Honor and Disgrace 

Honor and Disgrace

A story by X.P Fournier

Chapter One: A Change of Command

My life was in great pain to begin with because my ability was strange indeed. As I go back to my years in service to the crown, I see that the sailors were truly treated like objects. 

As I looked into a chest I found in my journal the writings of all my many seafaring adventures. One in particular was my favorite. Not because of happiness, but of suffering. I learned a lot about human nature in those long months. As I opened the book the smell of sea salt swept into the room brought back many memories. Then I read…

My name is Edward Forwrath and I am the captain of a fine ship in the Queen’s royal navy. I call my ship the Huntress. 

The year is 1593 and my life is a worthy one. I was exempted into the royal navy as a captain of a fine ship, indeed. 

Her deck was smooth as a crystal. I could never have had a ship more fine. I am to meet with the commodore to be given my assignment. 

As I walked to the commodore’s residence, I was filled with excitement, the excitement of the stories told to me by my grandfather and the battles he fought. I returned with my assignment. I was to attack a Spanish fort on the edge of the West Indies.
On this day I came on the first day of our voyage, my first mate Mr. Smith was a man of strict attire. He would threaten terrible things to the crew members who were slacking. I myself was a man of great sympathy to the crew. 

During  the first week of our voyage I grew close to the crew. I would gamble with them and drink with the fine men. Such spirits they had, and such dreams they had. 

On the morning of the Twentieth of July I was awoken by yelling. The yelling of a crew member yelling, “The Spanish are upon us!” I yelled to the sailor, “What has beheld us Mr. Miller.” He replied, “It's a Spanish treasure ship! Captain, we shall all be rich.”

With the fire of a musket the fight began and after that what a plunder ten thousand pounds worth  of gold. The men urged me to give everyone their fair share of the plunder. But I was not permitted to give them the gold. A portion of the gold went to me and the rest went to the government. They had been in service for years and never got as much as a piece of gold. 

They, by the cover of darkness, stole all the gold and brought it to the captured ship. I awoke to a loud BANG for they had destroyed the Huntress. Down to the abyss the ship went and myself floating on a piece of driftwood.    

Chapter 2: The Island

“Ahhhh, ” I remember screaming. That was one of the last things that I remembered before everything went dark. 

That next morning I find that I am full of regret. I put a lot of my heart and soul into the making of that ship. For it was the first thing that I was ever in command of. 

Fools, those sailors, I thought that many times in my sleep, I knew in my heart that it was those seamen who did it. They brought the Huntress down to the depths.

I remember waking up at about midday. Hands latched onto the remaining mast of the ship. When I awoke I was full of rage. 

Such selfishness, I could never imagine could become of a human being. A few minutes after waking up I screamed, “Those sailors, pirates, that is all they are. I will not rest until they are brought to justice!”

I was staying hands clamped on the mast and wishing for bed. For my pain hurt so much. To be launched out of my cabin into the sea and to hold onto a mast of an entire night. 

As I floated I tried to see land, but I could not climb higher than my position. An hour later I felt something making me overjoyed. I felt sand under my feet. LAND! 

I soon was able to stand and then letting go of the mast, I looked behind me and saw the flowing waves. The beautiful movements of the water are miraculous and destructive.

I began walking towards the land every step feeling like a flame on my feet. I soon was taken by fear. Where was the West Indies, the Caribbean?

I walked toward the beach and spit out seewater, before collapsing into the sand. Having nightmares of storms and dominating waves. 

I awoke to the howl of a strange creature. Like nothing I had ever heard in England or my childhood travels through Europe. 

In fear I fled the beach climbing a tree that did not have the capacity to support me. So I fell. 

And still fearing for my life I ran into the forest. I found a small cave to keep myself hidden. 

I ducked into the cave and covered my eyes. Sleeping was easy with a tired body and a dark cave.

In the morning I awoke and picked some curved fruit from the trees, and broke a coconut.  I must find a way to chop down these trees to get those sailors. 

I then said to myself, “I must get back." Keeping with this I cut my hair with a sharp rock and used my hair as a rope. Later I tied the rock to a stick and I used this to cut down trees for a raft.