ELIZA OSBORN

As the Night Wore On

As the night wore on, I became increasingly aware of the sound of the waves. They were a constant presence, a reminder of the vastness and power of the ocean. I found myself drawn to them, listening intently as they crashed against the shore and receded back into the depths. I began to write, allowing the sound of the waves and a second glass of Moscato to guide my thoughts and shape my words.

The ocean was not just a backdrop to my work, I came to realize, but an integral part of it. The sea was a metaphor for life, for the way that we are pulled inexorably forward by the tides of time. It was a symbol of our own insignificance, and yet also of our boundless potential. And it was a reminder that, no matter how small we may feel in the face of the universe, we are still capable of creating something beautiful and enduring.

I had begun my writing with a two-hundred-dollar fountain pen—a win from an online giveaway—but my mind began moving faster than the ink could flow, so I switched it out for a tried-and-true Pilot G-2. Any beauty I’d intended for the formation of words was traded for the euphoria of moving that point across paper fast as possible. I had saved for the better part of a year for these two coastal weeks: the most important thing was getting these words out of my head, at long last.

As the first light of dawn began to filter through the windows, I put down my pen and closed my notebook. The words I had written were only the beginning, the first step on a journey that promised to be both challenging and rewarding.

In those weeks, I realized that my beachfront condo was more than just a place to live; it was a source of inspiration, a wellspring of creativity that would fuel my writing for years to come. The ocean became a constant companion, a source of comfort and wisdom in times of doubt and uncertainty. As I drifted off to sleep, the sound of the waves lulling me into a peaceful slumber, I felt a sense of excitement and anticipation
for the adventures that lay ahead.

I never went home.

Or rather, I’d finally found it.

Eliza Osborn lives in Youngstown, Ohio, with her husband, daughter, and five (!) rescue dogs. She works as a freelance editor and writer and is the author of the young adult novel The Mystery Of Dogwood Cross, set in her native South Carolina, and The Love I Meant, a historical crime novel.