Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 - 2 | Page 80

Bottled Up
Singapore International School, Yao, Ellisha - 10
I was thrilled to be chosen as a member of the crew on the second Ming Treasure Voyage. When
we set sail, I felt an adrenaline rush as I set off for a new adventure. Having turned eighteen a few months
earlier, in 1407, I was one of the youngest crew members and my naïveté showed. The ships were so
colossal that they engulfed a large section of the sea. Ninety of us were on board each one, and there were
thirty boats altogether. My ship was one of the longest, at nearly 100 metres long. However, after a while,
the the novelty began to wear off. The sweltering heat, bumpy sea, a lack of food, and being surrounded by
frustrated, aggressive, perspiring men twice my size began to make me wish I’d never set sail.
But one day, around a year ago, as we approached the beautiful island of Java, Indonesia, the most
dramatic day of my life occurred. We were preparing for war. We had an infamous history with the King
and residents of Java. Some of them would love nothing more than to murder us all. However, we had a
mission in mind. To improve relations, allowing for peaceful trade between our two regions. My best friend
on board the ship, Lee Boy, came running into my cabin.
“Sam! Quick! The captain has sent us to get food reserves for the crew. We need to get our energy
before the final approach to Java.”
I was hesitant to go. I knew that they always sent the weakest members of the crew on these
errands, because it’s so dangerous that we might die. Lee Boy, however, seemed to have no fear whatsoever.
He threw me onto a wooden boat previously attached to the side of our ship and jumped on after me.
“We’re heading to that coast!” he shouted buoyantly as the wind swirled gently above our sail.
Ahead, I saw the long, sandy bay of a beautiful beach. The sky was blue and the sun shone above. I might
not have been looking forward to the errand, but I was sure looking forward to eating some real food!
As we approached the bay, the weather changed faster than I’d ever seen before. Blue skies turned
gloomy in a matter of seconds and the gentle winds became so strong that pieces of wood began to crack
like the branches of trees in a tornado. A wave sent us flying three metres into the air and came crashing
back down, the ominous taste of salt water filling our mouths and noses. A storm was upon us! We landed
with a huge thud back into the ice cold sea.
The last thing I remember from that storm is a sudden bolt of lighting striking the boat and filling
the air with the acrid smell of burning wood. When we woke up, it was dark and calm. I could hear the
gentle waves lapping against the surface of our vessel like the quiet tick-tock of a grandfather clock. We
must have been unconscious for a while. I tapped Lee Boy on the shoulder.
“Wake up, Lee Boy!” I said, urgently.
There was no sound.
I shook his body to awaken him but it was limp and cold. All the blood rushed from my head and I
felt dizzy as I staggered back. I felt for a pulse, and there was none. He was gone. I was alone.
As I looked down at the swirling seawater, I realised the gentle calm of the night was deceiving me.
I was not safe. Below me I saw the dark fins of several sharks weaving between the waves. Not only that,
but I hadn’t realised I was up to my ankles in saltwater. The boat had been badly damaged and I surely only
had ten minutes before the whole thing collapsed and I became a snack for a shark.
Just as I began to give up hope, I heard a deep rumbling sound. Vibrations seemed to make the
whole ocean quiver. I looked down and was confronted with a truly horrific sight. I was looking at the
contorted face of a creature so huge, I wondered if I was hallucinating. The width of its head was at least