Tales from the Sea by Terrence Aym (reading diary .txt) 📕

1. The monster

The French frigate sank as the American rescue ship arrived. Captain Schuster watched the sea swallow it before spying a man clinging to debris.

After his rescue, Schuster accompanied him to sickbay.

“My name's Captain Schuster, and yours?”

"Bardot, Seaman First Class.”

"What happened, Bardot?"

The sailor crossed himself, "A monster rammed us.”

The captain's suspicions flared. “And the rest of your crew?”

"After abandoning ship, it returned sweeping everyone away.”

“I see."

Back in his cabin Schuster reviewed the testimony. Recently, something similar had happened off Morocco. Undeniably, the so-called "monster" was the Nautilus.

Yes, Captain Nemo had returned.

2. The pernicious pirate

"The Spaniards’re near.” Buccaneer Henry McKay burped.

Jack-o nodded.

McKay fell into a rum stupor.

Jack-o left for the Spanish Galleon and found her. When boarding, Jack-o knocked over a pail.

"Intruso!" yelled the watch. The crew poured onto deck. Jack-o attacked them.

A sailor thrust a torch at Jack-o hitting a drum of pitch, the torch set it ablaze. It spilled through the deck, igniting the gunpowder stored below. The Galleon blew up and sank.

But Jack-o escaped.

Later, McKay awoke. "Jack-o—what’ve ye been doin‘ whilst I slept?"

"Sent the Spaniards to the bottom!" the parrot squawked proudly.

3. The passing

All Eric wanted that day was to sail out on the ocean to relax for the peace of the sea called him.

The ocean was calm and his sleek catamaran rocked from the gentle swells. Eric closed his eyes enjoying the warmth of the sun and the bite of the breeze when he heard the droning of planes. They weren't US Navy planes, but Japanese fighter aircraft flying directly towards Oahu.

At that moment Eric realized that the old world was passing in the wake of the fighter planes.

The flame of peace was about to be extinguished by war.

Publication Date: 08-24-2010

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