Ghost Ship

Silver

I grew up in a small town by the coast and always had a fascination with boats and the water. My dad grew up here. I didn’t know my mom very well because a storm killed her when she was coming back up from the coast to the house. She never made it back, and nobody found her body. I was only young, about five years old, and my grandmother was looking after me at the time when she went missing.

Dad runs the lighthouse. Most of it is all electronic now, so it makes his life a lot easier. I just turned 21 last week, and I help in the local town shop where we basically sell everything. From your basic foods and some clothing up to the fishing gear and bait for the anglers who like to sit on the harbor walls and cast in.

I love living here as I enjoy the quiet life, and I’m really close to my dad, so I really don’t want to leave him.

Henry is one of my best friends and we have grown up in this small town. “Hey Silver, how’s things?” Henry gives me a cheeky grin as he leans on the counter.

“Good Henry, just finishing up for the day. Do you need anything?”

“Just a kiss from the town’s only single girl.” He gives me a wink. Henry is the town’s bad boy and is always trying to get me to kiss him properly. That’s when he isn’t sneaking up on me and grabbing me from behind to kiss me. When I say he’s the town’s bad boy, he’s not really that bad, yes he went away for a year and came back all tatted up and I might say to myself he is quite sexy, but I wouldn’t admit that to him. He would be all over me if I did. I know that one day I’ll leave this place, but I’m just not ready yet.

“Are you heading down to the local tonight?” Henry rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, it’s the only place to go around here, isn’t it?” I throw my head back, laughing. This small town comprises one shop and a pub.

“Silver, you can head off if you want.” Gordon is the shopkeeper where I work.

“Ok thanks Gordon.” I give him a wave.

“I’ll walk you home if you like?” Henry links his arm with mine.

“I was going to head down to the harbor for a bit.” I glance up at the blue skies.

“Do you need any company?” He nudges my shoulder.

“Thanks Henry but I’m ok, I just like watching the boats coming in for the night.” There is some comfort knowing all the boats are in.

“Maybe see you later tonight?” He raises an eyebrow of hope.

“Yeah, I might come down for a quick drink later.” I smile back at him.

“Bye gorgeous.” He gives me a quick peck on the cheek before heading off. We might be best friends, and the banter between us is the same. Everyone thinks we are more than just good friends, but both Henry and I know differently.

To get to the harbor, I opt for the grassy track that runs down the coastal side of the hill. I’m enjoying the sea views while listening to my music as I walk. As I descend, I see a few boats that have made it to the harbor before I reach the bottom.

I walk along the harbor wall till I get to the very edge of it, where I sit down and dangle my feet over. The sun is still gleaming, even if it is a bit later on in the day. I take off my jacket and place it down so that when I lie back, my head is resting on it.

The sun’s warmth feels good against my skin as my music plays in the background. I greet a couple of the incoming boats with a wave. As I settled back and must have nodded off, a shiver ran down my spine. I’m guessing it will be a cloud passing over the sun, causing a brief dimming of the light. The harbor offers a fantastic view of the sunset, which can be quite spectacular. I kept my eyes closed, eagerly expecting when the sun would emerge from behind the cloud and illuminate everything again. A smile spreads across my lips as I remembered it was a full moon tonight, so it will be an even more spectacular night sky than normal. I love walking back up, guided by the full moonlight.

I lay there waiting for the cloud to pass over, but it doesn’t seem to go away. I open my eyes, careful to shield them in case the sun suddenly pops back out, but all I’m met with is a cold, damp mist. My body freezes as the words of the tale comes back to me.

Since we were young, people have always told us stories about a pirate ship that arrives at the port when the mist rolls in. People always cautioned us never to go down to the harbor during that time, as we might hear mysterious things. How much of that story did I believe as a kid… Well, it scared me enough that I kept away during those misty times? But now, things seem to be real.

Somewhere in the distance, faint echoes of noises reverberated. I’m hoping it’s just a boat trying to get back into the harbor, its engine humming in the distance. As the chill runs through my body, I straighten myself up and quickly slip on my jacket. The sound of a horn echoes through the air, reaching my ears.

“That’s not normal.”

As I recall the stories I was told, I can’t help but wonder if pirates truly exist, especially ghost pirates. Given that no one has ever witnessed them, I can’t even imagine what they might look like. Are they transparent? Can you physically interact with them? What if they had a menacing and sinister presence? Regardless, these stories were nothing more than childhood tales, warning us about the perils of navigating the misty harbor.

There’s an eerie atmosphere going on, and I feel the chill in the air run down my back. The mist has thickened so much I can hardly see two feet in front of me. I walk slowly back along the harbor wall, and as I do so, a dark shadow appears on my left-hand side. As I look to make it out, the outline of a big ship is clearing, and it is right next to me.

I can hear shouting on deck. I’m not sure if what I am seeing is really a pirate ship or if I am just imagining things.

“This isn’t real.” I whisper to myself.

As the mist clears fractionally, it is definitely a big ship next to me. Within seconds, I hear more shouting and a lot clearer now.

“She’s here.” a voice calls out, and my heart beats faster.

“Aye, captain, we will search the shores and find her.” Another voice I don’t recognize comes through.

“I want her.” The stranger’s voice growls out. Just those three words have sent a tingling down my body, straight between my legs, a feeling that I’ve never experienced before.

Another voice appears. “Captain.”

There’s silence for a moment. I don’t know where to go. There’s some movement on board, as footsteps stomp around above my head. I slowly creep along the harbor. I look about and see one of the fisherman’s small boats on the other side of the platoon. Just as I’m about to move over to it, a loud thump lands behind me, making me jump. A hand comes down onto my shoulder and turns me around. I’m scared to look, and when I do, I jump backwards, screaming. Another hand clamps over my mouth.

“Don’t scream darling, the Captain doesn’t like it when they scream.” His words send chills down my spine, and I shuddered under his touch. “Captain, we’ve got her.”

Yet another thunderous thump jolts the platoon, causing my heart to race. As I strained my eyes to see through the mist, it appeared to thicken, taking on the appearance of a foreboding rain cloud inching closer. As it gets closer, the haze dissipates, revealing a sight that completely defies my expectations.

A gorgeous man walks towards me and my body shivers, but not in a bad way. With every step he takes towards me, it’s like he’s sending me some sort of vibrations that shoot from the ground up my body. His eyes pierced straight into mine.

He stands in front of me. I’m shaking but I don’t know what from. Is it fear or is it because I’m feeling things I’ve never felt before?

His eyes are burning bright blue, the color of the ocean. The man behind me lets my mouth go, and the Captain comes even closer, so close I think our noses touch. He inhales deeply and his eyes close as he does, his eyes open again and I’m left standing quivering under his gaze. I’m holding my breath as his stare becomes intense. I’m afraid to blink.

I can smell him as he leans into my neck, his beard slightly tickling my neck as he does so. His scent is of a woody mix with a hint of whiskey. I find it quite pleasant and let out a subtle gasp, which he notices. As we stand there, he seems to study me in some way as he walks around me. With every footstep he takes, the vibrations follow through and make me shudder with pleasure. I can’t help but let a moan escape. “Mmm.” What is happening to me?

He stands back in front of me again, bringing his hand up, touching my face and running his thumb along my jawline, stopping at my chin. He moves my head about as if he is looking for something, but I don’t know what.

“Take her to my quarters.” His pupils dilated like stars exploding.

With those words spoken, he turns and heads back to the ship. A firm pair of hands takes hold of my arms and leads me to the side of the ship where they throw down a rope ladder and help me climb up into the ship. When I reach the top, I’m pulled up and over the side and snatched to what I presume is the captain’s quarters.

“Wait here.” The man barked.

He closes the door to the cabin and I’m left standing wondering what is going to happen to me.