The Flaming Skull

• Daniel Bowell, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2014

The candles were lit dimly along the wall, flames dancing high. Outside,
Lightning struck and thunder cracked like whips. The power had been cut so Grandpa switched on a torch and sat his grandkids Dan and Maxx down. “Here is a story of one of my adventures, when I was 12 years old…

“73 years ago I was travelling with my Mum and Dad, who were archaeologists, to Egypt, exploring one of the most ancient pyramids. Out of the corner of my eye, deep inside an eerie tomb, something was glowing brightly. A small, carved, skull. I put it in my pocket.

Years later, I was camping with friends on the beach. As I drifted off to sleep, the skull, now on my necklace, started glowing as in Egypt. On the horizon I saw a layer of thick green fog closing fast. I frantically shoved my friends to wake them up. They woke with a start. Look! I said pointing at the fog. The shape of a ship crept out of the mist, only the sound of sand crunching as it slid up onto the beach. It looked like an old pirate ship. I realised from school history it was the legendary Flaming Skull missing in 1741 within the Bermuda Triangle. No words came out but curiosity got the better of us and we went to investigate. The rusty canons pointed into darkness and there was a putrid smell of rotting wood. For a second we thought we heard a high-pitched scream. “W-W are not alone” I stammered.

I saw a flash, then suddenly a girl appeared and we froze. She wore an old-fashioned ball gown and her hair was done up in a bun. “Were you scared? Was the girl a ghost?” asked Dan “We were petrified, yes the girl was a ghost” replied Grandpa. “Help me” she managed to say. “The skull has the power to set us free. The Skull has the power…power…power.” Her voice started to fade away. With in seconds 100 transparent figures appeared, “Ghosts!” we yelled. “The skull must have the power to set them free” said my other friend. Then they all started chanting: “You can never leave...” My mouth dropped open. “Give me the skull we need the power’’ the girl yelled. The three of us started running blindly to the back of the boat. The sun was starting to rise over the eastern horizon. The girl ripped the skull from my neck and pushed us backwards. We stumbled and fell into the cold, grey, seawater. Then the ship started to move, creaking and then fading away. Reaching the shore we all thought the same thing: nobody is going to believe us

“Whoa that was a great story Grandpa,” said Dan “Was that all true?” added Maxx. “Maybe” replied Grandpa “Now off to bed”

2 days later

Dan woke up early, yawning as he looked out of his window and his jaw dropped open. A green fog hovered over the water. “Grandpa” Dan yelled “They’re back…”
BY DAN 5B