Wasted Years

Wasted Years

By Scott Wilson

Word Count: 172

Jarlric had travelled from the coast of gold, across the seven seas, to run from the pain. He stared into the clear blue sky from the bow of his Viking longship. He travelled far and wide and now became a stranger to himself.

Twenty years he had been sailing, looking for the marauders of his homeland, the killers of his wife. Jarlric wasted all his time always searching for those wasted years without his love.

The things he now did from the bitterness and pain were unspeakable; murder, torture and pillaging. When he closed his eyes and thought of home, he thought how funny how it was, you never missed it until it's gone away.


He died with his crew nineteen years and eleven months ago and now had too much time on his hands; all he thought of was his love, and nothing could ease the pain.

His first mate could not find the words to say to the tormented captian, so the crew was condemned to make it through another day as Jarlric's ghostly companions.