Thanks to Sadje for hosting this weekly challenge. You can join in here
Image credit- Pixabay-Thommas
( For visually challenged reader, the picture shows a stormy sea with an old ship battling the winds. There is a full moon peeking through the clouds)
It had been a terrible journey, plagued with one mishap after another.
The first had been the food had all rotted. The second the captain jumped overboard in despair, and the third the water supply was contaminated by rats.
They had no choice but to try and make it to land.
Then the storm hit.
The main sail was in tatters, but valiantly the crew worked together towards an inlet unmarked on their charts. None cared about discovering a new world, they just wanted to put their weary feet, aching backs and blistered hands on dry land.
The storm raged on, the moon teasing through the clouds casting a yellowing light on the waters below.
So intent were they in achieving their goal, none noticed the vessels behind, and they were not friendly.
You’ve built quite a narrative for this photo. I wonder what happens next?
Great story Di. Thanks a lot for joining in the challenge
thanks Sadje
You’re welcome 😉
Oooh A good suspenseful story here 🙂
thanks Sci
Wonderful depiction of that image! I think a lot of people romanticize the old way of travel – sailing on ships – by making it sound adventurous and exciting. The reality, sadly enough, was just as you describe, much of the time. I have ancestors that sailed over from England (in the 1800s) and some died on the voyage. I have a great great grandmother (I think she was anyway), who died in childbirth on the voyage to America. Scurvy and rickets were also common place. Great effort you gave in describing the gritty reality of voyaging.
thanks Melanie.
Intense story. Those poor sailors… just when things couldn’t get any worse! (I actually like situations that are rock-bottom horrible on characters and then the author slaps them with another problem). Well done.
Thanks Diana
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Typical nothing ever improves 🙄
What a gripping start! How will the sailors fare? No doubt the island, if they find one, will be seething with cannibals 😉
probably Chris!
Oh my, that ominous ending, I love how you wrote this tale
thank you!
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