Gripping the ferry railing as hard as John braced himself against the rolling waves of the ocean. The weather off the coast of Maine was brutal this time of year. But, his Grandfather had summoned them, so there was no choice in the matter. John gripped tighter as the waves splashed hard against the bow. He would have felt sick but the cold rain and air bit down so hard it took his mind off his heaving stomach.

Checking his watch, John could see that they were late, storm or no storm his Grandfather was not going to be happy. He gripped the railing tighter again as another wave struck and mused to himself of the value his family put in blindly following his Grandfather. He risked a glance behind him at the rest of his family clinging for life in the small island ferryboat.

His mother looked as stoic as always next to her two younger brothers. His five cousins and aunts looked all more perturbed, however. Except for Valarie of course, she had inherited Grandfather’s stoicism more than all the rest. Right as he was musing about this, the ferry horn let out a loud sound and was echoed by another off the island shore. The lights of the dock shone out against the storm, beckoning them into the safety of land. They had arrived.