Sand Castles

Growing up with the ocean only blocks away, Jon spent most of his childhood at the beach. Like most little boys, he loved to play in the sand and make castles. As he grew, so did the castles. There was never a shortage of sand brought in from the ocean by the tide. Jon had an artistic talent for sculpting, but not with clay. He sculpted sand castles. Each morning, he would set out to the beach, tools in hand, to sculpt a new castle. He’d place a bucket for donations because even a sand sculptor had to eat.

One morning, he saw a little girl on the beach playing with a doll that looked like a mermaid. He decided he would make his castle look like an underwater city this mermaid would live in. As he worked, people would walk by, admire his work and drop a coin or two in the bucket. Jon daydreamed about who would live in his castle. The little girl's mermaid, perhaps? Or a princess? Or maybe a famous figure in history? By dusk, the beach began to empty. The little girl was gone. As he did every night, he counted his change and bought his merger supper from one of the stands on the boardwalk. While Jon ate, he sat and watch the tide roll in and wash away his day’s work. On this particular evening, the ocean gave up more than sea glass and shells. A small bottle with a cork floated to the base of the castle. Jon picked up the bottle and saw a scrolled scrap of paper with writing on it. He removed and smoothed it out on his leg.

 It read, "My name is Amelia Earhart. I'm alive and being held in the City of Atlantis!"