Creative Writing: Down And Out Essay, Research Paper
Creative Writing: Down and Out
“What you say we go down shore and see what the storm brung in?” says
Richard.
“Ya, bet we get ourselves some fresh lobster out some ole’ trap we find
washed up!” exclaims Chester.
“Martha, get us our coats while we find dem damn boots!” says Richard.
The two men get their boots, grab their jackets and head for the beach.
They two men walk for about an until a shiny object catches the corner of
Chesters eye.
“Hey Rich, I think I see something over there, lets go check it out,”
says Chester.
They men walk to the edge of the grass where they find the gleaming
objects. They notice that there are more than one, but about fifteen. They all
have the same characteristics, they are all in the shape of bottles but they
can’t see in them. There is a name written on the outside but the salt in the
water must have washed most of it off. They throw all the bottles in a garbage
bag and decide to head home. From what they could see no traps had washed up,
and their legs were getting tired. They walk the hour trip back to Richards
house where they take off their garb and empty the bags.
“What you suppose are in these?” asks Chester.
“I don’t know but as soon as we wash them a bit and open em’ up we
should find out” replies Richard.
Chester fills an old fish box with water to wash the bottles. They
clean the bottles them take them out and dry them. Martha hands Richard a
corkscrew and finishes making supper. Richards grabs the first bottle and pops
out the cork. He pulls out what seems to be a letter written by hand .
Considering the conditions of the bottles the letters are still white, except
for the contrasting black ink. He sets this letter to the side and opens up
another bottle. He takes out another letter and sets it to the side. This
process continues until all the bottles are empty and put to the side.
“What do you make of these?” asks Richard.
“I’m not sure what to make of them. I guess we will have to read them
first,” repliesChester.
The two men begin to read the letters. What they learn is astonishing.
As they read more they eyes open wider and wider. Martha eventually joins them
and reads them out loud, starting at the first.
Day 1 Coordinates 43′N 67′W
It is a nice day to start our trip. It is sunny and about 27′ outside. The
weather report sounds good for the next few days. Everyone is happy that our
trip has finally started but sad to leave friends behind. The wind is blowing
well and we hope to sail at least 15km before dark. We haven’t had much time
to test all the equipment on the boat but have no fears that it won’t function
properly.
Day 2 Coordinates 42′N 69′W
We have managed to keep a good speed by following the Labrador current down the
eastern coast. The weather is still excellent with a good breeze today.
Everyone managed to get some sleep on the boat last night. We plan to stop in
Boston to refuel within the next few days. Moral is still high with only a few
complaints about not being able to watch TV. Everything seems to be working
well with the exception of my watch that I dropped overboard. We caught some
fish for breakfast which will help us save on food costs. WE hope the rest of
the trip will be as enjoyable as the first two.
Day 3 Coordinates 39′N 70′W
We stopped in Boston just long enough to refuel and get a few bags of chips to
keep the kids happy. The wind has picked up and the sky is dark. We expect a
slight storm tomorrow but noting to get worked up about. Swells are from 1 to 3
metres but nobody seems to mind. I managed to do some wind surfing while the
women were shopping for food.
Day 4 Coordinates 35′N 67′W
The wind has picked up quite a bit which enabled us to make up for the stop in
Boston. Everyone is still happy and wants to continue. I am kind of iffy on
the weather conditions but have decided not to head for the nearest port. The
weather report is calling for a storm tomorrow but they don’t expect it to be a
bad one; let’s hope they are right.
Day 5 Coordinates 34′N 66′W
The wind was a bit stronger than had planned last night. We are almost in the
Gulf Stream but still a good 2′ off. The radio does not seem to be working
right so we plan to head to the next port we had planned. We have enough
supplies to last us at least six days so we can take out time and ride out the
storm. The kids are a bit worried but we can handle it. We are only a bit off
course, but making great time due to the strong winds.
Day 8 Coordinates 39′N 69′W
The storm hit hard and put us of course. The GPS does not work so The
coordinates are done by using a map and compass so they may be a little off.
The kids are scared but I feel everything will be back under control soon. We
are heading for a port anywhere on the eastern coast of North America. The
winds are still strong and we can’t use the masts as one has ripped. We are
using the motors and half about a half a tank left. There is still sufficient
food left for 3 days so it looks like we can make it to shore. We don’t know
what to expect because the radios have failed us are we can’t fix them. I
haven’t had time to write as I have been bust with the boat and others on the
boat. Let’s hope for the best.
Day 9 Coordinates 37′N 72′W
The weather has started to improve but we are nowhere near shore. The
coordinates are an estimation based on wind speed and direction we were heading.
Everyone is getting scared and we are rationing food. I have managed to catch
some fish so we can save other food. The water maker is working good so fresh
water is not a problem. If things don’t get better soon I fear that we
may……..
Day 15 Coordinates N\A
I hoped for the best and got the worst. The winds were extremely strong and the
swells were anywhere from 10 to 20 metres. Everyone is scared and angry at each
other. Morale has dropped drastically and I am beginning to lose hope. We have
a little food left and with this weather it is hard to fish. I barely have time
to write any entries but feel that it is a necessity to record what is happening.
We may be in the Bermuda triangle but have no idea of knowing for sure. The
water is warm, the weather is warm, but for some reason the storm is no better,
if not worse.
Day 20 Coordinates N\A
I feel that we are somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. The storm has ended, and
we have found an island. There is lots of food and clean water. I keep writing
and have since thrown copies of several entries in the water, hoping that
someone finds them and rescues us. No one was hurt and no one is hungry. The
weather is nice and everyone is somewhat happy that we are on land. We shall
continue to live on the island until someone arrives. As far as we know there
are no dangerous animals on the island. It is about the same size as Halifax,
Nova Scotia. We find new things all the time and everyone is kept happy. Many
wrecks are on the shores of this island so we feel lucky that no one was hurt.
There are lots of bottles and paper, wood, guns, etc. that we have confiscated
from the other ships. I shall continue to write until I have run out of paper.
Mr. Johnson
“Well, we should give these to the police, don’t you think?” says
Richard.
“Boys, look at the paper, did you read it?” chuckles Martha.
“What, what does it say?” asks Chester.
“I’ll read it. Prisoners of Bermuda Triangle Saved After 2 Months Of
Being Stranded on Island.”
“Well what you know, this is neat, I think we should
Down and Out