The Sea of Souls...

Hey everyone,

Well I decided to write my short story on the following four elements left in the last comments.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Emotional setting: Tension and suspense/fear
Location: Pirate ship around the 1700's
Someone to include: A kidnapped maiden with a dark secret ;)

I hope you like my story and my effort to include all the elements requested.  Dont forget to leave me your comments, good and bad and also your four elements for my next short story that I will post at the end of the month..  Go on.... leave me a comment and a new challenge!  It is keeping me out of trouble so please join in!!

The sea of souls

The Sea of Souls

“Tell us how to get to the Icicle of Life, Princess Fenra, we don’t have much time left” The captain roared into her face, his patience torn and frustration raging through his nerves.

 “I WILL NEVER TELL YOU!! NEVER! Fenra screamed back at him, he didn’t frighten her, no one did!

The Captain slapped her hard across the face with the back of his hand. “You stupid, stupid girl... don’t you know what you are doing”

 Realising that his violent methods were not getting through to her, he tried to appeal to her emotional, softer side.

 “Princess Fenra, you can avenge the death of your twin sister, Corin as the Icicle of Life will show you who killed her, your majesty, don’t you want to know that and see this evil person meet the same wicked fate as your beloved sister.

Fenra stood up from where she had fallen against the crates in the corner of her underground prison and circled the Captain staring back at him as she moved, “I may be a fair maiden to you captain but I know that you will be granted eternal life by the icicle of life for bringing me there and this and only this is the reason you have kidnapped me”

There was a sudden jolt from under the large pirate ship, throwing everyone on board to the hard timber floors. 

“Captain Captain, come quickly”…  Forgetting about Fenra, the Captain raced up the stairs two at a time to see what was happening with his beloved ship.

“Captain, we cannot move the ship out of this course we are now on, we have tried but…..” In annoyance at his staff’s incompetence, he grabbed the steering wheel but found he was also unable to move it.

“But where are we going Tinus”, he looked at his 2^nd in commander in confusion.

“The Sea of Souls, Captain… The sea of souls” Tinus replied lowering his head as if in reverence to what they were about to face.

Fenra realised that the Captain had not locked the day properly in his haste to get upstairs and creeping quietly up the stairs, Fenra planned her escape, over the side of the ship.  She didn’t care if they all died, but she wasn’t waiting around for it to happen to her.  She stayed still at the top of the stairs listening as Tinus explained everything to the Captain...

The Sea of Souls was created by the King and Queen after the tragic death of Corin, mainly to protect Fenra from any harm.  It is said that the souls pull the ship down under the water, feeding from the souls of the people on board until only a human shell remains that floats to the bottom of the sea forever. These souls are the souls of all the people who have been wrongfully murdered and they will swim here in the sea until their deaths are avenged.  Once their deaths are avenged, they are free and they will move on to the next world and a next life and their murderer will then remain trapped in the sea of souls in their place.

Sea of souls, what rubbish, Fenra thought, as she moved towards the side of the ship, two more feet to freedom. How ironic she thought if she was to perish now in the creation her parents made to protect her.  She could hear a faint moaning sound in the distance and she felt it was sucking out of her all her strength and energy making her movements laboured and slow.   The ship rocked from side to side growing in veriousity as a scrapping noise started at the back of the ship pulling the large pirate ship into the sea and the howls and moans grow louder and louder surrounding the ship.   Waves of water came flooding onto the deck sending the ship and its crew in to their watery grave. Fenra rolled across the deck crashing into the captain and Tinus in the middle as they were all dragged to the back of the ship with the rest of the crew. 

“This is it Captain, the souls are taking us down to suck the life out of us all” said Tinus solemnly to the Captain... “COME ON FENRA… you can stop this... do something” yelled the captain over the waves of water rushing across the deck. 

“I’m afraid I can’t Captain… even if I wanted too... I am not the pure maiden you think I am”

 “But only you and Corin are pure of soul... FENRA you are our only hope”

“Then you have no hope Captain….

Suddenly the ship became still and the waters surrounding them became still. Tinus whispered as if he was afraid to speak out loud in case he disturbed the souls, “Captain, this is it now, someone on this ship has wronged a soul here and they are about to be taken.  It is good in one way Captain because it means the ship won’t be taken only one very evil person on board that the sea wants” 

The crew, everyone all looked from one to the other, judging if the other person looked guilty and racking their brains to remember if they had done anything bad, sick to their stomachs as they waited to see who was about to be dragged to the most horrendous death known. But the ship remained still, not a sound, not a ripple in the water, nothing!  Fenra got up and looked over the side of the ship, the surrounding waters were like glass completely see-through and Fenra could see straight to the sandy bottom beneath the ship.  Maybe they had made it out of the sea of souls, she wondered…

“Captain”, she turned back to the deck, “Do you think we have made …..” looking at their horrified faces, she slowly looked back over her left shoulder.  A giant wall of water was forming at the side of the ship, growing bigger and bigger in size, blocking out any daylight from the sun above, casting the ship into darkness below. As the soul behind the wall was slowly revealed, the Captain once again pleaded with Fenra to save the ship.

“Fenra, please you can save us all, you are the princess of the land, you can command the souls to leave us alone because of your innocence and goodness, and they must obey you”… Please continued the Captain...

“Oh my Captain, have you got a guilty conscience, are you worried this soul has come for you” Fenra threw her head back as she mocked the Captain and his crew and their desperation to escape.

“NO I have come for you!”  boomed a very familiar voice behind Fenra.  Fenra began to laugh as she looked at the giant ghost of her sister, her laughter turning to tears as she looked up into the face of her beloved sister Corin.

“I’m sorry I killed you Corin”, I had only meant to hurt you that day not kill you” pleaded Fenra.  Corin waved her hand causing a huge wind and knocking the ship and the crew over on its side...

“I don’t care Fenra, I don’t care anymore... you were always selfish and jealous and nasty and, well I can’t think of a better place for you to live out eternally than the sea of souls.  Surrounded by other nasty souls just like you.

“But will I never be able to take another soul and release myself from here and move on to the next world. 

“No, and that my beloved sister is my parting gift to you, instead you will live in misery surrounded by despair and hurt and anger... all the things you caused other people all your life”.

“But Sis..”  Fenra started to protest but Corin had started to take her into the sea of souls.  The Captain and his crew watched in amazement as Fenra was lifted from the ship into the mist that surrounded Corin.   Fenra’s ghostly body fell  into the sea below and Corin’s rose up into the clouds, her soul now free to move onto her next life.

The sea returned to its calm self and the captain and the crew relieved they had all survived, busied themselves once more with their duties, and getting the ship back on course.  Suddenly out of the calm waters the ghost of Fenra rose from the water and she laughed at the captain..

“You didn’t think I would let you go did you Captain”… “See if the icicle of life is that way?” and opening her mouth.. She let out the biggest wind ever which whipped up the ship and carried it in the sky below the waters, turning over and over again before it landed against the rocks and smashed to pieces...

The last the captain heard was Fenra’s sinister laugh and her words as she splashed back under the water to await her next victim...”I think Im going to love it here”!!!