Lagniappe

• Mia West, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2018

“Don’t get too close to the edge there, las,” one of the crewmen said as he walked up beside her. “We don’t want yer to fall off do we?” he smirked.
Amora looked at him confused.
“Now some of the men ‘ere wouldn’t mind if ye went swimmin, but I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it,” he chuckled.
“Why do you all hate me so much?” she asked suddenly, this had plagued her mind since she boarded the ship with her father.
“Surely ya know its bad luck to ‘ave a las on the ship. Yerv cursed the ‘ole crew,” he said, then spat over the side of the boat. “Name’s Cutler by the way.” He then went back to his duties.
Amora let her conversation with Cutler fester in her brain. She tried talking to her father, but he dismissed her.
She stumbled out the door of her room and couldn’t help but think that the ship was agreeing with the crew, but she never had sea legs.
Amora stormed up to the deck, unable to contain her anger, only to find the ocean destroying the boat.
She looked around her fearfully. But then she saw him, Cutler, and anger consumed her. Suddenly unafraid of her surroundings she charged towards him.
“You!” she roared over the storm.
“This is yer fault!” he exclaimed. “This never would ‘ave ‘appended if there wasn’t a woman on board!”
Suddenly the crew surrounded Amora.
“No! It’s just some tale!” she screamed, but they seized her arms.
“Sacrifice to the sea!” Cutler yelled, and the crew cheered.
“Wait! Please!” Amora thrashed against them. She screamed out to her father, but he couldn’t hear her over the storm.
“You don’t have to do this!” she begged. Suddenly a cloth tied her mouth shut.
“Tie her legs so she can’t swim!” Hearing this Amora kicked as hard as she could, but her efforts were useless. They tied her ankles and knees with rope, which made her skin itch and bleed. As she cried, the crew took her to the side of the boat where Cutler was standing with an evil grin.
Amora shook her head.
She felt her life slipping away as she was thrown overboard. She sank deeper into the ocean, she knew this was the end, but anger still fuelled her.
Suddenly a bolt of lightning came through the ocean and struck her. But Amora didn’t feel pain.
Instead, her legs twisted and formed a tail as her throat pulsed and gills grew. She swam to the surface and found the ship destroyed. Examining the ruins, she saw Cutler afloat on a barrel. Despite the raging sea, Amora was calm as swam to him.
“H-How?!” he screamed.
“Shhh,” Amora whispered as she placed her hand under his chin.
“Don’t panic,” she said, then gave him the same grin he had given her.
Before he could say anything, Amora grasped his throat then pulled him under the water. Dragging him deeper and deeper into the ocean.