By Karisa Stapp
“He serves the devil, you know.”
Clay, the child they had captured three days prior, shifted on the bench as Captain Thomas Kalapser stared him down. “I know.” A slight breeze entered the open window of the cabin, catching the corners of the maps strewn upon the table behind him.
“Then why?” Kalapser asked as his anger rose.
Did Clay not understand they were giving him a chance? Kalapser wanted to believe it was not his fault; Blackbeard had a firm grip on his crew. Most of them believed the pirate held their souls far beyond the escape of death. But still… did this boy know nothing of the evil he helped perpetuate?
Clay shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Kalapser muttered a curse and motioned for the two guards to take him away. He could not reach every helpless soul who fell victim to the tyranny of Blackbeard, but he hoped to save at least one.
“You shouldn’t try so hard, sir.” Lieutenant Shirel eyed him. “The boy will pay for what he did along with the others, when we get back to harbor.”
Kalapser nodded. In the end, he couldn’t spare any time for empathy. He pulled out the small sheet of paper stowed away in his pocket, slowly unraveling it to study the contents. He’d given Clay his chance, and still, he refused to denounce Blackbeard. Kalapser would simply have to show him that the pirate was human, just as they all were.
He folded the paper up and turned to the lieutenant. “Are we in position?”
Shirel nodded. “At least we got what we needed from the lad.” He looked at the paper in Kalapser’s hand—the one which had guided them directly to Blackbeard’s next location.
Clay had inadvertently led them directly to the pirate he seemed so desperate to protect.
“The other crews are in place?”
“They are, sir,” Shirel said. “No chance of escape.”
“Prepare for attack. This will be the last day Blackbeard roams these seas.”
Lieutenant Shirel lifted his head at Kalapser’s words, his eyes shiny with eagerness.
Kalapser smirked, just as eager. The past few months had been long, and if not for the stroke of luck at finding Clay and his map, they’d still be on the hunt.
The two of them walked in silence up to the deck where the crew of The Silver Wave awaited their orders, each one ready for a battle that would go down in history.
Far in the distance, barely visible against the overcast sky, was the black flag of Queen Anne’s Revenge. Although hard to discern against the darkening clouds, Kalapser could picture the Jolly Roger clearly in his head—a symbol of fear and treachery. This would be the last day it flew from the mast of Blackbeard’s ship.
Captain Kalapser shifted his attention back to the waiting men. Nervous anticipation slithered around in their eyes as The Silver Wave moved back and forth with the sea. Dark storm clouds roiled on the horizon, which seemed fitting for the day Blackbeard was finally brought to justice.
Kalapser opened his mouth to speak to the men below, ready to feed the fire burning in their souls.
Yet something seemed out of place. But what?
Kalapser frowned, then cursed at a small figure slinking toward the bow.
“What is he doing up there?” He muttered the words to Shirel as he gestured at the boy.
Clay stood as a silhouette against the approaching storm, staring out in the direction of Queen Anne’s Revenge.
Shirel followed his gaze. “Boy!” A few members of the crew looked back in confusion.
Clay turned. Whomever let the boy roam free at this crucial moment would be given a reprimand. At least.
“Kalapser!” Clay called out in a loud, deep voice.
The crewmen heading toward him halted.
Clay’s voice had changed since the last time he spoke. It now sounded like one of authority which no one would dare to defy. Clay smiled, and icy terror washed over Kalapser. Suddenly, memories of traveling men’s stories told at the harbor returned to him. Their whispers of black magic. The rumors…
They couldn’t be true. It was impossible!
Black clouds swirled above, and Kalapser looked for the other imperial ships, but he saw nary a sign of them. He and his crew stood alone in the tumultuous waters. The tides shifted beneath them as the sky grew even darker.
Still clearly visible, Clay’s eyes glowed a sinister green, piercing the air between them.
“You should know better than to think you can best Blackbeard.” Clay’s voice was hauntingly deep and laced with malice. He walked toward Kalapser, and the crew shied away. The evil light now enveloped the boy’s entire body.
“This whole time, you thought you were hunting him?” Clay laughed.
Tendrils of dark smoke seeped from his blinding eyes and open mouth.
“He was hunting you.”
Kalapser’s mouth went dry.
It all made sense now. The map they found on Clay was too convenient, yet Kalapser had been too blinded by the chase to see it.
A frigid ocean wave crashed over the deck, violently rocking the ship. Men burst into a sudden frenzy as if realizing they, not Blackbeard’s men, were the ones in imminent danger. The Jolly Roger of the Queen Anne’s Revenge was now clearly visible as the seas turned to a raging tempest.
“Who are you?” Kalapser asked.
Clay reached the center of the ship, still smiling as his body contorted into a pale, emaciated beast. Shadow melted into his skin, burning away the innocence of youth. His lips drew back as horns sprouted from his brow.
“Who am I? Come now, Captain. You know the answer. I am the one they whisper of. I am the one who aids the pirate king; the one who brings the storms to sea. I am the wizard of Blackbeard. I am the devil.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
At the beginning of this story, it reminded of Robert Louis Stevenson ‘s Treasure Island. By the end, I think it was more like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Gave me the shivers!
Clever!
I’ve got shivers!! Excellent, creepy story.