The lost sailor
--------------

"land ho!", the lost sailor shouted.
"Captain, lead the ship to the shore", he directed, "We're
saved!".
A long awaited tear of joy was shed off the lost sailor's
eye.
"There are people at the horizon!". It has been too long
since the lost sailor got to see another human being.
"What a pleasure", he thought to himself. "after so many
moons, here comes hope shaped as a group of man. I bet a
feast shall be held, and maybe I'll even be asked to give a
speech!" fantasized the lost sailor. "Oh, the excitement of
walking through the long awaiting crowd... it would be worth
each and every moment of dispare".
The lost sailor clinched to the steel bars of his cell.
"How odd", he pondered, "since when is a ship made of steel?
What happened to good old mister wood?" he queried.
Yet the lost sailor's distant thoughts where to be
interrupted by a few tall men, opening a path to him,
grabbing his weak and skinny body, and leading him out to a
long hall.
"Well, I guess this is one of those moments you have to pass
in order to get your prizes later", thought the lost sailor
to himself.
"I've always hated this part. Coming off the tumbling ship,
feeling a little queezy and sea sick." He recalled.
"Although I hardly feel any tumbling at all, and actually I
am not that sea sick. well, I guess that's a good sign..."
As the lost sailor was taken through the hall, he noticed
his walking is very slow and heavy.
His legs were chained. "funny methods this crew has, unlock
my chain, kind sirs, it's ok, I won't fall off the deck. I
am truely strong enough..." he told the men.
They didn't even nod their heads.
The lost sailor kept going: "so, where will the homecoming
be held?"
No response.
"Keeping me in suspense, ha?" he said with self pleasement.
The men remained silent, and kept walking.
Once again the lost sailor found himself thought-floating
about the speech he'll carry, the awaiting audience, and the
way home.
He had been lost long enough. It's about time the lost
sailor will be found.
The hall ended, and the men led the lost sailor into a great
square, full of an enormous amount of people, grouping
around a tall stage.
"Here is my crowd! Here is my homecoming! Here is my
recognition! It was all worth it!" cried the lost sailor.
He was so blinded by his belief that finally, his lost hopes
where coming true, that he didn't bother to analyze this
strange feeling that lerked inside his head.
It was just so close, the coming true of his dream, that he
didn't mind the fact the crowd was a bit too excited.
In the middle of this exhiliration he was caught into, every
fanatic expression seemed as a worm welcome.
"How unusual", thought the lost sailor, "since when is the
homecoming being held on the ship itself?"
The men took the lost sailor, and walked him into a pass,
heading towards the stage.
A navy officer was standing in the middle of it, giving a
speech. "soon I shall be the one in the middle of that
stage", said the lost sailor to himself. "glory is just one
step away!".
The crowd was shouting, the speech ended, and the lost
sailor was brought into center stage.
"The big moment has arrived", he whispered shaking.
Suddenly, two of the men grabbed him, hurting his already
hurt body.
A long rope, with a loop at it's edge, was being wrapped
around the lost sailor's neck.
In an instant the lost sailor noticed that home is not as it
was before.
There was no sea at sight, yet undoubtably the event was
held outdoors.
In fact, the uniform of the officer was also unfamiliar to
him.
When he came to think about it, even the language of the
speech wasn't his language either.
What seemed before as an awaiting audience, now was revield
to be a fanatic crowd, calling for death and punishment.
Thought's were flashing through the lost sailor's head
nonstop.
No more expecting and loving crowd, no recognition. No
speech. No home.
The lost sailor collapsed. The two men quickly brought him
to his feet, and tightened the rope around the his neck.
Drums where heared in the backround.
The officer stood closer to the lost sailor.
"Any last words, traitor?"
The lost sailor stood still. The drums got louder and
louder, and it was as if each pounding landed on his head.
At a shaken and shattered lost voice, the lost sailor
whispered his lost words: "someone, please tell me... what
have I done? Someone... please... please find
me....pl....".
Before getting a chance to hear the echo of his voice in his
mind, the drums stopped playing, and the steelmade floor
opened under the lost sailor's feet. He fell to the hole,
the rope streched, and the lost sailor finally got what he
wished for.
A huge crowd, a big welcome, a last speech. The lost sailor
was found. He's home now, and will never get lost again.