Wait! I Wrote That? (A Collection of Old, Horrific Stories)

Story 10: Graveyard of the Atlantic

Song: "Now We Are Free" - Lisa Gerrard

Genre (s): Historical Fiction/Mystery

Written When? 11th Grade

Prologue

        I do not have many memories of my past. I lost them when I died, many years ago. Ping said he and Parity found me in a cove on the island. I was unconscious, broken, and bleeding, which leaves me to believe I was just born.

I am a child of the Ocean, not a child of the land. Nevertheless, I know my name is Erika. How do I know this? I don't know. Do you think the Ocean gave me that name? One of the meanings of the name Erika is "ever powerful", and I seem to recall a very powerful Ocean deep in the back of my head. Is that where the name comes from?

But what about "Edna"? That is another name I remember. Why? I do not have an answer. My only guess is that the Ocean had to choose between the names "Erika" or "Edna" when She gave birth to me. But... Edna. Why is that so familiar? Was I someone else before I died? What if my real name isn't even Erika? What if it's Edna? This is all so confusing.

Who am I? What lies beyond the protective borders of my island? What does the Ocean want from me? I did not think I would find answers to the many different questions that swarmed around in my head, but then I met Antonio, a creature who looked just like me. He told me of a place far across the ocean known as the "Mainland", and that he wanted me to go back with him.

No! I couldn't leave Ping, Parity, and the island behind! They were my past, present, and future. But at the same time, perhaps I would find my lost memories if I went with Antonio? The Graveyard of the Atlantic... Was that where I was from? I mean, I was dead. Nevertheless, what was that feeling I had when I was around Tonio? Why did I feel so safe and secure around him? What's all the talk about a war on the horizon? I ask way too many questions, but I'm curious.

My story is a strange one, but it is also what the Ocean expects from me. I have to leave my island. I have to go with Tonio, if there is any hope for me to start my life over. To change my future, I have to learn about my past. Who am I? The Ocean told me. I am the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".

Chapter 1

The Graveyard of the Atlantic

It was the time of month when I had to stay in the canopy. Under the rays of the Circle of Light, I adjusted my leaf skirt, as well as the flower I wore behind my left ear. I wore my hip-length, blonde hair forward, so it could cover my breasts, and took in a whiff of the sea breeze. Deep within the jungle, I could hear the breathing of animals. They told me it was a brand-new day.

Usually during my Bleeding Month, I stayed in bed under a blanket of leaves, but that day, I heard the island calling me. Something was waiting for me out there, and I had to find out what.

Therefore, I grabbed some leaves and stuffed them up my skirt to stop the flow of blood. Afterward, my blue eyes landed on the edge of the canopy.

As the animals continued to breathe, I carefully walked across a tree branch until I hit a cluster of leaves. I pulled them aside and stepped in front of them.

There it was. The ocean. What I was looking at was the island's cove. I seemed to fall under a trance when I watched the gentle slapping of waves against the sand.