Fool’s Gold
One stormy April morning, on the rough seas of the Caribbean Ocean, Captain John Black was aboard on his majestic ship. That morning, the wind was sharp and chilly. It tore across the sailor’s faces until their faces were numb. The water crashed against the hull of the boat, each time with more water splashing across the deck. The sky was a deep gray and seamlessly blended into the murky waters. The small crew dashed around on the deck, soaked to the bone. They were managed under the eyeful watch of their shrewd captain; John Black. The captain had icy blue eyes and a weathered face. His hair was tangled from the wind. Captain John was a cunning man. He had a personality that was so persuasive that nobody could deny him what he wanted. He used that to his advantage and stole the all the cargo on every ship he encountered. No ship was too large to conquer, no crew too tough to defeat. His home was the ocean and his supplies came from other ships. His tactic was simple, he would pretend to be stranded and ill and con his way aboard the ship. Then through the night, every little possession would be taken. Nothing would be left behind. His ruthless actions left his crew members fearing him. They could turn into his victims any day.
As the storm got worse, the captain decided to take refuge on the closest island. The island was called the “Dead Man’s Crescent.” No one was known to leave the island alive. The crew laboriously worked to get the ship onto the island. Once they reached closer, the crew tossed a steel anchor onto the shore and returned to their cabins and fell into a slumber. As dawn slowly appeared John and his crew left the ship to explore the island. They climbed off of the ship onto the rocky shore. Jagged rocks and massive boulders lined the beach front. As John walked onto the beach, he scanned the landscape and something glimmered into his eyes. Lodged between two rocks was a silver ring. Inscribed on it is a language that he could not decipher. He put the ring onto his finger and continued walking. The beach yielded no food so John instructed his crew to go into the forest. The forest was over grown with vegetation. Ivy scaled the trunks of trees that extending high into the sky. As the crew traveled to the deeper into the interior of the forest, they heard the howling and calls strange of animals. They continued into the forest, stopping to collect berries and other tropical fruit. The forest became darker and darker and the trees became denser.
While searching for food, John noticed a wooden hut in the corner of his eye. Inside, he saw the outline of woman. Not wanting his crew to know, he ordered them to go back to the ship. John hiked his way through the forest toward the shack. After stumbling through the bushes he walked to the door. As he opened the creaky door, he realized that there was not a woman inside. In fact, the outline did not even look human.
“I want your soul,” whispered the devil.
Shivers went through John’s spine. Floating in the air, the devil was the darkest black John had ever seen. He had an aura around him that made John feel drowsy, like something was weighing him down. The devil had a long, fluid, body that oddly glistened when he moved. Circular rings danced inside of him when his body expanded and contracted. John froze, his thoughts racing, but he could not utter a word. He stared into his eyes and felt his chest tighten, a great pressure was building and he felt as if something was trying to escape his body.
Mustering up the courage, John muttered “What will you give me?”
“Control of the weather. Use it to your benefit and take from the people who have cheated me” replied the devil.
“What will I get out of this?” questioned John.
“All the treasures your heart desires.” boasted the devil.
“Alright, give me this power.” John said.
The Devil reached out to hold his hand when he noticed the ring on his hand.
“Where did you find this?” examined the devil
“It was washed onto the shore.” John replied.
The Devil took the ring off of his finger and exchanged it for a golden ring. A look of annoyance flashed on John’s face.
“A golden ring shows wealth, I’ll take this silver one.” declared the devil.
As they shook hands, John felt a burning feeling rush through his body. It came with such intensity that his knees became weak and he collapsed onto the floor. When he opened his he was on the beach. Dazed, he looked around, trying to remember what had just happened. His hand was throbbing, the ring gleaming brighter than when he found it. John slowly got up and returned to his ship, eager to use his new gifts. When he arrived on board, John announced to his crew that they were leaving the island. His crew was reluctant but followed his orders. As they sailed away, John saw a ship in the horizon. He felt urge to control the waters around it. He found that his thoughts translated into actions and the ship quickly started rocking. The sailors on the ship struggled to stay aboard. John laughed at their helplessness, the ship was falling apart. John pushed his mind further and created bigger waves. The waves engulfed the remaining sailors on the boat. They disappeared into the water. The sea became calm again. John used this opportunity to have his crew storm the ship and grab all of the valuables.
Months and months passed and John’s crew relentlessly took the lives of many and emptied their ships of their riches. One day, in the pursuit of another ship, John observes a little boy crying because his father had just fallen off of his ship. The boy is so distressed that John begins to feel remorseful that he stopped the attack on the ship. He sailed to the ship so that he can climb aboard. Bringing a chest of gold, he offered it to the boy so that he can use it to start his life. The boy opened the chest. He became furious with John. Confused, John looked at the chest and sees that the solid gold that he happily collected from a ship magically was counterfeit. He rushed back to his ship with the boy, and everything that he had collected was fake.
Suddenly, the sky turned dark and thunder pounded through the sky. Lightening rhythmically struck through the sky. The rain was pouring hard, making it difficult for Captain Jack and his crew to see. He found himself in the same situation that he put all of his victims in. He grasped the edge of the ship in an attempt to hold on. His crew members had the same struggle and one by one, they all slip off. The boy decided to accept his death and jump over the edge. The storm became stronger. The wind was howling and the water splashing through the air choked the captain. Gasping for air, he drained his last ounce of energy. It was too much for him and he slipped over the edge of the boat, drowning.
Both of the ships are destroyed by the storm. Their cargo was spilled onto the sea. The next morning, the devil went to the shore to collect his golden ring.
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