My Collection of Short Stories

Lost At Sea

To be completely honest, I wrote this in little over an hour in a bout of inspiration. I had just been looking up some random prompt ideas to work on for the future and one that caught my attention was simply titled "lost at sea". Of course, my mind then decided to completely malfunction and throw multiple ideas around until I quickly decided on this one. I wanted to get a little creative with it while also using my usual style of description and I think it turned out pretty good.

Anyway, please enjoy, comment, and vote if you like it.

Gif: The storm

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Petrified. I was petrified. I have never before felt such agonizing fear course through my body. At this very moment I wished to be anywhere but where I currently was. The loud thundering noise of the crashing waves and the rain hammering against the wooden ship did little to soothe my growing distress. Everyone aboard scampered about screaming, the captain yelling orders to his crew as they tried and failed to keep the ship steady.

The ship was sinking, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

It was like one of my countless nightmares, my greatest fear come to life. I absolutely despised the ocean; the open water. I loathed the fact that we knew so little about what hid amongst the deep blue sea. So much of it has still yet to be discovered. I never understood a pirate's need to be out surfing the rolling waves. What was so appealing about floating on top of something you could not see through?

The abyss was a terrifying place, and we were about to drown in it.

I, alone below deck, was a stowaway. I had no family and nowhere to call home. I had lost my parents to this very thing – a shipwreck, a loss at sea. No other children were born to my mother and father therefore I was an only child. I had no destination in mind, just the idea of leaving where I came from. If it wasn't for the fact that I was born on an island, I would've traveled on foot to another country. But alas, in order to leave, I needed to cross the ocean; the one place I always claimed I would never go.

The captain knew of me. Though a pirate, he was gentle. Kind, even. He allowed me aboard for five measly coins which I willingly gave. His crew, however, knew nothing of me. The captain had artfully hid me below deck behind a wall of barrels filled with gun powder he knew no one would touch. He had given me a small bag of apples and bread, something I could eat along our three day journey to another world. A bucket sat beside me where I was allowed to do my business. My instructions were simple enough: no talking and no revealing myself. Given that I've watched his crew for the past two days argue and fight amongst themselves, I gladly did as he had ordered.

But now, as the ship rocked from side to side, rain slipped through the cracks of the wooden planks, and noises – such loud noises – wafted through the air, I could do nothing but sit in absolute fear as my doom loomed overhead and pray to my merciful God for deliverance. If it was my time, I pleaded that it would be a swift death.

Thankfully, my Lord must have heard me, for it wasn't even a moment later when a hand reached out to grab my shoulder and roughly pulled me up from my crouched position against the wall of the wooden craft.

"Hurry, boy!" the captain yelled over the howling of the wind and the slamming of the waves. His face showed no sign of fear as he dragged me up the stairs. In the midst of everyone rushing around, no one noticed the newcomer on deck, too busy in trying to save the ship and themselves. Rain drenched my body and a shiver overcame me as he pushed me toward the only available rowboat. The captain set to work in hastily lowering the boat into the roaring water and I did nothing to hide my fear as I realized what he was doing.