John Sullinger: A Short Story

Refer to me as John Sullinger. For as long as I can remember through my eighteen years of grace I have been subsiding throughout the alleys of Bayport, a city off the coast of Trinidad. The year is 1671 as I take up my pen and interpret to you my tale. I have never known my father nor do I know the true whereabouts of what has become of him. For instance, my mother claimed he was eaten by whale on one of his fishing trips with his mates, she told me he was a sailor. Another description, one by a local who mistook my face for my fathers stated “He was an alcoholic, never really seen’em stable unless he was with the misses.” My mother was not in my life for long as well. With the passing of my father when I was at the age of three, my mother
could not afford to help herself if she had ever contradicted a form of sickness. She passed away when I had reached the age of twelve from smallpox, thankfully I did not contract it as well. Ever since then I have lived alone on the streets, living the life of a peddler, selling whatever goods I can find.
This is not the life I had in mind. I’ve seen the vast ships around Bayport Harbor, the magnificent white flowing sails, the broad wooden planks that surround the Keel. A bountiful group of sailors, thieves, privateers, all which some call pirates all working together to venture from one side of the Caribbean to the other, plundering boat by boat, ship by ship, crew by crew, that is what I dream to be, a pirate! One morning I was awaiting to come across any gentlemen who would be kind enough to let me shine their boots, it was a way for me to earn Reale, a type of coin during my time. Having no clients throughout the morning, I decided to glimpse over at the harbor, sighting the grand freights of the sea, all having unique names of their own. I try to sneak closer to them, keeping the Harbourmaster from noticing me. I have never been so close to the ships before, they are much larger than they appeared to be.
“Ahoy there!” said a voice in the distance, “You’re a boot polisher are you not?” It was a man on a ship, “Yes sir!” I called back to him. “Then get up here and polish me boots before you waste any more of my time, I have to set sail with my crew soon!” he said back. The ship he was aboard was named “Neptune’s Privateer” as it was carved across the side of the vessel. As I stepped onto the wooden deck of the voyager I noticed the man that was calling out to me. He was a tall fellow, perhaps just short of six feet, a hearty looking man with elongated dark wavy hair, an ungroomed beard, as well as donning a tricorn hat. I kneel down before him and begin to shine his shoes. “Ye got a name boy?” He asked. “It is John sir, John Sullinger.” I stated. “Good to meet ya John, you fancy my vessel?” he then questioned. “Oh yes sir, it is marvelous!” I answered back. “You can call me Captain Hassett, Hollis Hassett!” he exclaimed. “A captain?” I thought. While I have never seen a captain before, his looks appeared as if he was anything but a captain. “All done sir, boots polished to perfection. That will be four coins of Reale sir!” I said. “Four Reale? Sorry my boy, I have no coinage on me, come with me to the quarters and I shall pay ye there.” Hassett said. Although the statement puts me off edge, I was without money and need whatever I could collect. “Right through this door here..” Hassett persuaded. As we made our way through the creaking wooden door to the quarters, Hassett’s crew was preparing to set sail. “Oy Cap’n, who's this lad?” said of the crew members. “This is John Sullinger, and he’s about to give us all he has!” said Hassett. “Excuse me sir, the polishing can be free just let me be on my way!” I said frantically. “Nonsense.” said Hassett “There’s got to be a few Reales on you, every piece counts.” The problem was I had nothing on me, what would they do to me? “Well c’mon then, cough it up!” commanded Hassett. “I have nothing to give sir..” I said “No, you do,” Hassett replied. “You can join me crew and work as a swabbie without pay. Otherwise you could decline and stay in Bayport for the rest of your life as a pedlar.” I, John Sullinger, a pirate? While a swab may not be the most gratifying job, I shall be able to have the opportunity to be with real privateers, voyaging the seven seas! “Captain Hassett,” I said “ You have got yourself a swabbie!” Hassett looked at me for a moment, then gave a yellow toothed grin and exclaimed “Welcome aboard to the Neptune’s Privateer Mr. Sullinger! Let me show you around the ship and introduce you to the crew!”
“This is Sir Alton Arrington, me first mate, he manages the vessel.” explained Hassett.
“Pleasure to meet you!” said Alton. “This lad right here is Denver Tompkins, our cabin boy.” continued Hassett, “He was a runaway looking to venture somewhere, being that was homeless like you.” “Glad to be working with ya!” said Denver. “Additionally there is Leopold Plumb our surgeon, Oran Underwood the Master Gunner, Abner Blair the Quartermaster, and Edwin Kipling is our Sailing Master.” concluded Hassett. “Ahoy John!” exclaimed the crew all together. “Well,” I said, “When do I
begin?”
The months ensuing consisted of me working my way upward on the freight. While I never ranked above a swab, in fact, I never ranked at all, my reputation had improved as I was known as perhaps one of the most loyal, trustworthy, and hardest working comrades of the vessel. Though the tasks were tiring, I was quite fond with my position. Never again would I ever want to reside once more on the dreadful streets of Bayport.
Denver and I became fairly acquainted during these times as well and developed a fond brotherly relationship with one another. We looked after each other considering that he was a mere cabin boy and I was but a lonely swab, both being at the bottom of the barrel. “You think the cap’n will let us view the top deck since we have completed our duties? I’ve down here for quite a few days, sometimes I forget what the world looks like.” said Denver “Perhaps,” I stated “We will just have to go up there ourselves and see what he has to say. He mustn’t punish us for it, we’ve done our services.” Soon after, Denver and I walked up through the hold, up the hatch, and to the main deck where Captain Hassett and Mr. Kipling were focused on the sea through their spyglass. “Something obscure Captain?” said Alton roaming toward their direction “That is what we’re trying to determine at the moment.” said Kipling “Aye, I suspect it t’be an island, an island unlike any I’ve ever seen. Set sail for that isle Edwin!” commanded Hassett “Aye aye sir!” Kipling responded.
Hassett was right, the peninsula was something out of a fable. Although there was the grainy sanded shore as well as the abundance of flourishing green palms, just as any other ordinary island, it was enigmatical. There were loud, advanced, almost futuristic noises unlike any I have ever heard coming from the archipelago. Beeping and clicking melodies glistened the closer we approached.”Captain Hassett? Are you sure you know where we are going?” questioned Alton “Not in the slightest, but where there is a solitary land, there is riches to be plundered!” Hassett responded. As we neared the shore, more peculiar effects developed. It seemed the water was circling us, not far from a whirlpool in fact. My comrades and I were dumbfounded to the situation, that was until Kipling comprehended the situation at hand. “Captain, this no ordinary island, nor is it the natural sea..”said Kipling “We appear to be engulfed in...The Bermuda Triangle.”
In the following moments ensuing, we were spinning across the mighty, blue, infamous Atlantic Ocean in an immense circle, perhaps being dragged down to the depths of our demise.
Suddenly, a glistening flash emerged from the darkness as the ocean tossed Neptune’s Privateer atop the void. “What is happening?” I yelled “We are in The Bermuda Triangle!” said Kipling “Anything could become of us at this point, we may perish or find our way out through a miracle.” Forthwith the vessel sprouted through the raining sky and abruptly fell once more. I am not sure what became of us until the following morning as I awoke on dew dripped grass with specks of sand draped across from my torso to beneath my boots. “Aye, that was an addled idea on me part, forgive me lads.” said Hassett. The crew and I had awoken on the island in which we voyaged to, only it seemed more bizarre than before. “Let us all search this unfamiliar ground, split up in pairs of two.” said Hassett “Alton and I will go to the north, Leopold and Oran will travel to the west, Kipling and Blair will trek to the east, and Denver and John will go
south.
“Sure is eerie out here,” said Denver “Ya think we’ll find any riches on this island?” “Anything is possible,” I replied “however there is possibly more than just treasures. I am worried if there are people, dangerous people.” Denver and I traveled deep within the abyss of the jungle, the emerald faded undergrowth concealed the path, if there was one and our tracks were covered as soon as we trudged forth. A faint noise was heard in the distance as Denver and I gazed at one another in befuddlement. “What was that?” I inquired “Call me a loon, but that sounded a bit like Alton, they might be in trouble, we should go to the north and find’em!” said Denver “Look we should not be irrational about this, perhaps they were examining the terrain and Alton found something valuable and was getting the captain’s attention.” Spontaneously another yelp arose from the north, this time a much deeper, hectic shriek. It was Captain Hassett. “I know that was the Cap’n!” said Denver “I agree,” said I “Let us proceed to the north!” While bustling towards the captain’s direction, there were irregular beeps surrounding Denver and I, same sounds we had heard on the ship before only even more frequent and boisterous. Now the bewailing from the captain was clearly audible. “Let me go or I shall send ye to Davy Jones you accursed swine!” Hassett yelled. As we drove deeper into the jungle, the buzzing was more raucous the beeps and boops were thundering over our heads and the trees nearly blocked the sun. “Halt!” someone commanded us “Hands above your head. Do not move. Follow me.” as I went to glance at the person, it was unlike any creature I had ever seen, this was no human. This creature was tall, made of some sort of metallic material, a blueish glow of light surrounding it, no pupils but just two lights shining where the eyes should be. “What...what are you?” I asked startled “Who am I? The question you should be asking is who are we?” said the creature “We?” Denver questioned “Precisely meager human. We are robots.”