyone else?” questioned Ali to Harris.
Rehan looked at each of them. “Because I believed. I believed maps and machines do not present the entire picture of the world. You need to focus on the silence after every possible methodology fails except for accurate navigation. And sometimes… the silence answers.”
That night, no one slept.
In the morning of the next day the storm vanished completely. The static from the radio machine started emitting signals again. Coincidence? Or something else?
They repaired the boat slowly. Captain Rehan spent most of his time silent by gazing at the shell-compass which he had obtained from the cave. A rescue team reached them one week later to question what had occurred.
Harris presented a straightforward answer when he said “We discovered the Captain.” Our expedition revealed a second valuable discovery besides the Captain: faith.
No cartographic records showed the existence of this island.
They searched again. It was never found.
During that journey every one of the ten men achieved something different. Not treasure. Not glory.
But a story.
A basic truth reveals that not every lost thing genuinely perishes along with the absence of devastating storms.
The wind of a storm can guide a person to their essential destination.
Regards
artist1111
Un saludo mi apreciado amigo esta historia nos trae a la mente algo muy importante que es nunca perder la fe en otras palabras la esperanza aunque parezca que en momentos nuestro barco navega sin rumbo, debemos recordar que todo tiene un proposito.
It was a pleasure reading your work; you managed to add a smooth, steady rhythm to the story. I think the plot is very good, but I don't quite understand what role the found compass plays.
Good luck with the challenge. I look forward to reading your next work.
Thank you so much! I honestly apreciate your kind words. The compass symbolizes guidance beyond logic—a pull toward the unknown. I'm glad you enjoyed the rhythm!