The waves lashed onto the decks of Captain Horvath’s vessel crashing down like thunder onto the deck. It had been a wild night, the storm had come upon us without warning and all hands were struggling to furl up the sails trying their best to prevent any further damage. The wind and sharp rain beat against my face, the salt water stinging my eyes, grease from the oil lamps made the deck slippery as we all tried to keep our balance.
Making my way along the port side a wave, which seemed almost fifty feet high, swept over the rails knocking over barrels and casks that lay on the deck. I grabbed the rope attached to the rail, but when the wave drew back I lost my balance and in a swirl of foam I was swept over the side into the raging sea below.
I felt suction as though I was in a pipe; at great speed, I was being sucked along what seemed like a tunnel, then everything became dark and still.
After a few moments of getting my eyes used to the darkness I heard a clicking sound, I looked around, and, moving along the wall beside me was a large crab. I moved slowly and as I did so large arm-like claws came up, bulbous eyes blinked and the creature said, “Found your feet then?”
I looked on astonished and stammered,”Well, almost, but it’s very slippery.”
“They all say the same thing, but you get used to it,” the crab replied
“You have been here before then?” I asked.
With a chuckle, the crab replied, “Well, yes, old Nemus here has a habit of repeating himself. I keep telling him he’s had me before but will he listen? Silly Whale.”
Surprised I shouted,“Whale! I am in a Whale?”
“Shush! Not so loud,” the crab replied. “You will give him heartburn.”
“But why are you, a crab, in a whale?” I asked.
Touching his forehead with his large claw the crab replied. “Well, first my dear young bear I am not, repeat not a crab, a crustacean yes, but a crab no, the very idea!” At this he touched his forehead with his claw again as though tossing his head in disgust at the thought and continued, “I am, my dear sir, a Lobster, the cream of the Crustacean Society.”
Feeling embarrassed I replied, “Oh, I am so sorry I never intended to offend.”
“And you didn’t young sir, you didn’t, you are not the first to make the mistake, he does every time,” the Lobster replied, pointing his claw upwards to the whale’s head. “No brains you see, no brains.”
With caution, as this Lobster was obviously a well-educated character, I continued, “But they say whales are very intelligent creatures.”
The Lobster, his bulbous eyes now firmly fixed on me replied, “Ah the famous they. Well, perhaps they are right in 99% of cases, but old Nemus here is the 1% who, if you will excuse the pun, is slightly adrift.”
Warming to this character I asked, “Have you known him long then?”
His front claws under his chin the Lobster replied slowly, “Let… me… see… On and off, or perhaps I should say in and out, for about twenty years. He is a good old soul really because you see he is a magical whale.”
A little shocked I replied, “A magical whale?”
“Oh yes indeed, he harms no one and when you leave here, and you will, you will take with you an extra special magical feeling that will never leave you in your lifetime. So remember your short time here my friend and never forget me or Nemus, because one day you will count on us to help you.” The Lobster lowered his left claw and picked up a small deep red stone, heart-shaped and rich in colour. He handed me the stone and as I took it his soulful eyes looked into mine as he said, “Here my friend take this stone and each night before you go to sleep ask for your dream, whatever it is, to come true.
The universe is full of magic and it awaits us all to find it, with this stone you may just be able to find some of that magic.
But remember… you have to believe.
Take it and take care, my friend.”
I took the stone and placed it in my bag. The lobster moved sideways to depart, turned, looked at me and said, “Do not be afraid you will leave here safely on the next wave, good luck Padistan.” And with that he moved quickly along the wall of the whale.
I shouted after him, “But I do not know your name, yet you know mine”.
The Lobster shouted back. “That Padistan, is the Magic of Nemus. Bon voyage my young friend.”
A rush of air lifted me, spun me around and threw me into the darkness and all I could see was a small light, a pinhole up ahead of me. Another rush of air and voices were shouting at me to climb up the rope on the side of the ship. When I clambered back onto the deck the first mate said, “Praise be we thought we had lost you, good job you grabbed the rope as you went over.”
That night as I lay safe in my bunk the weather now calm, the sea and the air still, I opened my bag and there shining up at me was a red heart shaped stone. When I touched it I felt a warm feeling rush through me… an almost magical feeling, I thought to myself.
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Padistan