Morning all, second day waking up to a storm dark day. It has me thinking longingly of daylight savings. I think the time change is this Sunday and personally I can’t wait. I always feel robbed in the spring and then like I won some sort of prize in the fall. It is both the benefit and curse of not being a morning person. However it it time to get the brain moving so lets just jump into today’s prompt.
Not quite sure why I went pirate, but I guess I did. I flailed around a bit at the beginning trying to find a story and I think I sort of started getting towards one near the end. But as I always say, these prompts aren’t about producing great literature, they are about waking up the brain and getting into writing mode whether you wanted to write today or not. and that is what this did, flailing or not.
Thursday, October 29th: They couldn’t help but look at the flag now flying overhead.
They couldn’t help looking at the flag now flying overhead. It was more than a flag. It was a declaration. There was no going back now and they all knew it. The wind, which was so far calm, barely ruffling a feather on anyone’s head, now blew hard. The flag waved and snapped in the wind as though refusing to be ignored.
The skull of the Jolly Roger seemed to grin down at them. To a man they knew they had no choice. The situation was intolerable. The wars were bleeding their families dry. The taxes levied for protection from those in command of the island’s defenses more often went into the pockets of those selfsame commanders and those that would plunder raided with impunity. All of them lost at least one family member in the attacks. Most of them lost all. There was nothing left to defend for them. At least not personally.
The island would serve as their base and though they would raid those who plundered them, from whatever course would be fair game, they would not attack their former home. If anything they would be the defense those who survived needed. All of them understood this or they wouldn’t have agreed, wouldn’t have stood on the deck and watched their former countries flag lowered and the flag of the pirate being lifted. Now, the black flag waiving jauntily in the breeze snapped down at them and their first enemy ship was on the horizon. Eyes darted from the flag to the steadily growing ship. They planned for this, but once they were sited, once they attacked, there would truly be no going back. To a man they tensed as Jacob up in the crow’s nest studied the ship. His eyes were good and he managed to spot the name.
“It the Mermaid’s Dream,” Jacob called down. The flag was forgotten. All eyes studied the approaching ship. A fortnight prior the Mermaid’s dream sailed into their harbor, turning their cannons on the port. They decimated the defenses and plundered recklessly. Even now those who remained scurried to repair defenses, knowing another raid could be just around the corner. Eyes hardened, jaws set. For a first target, they couldn’t have chosen a better on. The Mermaid’s Dream was the shop that convinced many of them to agree to this path of piracy. She raided often enough that she was familiar and many of their personal dead could be laid at her feet. It would be a pleasure to make her their first target.
“Ready the cannons and see to your weapons,” Their captain called. The note of determination in his voice struck them all. They knew his wife and infant son were among the Mermaid’s victims. There would be no mercy from him.
Ten til Midnight 