MS. Found in a Bottle (Poe)
A man of considerable wealth and education embarked on a voyage from the port of Batavia, in the island of Java, as a passenger on a ship. The ship was a beautiful vessel, built of Malabar teak and copper-fastened. The journey began smoothly, but soon the weather turned, and the ship was caught in a violent storm. The crew was swept overboard, and the ship was left severely damaged.
Miraculously, the man survived the storm and found himself on the deck of a gigantic, ancient ship. The crew of this ship appeared to be very old and infirm, and they seemed to be completely unaware of his presence. The man decided to hide in the hold of the ship, where he discovered strange instruments and charts of navigation.
As the ship continued its journey, the man observed that it was caught in a powerful current, which seemed to be leading them towards the southern pole. The crew, despite their age and infirmity, appeared to be filled with a sense of hope and anticipation.
We are surely doomed to hover continually upon the brink of eternity, without taking a final plunge into the abyss.
The ship was eventually caught in a massive whirlpool, and as it was pulled under, the man managed to write down his experiences and seal them in a bottle, which he cast into the sea before the ship was swallowed by the abyss.