Sailor

Sailor

"Come in, Officer. Do you copy?"
"Roger that, Captain. Loud and clear. Any updates?"
"There's a storm brewing. The flag's thrashing like a fish on the deck." 
"And the water?"
"About as calm as a roller coaster ride; waves as tall as mountains and troughs as deep as valleys."
"Captain, do you read me? There's a rough weather system on the way. Let out the sails and watch the navigation lights. Over."
"Sure thing, Officer. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
"How are the sails holding up? Over."
"Bloody hell! The wind's picked up and torn straight through them!"
"Captain! The only way you'll make it through the night is if you slow down! Get the crew to release the anchor! Over."
"Roger. Lowering the anchor."
"Captain, bring the crew inside. Do you copy?"
"Copy. Bringing the crew...Officer! The waves have taken them overboard!"
"Quick! Prepare the lifeboats! Throw down a lifebuoy! Do you read me?!"
"Loud and clear!"
"Captain?!"
"They're gone. I went out on the deck but the rain was too strong. I couldn't see a thing, let alone keep my balance." 
"Steer to calmer seas! Sail towards clear skies!"
"Roger... What was that?!"
"What was what?!"
"There was a crash at the stern, and I'm heading straight for the rocks!"
"Steer clear! Make haste!"
"I can't! I've lost my rudder to a collision with one of the smaller rocks! Now I'm heading right toward a boulder!"
"Brace yourself! Do you copy?!"
"Aye aye, Officer. Loud and clear. I'm hanging on!"
KHHHHHHHH!!!
"Captain?! Do you read me?! Captain?!"
*static*...

Point of View

Point of View

CRIMINAL

I turn the iridescent stone between my fingertips. Once, twice, three times, it catches the light. I smother it in my pocket for fear of drawing attention to myself. "Diamond." The word itself sounds expensive. Funny how a diamond is the hardest substance on Earth, yet it is kept behind something as fragile as glass. I remove the balaclava from my head and gawk at my reflection in a puddle, illuminated against a background of the night sky. My eyes are sunken and my face is hollow, masked by an untidy beard. Despite my solitude in the abandoned alley, guilt and fear brew in my chest, tearing at my rib cage. I am a thief, but what is better? To die a good man or to survive  as a criminal? I stole because I have not seen a sink in weeks. I broke the window because I have not tasted food in days. My dry, parched tongue justifies the priceless stone in my back pocket. I am a criminal, but I am alive. I have chosen terror and shame, but I have not chosen death.

WITNESS

Somehow I can barely hear the shrill sound of the alarm. My heart pounds in my ears and adrenaline swims through my veins. The sound of breaking glass resonates in the back of my mind. As I come to my senses, a dark figure snatches the diamond from the window display of the jewelry store. Judging by its silhouette, the figure is a man. "Hey!" I try to shout, but my voice is frail and weak. As I dial

9-1-1 and inform the police of the robbery, anger sparks in my chest and a small flame comes to life. Who does that man think he is? He is a selfish thief with no respect for the law. I shudder. How has the world come to have such disgusting people? These people are fueled by greed, living among us in a nation of abundance and wealth. The United States is not a third world country. I am sure of this as I fidget with my manicure, easing the tension building in my throat. That man, clad in black, is in New York. If he has money for clothes, he has money to eat. He stole that diamond; he is dangerous, maybe even mentally ill, for he broke that window so confidently. He didn't even hesitate as he threw that brick at the glass, but I paused before calling the police. I am human. I feel empathy, but I also know karma. As I hear sirens approaching, I clench my fists. Feeling the smooth surface of my own diamond, set into a silver band around my finger, I hope they catch him. I payed for my luxury; why shouldn't he? I hope the police do him justice.