Candles: The Flame-haired Piratess

• Candice Baumer, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2007

There was a sudden halt as the two ships hit each other. Candles swung onto the top deck to see what was happening. As Candles looked across, she began to climb aboard the other ship. She saw another woman on the other deck with jewels and treasure around her. She looked just like Candles, just more of a princess.

Candles walked straight up to her and said, ‘Why do you look like me?’
Candice the other twin, said the same to Candles. They looked at each other.
‘We look alike. How come we have never seen each other before? What if we’re twin sisters?’ asked Candles. ‘Are you a princess?
‘I am not the queen’s daughter or anything like that, but I have lots of jewels and treasure. What about you Candles?
‘Oh, I’m a pirate. Me and my crew sail the oceans for treasure and sword fight other ships and crews.’
‘Candles, um, are you evil?’
‘Um, sort of, yeah. Why?’
‘No reason’, whispered Candice to herself. More loudly, she continued, ‘I think I know how to see if we’re twins or not. I will get one of crew members to take some DNA and test it. OK Candles?
‘……Well OK.’
‘Let’s go to the cabin on the lower deck.’

‘So were the results positive or negative?’ asked Candles later on in the day.
‘Um positive.’
‘Oh my god! We’re twins. We can be together on the same ship. We can bring our crews together, but all of yours are nice and dressed well and mine are pirates’ said Candles.

‘Oh Candles, there is someone I want you to meet. This is my boyfriend Jake. He is cute. …What?’
‘Nothing, let’s go have a drink, shall we?’
‘Tomorrow we will set sail to a new destination’, said Candice, ‘And I will be sailing the ship. You will get to know Jake. OK?’

NEXT DAY

‘Hello Jake!’
‘Hi Candles… um there is something I have to tell you and Candice.
‘What?’
‘ I love you both. When I meet you I thought you were gorgeous.’
‘Jake, are you going to tell Candice?’
‘Well yes. I will right now.
‘Candice, um, there is something I want to tell you. I love you and Candles.’
‘What! There is only one way to settle this, with a sword battle!’
So they sailed to a beach and in shallow water began to fight. Candles got the first cut, then Candice. She was trying to hold her balance while they were fighting and slipped.
Jake remained on the boat watching.
Candles won with her great sword skills. Unfortunately, Candice did not.
Candles won Jake’s heart.
They all went back to their own ships and crews and went their separate ways. They never saw each other again. Candles went back to looking for treasure, but not alone.

THE END (471 words)