Week 6 storytelling: The Storm

I’m suddenly yanked back into consciousness…

The morning sun blinding, even behind closed eyes, brings the pounding in my head to my attention.

I try to sit up. Every muscle in my body screamed in the attempt, worn and sore as if I was thrown around inside washing machine.

I rub out the stiffness in my neck as my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight, revealing the scene around me. As I lay in the warm sand around me, my eyes scan the small shoreline, seeing nothing but beach and the wild vegetation crawling its way out of the thick jungle. 

I pull myself up to my feet, giving the world a few seconds to stop spinning before making my way to the jungle line. I take a minuet to scan the jungle for any signs of life, only to be met with the dark shadows on shades of green and the smell of damp earth.

I made my way through the dense vegetation, heading north, the only way home that I can think of. As I walk among the damp underbrush, my memories slowly return to me, answering the many questions that have been swimming through my head all morning.

I remember a great storm…

The rain pouring down, lightning crackling through the darkness…

 The Waves crash down, destroying the ship… destroying everything.

I remember drowning… being slammed against the sea floor, only to be swept up again by a wall of water.

The jungle began to clear, opening to shoreline. I looked out to the vast ocean before me, realizing there was little hope of anyone ever finding me.

How have I already walked across the entire island?

Suddenly the waves began to split a few yards from shore. From beneath the waves, what looked like a giant rock rose from the depths. As it rose higher into the air and water rushed form the feature, I realized that it was the head of some creature, rising from the ocean. The head of what looked to be a giant turtle. And then it spoke…

“My name is Tortuga, protector of the oceans. I found the ruins of your ship in the wake of a terrible storm.” He spoke.  His voice was deep and hollow, vibrating the very earth on which I stood.

“I was afraid there were no survivors. That is until I found you floating among the drift wood”

I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say, even if I did know my mouth would not have let me speak it.

“I am taking you home”

“Th-Th-Thank you” I stammered, finally spitting something out.

We traveled throughout the day, well into the night. The long series of silence, floating through the calm waters, would occasionally be broken as we drifted and talked. He told me his story, and in turn the story of how everything came to be. Tortuga is very old and has been around for a very long time, rescuing lost and abandoned sailors find their way home.

I don’t remember when sleep took me that night, but the next morning I was awoken to the sound of shouting off in the distance.

A ship! I was saved!

I shouted and waved my arms in hopes of getting the crew attention. In turn I shouted at the great turtle in excitement but he never replied, nothing but still water all around the island. Was it all a dream? How long had I been out?

I boarded the ship and arranged for my passage back home. As it set sail and floated of into the horizon I watched the island for any signs of life. The island grew smaller and smaller until it was nothing but a speck on the horizon, only to vanish from the world once again.        

Authors note: Most of my inspiration came from reading the voyage of Sinbad. I thought the sea tales were really interesting and found that at least the first 2 both had giant animals in them. I've also always been fascinated by the ocean and how powerful it really is, as well as what its depths may hide.

Week 5 story telling: The Ranger

     

      A ranger rode alone in the dark forest among the gnarled and knotted trees, darkness had overtaken the land and the ranger was weary from his long journey. As we rode a small stream appeared before him, springing forth from the base of a great rock as if flowing by magic. The ranger propped himself against a tree next to his horse, and soon sleep engulfed him entirely.      

A soft glowing light appeared in the distance. The ball of pure starlight floated closer, whispering incantations in the old tongue as it drifted nearer. Then just out of arms reach the illuminessence stopped, suspended in defining silence and darkness.  Then, a soft voice spoke out from the light, a women’s voice.

“Help us young hero for all is not as it seems. Deep in the heart of the forest an evil has festered and begun to spread. Our bodies and our lands have been cursed; ravaged by a parasitic beast, an ancient evil that has trapped us inside our own minds. You must fill your canteen with water form this sacred river and bring me to drink, and then I will be strong enough to expel this evil from our land. You must come to us in secret, undetected by the evil for this plan to work. You must come to the castle neither dressed or undressed, neither armed or unarmed, and neither in company or alone.”

The Ranger jolted awake with a gasp for air. He quickly drew his sword and readied himself for any oncoming threats, still confused by his visions. The ranger quickly drank from the stream, and then quietly began to say a prayer as he filled his canteen.

Next he stripped off his clothes and fashioned himself covering with leaves from the nearby trees. Then he cut himself a long staff from a nearby ash tree, strong and thick. He then mounted his horse and made his way to the unknown kingdom.

The ranger searched for weeks for the castle, living in the forest growing very thin and dirty. He grew a huge beard and soon did not resemble his former self at all, but that of a lowly hermit.

Then one day on the distance he saw a great castle, the surrounding gardens and land scorched and burned. The ranger dismounted and approached the courtyard inside the castle gates. He wondered the streets as a beggar, searching for the spirit that reached out to him.

    Soon trumpets sounded and the gates to the great hall opened. From inside an army poured out, followed by a very old, sickly king on his horse. Behind him, a beautiful princess followed in chains, being pulled by the old king. The princess stumbled and fell in the thick mud. 

The ranger advanced toward her, offering her a hand. She looked at him reluctantly, hesitating to take the hand of a hermit. Then she looked closer, she could see through the dirt caked skin and knotted wild hair. “It’s you” she murmured under her breath, “you have finally come”.

He offered her his canteen and she drank slowly and the old tongue could be heard along the blowing of the wind…

Then a blinding light filled the courtyard!

High pitched Screams could be heard from around the kingdom, from the men surround the ranger and even the king himself.

The light dulled and slowly faded away, revealing the army around them to have vanished. The ranger himself returned to his normal appearance clean and fresh shaven. The king was found slumped on his horse, years of old age taken from him replaced with rosiness in his cheeks. The ranger continued to survey the scene, the grass growing green and lush again, the flowers returned to the garden.

“Thank you kind ranger for your heroic deeds. You have saved my people and my kingdom from the evil inside us all. For your bravery I offer you my daughter’s hand in marriage and as much land as you can settle.”

From then on the ranger lived in the kingdom with the princess for the rest of his days.

Authors note: I got my inspiration from the stories of the 22 goblins, a creature that lived inside of the dead. The Goblin would live inside the dead body of a host and the king had to answer all of the goblins riddles in an attempt to capture him. I thought it was a pretty interesting concept for a story and gave me some good ideas. I had also just finished rewatching Lord of the Rings and this story reminded me of one particular scene, where the king and the land a possessed by evil.