Boom!

I was awake immediately. “Stay here son, it’s not safe”, urged my father.  

‘‘What’s happening?’’I asked curiously. 

 ‘‘It’s none of your concern, stay here!’’ replied my father sternly. He was a tall broad man with a scrubby ginger beard. He swung open the great oak door which revealed a hideous storm. Thunder crashed, rain poured and I could see a silhouette of a monstrous boat. I crept out the door and hid behind a tree, a horrible scene played out in front of me. Wild looking men were rushing out of long, dragon shaped ships, swinging their swords. I saw my father fighting a terrifying man. Then it happened, father’s rival gave an uncontrolled blow and with a scream that chilled me to the bone, he was flung high and landed on the other side of some rocks. I knew the attackers would check the beach after their rampage, I had to get to father. Scrambling down the steep slopes, I found him. His body lay there, I felt for a pulse, there was one! I struggled to move him, hardly seeing due to the pounding rain, but dragged him into a dark cave. My eyes began to droop and I fell asleep.  

Morning came, dull and unsettling. My father stirred in his sleep, I tapped him on the shoulder and he finally awoke. I explained what happened, my father’s face growing whiter and whiter each word I spoke. Silently we got to our feet and turned the corner. The sand was red with blood, the strange ship was gone, my father was kneeling at a man’s feet “dead” he said in an unusually deep voice. He stared out to the empty sea and I knew he was imagining the deadly ships that had been there last night.