Malari lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling of her cabin when she heard some unusual commotion on deck. Eager to see what all the excitement was about, she stumbled out of bed and put on her red day-time robes overtop of her sleeping garments.

Jonny was on the foredeck, barking orders to his crew when Malari joined him on deck.

“Jonny, what’s all the fuss about?” the tired girl wondered. The young man only pointed to the huge towers of rocks that seemed to surround them. Malari’s mouth flew open. “Can we get around them?” she asked.

“Let us hope and pray that we can.” He said nervously. “I don’t know how we came across these rocks! One moment I was facing the West and then next, crew members behind me are telling me sharp rocks are ahead, and we’re coming in fast.” He spoke in a hurry. “Alright men, we need to turn this ship around!” He barked more quick orders to them and then called a few others to him.

“I can’t understand how and where these humongous rocks came from!” he said to Malari, as the two men he called ran toward him.

Malari just stood stiff in alarm as many rushed back and forth past her in hurried strides, to get their orders done. She stared at the sharp rocks long and hard. This is so strange, she thought, Jonny is not this careless…those rocks…they can’t just magically appear…can they? The wind picked up even more than its normal speed. They were headed straight for the jagged rocks—and fast. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear it. We’re all going to die, her mind screamed, we’re all going to… Suddenly, a vision appeared, foggy like an old memory of an infant. It was land. She saw land and dark outlines of trees. Alarmed by the sudden vision, Malari popped her eyes open, only to see the exact same thing. She was in shock. Everything seemed to go in slow-motion. She saw land in the distance, clear as ever. The rocks had faded, with only a faint outline visible. Malari blinked at it as a few others scurried past her. She stared at the sight before her, than a spark lit in her mind. She realized the rocks had only been a mirage. The poem that Jonny and she had discussed a few nights before immediately came to her mind:

For ships that sail

Will always fail

The waters turn

The rocks will trail

The sight you will see

The eyes are the key

Shut them

And land you will be

The rocks? Shut your eyes and you will see land? She tried to figure out the poem. And then it dawned on her, what if this is Fantesti!? No sooner had she made her discovery, she felt the ship’s sharp turn to the left. Her eyes burst wide in panic. She ran as fast as she could to her friend, waving her hands in the air. “Stop! Jonny please, stop! That’s Fantesti! That’s Fantesti!” She pointed breathlessly to the tower of rocks.

“What are you talking about?” he said anxiously.

“The poem! ‘The rocks…the sight you will see…the eyes…shut them…and land…’!”

“Are you saying the poem tells us to shut our eyes and then we shall see this Fantesti?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Jonny shut his eyes.

“Picture land!”

He did and soon he opened his eyes in shock. “I see land…in the rocks,” he said in disbelief. “It’s Fantesti,” he said in huge surprise.

“The rocks aren’t really there.”

“My uncle would be so excited,” Jonny said with a hint of sadness.

“We need to sail into the imaginary rocks.”

“Yes…we do,” he said with newfound energy.

Some of the nearby crew members heard them. “What ever are you talking about? Have you gone mad?” they asked Jonny.

“No,” he pointed to the rocks, “That is Fantesti, the land my uncle had dreamed of finding.”

They looked briefly at the rocks and then back at him. “Are you crazy!?”

“No,” he said nervously, not sure how he was going to get the crew to believe him. “I know this sounds like madness, but we’re going to go through the rocks because—”

“We shall be doing no such thing!” One of the bigger men spoke up. “We are going to turn away from this and set a new course.”

“But my uncle—”

“You’re uncle is dead.”

“He wanted this!”

“He’s not our captain anymore and neither are you!” The big man knocked him down.

Jonny looked up at him in fear. “God help me,” he prayed out loud.

The man sneered. “Don’t try using your religion on us, boy. We’re not going to risk our lives for your stupid uncle’s dream.”

Jonny jumped up. “You will listen to me or suffer the consequences!”

The crew laughed.

Jonny bolted toward the steering wheel. But the big man caught hold of his foot and tripped him.

The crew laughed again and mocked him.

“Simon, keep our present course,” the man called up to the helmsmen, who then nodded in return.

Jonny glared at him.

The big man kicked him in a stomach. “Spoiled rotten boy!” He spat on him. “Throw a fit all you want but you won’t be getting your way this time!”

“Leave him alone!” Malari ran to the man. The crew grabbed her. She fought them, kicking and screaming. “Let me go!” They laughed.

Jonny heard her screams. Anger built up inside him. “Don’t you dare touch her!” He leaped up, pulled his dagger from his sheath, and stabbed the big man in the arm.

“Why, you—!”

Jonny broke through the crowd of men, ripped Malari from them, and pulled her toward the side of the ship with the angry crew right behind them. Malari ran as fast as she could, not knowing what she was doing.

“Jump!” Jonny cried.

In an instant, they were falling straight down, plunging into the ferocious sea. Malari hit the water with a smack and was pushed far down into its depths. She kicked franticly with all her might. She fought to reach the surface. She had lost the grip of Jonny’s hand. She coughed in a bunch of water. She kicked mercilessly for breath as she felt consciousness almost leave her. “God,” she begged, “If you’re there—if you do exist…then save me…help me! I don’t want to die! Not yet!”

She felt a hand reach for her as all conscious left.