I started writing at a young age. The following is one of the first story’s I ever wrote. I was 12 and The Story that was Forgotten was written and saved on a floppy disk. I’m pretty sure Pirates of the Caribbean had just come out and I was obsessed with the idea of pirate adventures.
I hope it makes you smile. It’s fun to look back on where I started.

Long ago in a deep, dark cave, a story had been forgotten. Unknown to all the world, for the few that knew it wanted to forget it and the many that did not know never heard tell nor tale of it. So now I will take you, dear reader, deep into that cave from whence came the foul voices of pirates! The most dreaded pirates of the whole Pacific coast: the crew of Captain Black Heart. And this is what they said, as they buried his treasure.

“Heave to, me hearty crew! This cave is deep and dreary, and lest become ye weary, you’ll guard my treasure in deep, dark pleasure! Har, har, har!!! Put your backs into it ye lazy, good for nothin’, sorry excuse of a crew. The last one out shall be chosen to stay and guard my treasure where it lay. So heave, heave ye cursed black-hearts. Heave!”

And so echoed the foul voice of Captain Black Heart.

~

Captain Taylor of the British Navy walked the deck of the Inconceivable. His mind wandered as he watched and waited. They were getting closer. He knew it. He could feel it deep inside. But then again, they all knew it. It wouldn’t be long now. His mind strayed back to the day he had been given his orders. He was to seek out the pirate ship, The Death Hawk, and her captain. When he’d found them he was ordered to either destroy them both or bring them back to England. He did not relish the thought of doing either. But he had never been called a coward and he didn’t intend to be called one now. His daughter, Anna, touched his arm, bringing his mind back to the present situation.

“Good morning, Anna. How did you sleep?” He asked, smiling. “It won’t be long now until we find the pirates. Then we can all go home, eh?”

Anna did not smile back. She wasn’t even listening to him. She was staring at the water, squinting her eyes. Was that a ship? No, it couldn’t be. More likely it was a small rock island or some piece of wreckage.

“Anna,” said her father. “I asked you a question. Are you even listening to me, Anna?”

“What? Oh, I’m sorry father,” she faltered. “I wasn’t listening. What did y-” But she didn’t finish, as one of the left tenant’s came up.

“Morning Captain, morning Miss Taylor.” He said quickly, but politely. “Sorry to interrupt sir, but the enemy ship has been sighted and it’s gaining. Shall I call all hands, sir?”

The Captain stood tense. The time had come and he must be ready, for it was The Death Hawk.

“Yes, by all means. Call all hands.”

~

Anna sat in the dark cabin. There was noise from all sides. All she could hear were cries of pain. The great boom! of the cannons sounded in her ears over and over again, each time bringing more fearful cries. The water lapped and splashed at the sides of the great ship. She could stand it no longer. She would not stay in that cabin as useless as a rag doll. Going to the door she stopped as she was about to turn the handle. She went back to her father’s desk and opened the right drawer.

Slowly, she drew out his gun, the powder, and shot. She knew how to use them. She was no fool. And she would use them. And then, as she was thinking these thoughts, she opened the door and climbed the stairs to the deck.

~

“Bore holes into her ye clumsy fools! Hole her lest ye care never to return to yer treasure! Hole her I say!” roared Captain Black Heart as he stood with his curved sword in hand and his pet parrot perched on his shoulder. His eyes were as black as his name. Gray and greasy hair fell down his back. His head was covered with a big black hat, and a white skeleton tattooed his cheek. He glared at his enemy vessel.

“Prepare to board her!” He screamed as they came closer and closer to the English ship. The sides grazed and the crew gave a shout as they ran wildly onto the other vessel.

~

Anna reached the deck just as the pirates began to pour onto the ship. She stood horrified at their ugly, vulgar bodies, and the grotesque scene that lay around her. Then, gathering her wits, she climbed the ladder to the high deck, held up her pistol, and took aim at a figure about to board. He screamed when her bullet pierced his chest, and he fell into the water with a splash.

People were falling all around now. Again and again men fell. Some were enemies, but most of those who died were friends. Soon she ran out of ammunition. All she could do now was wait and watch. She saw her father at the other end of the ship. In his hand he held his sword, and facing him was Captain Black Heart.

Captain Taylor was breathing hard. Round and around they went. Steel against steel, will against will, man against man.

“Yer step is good, yer sword advanced, but yer breath be unsteady and to die, well, yer not quite ready!” Laughed the pirate, dealing stroke after stroke as he moved over the fallen bodies around him, his parrot ever perched on his shoulder.

“You too are quite advanced,” said the captain with scorn in his voice. “But your tongue will be your death someday!”

Captain Taylor’s step was failing and he did not see much hope, but he fought on. The pirate was closing in on him quickly now.

“Your sword is light, your words are true, but as to who is right, ah…that’s up to you!” Snarled Captain Black Heart. With one quick movement he flung Captain Taylor’s sword out of his hand and plunged his own into his heart. Captain Taylor fell with one last thought: he had lived to the end without once being called a coward. He heard and saw no more.

~

Anna screamed as her father went down, but no sound came out of her mouth. She ran wildly to him, plunging through the fighting men and paying no heed to the swords that barely missed her. She knelt beside him and knew that he was dead. And something inside her clicked. She grabbed his sword. She didn’t know what she was doing. All she could see was one face: the face of Captain Black Heart. She charged towards him, swinging the sword to where he stood yelling at his crew. She held up her sword and yelled a challenge.

All the men fighting turned at the sound of her voice and stood silent, watching the odd scene before them. Captain Black Heart laughed and drew out his sword. As the swords clanged together all the tricks and steps her father had taught her as a child came back to Anna. All she could see was her father lying still in her mind, and all she felt and heard was the clanging of steel, the laugh of the pirate Captain before her, and the strong sense that she should finish what her father had started. Then, with one smooth movement of her sword, she had the Captain’s sword in her hand and her own sword at his throat.

“Do you surrender?” She asked, staring into the black gleam of his eyes. Her voice was bold and everyone stood watching, holding their breath.

“Surely this pretty, who’s tame as a kitty, will not go and kill old Black…” Captain Black Heart said as he smiled sourly at Anna.

“A wise man once said that those who do evil are much, much better off dead…” She replied “For a tongue that does twist, and curse those in its midst, is not really much missed. Do you surrender?” she asked again.

“Lay down yer swords!” Captain Black Heart screamed at his men. He knew that he’d lost the battle.

~

Some days later Anna stood on the deck looking at the land that lay before her. Where would she go? Of course, by law, her father’s estate would go to her, but it was too large for her to keep. She would have to sell it. And even if she did stay, she would never be able to rid herself of her memories. There were many she loved, but there were also many things she didn’t want to remember.

The sound of the cannons, the dreadful screams, the helplessness she had felt, the men all around her, the clanging of steel, the chaos and noise, and her father lying on the deck with empty eyes. She knew that she could not forget, but she also couldn’t bear to remember. And that is how the story was forgotten. For the few that remembered it never spoke of it. And so an orphan, a hero, and alone, Anna stood on the deck of the Inconceivable.

But, what of the treasure? What happened to it? For that, I’m afraid, you’ll have to wait and see…

THE END

@author_ellenesceely