Otago Daily Times

This was what Theodore had known would happen

- MARIA DE MEDEIROS Year 12, Wakatipu High School

THEODORE could always tell when the world was about to end.

If anyone would listen, he’d tell them the warning signs.

He knew them all too well, because he always took note. Always.

This time was no different, and as the oncoming destructio­n unfolded before him, he could do nothing but watch.

First, the air became dense; almost solid, as if it were trying to hold the sky back from falling upon the earth.

The sky, too, transforme­d. You could feel it brewing before you saw it.

The storm.

A horrifying thing, commanding and unforgivin­g at the same time.

It was the love child of tension and fear. No man could see such a storm and leave a full man.

It was a creature so fascinatin­g in its ferocity, it threatened to steal both your sanity and morality, and the beast of the sky did not like to leave emptyhande­d.

The final sign was undoubtedl­y the most daunting.

Petrifying in its simplicity, it conveyed a message words could not bear the weight to carry.

The captain smiled.

This was never a good sign, because anything that was good to the captain could never be good to anyone but the captain.

This man, Theodore was certain, lost both his morality and sanity a long time ago.

The captain of the Madre was, to put it simply, a bad man.

Theodore knew many lengthy, unpleasant words which he could use to describe him, but could any word quite capture the essence of such filth?

A more educated descriptor would feel as though the man had suddenly gained some importance; as though he were worthy of Theodore’s efforts. He was not.

Why Theodore joined his crew in the first place, he had no clue.

He had a strong hunch that it hadn’t been voluntary, but when he tried to look that far back, his memories became murky.

Not that it mattered anymore, anyway.

He looked up at the Madre, eyes scanning her battered and worn exterior.

He had his own reasons for staying now and as he approached the vessel, a calm feeling eased its way into his stomach.

Despite the treacherou­s journey ahead, climbing on to the Madre never felt dangerous.

They set sail, and it was at that moment his world began to fall apart.

He’d never been wrong about the warning signs. This time was no exception.

You could tell that everything was gearing towards complete and utter ruin.

The sea, in its everpowerf­ul glory, gained a more ominous rhythm by the minute, knocking against the Madre violently.

Theodore winced. He wanted to despise the ocean for its violence, but he could not.

The sea was an unforgivin­g place, but it could also be wondrous.

It became too easy to forget, as the captain ensured he never saw the latter.

Theodore could only vaguely remember the aquamarine hue of the water, and its infectious tranquilli­ty.

Most of all, he remembered how light it had been. How innocent. How blue.

But at some point in time, the captain decided he would only sail during a storm, and Theodore never saw blue again.

He only saw destructio­n, and how the captain adored it.

He took in a breath of the humid air and looked up. He suddenly wished he hadn’t.

The terror he had so fearfully anticipate­d manifested itself before his eyes.

Upon the horizon brewed a daunting beast, promising nothing but disaster.

Panic’s claws sunk themselves deeper into his mind with every unsteady breath.

This was what he had known would happen, and had hoped would not.

Yet it was precisely what the captain was after, so they sailed straight ahead to greet the monster.

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