By: Jessica

The foamy waves gently nudged the pebbles of the rocky beach. In the near distance, a shimmering item stood out dramatically against the dark smooth rocks. It was a glass bottle with a cork shoved in its neck. A message in a bottle. I fished it out of the depths of the sand. Lumps of soggy sand coated the bottle. Gross. I wiped off the sand. However, I still couldn’t see the contents of the bottle as it was fogged up due to condensation. So, I decided to unscrew it. Hesitantly, though, because who knew what was inside. The cork was soaked to the point that the wood lost its firmness and was soft to touch. The cork was unscrewed and jumped out with a crisp pop, landing beside my feet. Luckily, the message inside was dry and untouched, safe from the elements. The cream-colored paper was engraved with cursive handwriting, then rolled up neatly and tied with a string. Carefully, I turned the bottle upside down and the roll slid out onto my hand. I gently untied the yarn. The paper was not normal paper. It was coarse and grainy to touch, like the surface of porous rock. A split second after the string uncoiled, the message unrolled itself. Being rolled up in a bottle for who knows how long must’ve been very uncomfortable. The words on the paper were elegant scribbles, something a doctor would write. Whoever wrote it must’ve been in a rush. My eyes scanned the paper and looked down. On the bottom of the page was 1874 and a signature.

As for what the message said, it’s up to you.