On the ship, clutching the ropes, you gaze out at the vast expanse of the open ocean. The sky, a stale blue. The currents stagnant, mirroring the monotonous days at sea that have etched their toll on your soul. The weight of the sun’s rays is on your shoulders and the weariness from the repetitive days has begun to show on you like rocks when the tides recede. The harbor lies not far away, but as you look out to the horizon, you allow your mind to wander elsewhere. A faint thread of clouds on the distant edge captures your attention. Your gaze looks back to the safe harbor and the calm shoreline, yet in your silent drift, you begin to imagine those clouds transforming into a great storm.
You have never voyaged in a great storm, but you envision the experience—the cool breeze brushing against your skin as the clouds swell above, casting shadows over your vessel. A distant flash of lightning would herald the approaching danger. The waves grow, rocking your boat, while the darkening sky conceals the horizon. The rain would descend, soaking your clothes and pelting the water's surface. You’d look down and see the ocean transform into an irate, shadowy beast, looming over your fragile boat, ready to strike. Fear seizes you and a thunderous boom and a crash of waves throws you to the deck.
Struggling to your feet, you wonder if you should turn back. The darkness and the air is so drenched with rain you would have no idea where the horizon is anymore, where the harbor would even be. The lightning flashes, and another thunderous boom resounds. Running to the bow, you find nothing to hold onto, no escape from the storm's wrath. The swirling storm relentlessly tosses and batters your vessel, its intensity growing, while at its periphery, it begins to unravel. Yet, at its core, it remains dense and overwhelming. The rain slashes sideways, blurring your vision as if submerged. The waves surge over the bow, pushing you to the stern.
Another forceful wave crashes upon the boat, and you collapse. Struggling back to your feet, you find yourself standing in knee-deep water, feeling an inexplicable desire for the storm to intensify even further. With clenched fists and a pounding heart, you defiantly challenge the storm, urging it to unleash its full might upon you. "Come on, God," you exclaim, "I can take whatever you throw at me!" Another boom shakes your resolve, and the boat continues its tumultuous spin, rocked by the waves crashing from all sides. The wind seems to call your name, inviting you to its depths. Come here. Come here.
You realize you can no longer fight the storm; it has captured you entirely. You fall back and helplessly float in the water, staring up at the sky, where the dark clouds appear to reach out to you. You have never seen such dark clouds before. And in the creases of the clouds, it looks like valleys slicing through a mountain range. In a whisper, you submit to the storm's will, conceding, "Okay." As you float, the storm grows around you. You close your eyes and your thoughts persist. Will you survive this fierce tempest?
You open your eyes and the storm vanishes, leaving behind only the slender thread of clouds on the distant horizon. You turn around and the harbor still beckons, the sky remains serene, and the coastline gently caresses the land. You've tried countless times to abandon these hopes, but they keep resurfacing. Am I the only one? Am I the sole person who yearns for something more? Where must I venture? What path should I take? Your grip on the rope tightens as you tell yourself repeatedly, "That's how the world is. That's how it's always been. That's how it'll be." Yet, deep inside, the call persists, and your eyes return to the horizon, longing for something beyond. Maybe there's more for me out there. The sun begins its descent, and time dwindles. "It's too late," you say. You only have a short while left. Yet a change in the wind tells you a secret never spoken before. Tomorrow will be the day. Tomorrow will be nothing like the thousand days that had come before. Perhaps, with the sunrise, you’ll finally fight in a great storm.