Storm of the Stars

A Flash in the Sky

On a small ship lost to the vast Atlantic Ocean a man called Otto surveyed his situation. There was no doubt that it was in fact a dire one. A heavy rain beat against the creaking hull of the ship. Inaudible shouts rang through the night air hardly a whisper against the roar of the wind. There words meaningless, pointless, garble that in no way affected their most untimely predicament. They would all be dead soon. Lightning crackled overhead and looking skyward Otto thought he saw smoke coming from the crows nest. Well at least this torrential rain was protecting them from going up in flames. He pulled a small spyglass from his pocket and attempted to look into the distance. Maybe just maybe they were close enough to a spot of land to dock and wait out this awful storm. No such luck however, the spyglass lens was too peppered with rain and Otto doubted that he would be able to spot so much as a shoal in this storm.
Putting the spyglass away with a grunt he headed down the stairs onto the main deck trying not to slip in the copious amounts of water that had collected on the steps. Just in front of him a man was frantically loosening and raising the halyards in a desperate attempt to keep control of the sails.

"That you Jack?" Otto called through the downpour. His voice a deep melancholy sound was almost entirely drowned out so he doubted the man would notice. Nevertheless he whirled around and gave a half grin that conveyed both terror and nervous excitement.
"Tis a mighty storm capn! Great innit? I just love smell of rushing salty air, still may not be so good for hers hull. She a strong vessel but she ain't built for this kinda weatha." Jack trailed off looking towards the sails that were now flapping furiously in the breeze.
"Keep her steady Jack, this storm has only begun." Otto was just walking away when he felt a horrible lurching under his feet. A wave tall as the reaper crashed over the deck slamming Otto into the portrail. Lights flashed in his mind and the world became a fuzzy cloud of pain and confusion. Men had were shouting,
"Man overboard! Man overboard them em the ladder!"
"Is there a crack in the hull, better find or or we'll filling up!"
"Where's Otto! What's the plan?"
Otto tried to stand and felt a warm trickle down the back of his head quite different from the bone deep cold if the ocean. He felt behind his head and pulling his hand away saw a great quantity of sticky matted
blood. A figure was coming towards him but he couldn't make them out through a haze of rain and pain. Otto tried to step forward and fell into the arms of the approaching figure. He was vaguely aware of being dragged off and down some stairs.

A group was huddled around a table trying to discuss what to do. One man by the name of Shank A'l spoke above the rest.
"There is no way we can go that way! There are deadly reefs we will be sunk in mere minutes."
IAnother countered, "If we don't head over there we are going to be sunk anyways, this storm isn't giving up anytime soon. Where is Shelley did she find Otto?
At that moment Shelley came in dragging the uncousious form of Otto who was dripping blood from the back of his head.
"Move out of the way!" Shelley called pulling Otto over.
"Help me put him on the table!"
Tow men helped lift Otto and place in haphazardly on the table scattering a bottle of ink over the maps and documents covering the table.
"Watch it!" Shank A'l yelled as he pulled the maps away from the rapidly approaching ink.
"Somebody get Dr. Minsk" Shelly yelled as she snatched the maps from Shanks A'ls hand.
"Oye" Shank A'l said as Shelley pressed the maps against Otto's head to slow the flow of blood.
"Did you have to use the maps?"
Shelley ignored him and pressed harder muttering.
"Don't you dare die, don't you dare."
Dr Minsk swept into the room.
"Hurry Shelley, turn him over!"
Shelley did what he said immediately and then backed away to let him work, his hands moving fast but quite steady as he cleaned the wound.
"Is he going to be alright?" Shelley said in a choked voice.
"We are very lucky, he did not crack his skull but he has a major concussion and a nasty cut, he'll need stitches for that. He is going g to be alright."
Shelley breathed a sigh of relief and calmed herself. She was not one to usually show weakness or betray fear but she had known Otto for years and didn't know what she would do if she lost him.
A sudden lurch brought them back to the current predicament. Shelley pulled herself together, she could not afford to break down right now in this storm.
"Shank go check on the lower decks if we are gonna clear those reefs we cannot afford any mess ups!"
"Right you are Shells" Shank said and left the room.
"You two" she called pointing to the remaining men, "With me"
They ascended to the upper deck where chaos reigned. Sailors ram back and forth trying to hold everything together as the ship rocked back and forth tossed by the waves like a child's play thing. Shelley began to call out orders directing the crew to their respective positions while taking the helm herself. Being an excellent sailor herself and the second most senior member she was first mate on ship much to Shanks annoyance who was here the longest of course after Otto. The truth was however that Shelley was a better co-captain and generally worked better with the crew than Shank who grew impatient when the crew were slow to follow orders. Now she stood at the helm trying to see the compass set into the wood in front of her and attempting to steer the ship in the right direction.
According to Shanks maps, which were most definitely accurate, Shelley had learned long ago not to question Shanks cartography abilities, she needed to head northwest until they reached the reef and then switch to direct west. If they did this according to Shank they would be well out of the storms direct path. The only trouble was skirting the reefs before they sunk the ship. The ship started to pick up speed as the wind caught the sails straight on and pulled with all its might. The mast groaned under the strain and the sails pulled against the halyards that barely constrained them.
"Jack!" Shelley called, "Get control of those sails before we lose the mast!" Jack was shouting at more of the crew who quickly lowered the upper sails and opened the lower sails. A group of sailors were huddled near the starboard rail. Shelley moved down the stairs and over to the group.
"Back to your stations" she commanded then she saw the ladder.
"What happened here?"
"Abel went overboard, we wasn't able to pull him back up" Jack had come over to congregate.
Shelley looked down. She knew Abel to be a hardworking sailor and well respected among the others.
"I'm sorry but there nothing we can do for him now, we need to raise this ladder." she said trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
"Well there's a problem with that Shelley, the ladders got caught round something down there and we can't pull it up, it's gotten all tangled around the rutter and it's pulling us off course." one of the sailors said.
Shelley cursed. That ladder was going to pull them right into the reef.
"Someone go below and alert Shank! We need to find an alternate route!" Shelley yelled as she ran towards the helm. Grabbing hold of the wheel she tried to yank it west but the ship remained on its course straight ahead.
"Jack I can't turn the ship! We need to lower the sails or" she never finished her sentence as a bolt of lightning struck the ship a blinding light that shattered any calm left on the ship. The left sail had caught fire. Pandemonium broke out as crew ran for cover. The sail was put out by the torrential rain but it was too late the damage had been done. The wind took advantage of sizable hold made by the blast and tore the remaining sail to shreds. Without the left sail the ship began to turn sideways but kept its speed. At this rate they would hit the reef completely sideways and surely capsize the vessel. She leaped from the helm and dashed across the deck to Jack who was desperately trying to get the crew to help him but was unsuccessful.
"We need to lower the right sail or the ships gonna hit this reef sideways!" Shelley yelled over tumult.
" I noticed" Jack called back, " this line is stuck, I'm gonna have to climb"
Shelley grabbed his arm, "Don't be an idiot!"
"I have to otherwise this ship is as good as gone" Jack said and he tugged his arm from her grasp. Scaling the mast like a monkey it took him but a moment to each the lower sail where he set to work. Nobody could work the rigging like Jack who practically lived up on the sails but that didn't ease Shelley's nerves. Something would go wrong, something always does. She tore her eyes away from Jack to steady the crew. Men and Women ran left and right like marbles in funnel. Some were pointing and others screaming. As Shelley turned to see what they were pointing at, a flash lit up the sky. A yellow light bathed the scene and everything froze. The howling of the wind ceased and the gale let up. The water coming down so hard before now hung suspended in the air frozen like condensation on the air. A warmth that came not from the air but from inside filled Shelley and she gasped. A beautiful joy like none she had felt in years engulfed her. What was happening, had the ship sunk, were they dead? She looked around at the rest of the crew who had frozen in place with gleeful but confused expressions on their faces. As she looked into the sky Shelley could see a something like a star descending into the sunset. Shelley wasn't religious but she thought this must be some sort of heavenly encounter for what else had the power to block out the world. Just as the star fell out of sight the trance was broken. The rain suspended fell in a great splash and the waves beat once more against the hull. Shelley wheeled around trying to get her bearings but it was already too late, while entranced by the glow the ship had kept moving without their knowledge and was bearing towards the reef at a startling speed. There was nothing left to do about it. She ran towards the opposite side and leaped into the ocean.
After Shank was dismissed to watch over the lower deck he headed immediately for the Fairies Cradle. Nicknamed a while back because of the thin wooden floor that would rise and fall gently in the movements of the ocean, the Fairies Cradle was the most likely spot for a hole. Shank was not very happy about being sent to manage the lower decks by Shelley, he was still a bitter about being outranked by her, but after seeing what happened to Otto he decided it might be safer down here. Safer not safe, if there was a hole in the ship he and the rest of the crew were as good as dead so he made it his top priority to keep that from happening. Mullins was on duty right now in the Fairies cradle. Mullins was a good sailor but could be a bit careless which was a hazard in a time like this. Shank passed the crew and shouted orders as he went. Shank may be second to Shelley when it came to commanding the crew but he was leagues ahead of her in the mechanics of sailing. He knew how everything on the ship worked and how to work it. This thought gave him a self satisfied feeling, what did Shelley know anyways.
As shank entered the Fairies cradle he knew immediately that they were in trouble. Mullins stood with two others who were dashing about to find something to steady the ground which had swollen like a balloon ready to be popped at any moment. Shank looked around and a plan formed in his mind. A terribly stupid one but a plan nonetheless.
"You get me a barrel" Shank shouted pointing to one of the sailors. "You grab the tablecloth from the captains quarters quickly!" The sailors pelted from the room without question. "Mullins bring a cannon ball over here!"
As Mullins swept from the room Shank walked carefully around the swell trying to find the center most point. All three sailors were back in the room holding their respective items red in the face trying to catch their breath.
"Quickly, Quickly" Shank said and they handed them the items.
"Ok as soon as I do it Mullins plug the hole with the barrel." Mullins had barely a second to register when Shank wrapped the cannon ball in the table cloth and dropped in into the middle of the swell. The wood splintered as the cloth wrapped ball shot through. Water sprayed in a geyser soaking the room seconds but all at once it slowed. The table cloth dropped through had unfolded and pushed up by the rush of water it acted as a temporary barrier but this wouldn't last for long.
"Plug it!" Shank yelled and with one swift stroke Mullins shoved the barrel down plugging through hold like a cork in bottle. Shank breathed a sigh of relief but his happiness was short lived. A boom sounded overhead and running footsteps could be heard criss-crossing the deck.
"What was that?" Mullins said.
"Can't be nothing good." One of the sailors said looking up.
"The upper deck is not our concern right now, we need to keep control of the deck from down here" Shank said. "Everyone back to your posts, Mullins make sure this stays sealed use your shirt to seal the edges if you have to, we cannot have this seal break."
Shank left the room and headed towards the stairs, he knew Shelley wouldn't want him up there just now but he thought he would be more helpful at the helm then down here at the moment. As he climbed the stairs he noticed a peculiar golden light coming from the upper deck. As he opened the hatch however the light was gone and the storm was raging. Shank looked around and cursed the ship was bearing down on the reef at startling speeds. How could Shelley have let this happen! In that instant Shank saw in his mind all the sailors trapped below deck and a sick feeling engulfed him, there was nothing he could do for them, it was too far and there was too many. In his moment of hesitation he knew in some back part of his mind that he wasn't going to make it. He saw Shelley jumping off the side of the deck, smart of her, she would have to lead the crew, or whoever remained. He thought of Dr. Minsk and Otto down below unaware that they were living there last moments and here Shank was trapped unsnarl to save himself or his friends, and unwitting host of the inevitable. The ship crashed into the reef and the world collapsed.