March 12, 1926
            Though it is still quite cold, the harbor has thawed enough for ships to start making their way across the sea. Father wants me to work on one of these vessels.
            “Thomas, you’re a man now. It’s time you go out in the world and make something of yourself. Why I was eight years old when I started working.” Father would then go on with his spiel of working in the mines and how I’m lucky to have had such a pampered childhood. Was I really that pampered? I guess Mother always went out of her way to spoil me. Besides there’s no way she’d ever let me work on one of those ships.
            “Those captains are always barking orders and force their crew to work in terrible conditions. What if the ship is lost in a storm or attacked by a sea monster!” I overheard Mother say in frenzy when Father brought up the idea of me being a sailor.
            “Thomas is eighteen years old now. Don’t you think he should start becoming more independent? Listen, I lined up a job for him with my best supplier of fish. The captain is a nice man who takes care of his crew. They have weathered some of the fiercest storms. He will be perfectly safe. It will only be for a few days, and if he absolutely hates it, we can find some other job for him.” Father reassured Mother, but she didn’t seem so sure. Honestly, I don’t feel so sure about this either.
 
March 14, 1926
            I met the captain today! He’s a big, burly man with a scraggly beard and a jolly laugh. Father took me down to the docks to see the vessel I will be working on. The ship is named TheHorizonand it is a bit smaller than the average fishing boat, but it supplies the best fish for Father’s store.
The captain gave me a hearty handshake, “Good to finally meet you, Thomas! My, you’re much taller than I thought, and a strong arm too! Out on the seas you need a strong crew to fight against the waves and bring in the catch. Now, I want you to know that you’ll be joining our crew on one of our most daring trips yet. We will be heading to the Northeastern Sea. I’ve heard reports of a huge shoal of mackerel. These seas aren’t easy on newbies, but don’t fret. Just listen to everything Victor tells you and you’ll be fine. Speak of the devil! There he is now!”
 At that moment, a fellow on a bicycle passed by us. He waved and shouted a greeting to the captain. From the brief glimpse I got of him, he was short, with smooth black hair, and a red bandana around his neck. He had a slight cockney accent and a pleasant smile. I think we’ll get along.
 
March 16, 1926
Mother cried a lot when I left. I told her I would write to her, but I'm not sure how mail is delivered at sea. Maybe they have trained seagulls?
            What an eventful first day! I was nervous at first, but Victor helped ease me into my new job and introduced me to my rambunctious shipmates. Victor showed me the ropes (literally) of being a fisherman. He taught me the proper way of reeling in a catch and the different tools they use. One strange tool was a long pole with a combination hook for untangling nets and a spear like point for “just in case”. It amazes me how someone so small is able to muster up the strength to carry such heavy nets. If he is able to work this hard on these menacing seas, then maybe I can too.
            After a rather bland dinner, my rowdy shipmates danced around and sang traditional sea shanties. I didn’t know any of the songs so I just sat in the corner with Victor and clapped to the beat. Victor suggested I sing something I know. I was nervous and refused, but after much coaxing, I sang “London Bridge is Falling Down”. My shipmates laughed at me for singing such a childish song.
            “Hey, blondie! Don’t you know something other than a nursery rhyme?”
“Leave the kid alone. He looks like he’s gonna cry!”
            I felt so ashamed. I wished a huge wave would have overturned the ship at that moment so I wouldn’t have to deal with the embarrassment. Victor, seeing my distressed state, came to my rescue.
            “Oh, stop it. I thought his song was quite lovely. It reminds me of being a kid, running around with me mates, carefree, full of hope. A time before I had to quit school and work in the mill… ” Victor shuddered, remembering some awful memory. The others got real quiet, and stared intently at poor Victor.
            I can’t help but wonder how Victor can be so kind after having to sacrifice his childhood for work. One thing’s for sure, he’s definitely the most mature member of the crew. I wonder if I would be more like Victor if I had to work instead of being constantly pacified by sweets.
 
March 17, 1926
            We finally arrived at the fishing grounds! We were woken in the early morning to find a huge school of fish underneath our ship. I’ve never seen anything like it. The school was so near the surface, you could reach down and grab a fish with your hands.
            We lowered the empty nets into the surging, grey seas. Cold waves crashed into the ship and soaked us to the core. My shipmates hollered and laughed as we raised the bulging nets. The shimmering fish struggled in our hands as we loaded them in the barrels. After what felt like hours of backbreaking work, the captain appeared from the cabin.
            “Good work men! This is one of the finest hauls I’ve ever seen! After we fill up the rest of the barrels, we’ll be heading home!”
            Our spirits were high that night as the ship was turned towards home.
“So, what do you think? Will you continue working with us?” Victor asked me.
“Maybe… Is it always this fun?” I nodded towards the rambunctious crew as they danced on the table.
“Work is work, Thomas. People may be happy now, but they won’t be if we get stuck in a hurricane or come home empty handed. Luckily, those events happen rarely for our ship. The captain’s smart. He always knows where the fish are.”
            “Oh… Well, I’d rather weather the harshest storms if it means I get to work with you than work in the safety of my father’s store.”
“Thanks, Thomas. That really warms my heart.”
            Something bumped the ship that startled me awake. Victor assures me that it was probably just a wave, but I’m not so sure. Do waves usually make hissing and growling sounds?
 
March 18, 1926
            I sit in a small lifeboat; my fingers are numb from the cold. Victor has passed out on the bottom of the boat, exhausted from the events earlier today. I’m exhausted too, but I must stay awake. I have to keep watch for any danger. I must write what happened in case we don’t make it to shore.
            It was the midmorning. We had all woken up and were examining the catch of the previous day when someone shouted from the deck. We rushed up to see what he was yelling about. He pointed to a spot in the water where a large mass was following our boat. The dark shadow slowly rose out of the water, revealing a hideous beast. It had sea green scales, sharp spines that ran the length of its snakelike body, and oversized teeth. The creature loomed over us with piercing red eyes that stared at the vessel. I was completely frozen. I couldn’t believe that I was staring at a real sea serpent.
            “Everyone, move!” Victor yelled and chucked a spear at the beast.
The spear grazed the creature’s flesh and it let out a blood curdling scream. It attacked the ship. It shot out of the sea and constricted our vessel. I fell to the floor in a daze. Someone yelled to protect the fish as they tried to fight of the monster. All I could do was sit in fear as my shipmates were swallowed by the beast or fell into the water for some equally horrible fate. I was surrounded by the screams of my comrades, the cracking of the boat as it was being constricted, and the roars of the serpent as it feasted on everything that came nears its gaping maw.
Then I saw Victor. He was trapped under a broken board near the monster’s thrashing body. Even though I didn’t want to go anywhere near the beast, I couldn’t let my dear friend die. I leaped up and dashed toward Victor.
            “Thomas! What are you doing! You have to get out of here! Take the lifeboat towards the back.” Victor hoarsely yelled.
            “No. I’m not letting my only friend die,” I lifted Victor out of the board and carried him towards the back. I was able to launch the tiny life boat just in time before the serpent completely crushed the fishing ship.
 
March 19, 1926
I can’t stop thinking about that awful sea serpent. Its mouth filled with sharp teeth, its roars and screams, and those demonic red eyes. Whenever I try to sleep, the image of that horrible beast consuming my shipmates haunts my dreams. My only solace comes from the fact that Victor is safe. What if I didn’t reach him in time? Would he have perished along with the others? No. I shouldn’t think about this right now. We are both safe and that’s all that matters.
Victor has spotted the shoreline. I can see faint speckles of boats, docking in the harbor. We will be home soon. Away from this cursed sea with its frigid waters.  Mother would throw a fit once she hears what happened. Knowing her she will probably ban me from going near any sort of body of water. I wonder if Victor’s family is worried about him. Does he even have a family? Now that I think about it, I don’t know much about Victor’s past, or what brought him to America.
“Hey, Victor. What are you going to do once we make it to shore?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll try getting another job. Maybe in one of the factories. I’m sure they’ll hire someone with my skill set,” Victor said with a hint of sadness. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Victor likes being confined to a factory workspace.
“Maybe, you could work in my father’s store. He’s always complaining about the lack of good help, I’m sure he would hire someone like you. Then if he gives me a job in his store, we can still work together.” I suggested.
Victor smiled, “You think so? I’d love to keep working with you.”
With our agreement made, we sail on towards the harbor, excited about the future.