Savage Stranger

• Lily Puti, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

"Kill your beloved family and the curse will be no more"


The Mighty waves crashed together with a shower of foam in the raging wind as sea salt and water sprayed on the already slippery deck of the monstrous dark ship. Unforeseen a silhouette of a cloaked man stood crookedly on the cloudy deck incongruously glowing from the surrounding dreary background while two other beings stood hunched behind him like black lumps against the dark enraged sea. Rain battered against the black velvet of the strangers saturated cloak, soaking into the hood which concealed his villainous identity. His arms were unseen within the folds of his robe, only his mouth was visible under his dripping hood, his coal-black boots rattled as he tread onwards, pure silver chains linked around the heel. The stranger’s presence was met with fear from the crew, their movements growing faster as he slowly strode past, his footsteps lion like. His boots clicked on the drenched wood, the dramatic sway of the boat didn't harm his action and the wind didn't disturb his motion, his cape didn't below in the wind and his hold remained untouched. The crew knew something was terribly wrong, the stranger reeked of raw meat and his guards seemed to limp hurriedly toward the captain’s quarters glaring side to side as if to cease the crew from making any faulty decisions.


"This is going to be fun" The cloaked figure smiled, white abnormally sharp teeth glistened in the heavy rain as he continued to saunter towards a small door built into the soaked planks determination radiating from him like steam from a kettle.


Stepping into the dim light of the small cabin his guards appeared to follow with hesitation, undoubtedly perceiving what came next. Inside rose the captain, a man at the twenty, chocolate brown shaggy hair and skin that regularly faced the seas wrath. In an instant the captain’s smile turned into a high-pitched yelp, being thrown into his oak desk by the stranger with in-human strength. The desk cracked at the same time as lightning propelled itself across the grey-black sky, the captain gazed up at the stranger with a dumbfounded look and unexpectedly realisation dawned on him. He widened his mouth to scream, but the concealed stranger was much faster. Without hesitation he moves with blistering speed as an object glinting in the dim light flashed past the captains’ face. All at once his breath suddenly stopped as the mirror-like blade sliced through his chest piercing his once beating heart. Crimson red blood stained his crystal white shirt, his once lively blue eyes glazed over as life left his pale body. The stranger managed a simper, but it hid his own sadness and regret.


"I have lived too long brother; this dreadful curse needs to go" the dark strangers voice crackled and fizzled like a burning fire as his hand almost hesitantly slid out from within his cloak. His guards gaped at his arm with obvious fear. The villainous figure’s hand was not of skin, but was of burning metal, the silver colour adorned with a fiery hot glow.


The stranger gazed at what was supposed to be his arm. It wasn’t long before his curse would be no more. It was the curse of feeling raging fire within the body, never getting rid of the orange flame and never dying from the excruciating pain it brings. A gift of immortality but with a deathly price. As if on cue a lightning bolt hit the boat, fire bursting from the darkened sails and wood surrounding the stranger, but he would not die, neither his hunched guards, they would slither back into the raging current and wait for another one of the strangers damned family to consequently pass unawares of the imminent danger.


"Kill your beloved family and the curse will be no more" the stranger mumbled more to himself than anyone else before plunging into the black sea with spray of foam while wicked gurgling of bubbles and water echoed in his wake as though the savage stranger was laughing.