A Likely Story
By Jonathan Wilkes
The door resisted his shove. Angrily he jammed his shoulder hard against it. It relented with a screech. Inertia threw him forward into the cloud of dust that belched from the dark. Floating particles attacked his eyes and his chest rebuked their advances with an explosive cough. Spluttering, he stepped back.
“Who's stupid idea was this anyway” he grumbled.
Savagely he snatched at the roll of black bags as they attempted to escape back down the stairway.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he squared up to the room before him. Hot, stale air wafted out bringing with it the musty smell of neglect. Holding his breath he ran his hand up and down the wall, just inside the dark, secretly hoping …show more content…
That particular night I was woken in the most violent of ways.
It was if Poseidon himself had picked me up and thrust me to the floor.
In the pitch dark, half conscious, I felt fear rise and swell within my very core as the ship gave another nauseating lurch. From my prone state, the moans of the ship reverberated through my body. A savage reeling slid me bodily towards my cabin door where I could hear a familiar voice booming above the screeching and howling of the wind.
Progressing like a drunk, I staggered back and forth intent on reaching the deck. In all my years adventuring I had never felt the hands of the Sea King so wretched.
Pushing back the hatch I received a stinging slap as icy rain lashed into my face. I gasped for breath as a wave pounded over me. My breeches and hose, sodden, clung to me. The fear was real. My fingers gripped the rail with white strength.
“This one's from Hades itself “ yelled the familiar …show more content…
I choked as unrelenting torrents continued their attempts to drown me. Water was everywhere; slashing and slapping, tugging and clawing, I could not tell whether it was from above or beneath.
It did indeed feel like very Hell itself had been opened and poured out upon the ocean.
Waves like mountains rose up around us playing with the ship as if it were a ball; throwing us one way and tossing us back the next.
The crew were desperately trying to follow orders but the screaming wind and crashing thunder made it almost impossible to hear even the loudest of commands and the violence of the heaving sea made it even harder for them to obey. In the flare of a jagged flash of lightening I watched helplessly as a man was catapulted over the bow of the ship.
“Man o'er board! Man o'er board,” someone screamed.
I felt my heart grow faint within me.
A rough cord was pushed onto my tightly gripped hand. Making a desperate snatch for it I saw the look in Will's face; wild-eyed and frenzied, there was not even a glimmer of hope.
The rope said it all. Tie ourselves on and pray.
Pray, I did; for help, for mercy, for my soul.
Who can withstand the hound of hell when Hades
By Jonathan Wilkes
The door resisted his shove. Angrily he jammed his shoulder hard against it. It relented with a screech. Inertia threw him forward into the cloud of dust that belched from the dark. Floating particles attacked his eyes and his chest rebuked their advances with an explosive cough. Spluttering, he stepped back.
“Who's stupid idea was this anyway” he grumbled.
Savagely he snatched at the roll of black bags as they attempted to escape back down the stairway.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he squared up to the room before him. Hot, stale air wafted out bringing with it the musty smell of neglect. Holding his breath he ran his hand up and down the wall, just inside the dark, secretly hoping …show more content…
That particular night I was woken in the most violent of ways.
It was if Poseidon himself had picked me up and thrust me to the floor.
In the pitch dark, half conscious, I felt fear rise and swell within my very core as the ship gave another nauseating lurch. From my prone state, the moans of the ship reverberated through my body. A savage reeling slid me bodily towards my cabin door where I could hear a familiar voice booming above the screeching and howling of the wind.
Progressing like a drunk, I staggered back and forth intent on reaching the deck. In all my years adventuring I had never felt the hands of the Sea King so wretched.
Pushing back the hatch I received a stinging slap as icy rain lashed into my face. I gasped for breath as a wave pounded over me. My breeches and hose, sodden, clung to me. The fear was real. My fingers gripped the rail with white strength.
“This one's from Hades itself “ yelled the familiar …show more content…
I choked as unrelenting torrents continued their attempts to drown me. Water was everywhere; slashing and slapping, tugging and clawing, I could not tell whether it was from above or beneath.
It did indeed feel like very Hell itself had been opened and poured out upon the ocean.
Waves like mountains rose up around us playing with the ship as if it were a ball; throwing us one way and tossing us back the next.
The crew were desperately trying to follow orders but the screaming wind and crashing thunder made it almost impossible to hear even the loudest of commands and the violence of the heaving sea made it even harder for them to obey. In the flare of a jagged flash of lightening I watched helplessly as a man was catapulted over the bow of the ship.
“Man o'er board! Man o'er board,” someone screamed.
I felt my heart grow faint within me.
A rough cord was pushed onto my tightly gripped hand. Making a desperate snatch for it I saw the look in Will's face; wild-eyed and frenzied, there was not even a glimmer of hope.
The rope said it all. Tie ourselves on and pray.
Pray, I did; for help, for mercy, for my soul.
Who can withstand the hound of hell when Hades