Clear

John Ferguson finds himself uncomfortable as he takes a boat to an imposing island with large cliffs. He can’t swim, so he clings fast to his life vest, though he doubts it would help him in the churning sea.

The boat arrives at the shore, and John is grateful to feel solid land beneath his feet. He squeezes the seawater out of his clothes and tries to warm himself, saying a prayer of gratitude to God for his safe arrival. He waits for someone to carry his box and talks silently to his absent wife Mary, telling her that he’s made it and will go home to her soon.

It rains softly outside Ivar’s house. He works all morning to repair his thatched roof, and in the evening he boils milk for his dinner. The days are long this time of year, and Ivar hardly lies down to sleep. He rests as the light of the day fades, but when dawn comes, he rises early. Ivar doesn’t have a mirror, so he doesn’t know what he looks like aside from the rippled reflections he sometimes sees in the pools and puddles on the island.