Freedom of the Sea

There is nothing quite like the freedom of the open sea. 
At least that's what my father told me last night with the sad apologetic smile that he had been wearing for days. 
This morning it didn't feel real. When we climbed into the carriage it didn't feel real, when we road down the familiar streets it certainly felt far away and even now; my hands gripping the railing so tight that I can see my knuckles turning white, it still feels like I'm dreaming. A horrible frightfully fantastic dream.
One of the crew members shouts something and father gently squeezes my shoulder, whispering "this is it."
It felt strange standing above water. The creaking floorboards of the ship suddenly didn't seem like enough protection against what lies below. 
A strong wind rustles my skirts and I close my eyes, clutching onto the wooden frame for dear life itself.
'Look at it, sweetheart!' father urges. 
For a moment I resisted. If I didn't see myself leave, I wouldn't really be gone. But the rocking of the ship underneath me is making me feel nauseated, so I gingerly open one eye and then the next. 
There was Amsterdam in all its glory. My country, the city I had grown up in. I knew every street by heart, yet looking at it now from the sea, I felt like I had never really seen it. 
It felt sad but oddly liberating to leave the world behind for open water. And although I fear the open waters, fear not knowing what lies ahead, I could now clearly see what father had meant. 
The chance of a fresh start. The frightful freedom of the sea. 

This is the result of a 10 minute creative writing assignment I had this morning in my grammar class. A professor of theater came into our class to talk about an exchange with Australia (where she teaches) and asked if we would write a short scene of what it would feel like to leave on a boat or arrive on a boat ca 18th century. Her drama class will use this and the pieces of my classmates to help them understand the emotion behind leaving/arriving. 


Hope you like it any critisism/feedback is greatly appreciated! 


Keep Writing!

Xx Noortje