Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 - 2 | Page 68

Pirate Conflict
Singapore International School, Takafuku, Yumi - 10
Ben mopped the floor of the deck silently, thinking how stupid he was to think that a group of
seventeen-year-olds will be able to sail a ship, defeat pirates and find treasures all by themselves. It all
started with his admiration for Zheng He, a trusted naval officer of an emperor in the Ming Dynasty…
Ben admired him for his courage and resilience, wanting to be just like him, and so did his friends.
They knew how to control boats very well, being taught by Ben’s father, a skilled sailor, for more than five
years. When Ben told them his plans for the “little adventure”, they eagerly agreed. They rented a small
boat and sailed but they were caught by a pirate crew within an hour, where they were forced to clean up
an entire pirate ship.
“Let us go!” Ben could hear his friend, Zach shouting. “We didn’t do anything wrong! You
captured us when we didn’t even harm you! Why should we be your servants?”
But the man only replied in his hoarse voice, “Shut up and get to work! Or you can choose to
have your head chopped off! All of you are my servants now and you will never be able to escape! If you try
to do so, then the next thing you know is that you’ll be walking the plank blindfolded.” He grinned.
Ben glanced at him. He had long hair past his shoulders like a girl, an eye patch around his left eye,
a moustache, a black hat, a hook on his hand, and a green parrot on his shoulder.
`
“A pirate,” Ben thought and continued to mop the floor.
During their break time, they gathered together, sitting at a corner of the deck.
“We have to escape!” Zach whispered, but Ben and his other friends shook their heads.
Ben replied, “Are you mad? It’s a crazy idea! To think we can get out of here – a pirate ship, no
way!!”
Zach glared. “I’m not stupid, you idiot,” he said. “I’m not going to live like this forever.”
Just as Ben was about to reply, the same pirate with an eye patch walked towards them and yelled,
“Get into the dungeon now!” and shoved them into a small empty room. “Here is your dinner and
breakfast for tomorrow,” he added, throwing two loaves of bread and a quarter-filled bottle of water onto
the ground.
“Here is your dinner and your breakfast for tomorrow!” The parrot repeated.
“What!?” Zach shouted, “Are you crazy? You’re just stupid, how are we supposed to do with so
little? You made us your servants when we did not do anything to you at all, and --”
“Shut up,” Tom whispered as they noticed the pirate’s face beginning to change from a red tomato
to eight different dark shades of purple.
The pirate clapped three times in a row, and when two muscular men appeared, he whispered
something into both men’s ears.
Nodding, they grabbed Zach by the arm and leg, and dragged him outside. Ben and his other
friends anxiously ran outside behind the muscular men.
The pirate grabbed a sword and followed behind, grinning.
“This is your end,” he cackled, and the parrot repeated what he said.
Ben whispered nervously to his friends, until he saw the pirate holding a sword. He opened his
mouth and desperately tried to scream but no voice came out.
Zach tried not to giggle when he saw the pirate swing the heavy sword weakly and he could not
even hold the sword properly! He was well-trained in Martial Arts, and he tried to turn his laughter into a
fake cough.