The Boat Life

Time is no longer important to me. My timekeeping used to be controlled by luxury items like phones, smartwatches, and clocks. I now depend on the sun. As I watch the sunrise and sunset, I am reminded that I am alive and have more time to live. Rather than appreciating that time, I feel miserable. The oceans disgust me, eating fish every day makes me sick to my stomach, and I miss my family. My sailing has been going on for months now, and I'm getting lonely. It's hard not to miss my dad's horrible jokes and my mom's home-cooked meals. The worst part of the night is when I cannot hear someone else's voice. Cold winds whisper to me and the salty water smell creeps up my nostrils. I used to idolize people who left everything behind to embark on the great adventure of boating, but now it's the only way to survive. During these difficult times, my heart-shaped locket gives me strength. Before my life took a turn for the worse, my parents gave me this locket. I felt like they knew I wouldn't see them again. As a graduation gift, my parents got me a boat and I made a plan to travel on it during the summer. I wanted them to come with me, but they chose to stay home and take care of the place instead. I remember being told it was my time to travel the world and I thought I was ready. A couple of weeks into my travels I stopped at a boat-friendly restaurant in the Carolinas. I grabbed dinner, watched the news, and was left shocked. According to reports, a series of Tsunamis will occur over the next couple of days, submerging half the world's cities. While most people ignored the threat, others prepared for the worst. To be safe, I kept my boat docked for a few days. I had no choice but to leave, even though it was never safe to go. The tsunamis were devastating. There is no land left. Those in possession of boats were in better shape than those without. Even though I spent many days contemplating what had just happened, I could not turn back. I have only one thing I can do at this point in my life: hold onto hope. Depending on your perspective, hope can leave you feeling either motivated or empty. It is really important for me to be happy again, so I am trying, but it is exhausting. I know I am not the only one left. I have seen boats past me while I scream for their attention but no one ever stops. I am on a never-ending cycle of water trying to find someone to relate to. The rich people laugh in their yachts with seafood platters. While the poor people sit for hours waiting to catch a fish. You all know what side of the spectrum I sit on. I sail now to try and find more people who are as frustrated as I am. I need things to start making sense again. As the waves hit my boat, I can feel my motivation rising. Today will be the day that I bring people together. After a couple of hours of sailing, I saw a boat docked. I dock right beside it and find a man named Hunter. He looks as surprised as I. We talked for a couple of hours and he came onto my ship. I finally was no longer alone. He was the same age as me and carried himself in the same way. We made a plan to get the rich people's attention and help the few people left in the world. We just needed to find them. We will find them.