The Legend of Eric Guneagle

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Eric Guneagle

Eric Guneagle

Pirate Master
Chapter 1 How It All Began

"Wow, what a long day." I said as I slumped onto my hard mattress. I had been doing chores all day. I helped father pick the crops, helped mom weed the garden, and helped make dinner. After a long day of work, it was finally time to sleep. My name is Eric Guneagle. I am 12 years old. Me and my family own a small home in Port Royal. It's not always easy around here. My family always needs help with the chores. I closed my eyes and rested my head.

In the morning, something awful happened. Everyone has to pay taxes every week so the East India Trading Company can afford weapons and armor for battle. A taxman always came every first day of a month. It was June first today. My family hasn't made enough money lately. In the afternoon, I was sweeping the floor, and I stopped when I heard a hard knock at our door. My father answered it, while me and mother stood at the back of the room watching. When my father opened the door, it was the Eitc taxman.
"Good morning, sir." My father said nervously. The taxman looked harshly at my father.
"I am here to collect this months taxes, Mr. Guneagle." The taxman replied softly.
"How much are the taxes this month, sir?" Father asked.
"678 gold pieces." The taxman answered, still softly.
"What?! It's never that much!"
"Those pitiful pirates are destroying our forces. The government has decided to give us better armor, for our old armor was flimsy and easy to destroy. That will be 678 gold pieces. Pay with gold, or your life." The taxman said coldly. He was now glaring at father with cold, hard eye"s.
"I cannot afford that. There must be another way!" Father exclaimed.
"There is another way. Pay with your life." The taxman said. He took a gun out of his pocket and shot my father in the head. He fell to the ground. Me and mother gasped. More Eitc soldiers appeared.
"Search the house. See if there are more residents. If you see any, take their lives, and their money. We need all the money we can get." The taxman ordered the other soldiers. Me and mother ran to the basement. My mother pushed away some boxes.
"There is a secret passageway right here." Mother explained. She pointed to a square crawlspace.
"I never heard of this.." I said.
"I want you to escape. I wish I could come with you, but I can't." Mother said.
"Why can't you come with me?" I asked. All of a sudden, we heard footsteps. They must've heard the boxes fall, and they were running toward the basement.
"It's complicated. Just go!" Mother pushed me into the crawlspace, closed it, and covered it with the boxes once more. I had tears running down my face to my cheeks. There were many bugs and webs in here, but at the moment I did not care. I knew the soldiers were searching the house and soon would discover the crawlspace, so I had to flee right away. There was no looking back. I crawled until I banged into something. It was a miniature door. I forced it open, which was hard because of all the rust. I jumped out into fresh air, and brushed dust off of me. It was sunny and beautiful outside, but inside, it was cold and raining in my heart. I never felt so terrible. I ran away as fast as I could. I ran to the docks. I knew it wasn't safe to be in port royal anymore. Without thinking, I jumped onto a ship. I heard footsteps. I jumped into a cargo crate. Just before I closed the lid, the ship started moving. When the sails came down, I saw something on the sails. It was a skull with black all around it. I gasped. The footsteps came closer and I closed the lid to the crate I was in. Inside the crate was some gold pieces. I realized something terrifying. I was on board a pirate ship.
 
Chapter 2 Skull and Crossbones
I was curled up in the box, hugging myself. My heart was pacing. I was scared a pirate would check the cargo. There was a tiny hole in this crate, so I still had air. My nose was pressed against it. The pirates were right next to my crate. One was short chubby with a red bandanna spotted with white dots, a suit vest, a black, puffy shirt, and blue pants. The other had all white on. He looked like a spirit.
"We have set course for Tortuga!" The lookout shouted. All of a sudden, something awful happened. I let out a sneeze and they heard it. The short and chubby pirate opened the crate I was in, picked me up, and threw me onto the deck. All of the crewmates circled around me.
"Why are you on our ship, you mongrel!" A guy who looked like the captain shouted. I explained what had happened. The taxman, the crawlspace, and the ship jump. They looked amazed. I heard the captain whispering to the crew. They whispered for a couple minutes. It was annoying because I knew they were plotting my demise and I just wanted to get it over with.
"Either you be our cabin boy or we feed you to the sharks." One crewmate announced in the big crowd. I sighed. The sharks actually sounded like a better offer than being a pirate. I hated pirates. I sighed again.
"Fine. I will be your cabin boy." I said. The captain showed me to my room, where I sat on the bed. A lot more comfy than my old bed.
"Sleep. We have tasks for you in the morning." The captain said. Then he walked away. He blew out a candle and it went dark. I couldn't believe it. I agreed to be a pirate. They raid, plunder, steal, and they are the reason the taxman comes to our door every month.
"I should've chose the sharks." I thought, angry at myself. I didn't know what kind of tasks he was talking about, but whatever it was, it would sure test my skill and be difficult. I was scared. I tried to get over my fear of what they would do to me if I didn't qualify for a Cabin Boy. I didn't know how I so suddenly chose to be their cabin boy. I didn't think about it first. I missed my family. I didn't even want to live anymore. I then fell asleep, because I knew if I didn't work out as a cabin boy, I would be great dinner for the sharks.
 
Chapter 3 The Test

I opened my eyes. I felt so groggy, I didn't even remember that I had to do the captain's tests. I sat up and stretched. I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn. I managed to stand up. I slowly walked over to my dresser and put on a red bandanna, a torn red and white striped tank, a brown leather vest, and cotton highwaters. I put on some short black boots, but they didn't feel comfortable, so I took them off and put them down on the floor next to me. I wondered what would happen on my first day of being a pirate. I then remembered the event of yesterday. I thought of mother, and how she would probably be dead by now. The EITC probably sold our house for gold. A tear ran down my face. I didn't even want to be alive anymore. I had lost my home, my family, my purpose. And most of all, I had lost my heart. A tear ran down my face to my cheeks. I wiped the tears away with my sleeves. I opened the small door and went out into the light. The light burned my eyes. I stood in the doorway for a second trying to get used to the light. I eventually got used to it and headed out the door onto the big deck. I had been in so much panic yesterday that I didn't notice how beautiful the ship was. It had a nice big deck with four cannons on each side. The wheel was in the middle of the deck and the mast was right behind it. I realized it was a war sloop, only there was something unusual about it. It had a door right next to me on the deck that led below deck. As I was admiring the view, I felt something grab me under my arms and pull me up. They were two strong, mighty guys with big muscles and black outfits.
"Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" I asked them, frightened.
"The captain has business with you." The one on the left said. Then I remembered. The test. I felt so frightened. I tried to kick and scream to get them off of me, but they tightened their grip and help me like I was nothing. We walked over to the wooden door that lead below deck. They shoved me into there and closed the door on me. All I saw were stairs. I walked down the stairs and hit a wall. I looked to my left and saw a corridor with lit torches against the wall leading down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, I saw a big room. There were four doors on each side of the room, and one door at the end of the hall. It was the fanciest looking door, so I figured it was the captain's door. I had the only room above deck. On every door, there was a name. The door at the end of the room said Captain Bill Jones. I knocked. A voice said "Come in. We have much work to do." I stepped foot into the large room. It was much more luxurious than mine. It had a radio, a comfy bed, a dresser with a mirror, some treasure chests full of gold, and fine crafted weapons aligned the wall. Many pictures were hung up on the wall of the crew's adventures. He had a desk with a lamp next to his bed. On the desk next to the lamp was a book. It looked like a captains journal. Above the desk was a window.
"Are you ready for training?" The captain asked me in a nice voice. The captain actually seemed like a nice captain.
"Wha- What are you going to do with me?" I stammered. I cowered with fear. The captain came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't you worry. Everything will be just fine. I know you can do it. I am very sorry about what you have gone through." The captain said to me in a hearty voice.
"I thought you would be harsh to me.." I said.
"Not every captain is a jerk, Eric." He said to me. He patted my back. All of a sudden, something awful happened. I heard a big crash and the ship went back and forth. We were anchored, so we couldn't have crashed into anything. Me and the rest of the crew ran up to the deck. Cannonballs were flying at us. It was a galleon.
"Vanguard on the starboard side. Attack!!!" I grabbed a cannon. We all shot at the hull of the bulwark. Round shots were flying everywhere. I was fascinated as a kid with boats. I knew everything about boats. I knew that the sails should be taken down to stop the ship from moving.
"Everyone, shoot the sails with chain shot and slow the ship down so it cannot get to us, then shoot the hull with round shots. Save the best ammo for bigger opponents." I yelled.
"The captain is the one that calls the shots, punk. I will not listen to a little kid." A big man next to me said. He pushed me down on the deck and returned to firing at the ship.
"Wait everyone, he has a point. Do what he just said!" The captain ordered. I crawled back to my cannon and shot at the sails. The sails fell into the ocean ant the ship stopped moving. The captain started moving the ship to face it's cannons at us. We shot it with round shot and before it could shoot again, it sunk. Two burly men loaded 2 cargo crates onto the deck of the ship. Everyone cheered. The captain pulled me to the corner.
"Very good captaining. You have some natural talent." The captain said to me.
"Wow, thank you so much. I feel so honored, I-." The captain cut me off. He put a finger on my lips to hush me.
"You have passed the test." He said it loud enough for everyone to hear. The crew cheered. Everyone except the man who questioned me commanding the ship. He grumbled with anger.
"We will begin your weapon training tomorrow." He said to me. I felt happy. I cheered. I had found my new home.
 
In chapter 3 I wrote Vanguard on the starboard side and then they started shooting at the bulwark.. I meant to say they started shooting at the hull of the vanguard..
 
Chapter 4 The Omen

2 days have passed since I impressed the captain and passed the test. The crew felt like family to me now. I felt a little better about my mother. I still missed her, but I tried to ignore it. I had more important things in mind. I know pirates never take the easy path. The captain had taught me how to use a sword and a pistol. I now had some defense. It was morning. I woke up and put on a swabbie shirt, a leather vest, a buckled sash, and blue pants. I walked out into the fresh air. It was cloudy today. The captain was at the wheel. We were slowly heading for tortuga.
"Captain! A storm is coming!" The lookout shouted down to the captain.
"Not good. We won't make it to Tortuga before the storm passes." The captain looked worried. The captain went as fast as he could, but in a matter of two minutes, the storm was here. I felt a great wind at my back.
"88 mph winds, captain!" The lookout shouted below.
"Oh, no." The captain looked so terrified.
"What's the matter? It's just a hurricane." I said.
"No, this is a storm that happens every six years. It's called The Omen. We will be seeing hurricanes, lightning, heavy rain, thunder, and possibly hail." The captain told me. Before I had time to answer, it began to rain. Hard. The raindrops felt like bullets. Every drop hurt my skin. All of a sudden, The lookout got blown away and fell from the mast and plummeted onto the deck. The crew crowded around him. Blood was all around him. I felt his pulse.
"He's dead." I told everyone. Everyone looked depressed. The hail started coming. The hail was about the size of a hersheys kiss, but it still hurt. Badly. Everyone came rushing into my small room for some reason, so I came trailing after them. Everyone was in my room... Except the captain. He was at the wheel trying his best to steer to Tortuga, but the hurricane pushed the sails in a different dirrection, and the wheel was turning in many different directions. The captain couldn't control it. The thunder started. Then lightning. After eight minutes, the captain was getting destroyed by hail. The storm was still going on strong. Lightning struck our mast and the mast fell into the ocean.
"Captain, get in here before you die!!!" Someone in the crew yelled.
"I am not a coward!!!" He yelled back.
"This is not brave, it's just being stupid!!" Another man yelled. Hail struck the deck and poked holes through the deck. Water started squirting out.
"We're sinking!!!!" I screamed. Everyone else started screaming too.

In a matter of minutes, the ship was sunk. The storm had stopped, but there were still gray clouds in the sky. There was an island very close. There was a map floating in the water. I looked at it. The island next to us was isla tormenta. I swam to it. The other crewmates followed me. I looked back. There was only one other man who had survived. It was the captain. We swam together.
"I-I'm running out of br-breath." I huffed.
"Get on my back." Captain Jones said. I got on his back and he swam the rest of the way. We reached the island and the captain fell onto the sandy beach, exhausted.
"Are you okay, captain?" I asked him.
"I'm fine." He said.

We set up camp in the middle of a circle of rocks. I collected some firewood and the captain set up a fire. It was nighttime. I dropped onto the sand and rested my eyes. All I had was my clothes, my weapons, and my new father. I had lost my family once more.
 
Chapter 5 Stranded
I opened my eyes after a long sleep. I sat up. There was sand all over me. I stood up and shook the sand out of my clothes. I got some of it out, but I couldn't get the rest. I jumped into the water. The water was freezing cold, even though it was July. After I was cleaned up, I got out of the water. My clothes were drenched. Water was dripping from them. I felt cold for a minute, but the morning sun warmed me up. I looked over at the circle of rocks. The captain was still asleep. Next to the captain was a couple bottles of water he had saved from the ship, a small book with a pen stuck inside, a pistol and a sword, the captain's coat, and his lucky handkerchief. I hasn't seen the book before. I wondered what it was, and why it was so important for the captain to save. I decided to look at the book. I tip-toed over to the book, and almost tripped on some burnt-out firewood. I quickly caught my balance and picked up the book. I read the cover:
Captain's Log

"It must be his Journal." I thought. It had a ship wheel on the cover. At first, I wasn't sure if I should be snooping through his journal, but I wanted to so bad, so I flipped open the book and started on page one.
December 12th, 2001
"Wow, that's a long time ago." I thought to myself. I continued reading.
Today, I bought a light sloop. It was my first ship. I named it the blue navigator. I was now officially a captain. All I had to do now was find a crew. I met some men at a tavern known as the Kings Arm. I asked everyone if they wanted to join my crew. Surprisingly, everyone I asked said yes, except two men in a bar fight. We plundered for some time, and our cargo was grand. I then bought a light frigate, and a captain outfit.
I wanted to continue reading, but I saw the captain move, so I put the book down and sat on a rock. He opened his eyes. We greeted each other.

Later that day, we killed a devourer crab and cooked the meat over a bonfire. We were eating the meat and heard a boat honk a horn. We looked over quickly. We yelled to the boat. It saw us and docked at the island. We climbed aboard. They were pirates too. They had lost their captain, and needed a new captain. My captain volunteered. They accepted. I have found a new family once again. Their boat looked exactly like ours. They showed me to my room. This time, it was below deck. I hopped into bed and rested my eyes. I wasn't comfortable sleeping in my ragged, torn clothes, but I didn't care. I was just happy to be resting in a comfy bed again. Me and the crewmates instantly became friends. Their old captain was mean, and killed the old cabin boy. The crew performed mutiny, and fed the captain to the sharks. They were very happy with Captain Jones. I was happy too. I rested my eyes.
"I hope I never lose my new family." I thought. Then I drifted off to sleep.
 
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