Online: Free Ship

The screen didn't show a price. It didn't ask for a credit card. Instead, a dialogue box popped up: Elias laughed and clicked "Yes."

He ran to the balcony. Below, the asphalt of the street had turned into churning, dark water. Rising from the depths was the Aurelia , its tattered sails white as bone under the streetlights. The wooden hull scraped against the brick of his apartment building with a deafening groan. FREE SHIP ONLINE

Elias looked at the deck. There were no sailors, just a single, weathered envelope pinned to the mast by a rusty dagger. He climbed over his balcony railing and onto the rigging. As his feet hit the salt-slicked wood, the streetlights behind him flickered out. The screen didn't show a price

A notification pinged on his phone: "Your order has arrived. Thank you for using FREE SHIP ONLINE." Below, the asphalt of the street had turned

He had finally found the ultimate deal, but as the city lights faded into the mist, Elias realized the one thing every bargain hunter eventually learns: Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Funnels & Feelings | A Love Story in Digital Marketing

He opened the envelope. Inside was a packing slip with his name at the top. Under "Cost," it didn't list a dollar amount. It simply said: The Captain.

The ship began to move, not back into the ocean, but forward, sailing through the fog-covered streets of the city, over cars and under bridges. Elias realized then that the "shipping" wasn't for the boat. It was for him. He was the cargo, and the destination was a port that wasn't on any modern map.