Island Dream

I\'m dreaming


I was alone and it had always been that way. I was immortal and all-powerful. I was a sea fairy. I was tan, tan, tan and thin, thin, thin with long black, black hair. I lived alone on an island. It was a small island with lots of green trees. There were no birds on the island. There were no animals. There were no insects in the air. But I did not starve for there were fish in the sea. I was powerful on the island. I controlled the air, the plants, and most important the sea around. The creatures of the sea obeyed my every wish and the wind whispered its secrets to me. All the sailors called me Sea Fairy. When they came to my sea, they left me a tribute. If I liked it, I rewarded them with nets of fish, sails full of wind, and safe journeys. But if I was displeased, I gave them capsized boats, no wind, and hungry predators of the sea. I’d been given jewels, books, rare food and drink, beautiful art, and more beautiful clothes than I could ever have used. The sailors put my tribute on a little boat. I used the wind to bring it to me. But with all these I wasn’t happy. It was never enough to fill the hole inside of me so I grew cold. I grew to hate the silence around me. It was so complete that it felt like the grave. I started to sing every day so I wouldn’t have to hear the quiet. At first I sang the sound of the surf hitting the sand, then the sound of wind through the trees, then the sounds the wind brought to me from all over the world. But soon every song started to sound the same and mean the same thing: loneliness.

One day there was a shipwreck out at sea and all died except one. I had nothing to do with it, but the living sailor clung onto the part of the boat that hadn\'t sunk. He knew it was likely that he would die. He called out me saying, “Sea fairy! Save me please! I have a mother and ailing sister at home who need me. I have no tribute and I’m to poor to give you one if I did, but I’m good with music and I promise I’ll come back once a week and play for you. I still have my fiddle.” I was about to dismiss him and leave, but he washed ashore and started to play. It was wondrous, and I started to grow a little warm. I sang to him on the wind, telling him I’d do what I could to get him home. Then I called up the creatures of the sea and had them pull him and push him to the nearest place of rescue. I didn\'t want him to go. I knew he couldn’t stay. I thought he wouldn\'t come back, but he did once a week. He played to me of sunshine and laughter, then of warm rain hitting the water. As he came back week after week, I grew less cold and I grew happier, but I was always sad to see him go. Then one day to my great surprise, I started to sing as he played. Then we began to find out about each other as we played. I knew he was young, and strong, and had a voice like burnt honey. He had a little sister who laughed and smiled even though she was stuck in bed, and mother who sang she worked with her worn hands. He learned my secret; even though I was powerful I was still human. It was the island that gave me my power and kept me immortal. I love to hear music and to read. Though we did get to know about each other, mostly we sang of our hearts. And we both learned the only time we felt whole was when sang together. As time went by he became famous as musician and people from all over the world wanted to hear the musician the sea fairy liked. And he grew rich, but he still came. Then something changed. After every visit he would ask me to come with him. But I was too scared. So I would tell him no and he would leave. This happened week after week. I knew he couldn\'t stay but I was too scared to go. As long as I was on the island, I had power and I wouldn’t grow old. My hair will not become gray. My skin will not wrinkle. He asked me again and again, but I still said no. I was too scared. I had never been off the small island into that huge world. What could I do? How would I live? If I left, I would have neither clothes nor money, for surely I could not carry my tributes. They had become nothing more than blood money to me. This went on until finally one day he said, “My fairy come with me. Grow old and gray with me. I have no need of money without you. I can provide for us both. Clothes are easy enough to acquire, if you don’t mind them being a bit plain. There are more books than you can ever read out here. And I know it’s not much, but you will have my heart at your command and in your control. Your place is by my side. My place is with you. My mother will love you, and my sister will too. At the end of our days, we shall go together hand in hand into heaven. Will you come my fairy? Suddenly I was running with him. I realized I didn’t even have to think about it. I had loved him before I even realized it. The island and the wind seemed to be trying to stop me, as I swam with him. But the creatures of the sea helped us. They seemed to be saying, ”You’re almost there! Keep going!” I swam until I was too weak to swim any more. Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled me out of the water into the warmth. I looked up into the eyes of my handsome sailor and realized I’d made the right decision. And for the rest of my life I was gloriously happy, happy, happy!