William and the Lobsters

William and the Lobsters

by 

Alana Blake (age 13) 

It is the year 1901 off the coast of Cape Neddick, a cold and breezy, but a sunny spring day. There are two are two men in a lobster boat. The first guy, John, has a big white beard, and orange overalls. The second guy named Henry has brown hair and wears a tan beret hat. They head back to the dock after a good day of catching lobsters. 

As they get closer to the dock, you can see a young boy with brown hair, and no shoes waving at them. “Is that your boy William?” John asks in a thick accent.

“Ya, he wants to come and help, but he can’t swim.”

John chuckles as they pull up to the dock.

“Dad!” William says excitedly, jumping into Henry’s arms. 

“Oh, you are getting big,” Henry says, putting his hat on William's head, but it covers his face.

“Does that mean I can go with you tomorrow, Dad?” William says, pushing the hat up, so he can see.

“How about you just help us bring the lobsters to the lobster shack, then we can go and talk to your mom about it.”

“Ok.”

“William, over here,” John says holding a bucket. William grabs the bucket which is filled with lobsters.

“Wow.”

“Here we are,” John says, putting his bucket of lobsters on the table in the lobster shack.

 “Well, I'll be going home.”

“Ya, we should be getting home too, before Mom gets worried,” Henry says, looking at William.

“Bye, John,” William says, before dashing down the dirt road.

“William, wait!” Henry yells. 

John laughs, “Haha, I will see you tomorrow. Say hi to Sarah and Violet for me,” John says,  walking away.

“I will. Be safe.” Henry walks down the dirt road up to a small yellow house.

“Boo!” William says, jumping out from behind a tree.

“Ahh! You got me. Let's go inside. It smells like Mom finished dinner.”

“Ok.”

They went inside where a woman, with long red hair and a green dress, walks in with a platter in each hand “Oh, Honey and  William, you are home. Good, I just finished dinner. William, can you get Violet? She's in her room,” Sarah says, putting fish and baked potatoes on the table.

“Come on, Violet. It’s dinner time,” William says, picking up a little girl, with red hair and a pink dress. 

“Soo, Dad, can I go tomorrow?” William asked.

“William, I know you want to go, but you can’t swim, and I don’t want you to drown,” Sarah says softly.

“But I could wear a life jacket, and it could help me not be afraid of water.” 

“Good point,” Henry says.

“So?”

“Fine, but you must wear a life jacket at all times,” Sarah says.

“Really?” Willam says excitedly.

“Yes, now go to bed,” Henry says.

Henry wakes up William as the sun slowly rises.“Wake up! It’s time to go,” Henry says.

William jump’s out of bed. “Ok, I’m up.”

“Come on,” Henry says, walking out the door with William right behind.  

Once they got to the dock, John is all ready at the boat with a life jacket in hand.

“How’d you know?” William asks, grabbing the life jacket, and getting in the boat.

“I just knew.” John drives the boat out to where the lobster traps are.

“Ok, William, I will grab the traps, and you put the lobsters in buckets,” Henry says.

“Ok.”

Two hours later, John asks, “Is that the last trap?” 

“Yes,” Henry says. 

Lighting hits the water.  Flash . . . Boom!

“What was that?” William asks.

“A lightning storm,” John says. The sun disappears into the dark thunderclouds. The wind whips Henry’s hat off. The waves are rising high and crashing down.

“The waves are getting really big, Dad!” William says with fear in his eyes. The waves push the boat around.

“It will be ok, William,” Henry says strapping the buckets down.

Hang on tight. It is going to get rough through those rocks, but once we get past the lighthouse, it will be calm.” John says. A big wave crashes over the boat.

“Dad!” William screams as the wave takes him overboard.

“William!” Henry runs to the side of the boat.

John drives the boat around the area they last saw William.

"Do you see him?” John asks, losing hope.

“No,” Henry says with tears running down his face. 

"It's getting dark. Even if he survives, we won't be able to see him. So why don't we head in? He should drift to the harbor anyway." 

Henry nods to give the ok.   

Waves slap the sides of the boat as they slowly get closer to the dock.

“Look, Henry, there’s William! He’s alive and swimming!” John says, pointing towards the dock.

“William!” Henry calls.

“Dad, I'm swimming!” William says, getting to the ladder. 

John docks the boat, Henry runs to William.  

“I thought you died,” Henry says, hugging William.

“So does this mean I can help more often?” William says, hugging his Dad back.

“Yes, just don’t scare me like that again,” Henry says. 

getting dark even if he survives we won’t be able to see him, so why don’t we had in and he should  drift into the harbor anyway.” Henry nods his head to give

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