The Prisoner

5

The sea he saw now glistened. An arch of sunlight rippled over the water, giving the

ocean the appearance that it smiled at him. Kai always smiled back because of hope. In his

dreams, he had his own ship, his own crew, and a soft bed. It looked exactly like the first and

only ship he had ever been on, but it was enough for him. The plum-colored flag raised high,

waving at its onlookers.

It was a magnificent ship. Maybe one day it would belong to him — or he ’ d earn the

privilege of becoming part of its crew. He held tight to the thought and was rocked to sleep by

the swaying of the waves, the gentle bounce of a ship while docked, and the trailing of a water

droplet on his skin, which his subconscious replaced with the spray of the salty breeze of the sea.

If the guards had been asked, they would ’ ve said that the youngest prisoner slept with the ghost

of a smile on his face, though no one ever asked. No one knew why, but Kai.

His reams, like his daydreams, were filled with the sight of a calm, wide open sea.