Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 245

You tried to ignore the voices, but they always managed to surface.
“AI-PING! GET THOSE GODFORSAKEN BIRDS OFF MY SHIP!” Mr. Lucas screamed at you as a
seagull took a dump on his lap.
“Yes, Mr. Lucas,” you replied sweetly, ignoring the disdain in his eyes. You stomped your feet so that the
seagulls scattered off, a cloud of wings over the endless sea, and you’re feeling proud of yourself for being
useful and a good crew member when Edgar started crying noisily.
You’d made Edgar cry.
You’d made Edgar cry!
Crying hurts! Nobody deserves to cry like you did!
“No... Mr. Lucas made Edgar cry...” a voice crooned in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “He
made both of you cry...not you...Mr. Lucas...you’re a good boy ...he’s a hell-bride of the Devil...”
As Mr. Lucas whipped you with a belt for bullying Edgar, you wondered if the voice was really telling you
the truth.
You’re unpleasantly woken up by the putrid smell of smoke and a bell ringing.
Mr. Lucas was screaming on the deck again. “Claim your weapons, crew! Children to the cabins, they’re
coming for us!”
Who’s coming? Emperor Qin?
Only moments later, a big, tall man barged in with a bronze gun in his hands. He levelled it directly at you.
“Hands up, and give us your treasure!”
“Are you Mr. Qin?” You asked sweetly, batting your eyelashes at him.
He rolled his eyes and prepared to shoot, but you knocked him over when you ran for the door. He fell on
his face, and on impulse, you wrenched the gun from his fingers. Your feet took you up the creaking steps
onto the deck, and your heart pumped with adrenaline.
“What’s going on?” you demanded with a tone full of curiosity, watching the scene unfold around you;
crewmen and big hairy men alike were shooting at each other.
“They’re pirates!” Mrs. Lucas shouted back. “Get to the cabins, we’ll protect you!”
The entire scene was a mess.
The voices in your head gleefully remarked to you that no one would notice if a stray bullet hit Mr. Lucas.
You could take revenge . You would feel happy . It was tempting, very tempting.
The screaming filled up your head again.
Your fragile body was weak and sore, littered with abuse from Mr. Lucas. Even if you weren’t physically
damaged very badly, you didn’t think that your brain could take any more. Happy was good. You wanted
to be happy.
Mr. Lucas gritted his teeth as he dueled a particularly tall pirate, his back turned to you. Your hand closed
around the gun. It was the perfect time. After all, Seas The Day, right?