Castle in The Waves

The boat had travelled for many miles until I could no longer see the coast. I was surrounded by ocean. I had spent the last few hours conversing with the professor. The professor suddenly looked over the side of the ship, grinned to me, and then shouted to the captain "I think this is a good spot to stop!", the captain nodded, and slowed the ship to a halt.

The professor began speaking to me again "I had noticed this spot last time I was out on the ocean, the water is much darker here than anywhere else, and I suspect there is a deep-sea trench here. I'd like to spend most of our time here.", I nodded in agreement.

The professor called to Lantern, he told him something only a sailor would understand, and he donned a suit of rubber and brass. I gave the professor a confused look, and he explained. "That is one of my own diving suits, I invented them myself. The pump I showed you earlier is for pushing air down to the suit, and the pony inside. It is extremely reliable, Lantern has dived innumerable times."

Lantern attached a hose to his metal helmet and I watched him hop into the water and sink into the depths. The professor turned the pump on, and a piston inside a glass tube began moving up and down, and the pump made a loud sucking noise.

Lantern was down there for hours, before giving the signal to rise, which was apparently just a tug on the hose. Lantern was pulled up to the surface, and on board the ship. He removed his large helmet and began describing the sights he saw. Glowing fish, fish with tentacles, and huge fish, almost as big as the ship. I tried to draw some, based on how he described them, but it was difficult to imagine what they truly looked like.

By the time Lantern finished describing his sights, it was dark, and the moon was about halfway to midnight. The beams descended onto the deck of the ship like ladders, making me wish I could climb them up to the great, dark ocean of space.

I was lead by the captain to my bunk. Such a dreadful word, but with my future on the sea, I knew I'd have to get used to sleeping in a bunk, rather than a bed. I lay my head and fell to sleep quickly.