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Ray of Light.
A ray of light was making its way across the universe. It had begun its journey somewhere in the distant past, but continued to make its way into dark spaces and into people's hearts, as it travelled.
It was an arduous journey at times, and sometimes the light glowed dim and almost went out. It somehow managed to keep going, getting re-energised every now and then, by bright glimmers which shared their light.
It was finding its way across an ocean, where in its path, a small fishing boat was listing from side to side. The ray of light, was noticed far in the distance by a young girl curled up in the fetal position, with a blanket thrown over her shivering body. She looked out into the darkness and strained her eyes, trying to focus on what had caught her attention. The boat was caught in a terrible storm, which had erupted unexpectedly, and wrecked havoc on board.
After scanning the sky, there was no sign of anything. She thought she imagined it, and the young girl pulled at the blanket around her. She felt cold and alone once more.
During the storm, the wind swirled and lashed at the fishing boat, with uncontrollable fury, until all that was left in its wake, was a wreck. Out in the middle of the ocean after floating for hours, the young girl was giving up hope. Her body slowly draining of energy. She was now on the boat alone.
She had experienced storms before, but never anything like this. This storm had taken her mother and her brother. Her father, a well seasoned fisherman, had gone overboard, and was lost to the world.
She had now no-one left, and was at the mercy of a frail, battered sinking boat.
It was useless to think, that she was ever going to be rescued. Who would find her, who would even miss her? She already felt that she didn't really exist. Her family cell was small. They didn't have much interaction with neighbours or friends. No-one would know what happened to her and her family, nobody would care. The boat was adrift and going further out to sea. The young girl was in great peril, but there was nothing she could do.
The young girl received some serious injuries during the storm. Her arms and legs were heavily bruised, and a large gash on her head was bleeding profusely, matting her hair. She lapsed in and out of consciousness, and life was ebbing away from her. As the light passed over the boat, the girl regained consciousness, as something deep inside her, was telling her not to give up. She was too young to die.
This feeling was really intense, and somehow she gathered the strength to move herself. She started to crawl slowly, towards the galley. She got to a window, and with all the strength she could muster, she cried out for help. Then she collapsed again in exhaustion.
The girl awoke in a bright room filled with commotion, shapes and sounds. She was confused and scared, when a voice said "good, you are awake, and you are safe now " The voice sounded reassuring and some of her fear subsided. The voice asked her if she could remember what her name was and what had happened?
"Anna is my name, where am I"? the girl asked weakly.
"You are at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital. You have been through a terrible ordeal but everything will be fine now" said the kind reassuring nurse.
Anna slept with tremors and woke with shrieks of anguished pain. She began to slowly recover from her physical injuries, but the mental scars that would haunt her, will take years to heal, if ever.
When she was a little stronger, she was questioned by police. Could she remember what had happened, " the day of the storm? " as she called it.
From what she could remember, her mother and her brother were playing together in the boat. Her father was a fisherman. He called the house "the boat", "his boat " and he was the captain.
That day he came back drunk. She remembers her father and mother began to argue. Her father suddenly lost all control. He lashed out and hit her mother, screaming and cursing, he laid into her.
Anna's brother frightened and hysterical, tried to protect his mother, but he was attacked and beaten viciously. Anna said that she tried to run, but her father came at her screaming. "It's all your fault, ye are all against me trying to ruin my life " After that, all was a blank.
Anna said " she knew that her mother and brother were dead, that she wished she was dead "
Anna lay in her hospital bed, but something deep inside her, was telling her to recover, that she would recover, she deserved to be happy. She was a fighter, and she would keep on fighting.
The ray of light, was making its way across the sky. Faded, it was once again, just a faint glow. It passed over a girl in a hospital bed, when suddenly it burst into light and took off. It had found another glimmer.
© Conor Boland
It was an arduous journey at times, and sometimes the light glowed dim and almost went out. It somehow managed to keep going, getting re-energised every now and then, by bright glimmers which shared their light.
It was finding its way across an ocean, where in its path, a small fishing boat was listing from side to side. The ray of light, was noticed far in the distance by a young girl curled up in the fetal position, with a blanket thrown over her shivering body. She looked out into the darkness and strained her eyes, trying to focus on what had caught her attention. The boat was caught in a terrible storm, which had erupted unexpectedly, and wrecked havoc on board.
After scanning the sky, there was no sign of anything. She thought she imagined it, and the young girl pulled at the blanket around her. She felt cold and alone once more.
During the storm, the wind swirled and lashed at the fishing boat, with uncontrollable fury, until all that was left in its wake, was a wreck. Out in the middle of the ocean after floating for hours, the young girl was giving up hope. Her body slowly draining of energy. She was now on the boat alone.
She had experienced storms before, but never anything like this. This storm had taken her mother and her brother. Her father, a well seasoned fisherman, had gone overboard, and was lost to the world.
She had now no-one left, and was at the mercy of a frail, battered sinking boat.
It was useless to think, that she was ever going to be rescued. Who would find her, who would even miss her? She already felt that she didn't really exist. Her family cell was small. They didn't have much interaction with neighbours or friends. No-one would know what happened to her and her family, nobody would care. The boat was adrift and going further out to sea. The young girl was in great peril, but there was nothing she could do.
The young girl received some serious injuries during the storm. Her arms and legs were heavily bruised, and a large gash on her head was bleeding profusely, matting her hair. She lapsed in and out of consciousness, and life was ebbing away from her. As the light passed over the boat, the girl regained consciousness, as something deep inside her, was telling her not to give up. She was too young to die.
This feeling was really intense, and somehow she gathered the strength to move herself. She started to crawl slowly, towards the galley. She got to a window, and with all the strength she could muster, she cried out for help. Then she collapsed again in exhaustion.
The girl awoke in a bright room filled with commotion, shapes and sounds. She was confused and scared, when a voice said "good, you are awake, and you are safe now " The voice sounded reassuring and some of her fear subsided. The voice asked her if she could remember what her name was and what had happened?
"Anna is my name, where am I"? the girl asked weakly.
"You are at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital. You have been through a terrible ordeal but everything will be fine now" said the kind reassuring nurse.
Anna slept with tremors and woke with shrieks of anguished pain. She began to slowly recover from her physical injuries, but the mental scars that would haunt her, will take years to heal, if ever.
When she was a little stronger, she was questioned by police. Could she remember what had happened, " the day of the storm? " as she called it.
From what she could remember, her mother and her brother were playing together in the boat. Her father was a fisherman. He called the house "the boat", "his boat " and he was the captain.
That day he came back drunk. She remembers her father and mother began to argue. Her father suddenly lost all control. He lashed out and hit her mother, screaming and cursing, he laid into her.
Anna's brother frightened and hysterical, tried to protect his mother, but he was attacked and beaten viciously. Anna said that she tried to run, but her father came at her screaming. "It's all your fault, ye are all against me trying to ruin my life " After that, all was a blank.
Anna said " she knew that her mother and brother were dead, that she wished she was dead "
Anna lay in her hospital bed, but something deep inside her, was telling her to recover, that she would recover, she deserved to be happy. She was a fighter, and she would keep on fighting.
The ray of light, was making its way across the sky. Faded, it was once again, just a faint glow. It passed over a girl in a hospital bed, when suddenly it burst into light and took off. It had found another glimmer.
© Conor Boland
