Post by thornclaw on May 10, 2006 21:10:01 GMT -5
(OFT: WOOT! I had so much fun writing this story. ;D
» The vast depths of the seas conceal an extremely strange creature, once unknown to mankind. What terrors this animal has wrought upon unfortunate ships is uncertain, as none have lived to tell about it. It is with little doubt that this creature exists, however, as accounts of this sea monster have been discovered aboard the L’Mystère, a French merchant ship of the 1700’s, whose fateful encounter with the creature has been the only one recorded. Here follows a seaman’s description of the serpent; the last entry found in his logbook:
» “August 13, 1728. It was just after dusk that we sighted the beast. Had it not been for the faded glow of the sunset beyond the horizon and the soft white glow of the moon in the heavens above, we might not have espied the thing; it would have taken us off guard completely. As it was, it was our forth night sailing west from the coast of Europe; we were well off from the mainland, deep into the heart of the Atlantic. Our trip had been uneventful so far (save for a mild storm) – how I wish it had stayed so! It was Marquis who first observed the beast from the crow’s nest. ‘Great monster fish off the starboard bow!’ he had shouted in earnest. It is folly that we misjudged his cry (he was one of the light-hearted, humoring fellows) and thought of it as mere jesting. We laughed and shouted back up to him several jokes in return. However, I naturally wandered over to the starboard rail, earnest to see this ‘great monster fish’ of his. At first I could see nothing, but as I made my way slowly up the ratlines, an abnormal rippling surface in the waters caught my eye; an enormous, strangely smooth undulation, unlike any other I have seen before, spread slowly across the sea’s face. Even stranger was the pointed ride of black, jagged formations which moved in a shallow arch over the waters. Alarmed, I called in haste one of the other sailors to my side. He, in turn, gazed in fascination at the odd formation, which was still moving. We stared without comprehension at the thing for a long moment; and eventually the entire crew – including the captain - had lined up excitedly, shouting and pointing. It must have been out of fear and wonder that the first mate, Erik, retrieved a long harpoon from the cargo hold. Making his way through the crew, the foolish man poised the spear in hand, aimed its deadly tip the mysterious object in the water, and thrust it forward with much strength. It sailed through the air like an arrow, and it happened that there was enough rope attached to the harpoon to reach from the ship to the monsters spiny back. It struck the beast’s back, and lodged there like a nail. The crew cheered, and subsequently watched. The spinal backbone of the creature and the spikes atop it slowed suddenly to a halt abruptly; and if I were Erik I would not have held on to the harpoon rope. The monster’s massive, spiked spine disappeared into the murky depths of the inky-black water in the blink of an eye – pulling both the harpoon and Erik into the cold sea. I nearly slipped from the ratlines in astonishment; and more shouting ensued the first mate’s disappearance. Nearly a total of five minutes passed as I on looked in horror; and inside I knew that there was no way to hold one’s breath that long. Then, suddenly, it happened: the beast revealed itself. I can still picture it in my mind’s eye . . .
» The creature launched a great portion of itself into air; its black, scaly coils worming their way above the surface with great force. Terrible, glittering black eyes the size of saucers were positioned on either side of its massive head. Sprouting from the top of the monster’s skull was a crown of twisted, spindly, black horns the size of a ship’s boom. From its curving nose and jaw lay a jagged row of ivory, razor-sharp teeth. Plates of smooth, overlapping scales decorated its extended neck like a suit of armor; from its belly emerged a pair of arms. The grotesque hands of the monster grasped at the air with sharp, black claws and webbed fingers. Several clammy flippers flanked its sides, clinging to it like leeches. The rest of the creature was submerged in the icy waters. Most disturbingly, as if to uniquely finish its hideous glory, the monster’s teeth seemed stained with streaks of blood.
» I know now how any of us could stand the terror; my very limbs were frozen at the sight of the thing. Had it not been for my secure grip on the ropes, I would have surely fallen overboard and fell prey to the serpent. My ears seemed deaf to the shrieks, cries, and desperate shouts of the crew, as I gazed, hypnotized, at the giant monster. Contrary to my paralyzed thoughts, the creature did not attack the ship; instead, it sank beneath the sea. Somehow, I thought it would be back. As if free from the monster’s game of paralyzing me, my thoughts began to race to the beat of my heart. Half leaping, half throwing myself down the ratlines, I darted frantically for the ship’s hold in stark terror. I did not heed what the rest of the crew was doing in my urgency, and, slamming shut the iron door which led to the hold, I locked myself below deck. Shaking uncontrollably, I moved swiftly among the various crates and supplies, I concealed myself behind a large wooden crate containing parchments – as if this would save me! Hardly had I done this than the bow of the ship careened downwards into the sea, and the stern of the ship lurched upwards in return; I was thrown as a rag doll to the far end of the hold. The ship stayed in this position, and wobbled slightly to the side every few seconds. Slumping in a dazed stupor to the floor, it only occurred to me (after my senses had calmed down significantly and the ringing in my ears had stopped) then that I could hear terrified screaming of the men above. Nothing can quite equal the disturbing tones of distressed humans as they screech; in my situation this was especially true. It was more intensifying when I heard pummeling footsteps on the deck above. I clamped my sweating hands over my ears to drown out the sound and shut my eyes as tightly as possible. I know now how much time had passed, but when I dared to remove my hands from my ears and open my eyes, the ship had returned to its horizontal position . . . and the screaming had stopped.
I have not returned to the deck, as I fear what I will find there. The eerie silence which surrounds the entire ship now is more than enough to confirm my worst fears: I am the only survivor of the sea serpent’s bloodbath. I have written my experiences in this journal, if anyone should chance to find them. Over and over again the image of the creature, the screams of the men and other thoughts flash through my mind. It is only in recounting this epic tale that I keep my sanity.
» L’Mystère floated into an English harbor on August 10, 1730 – almost two years to the day from the seaman’s last entry. The ship was dubbed a ghost ship – a vessel in which the entire crew has seemingly vanished. L’Mystère itself was completely unharmed, save for several curious cat-like scratches which ran horizontally across its stern. The entire original document, written by the seaman, can be found in a museum (Museum of the Voyages) in Liverpool, England.
The body of the author was never found.
The Creature
» The vast depths of the seas conceal an extremely strange creature, once unknown to mankind. What terrors this animal has wrought upon unfortunate ships is uncertain, as none have lived to tell about it. It is with little doubt that this creature exists, however, as accounts of this sea monster have been discovered aboard the L’Mystère, a French merchant ship of the 1700’s, whose fateful encounter with the creature has been the only one recorded. Here follows a seaman’s description of the serpent; the last entry found in his logbook:
» “August 13, 1728. It was just after dusk that we sighted the beast. Had it not been for the faded glow of the sunset beyond the horizon and the soft white glow of the moon in the heavens above, we might not have espied the thing; it would have taken us off guard completely. As it was, it was our forth night sailing west from the coast of Europe; we were well off from the mainland, deep into the heart of the Atlantic. Our trip had been uneventful so far (save for a mild storm) – how I wish it had stayed so! It was Marquis who first observed the beast from the crow’s nest. ‘Great monster fish off the starboard bow!’ he had shouted in earnest. It is folly that we misjudged his cry (he was one of the light-hearted, humoring fellows) and thought of it as mere jesting. We laughed and shouted back up to him several jokes in return. However, I naturally wandered over to the starboard rail, earnest to see this ‘great monster fish’ of his. At first I could see nothing, but as I made my way slowly up the ratlines, an abnormal rippling surface in the waters caught my eye; an enormous, strangely smooth undulation, unlike any other I have seen before, spread slowly across the sea’s face. Even stranger was the pointed ride of black, jagged formations which moved in a shallow arch over the waters. Alarmed, I called in haste one of the other sailors to my side. He, in turn, gazed in fascination at the odd formation, which was still moving. We stared without comprehension at the thing for a long moment; and eventually the entire crew – including the captain - had lined up excitedly, shouting and pointing. It must have been out of fear and wonder that the first mate, Erik, retrieved a long harpoon from the cargo hold. Making his way through the crew, the foolish man poised the spear in hand, aimed its deadly tip the mysterious object in the water, and thrust it forward with much strength. It sailed through the air like an arrow, and it happened that there was enough rope attached to the harpoon to reach from the ship to the monsters spiny back. It struck the beast’s back, and lodged there like a nail. The crew cheered, and subsequently watched. The spinal backbone of the creature and the spikes atop it slowed suddenly to a halt abruptly; and if I were Erik I would not have held on to the harpoon rope. The monster’s massive, spiked spine disappeared into the murky depths of the inky-black water in the blink of an eye – pulling both the harpoon and Erik into the cold sea. I nearly slipped from the ratlines in astonishment; and more shouting ensued the first mate’s disappearance. Nearly a total of five minutes passed as I on looked in horror; and inside I knew that there was no way to hold one’s breath that long. Then, suddenly, it happened: the beast revealed itself. I can still picture it in my mind’s eye . . .
» The creature launched a great portion of itself into air; its black, scaly coils worming their way above the surface with great force. Terrible, glittering black eyes the size of saucers were positioned on either side of its massive head. Sprouting from the top of the monster’s skull was a crown of twisted, spindly, black horns the size of a ship’s boom. From its curving nose and jaw lay a jagged row of ivory, razor-sharp teeth. Plates of smooth, overlapping scales decorated its extended neck like a suit of armor; from its belly emerged a pair of arms. The grotesque hands of the monster grasped at the air with sharp, black claws and webbed fingers. Several clammy flippers flanked its sides, clinging to it like leeches. The rest of the creature was submerged in the icy waters. Most disturbingly, as if to uniquely finish its hideous glory, the monster’s teeth seemed stained with streaks of blood.
» I know now how any of us could stand the terror; my very limbs were frozen at the sight of the thing. Had it not been for my secure grip on the ropes, I would have surely fallen overboard and fell prey to the serpent. My ears seemed deaf to the shrieks, cries, and desperate shouts of the crew, as I gazed, hypnotized, at the giant monster. Contrary to my paralyzed thoughts, the creature did not attack the ship; instead, it sank beneath the sea. Somehow, I thought it would be back. As if free from the monster’s game of paralyzing me, my thoughts began to race to the beat of my heart. Half leaping, half throwing myself down the ratlines, I darted frantically for the ship’s hold in stark terror. I did not heed what the rest of the crew was doing in my urgency, and, slamming shut the iron door which led to the hold, I locked myself below deck. Shaking uncontrollably, I moved swiftly among the various crates and supplies, I concealed myself behind a large wooden crate containing parchments – as if this would save me! Hardly had I done this than the bow of the ship careened downwards into the sea, and the stern of the ship lurched upwards in return; I was thrown as a rag doll to the far end of the hold. The ship stayed in this position, and wobbled slightly to the side every few seconds. Slumping in a dazed stupor to the floor, it only occurred to me (after my senses had calmed down significantly and the ringing in my ears had stopped) then that I could hear terrified screaming of the men above. Nothing can quite equal the disturbing tones of distressed humans as they screech; in my situation this was especially true. It was more intensifying when I heard pummeling footsteps on the deck above. I clamped my sweating hands over my ears to drown out the sound and shut my eyes as tightly as possible. I know now how much time had passed, but when I dared to remove my hands from my ears and open my eyes, the ship had returned to its horizontal position . . . and the screaming had stopped.
I have not returned to the deck, as I fear what I will find there. The eerie silence which surrounds the entire ship now is more than enough to confirm my worst fears: I am the only survivor of the sea serpent’s bloodbath. I have written my experiences in this journal, if anyone should chance to find them. Over and over again the image of the creature, the screams of the men and other thoughts flash through my mind. It is only in recounting this epic tale that I keep my sanity.
» L’Mystère floated into an English harbor on August 10, 1730 – almost two years to the day from the seaman’s last entry. The ship was dubbed a ghost ship – a vessel in which the entire crew has seemingly vanished. L’Mystère itself was completely unharmed, save for several curious cat-like scratches which ran horizontally across its stern. The entire original document, written by the seaman, can be found in a museum (Museum of the Voyages) in Liverpool, England.
The body of the author was never found.