The wind sucked in then blew out its venom, thrashing everything in its path. Unbroken waves grew to a towering height before finally breaking and cascading down their own body in to the black water that welcomed death

In this turmoil a ship’s wooden rudder rose up in contrast from the water followed by the keel. It stood there as though waiting for its final orders before the whole vessel slowly slid down into the black water, enveloping its victim without mercy. A clipper ship’s tea lost to the murky depths.

Four balls appeared then were gone! Reappearing again, this time clearly, in a boat, exhausted, the balls began to row, out of unison at first but then gradually more in order. They made little progress as their wooden boat climbed up a steep swell and just as it appeared they would fall backwards and capsize; they reached the summit to go plummeting down the crest, racing the spilling of the break only to be heaved up again on to the back of the next swell.

The sky crowded down wanting to touch this pitiful scene. Darker clouds scudded across the foreboding canvass to a backdrop of steel grey and the rain kept on falling, scoring large holes in the wild water. The wind sang its own murderous melody, beckoning them like the ancient sirens,

‘Give it up, give up!’ it screamed

The balls continued heaving, making gradual progress… but to where?

For a moment, only a moment, a ray of sunshine broke through the shutters of darkness and irradiated something. Was that land? Real earth and rock? The balls rowed with more intensity, more vigour and more hope, a real hope. Salvation.

The ball at the stern of the small craft seemed to be shouting, giving encouragement or was it a curse? Were their efforts futile, destined to be doomed? Still the balls pulled on the oars, toothpicks into a pond of chaos.

One of the balls looked back at the wreckage of the clipper and saw three fins cruising the choppy surface, fins that disappeared only to re-emerge with what looked like an arm or leg or…was that another ball? The ball in the boat turned away & vomited over the side. The other balls looked at the carnage in horror and dismay. Fear became anger. Anger became determination and determination worked the oars.