Short Story: Sea Fury

I awoke to my body being slammed across the room, my pillows scattering across floor as the ship rocked on the water. It didn’t feel like a normal wave, it almost felt like we were about to tip over.

I could hear the rest of the crew shouting from outside as I burst out of the bunks and onto the top deck. The early morning sun blinding my newly awoken eyes as I squinted to see what was happening.

The captain was at the wheel, screaming as he tried to move the ship. Which resulted in most of us almost going overboard.

Orders were being thrown around as everyone ran in a panic. Confusion was filling my senses until my eyes finally focused on the cause of the havoc.

Emerging from the water just beside our ship was a slimy monster, it’s head almost half the size of us. It’s eyes slowly came up, staring at the us with an unmatched hunger before a tentacle shot up and slamming into the deck. It cracked the boards and ripped our sail before more tentacles wrapped around the ship, squeezing it.

“Get yer butt back over ‘ere!”
I felt a large, rough hand harshly grab the back of my shirt, lifting me up with ease and pulling me up to the wheel.

“Yer gonna get yerself killed!”
I looked up to meet the eyes of the captain as me made me take over the ship.
“Sorry dad!” I replied as he pulled out his sword, charging down the stairs and straight for the kraken’s tentacle.

His blade connected with it’s flesh and sliced through it with ease. The kraken recoils and pulled back, but only for a moment.

It’s head ducked back under the water, the ship thudding as it slammed into it from below. I tried to steer us out of there, but when it’s tentacles wrapped back around us, it hoisted the ship up off the water.

“Ready the cannons!”
I heard the captain yell out as the crew readied the cannonballs, stuffing the gunpowder, waiting for the order.

“Ready?!”
The water splashed around below us before the kraken’s head started to come up to the side of the ship. It’s face slowly coming up over the side.
“Fire!”
They released the cannonballs, shooting them into the kraken’s face.
It’s tentacles started to slip from the sides as it’s bared the injuries straight through it’s head.
The salt air soon smelt of fishy blood as the kraken’s body started to fall, bringing us down with it.
The blue blood splattered us before it started to sink into the water alongside it’s body.
The ship rocked on the water as I steadied it, barely able to stop it from tipping over.

The crew fell silent watching the water ripple as the kraken finished sinking past the surface. It’s tentacles slapping on the water before being pulled down.
My hands shook from the adrenaline as I gripped the wheel.

The silence was broken as we all jumped, the booming laughter of the captain bouncing off the water as the blue blood seeped lower.

He came up the stairs and slapped me on the back before raising his hands, the sword still in his hold.

“Break out the rum, boys!”
The crew erupted in laughter as though they were already intoxicated.
I felt the smile stretch across my face, my cheeks hurting as I tried to stop the laughter bellowing out from my stomach.

We killed the kraken, the myth of the sea.
We killed him.