The stars twinkled through the inky murkiness of the water as I looked up from the ocean bed. My days go by quite uneventfully, the currents no longer a hindrance to my need to stay rooted. We’ve silently embraced my existence. The visitors come in galore, and more often than not, make themselves at home. I did get quite annoyed with this at first, but the exhilaration from being needed again overshadowed all my objections. It had been a while. Oh that fateful night that changed the course of my life forever!

**************

Crabs. Master wanted them again. And I was more than willing to comply. I never failed him, always bringing home the catch he wanted. The familiar thrill rushed through me as I was lowered into the shallow waters. Laughter erupted from the deck and I rejoiced in the drunken sound, promising another night of conquered oceans and victorious catches. The waves lapped gently against me, wetting my sides with their icy crests. The gear was double checked, and my propeller burst to life. We were off.

The fish swam close to my hull, beyond excited to follow its familiar friend. The night sky was serene, its calmness reflected onto the depths of the ocean. And the moon lay bare, almost eager to witness this glorious night. I sailed on with pride.

An hour or two later, the propeller died out and soon the anchor was set down. The pot was lowered to the bottom and the wait began.

I started counting the number of stubborn drops that tried to climb their way up my metallic sides, each time slipping right down to the surface and starting again with renewed determination. I was snapped out of my daze when I felt a light tug at the end of the rope. My insides awakened as I looked through my hull down at the sight, a few hundred fathoms below. I gasped. The sheen was blinding. He was a startling shade of golden, iridescent like he had swallowed the sun. The whole ocean seemed to bow down to this majestic being, a fallen slice of heaven. I’d never seen anything like him. Time stood still as he tentatively snapped his pincers and inched his way into the pot. No! He slipped in, and soon began to thrash against the wire walls as realization slowly dawned on him. A shrill wordless cry resounded through the water, wrenching a hole through my being. And at that moment, I knew nothing mattered more than saving him. Nothing.

I looked helplessly around, not knowing what it was that I wanted exactly. The noises from the vessel pulled my attention towards it for a moment. They were laughing again. Master would help me, wouldn’t he? An uneasiness settled over me as I knew the answer to that. All at once, I felt alone, and scared. Scared for him.

“Help”, I whispered hoarsely. Everything was quiet. Help.

And then, the halo appeared. Faint at first but gradually strengthening in its glow around the white orb. The winds began to roar with an unmistakable vengeance, pulling along with it the immensity of the dark waters. My steel heart beat against its confines as the waves rode high above us. I could feel the slowly mounting tension on board but I didn’t pay it any heed. It was happening! I knew it. They’d heard me.

But something didn’t feel right. My anchor! The pot couldn’t be moved around much with the anchor’s grasp so tight around the reef. I willed it to let go, but to no avail. Panic and desperation rose in me. I looked into the endless depths of the night, asking for a way out. The answer hit me straight in the face. The storm would have to get a lot worse…I knew what this meant for me.

The night calmed for a moment, a silent request for permission. And I smiled.

Thunder and lightning struck out while the waves and winds screeched at a deafening level, each competing with the other and finally coming out as a huge colossal entity, clawing its teeth into me as my anchor was wrenched out from below the reef. I was no match for the ocean. I watched with increasing wonder as my body came apart under its force.

The last thing I heard above the roar was the melodic crunch of a pot smashing against a reef and then, everything went blank.

**************

I get visitors galore, but he never comes. I know he will though. When water and air unite again, to turn all that was to all that could be, his fire will come.