As they sailed over the ocean, the soldiers aboard a ship spotted something odd floating right in front of it. As they moved closer to check on it, they discovered it was more than what they could have imagined and screamed in horror. The chill descended on the ship, accompanied by the darkness that marked the start of another shift......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Stretching, Mark walked into the office to begin his day as a naval officer. He strongly believed he played a significant role in protecting his country and everyone therein. He had always loved the water ever since he was a little boy. With his love for his country and his love for the water, it only made sense that he served his country by becoming a naval officer. He worked undisturbed till 11:00 p.m. when he heard footsteps to his right. He looked around but saw no one.
Mark shrugged it off and went back to work, thinking he must have misheard. In no more than 5 minutes, he heard footsteps again to his left. This time, he stood up and looked around, and even outside the office, but he didn’t see anyone. He was beginning to get creeped out. Uncomfortable, he stepped out onto the deck to take a cigarette break.
The moment he lit the lighter, he saw two figures coming towards him. He jumped in surprise, the cigarette falling off his lips. Then he berated himself for being so jumpy and childish. He knew who those figures were: two guards doing their rounds as usual.
They all spent a few moments chatting while Mark smoked, trying to relax. He didn’t know what had come over him that night, but he was about to find out that his instincts were trying to tell him something important.
Taking his wits with him, Mark took a deep breath and walked back into the office. How silly had he been? Of course, those footsteps belonged to the guards, and now that they had finished patrolling that side of the ship, they wouldn’t come back. So he fully expected silence. But some 10 minutes later, Mark heard footsteps again.
He held his breath and listened intently, hoping he was wrong. Again, he heard the steps coming behind him to his right. Swallowing hard, he called out, “Rather than wander aimlessly, why not just come over here and hang out for a bit?” The footsteps paused for a moment and then walked past him, stopping in front of the couch.
The situation got even weirder as the silence stretched. Berating himself again for being so childish, Mark said the first thing that came to his mind, “Full moon tonight, huh?” He got no response back. Figuring he had nothing to lose, Mark tried again, “It looks like it’s going to be a calm night.” Still no response. He shrugged and went back to work. Every so often, he would look up and perk his ears, but he didn’t hear anything else until the end of his shift.
When he went back to his room to sleep, he found that he couldn’t get that incident out of his mind. He didn’t speak to anyone about it because it felt somewhat ridiculous. After all, he was a grown man talking to the void. How embarrassing would that be if he confessed to his fellow sailors? He knew that some of them would have laughed at him until the end of his days. However, he also knew that some sailors on board were highly superstitious and would probably find a ghostly explanation for the mysterious sounds.
Mark himself remembered an old story he had once heard about the oceans. Some older officers believed that there was a spirit who roamed the seas. The spirit was the ghost of an old naval officer who lost his life while saving the victims of a wrecked boat. Some people believed the benevolent naval captain would always make his presence known whenever danger loomed so that the naval officers could provide assistance. Mark had never believed the story, but something in his bones indeed told him that something dangerous was about to happen.
The following week, Mark was on the lower deck with his other off-duty colleagues to celebrate their third month at sea. They threw an impromptu party, complete with orange juice, snacks, and cards. The atmosphere was lively, and the jokes flowed freely. As he played, Mark looked up toward the horizon, and a shadow in the distance caught his eye. He looked intently, but he couldn’t be sure what he saw.
He called the attention of his colleagues, and they all stared into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he had seen. Quickly, someone ran to get binoculars so they could see more clearly. The mist over the horizon came from out of nowhere. In the distance, they could see the clouds gathering, indicating an incoming storm. The crew began to disperse the party over to prepare for the storm. Mark knew what he had to do, but he couldn’t get his mind off the object he thought he saw in the distance. He tried to shrug it off when he felt the presence by his side.
He turned, but there was no one there, and no one was paying attention to him. His mind went to the night he had heard footsteps in his office, and he wondered if the stories were true. If the ghost of the benevolent naval captain was on board, then danger loomed. Shaking his head, Mark looked through the binoculars once more, and what he saw shook him to his bones. Immediately, he rushed to the upper deck to bring what he saw to the attention of his superior, Tom.
Tom always encouraged his crew to report any anomalous sightings to him. In his experience, the prompt reporting of such sightings could mean the difference between life and death for either the crew or anyone lost in the deep blue seas. Immediately after Mark reported what he thought he saw, Tom followed Mark to the lower deck and looked for a minute before he saw it.
When he did, he screamed in horror. The shocking reaction of their superior surprised the entire crew, who wondered what horror lay on the horizon. Tom immediately gave orders that the ship change course in the direction of the storm. The crew received their instructions and immediately moved into action, steering the ship towards the eye of the storm.
Some of the officers on the deck still couldn’t see what the fuss was all about on the horizon. Mark pointed them in the right direction, and there they saw the outline of a big ship several miles away. But right in front of their ship was something else, and the officer traced his finger down until his fellow sailors noticed a wooden plank in the water.
Shockingly, on the plank was a little boy who couldn’t be any more than 10. From the distance, they couldn’t tell if he was still conscious or if he had passed out. Mark pointed out to Tom that they could blast the horn to catch the attention of the boy. If he was conscious, he would give some sort of sign and know that rescue was on its way. Tom liked the idea and gave his consent.
With every eye trained on the bouncing wooden plank, the ship bellowed. Everyone sighed in relief when they saw the boy raise his head. Seeing the ship in the distance, the boy waved something black in the air to get their attention. The officers responded with another toot as they sped in his direction. In less than 15 minutes, they would reach the boy and bring him to safety.
While everyone prepared for the boy’s rescue, Tom remained on the deck, his binoculars trained on the waters. The big cloud behind the boy shifted slightly, and the captain’s hands trembled. The sailors wondered what he had seen. Tom chose not to say anything to the crew. He only asked how much longer it would take to reach the plank.
They replied that they were about 12 minutes away from the boy. The dark clouds had covered the sky, plunging them into darkness. Everyone held their breath and prayed the skies wouldn’t unleash just yet. Tom waited for a minute to weigh his options. What he didn’t tell his crew was that just behind the plank was a shark. He couldn’t tell if the shark was simply going its way or if it had its sights on the boy. If they didn’t rescue him in time, the shark could very easily hurt the boy.
There was also the incoming storm to consider. It was only a matter of precious minutes before the waves overtook the small plank and dunked the boy underwater. Tom also knew he was risking the lives of his crew as they headed into the eye of the storm. Making up his mind, Tom ordered the ship to stop. He decided to send in a rescue boat instead.
The boat would be able to move faster and save the boy from the shark. So he called Mark and two other crewmates, entrusting them with the mission of bringing the boy back safely. Warning them of the shark, he waved them off with everyone watching, their hearts in their mouths. Pushing the limit, Mark and his colleagues raced to the boy. They could see the waves gathering, and it was in their best interest to get the boy before the waves descended.
The strong winds were slamming against the boat, tossing it from side to side. Mark and his colleagues fought to keep the boat on course, their eyes on their target. They were less than a minute away when the waves hit and the boy disappeared underwater. Even from a distance, Mark could hear the cries of horror from his colleagues on the ship. Everyone on the boat looked at each other in dismay. Without a second thought, Mark jumped into the water.
The two crew members on the boat inched slowly, waiting for any sign of Mark or the little boy to help. They waited for a minute, then two, but saw nothing. Worried, they wondered if it was a smart option for another crewmate to go into the water after them. Just then, they heard a sound over the roar of the ocean. Looking to their right, they saw Mark struggling to stay afloat in the distance, one arm wrapped around the unconscious boy.
They raced towards him. Right behind Mark, the fin of a shark could also be seen racing towards him. Spent, Mark struggled to stay afloat with the little boy. He hoped the boat would get to them soon; he had barely any strength left to hold on. Suddenly, he felt a strange presence next to him, urging him to turn around. No sooner had he turned around than the shark came whizzing past him. Had he not turned, the shark would have bulldozed over him with the little boy in tow.
In the boat, still a distance away, Mark swiveled his head as the shark circled around him. He was fairly certain it was alone, as sharks rarely move in groups. He knew he didn’t have the strength to fight off the shark, maintain his grip on the boy, and remain afloat.
He hoped that by kicking his legs harder, the predator would swim away, leaving them alone. But after a minute, Mark realized his hope wouldn’t come true. He could feel the shark gearing up for another attack. The boat was out of reach and would be of no help. He took a deep breath and prepared to fight the battle of his life. Suddenly, he heard a deep roar that could have been the bellow of a ship or the growl of the sea. The sound stunned him but also drove the shark away.
Try as he might, he felt his consciousness slip and his grip on the boy loosen. Just before they both went under, strong hands grabbed them. The two crewmen lifted them onto the boat. The cheers of their colleagues could be heard in the distance, but Mark was already unconscious. There was no time to rejoice, however, as the heavens decided to pour out right that instant. The rain hit hard and fast. The crewmates fought to keep the boat from capsizing and at the same time to get back to the ship. With Mark and the boy unconscious, every second counted toward getting them to safety.
Thankfully, their fellow sailors on the ship were prepared for them. The moment they climbed on deck, the medical team took over, wrapping all four of them in blankets. They managed to revive Mark and the little boy and rushed them to the medical unit to rest. Everyone cheered Mark and his colleagues for their valor as they walked in. In a few hours, Mark was well rested enough to move around.
He reported in Tom’s office. The little boy was still unconscious, and they couldn’t figure out how he ended up all alone in the middle of the ocean. The silhouette of a ship they had both seen on the horizon was completely gone. Tom asked his crew if they had heard any reports of a boat capsizing in the nearby area, but the response was negative. With the billowing rain, it was impossible to check for signs of a wrecked ship. With very little to go on, they had no choice but to wait for the little boy to wake up and tell his story.
A couple of hours later, the boy opened his eyes. He told them his name was David. He lived with his grandparents, and this weekend his grandfather decided to go sailing to celebrate his retirement. He had begged and pleaded to come along. After pestering the old couple for the entire week, his grandfather relented after he promised to be on his best behavior. He told them how he’d sat with his grandfather for many hours, observing the weather patterns.
The forecast had promised a warm temperature and a cloudy sky. As it was his first time in the water, David ran around his grandfather, barely listening to the old man’s instructions. Seeing how excited he was, his grandfather insisted he wear a life jacket. After spending hours on the deck entertaining his young grandson, the spent old man insisted that they take a nap. He was soon asleep, but the spirited kid couldn’t settle down. He sneaked past the softly snoring man to the deck.
Remembering his grandfather’s insistence on the life jacket, he reluctantly put it on before heading back out to the deck. He stared over the rail, watching the fish as they floated past the boat. His attention was drawn to a plank that floated towards him. The curious boy reached out to grab the plank, but the waters kept drifting the piece of wood away from his reach. With one hand on the railing, David stretched further than he should have into the waters.
The boat lurched, and his grip on the railing slipped. He fell into the water with a loud splash. Scared, David cried aloud, but there was no one to hear his screams. The life jacket kept him afloat, but he couldn’t swim. Quickly, he grabbed onto the plank, sat on it, and attempted to row his way back to the boat. Unfortunately, the waves took the boat further from reach.
Scared beyond his wits, David clutched to the plank and screamed for help. In no time, all that he could see was an expanse of water on all sides. Still, David refused to give up. He came across black plastic bags in the water, and he tied them together. As he screamed for help, he waved the plastic bag, hoping to catch the attention of any boats in the surrounding area.
As David recounted his story, one of the crewmates barged into the room. Quickly apologizing, he passed his phone to Tom. It seemed David had made the news. As soon as his grandfather woke up and couldn’t find him, he feared the worst and sought the help of the public to find his poor grandson. Several news outlets and blog posts picked up interest in the story, making it the hottest item in the news. Many people had gotten into their boats to help, and the Coast Guard had pitched in as well.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They could only imagine how worried David’s poor grandparents must be feeling at the thought of their grandson missing at sea. Tom gave his subordinates instructions to tell the proper authorities that they had found David.
The little boy became attached to Mark and would follow him everywhere. The whole team was amused at the bond that formed between the little boy and his savior. When his grandparents came for him, David hugged Mark for a long time, refusing to let go. Mark had to gently pull the boy away and make him promise to be more careful in the water. David’s grandparents showered Mark with many thanks, acknowledging that if he hadn’t noticed their boy in the vast ocean, they would have lost him forever.
Three days after the whole ordeal, Mark stood on the back deck and heard footsteps to his right. By this time, he didn’t care how childish and silly he sounded. He had felt an odd presence next to him too many times not to believe in the story of the old captain’s ghost. And now he knew that the familiar ghost had come to him again. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Thank you. I don’t know what trick you did with the clouds, but if it wasn’t for you, David would have drowned.
Like always, he heard nothing in response. A minute later, he heard a splash but saw nothing drop into the water. Mark never heard from the ghost again. He still felt a little silly when he thought that a strange feeling had alerted him to the presence of a little boy in the ocean or had warned him against an impending shark attack. But he didn’t mind anymore. All that mattered was that everything had turned out just fine.