The Girl Who Lived in a Sand Castle

Once upon a time, long ago, a young school teacher named Marjorie and a weathered fisherman named Samuel fell in love. It was late one summer evening when the pair first crossed paths.


Marjorie, a slender woman with green eyes and hair that cascaded into soft golden curls, often used a small, hidden walking path as a short-cut between her mother's house and the school where she taught. Traveling from her mother's house, the path began along a small pebbly beach. The path narrowed as it neared the cliffs and finally wrapped around the steep cliff side ending at another pebbly beach at the base of a park. The park sat across the street from the schoolhouse. Although the journey would be too treacherous for most, Marjorie never shied away from any adventure or a challenge.

It was early summer, the last day of school for the year when Marjorie began her walk home. It was markedly later than any other night before so Marjorie failed to realize that high tide would be upon her in a matter of minutes.

Down through the park she traveled, gently lowering herself to the rock path below. She had been walking for only a few minutes when the tide engulfed her ankles with sea water. The ocean rock, slick with water, became difficult to navigate.

Halfway around the steep cliff side, Marjorie, waist deep in water, finds it impossible to fight the push and pull of the tide. She struggles to find a dry rock, crack or crevice to grab a hold of.

Suddenly she spots a small cave-like opening in the cliff side above her, just out of reach. She finds two stable hand holds and pulls her body slowly out of the water. Edging closer to refuge she is shocked when a giant tentacle lassos her waist and pulls her underwater.

Marjorie tries to wiggle and fight her way from the tentacle's grasp only to be pushed and pulled in and out of the water like a rag doll.

Samuel, a handsome man only a few years older than Marjorie but with skin weathered from years in the sun, is sailing home after an uneventful day of fishing. Suddenly he catches a glimpse of a woman flying through the air and disappearing into the water. Intrigued, he immediately changes his course to obtain a closer look.

Meanwhile, Marjorie continues to struggle with the massive octopus. Realizing that she will never escape using her bare hands alone, she focuses her energy and attention on finding some type of a weapon.

Marjorie takes a large gasp of air as she is plunged underwater. After the bubbles subside she scans the sea floor. At first glance she sees only pebbles and sea creatures. Almost out of breath, Marjorie's attention is drawn to an object that glistens in the moonlight. She swims with all of her strength towards the object. As she nears it she sees that it is a harpoon. She swims even harder, the harpoon is only inches from her grasp when the mighty tentacle rushes her to the surface.

Samuel's ship is not far off when Marjorie sees it for the first time. Samuel is stunned to see Marjorie hovering in the octopus' grasp 20 feet above the deck of his ship. "Help," she screams at the top of her lungs as she is shoved back under the water.

Samuel races downstairs into the hull of his ship. He tears open a storage trunk revealing mounds of fishing equipment. He throws aside a pistol, a harpoon and yards of heavy rope to reveal an ax. Weapon in hand he races topside.

Marjorie is above water again when Samuel reaches the deck. She frantically stabs the tentacle with the harpoon. Samuel, without hesitation, dives onto the tentacle. He rides the tentacle like a bucking bull. Heftily he raises his ax. In a smooth stroke he brings the ax down cutting a large gash into the skin of the octopus. The tentacle's grasp tightens around Marjorie causing her to pass out.

With another clean hack Samuel manages to cut the tentacle in two. Marjorie's lifeless body plummets into the water and swiftly sinks to the sea floor under the weight of the dead tentacle. Samuel dives immediately after her. He unravels her from the monster's lifeless appendage and carries her to the surface. He easily maneuvers them both onto the deck of his ship. He gently lays the unconscious Marjorie onto a cot and covers her with blankets.

The next morning Marjorie awakens in a very unusual room made entirely out of sand. The walls, floor, ceiling and even furniture are formed out of sand. The windows are made from a sheet of hand blown glass. Above the bed hangs a gorgeous chandelier also made from hand blown glass.

Marjorie wanders out of the bedroom, through a sand hallway, into a living room that is also formed entirely of sand. When she exits the house she finds that it is situated on an isolated beach. Samuel's boat, tethered at the end of an old pier, rocks gently in tide.

Marjorie steps further out onto the beach and turns to look at the house. She is amazed to see that it is a giant sandcastle. Tiny flecks of sand gently flake off and blow away with the wind. Smoke wafts lightly into the air from one side of the sandcastle.

Marjorie turns the corner to find Samuel splitting wood near a tame bonfire. She walks over to him. Seeing her, Samuel places his ax down for a rest. "Good morning," he says to her as he wipes his brow. Marjorie shyly responds, "good morning." A moment passes with nothing said, as though each were waiting for the other to speak first. Samuel picks up his ax and returns to his work. Marjorie takes a seat in the sand.

"Thank you for saving my life," she finally yells over to him. Samuel pauses on the down stroke of his chop to say, "your welcome." He continues chopping while Marjorie searches for the right words to say. She finally asks, "how can I ever repay you?"

Samuel places his ax down. "What is your name," he asks. "Marjorie," she replies. "Beautiful Marjorie, all I ask is that you live a long and healthy life and do your best never to get caught in the grasp of an octopus again." After saying this he smiles at her making her giggle. "Kind sir what is your name," she asks. "Samuel," he tells her. "Well handsome Samuel, I vow to do my very best to not get entangled with an octopus or any other sea creature for that matter," she replies. She smiles at him and he smiles back.

She sits and watches Samuel as he works. His biceps and triceps guide each careful blow of his ax. His action is much more calm now than what it had been the night before.

It was midday when Samuel split the final piece of wood. He turns to Marjorie with a smile on his face. "Lovely Marjorie, I am amazed by your patience. Allow me to sail you home now." He offers Marjorie his hand to help her stand-up. Marjorie hesitates. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay awhile longer," she confides. Samuel smiles, "well then, let's head inside for lunch."

The rest of the afternoon and well into the evening Marjorie and Samuel talk, laugh and share tales with one another. Marjorie chooses to stay that night, and the next night and the night after the next.

Weeks pass as though in an instant. The pair fall madly in love and return briefly to the mainland to marry. After collecting Marjorie's belongings the couple return to their whimsical, sandcastle hideaway where they lived peacefully and happily ever after together.