Bryn's Vigil

O.k., I ran this image through PhotoShop, and played around with the filters.  I tried for a dreamlike atmosphere, and I suppose that I kind of reached that effect.  Don't ask what filters I used, as I tried this and that until being satisfied with this look.

Bryn's Vigil

There was a sea captain who lived in a small fishing village with his young bride.  From the day of their wedding, they were known as the happiest couple that lived in the village.  Often, they would be seen walking hand in hand along the seashore, and stopping to talk with the people that they would come across on any particular day.

One day, the sea captain was pressed into service to serve in a distant war.  His wife waited for his return; for a long time she waited.  Even after she learned that her husband's ship went down during a battle, she continued to wait.

She waited for her husband, and became known by the people in the small fishing village as the captain's widow.  She never left her property, and rarely left her house, only to stand at the cliff in front of it, and stare at the sea.  As the years passed, the people of the village wondered why the captain's widow never seemed to age.

Doctors would visit, and elderly women who were in their prime when the widow retreated to her house, also visited and wondered, for neither the mourning woman herself could explain her condition.  Small children would dare each other to sneak close to the house and look into the window.  Those that had the courage, would find the poor widow weeping at her window, or find her standing at the cliff.

One very dark and foggy day, when the clouds were low on the horizon, a ship lay anchor near the harbor of the small fishing village.  It was raining heavily as a small boat came to the shore.  From the small wooden boat, stood the sea captain.  He took his lantern by his side, and slowly walked towards the aging house.

The woman came out of the house, and ran down to the shore for the first time in many decades.  She hugged her husband.  As this was happening, two elderly fisherman and their wives watched as the sea captain and his wife boarded the small boat, and returned to the ship.  They watched as the ship sailed away.

That was many years ago, and to this day, the story is still told amongst the people of the small fishing village as they sit in front of their home fireplaces and tavern hearths that lined the shore.  Sometimes, when the storms arrive from the far sea, and the heavy fog rolls in, one could see the sea captain's lantern.  One could see the woman as she runs down from where their house used to stand.  One could see as the captain and his wife walk hand in hand, and watch as they board the captain's ship.

They will then watch as the ship disappears into the storm.