A Castle In the Sea

 An island stood in the middle of the sea. There was no other land in sight from the edge of its shores.  The island was small, barely larger than the courtyard that stood in the middle of it. The courtyard was grown over and you can tell it had been in ruins for some time. Stone pillars lie scattered in pieces across parts of the courtyard. The old roof and the rest of the pillars fell into the sea long ago. The stone benches around the edges are weathered and unstable. The stone floor was cracked and the beautiful mosaic that used to cover the floor was faded and no longer easily discernable. The parts of pillars left still standing casted long shadows over the floor. The waves buffeted the abandoned island, crashing over the low foundation of the courtyard. One of the pillars gave up in the fight against them with a creak and a groan, falling backwards into the sea with a mighty boom. The waves swallowed it whole, greedily looking for more loose pieces in the crumbling ruins.  Soon there would be nothing left of what was once a magnificent castle. 

Before, long before, castle was a lovely, beautiful thing. It was a small castle, the kind that only fit on a small island, but it was full of light, love, and laughter. Royalty from nations surrounding would come to its halls to visit and make peace with each other. There were many weddings in its cathedral, many feasts in its great hall, and many dances in its ballroom. But rather than the throne room or the keep being the center of the island, the courtyard, with its massive stone pillars, elegant benches, and beautiful mosaic floor, was the heart of the castle. For it was there the royal family spent their time together, singing, dancing, reading, working, playing, and worshiping their heavenly father. Their peace and joy in the space radiated outward, with God and family at the core.

One day, however, a plague from the mainland reached the island, and before much could be done, the castle was attacked by a vile enemy, seeking the influential location. Within a month the royal family had either fled, died, or been killed. Their enemy attempted to take over the island, but without any peace and joy left, the world stopped visiting the island. In a fit of rage, the enemy went through, burning and looting the castle of anything and everything of value. Then, with nothing left, burned the castle to the ground, sailing off to infect brighter, kinder ports. The castle was in ruins then, and the first big storm sent a good deal of the outer buildings tumbling into the sea. 

Slowly, across the years, the island was claimed by the sea, until all that was left was the courtyard that had been the heart of the castle in days gone by. One by one, pillars were being claimed by a hungry ocean, one that had forgotten the ships that used to sail on it to see the people living there. The courtyard would continue to crack and to crumble until one day the island would be completely covered in water, and the sea would reclaim its territory, dragging it down to its depths. Until that day, however, the courtyard would stand alone in silence, bearing quiet homage to the people who had come before, and remembering the hope that once beamed from its shores.