"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." - Martin Luther King Jr

☀

Martin Luther King once said, "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." King's quote was an attempt to "rally the troops" of the Civil Rights' Movement. Things were dark and grim with church bombings, police dog attacks, fire hose batterings, police beatings and the like. When I sat down by the tide and opened up the letter inside the bottle, I began to feel as if there was hope for me in the future. My hands were trembling with anticipation and fear as I unravelled the crumpled paper. That one word leapt off the paper as soon as my eyes saw it.

Gina

Everything happens for a reason, right? This bottle had floated thousands of miles and just happens to coincidentally wash up on the shore of this lost island. And boy, was I glad.

I read through the carefully handwritten letter in a blur of tears, my heart aching to be back in Barren Bay. To wake up in a blanket of morning sunshine and stroll over to my best friend's mansion, where we'd tack up the ponies and set about our ride, laughing and chatting aimlessly as we left behind everyone and everything, becoming totally oblivious to our surroundings. That was a proper friendship.

"... if your really there, and you get this letter, please write back."

Carefully, I take the pen wedged inside the bottle, blink away my tears, and begin to write. 

I tell my bestest friend that I'm safe, and still very much alive; about dad and the tiger shark; the jellyfish sting; the beautiful island itself, and lastly, the wild ponies, and the injured leader of the herd. 

And then, I sign my name and roll the piece of paper, Gina's letter on one side, mine on the other, and stuff it in the glass bottle with the ballpoint pen. Then, taking a glance at the ocean, riparian-blue and shining like silver, I shoved the bottle into the gasping waves and sat hugging my knees as it was taken out into the never ending blue.

Dad used to tell me, 'Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can almost hear the fish laughing at you.' I relate to this on a deep level, as I sit on the slippery giant rocks near the corral. It looks easy, but it's a lot harder when you've been sitting there for twenty minutes and your line is still pin point straight and quite frankly motionless. 

I hope Gina gets my letter. I would rather not spend the rest of my life fishing for my dinner.

Gina's POV

"there's a problem with being the strong one. No one ever offers you a hand" - Unknown

☀

T̶e̶n̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶o̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶.̶ ̶P̶r̶e̶s̶u̶m̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶d̶.̶ ̶D̶E̶A̶D̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶d̶a̶d̶'̶s̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶l̶a̶n̶d̶.̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶d̶?̶!̶ ̶S̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶p̶o̶n̶i̶e̶s̶!̶!̶

It's dad. He told me to cross it out. 

"A murderer!! Gi, you have such a vivid imagination. Don't worry, I'm certain we'll find them."

Certain? What, in the middle of the Ocean? Am I really supposed to believe this!?

There's something fishy. And not to mention the constant phone calls, 'work' and reading he's been doing. Books about ponies. Maybe a hundred for all I know. Yes, we have horses and all, but dad knows everything you could possibly know about horses; he has grown up with them for a good forty or so years. 

"Nothing there isn't to learn about horses, Gina"

And the map studying? Seriously, when did my dad take such interest in geography!? He's the richest man on the island. Or so I think.

 His gold mining business has been going downhill lately. There's a man locally who's asked my dad if he can take over, he's probably second richest here, and money isn't a problem for him. Dad said he was perfectly fine, but in all honesty, he really isn't.

It's started with the horses. A little low on feed and maintenance.

Then bills. A little late.

Then a business crash.

He isn't used to being poor. My dad was born rich. 

Is he scared of being working class? No sports cars, luxury houses, holidays three times a month and horses and hounds. Yes. 

My dad is scared of losing it all. He's scared of having to actually use his brain for once.

And not sit back and let everyone else do the work for him.

 ☀