The Lost Captain

This is another story that I wrote in college for my Advanced Composition class. It's not very deep, but it is a bit long.It is a story about the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. It reads more quickly than "My Story," so you won't be spending half a day on this one. : ) I hope you enjoy it!

(I don't think all of my italics from the original made it into this post, and I'm a bit unsure about how to do italics on this site... The thoughts of the characters are supposed to be in italics, so I'm sorry if that gets a bit confusing.)


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The Lost Captain


Captain Isaiah Mabry stood at the helm of the USS Expervier, watching his men as they swarmed the deck, some climbing hand over fist up the rigging, others double checking the knotted ropes to make ready for dropping the anchor. According to his instruments, they would stop just short of entering the area of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle, that infamous mystery of the ocean through which no one traveled and lived to tell about it.
"Well" thought the captain, "there’s nothing for it. This is the fastest course, though I do wish Mr. Pullings could have navigated around it. But I am by no means certain that those confounded newspaper stories aren’t taking advantage of our deplorable gullibility. After all, it was the nineteenth century - 1815 to be exact. It wasn’t as if they were stuck in the Dark Ages."
Captain Mabry’s thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Waldrop, commander of the Expervier and a capable lad of only twenty-three years.
“Captain, sir, your orders?”
“Tell the men to get some rest. We will remain here for a one or two days,” replied Mabry.
“Beg your pardon, captain, but what about our business in Belgium? I don’t think we can afford to lose any more time.”
“The peace proposal can wait for one more day,” Mabry grimly answered. “Jackson may be fighting in New Orleans already anyway. Besides, I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks; we need to know what we’re up against, so we’ll just observe for a day or two to get our bearings.”
“Yes, sir,” the commander said, glancing back at the captain as he walked away to give orders to the sailors. He still did not completely understand why they must drop anchor and wait for two whole days just to watch some water that from here looked about as threatening as the pond on his property back home in Virginia. He had been tempted to remind the captain of the importance of keeping on schedule so that they could meet the other ships who were being sent to escort them to Belgium, but he knew better than to question Mabry any further. That man could be stubborn as a mule, and there was no sense arguing.
As the captain continued to stare at the water straight ahead, the little anxiety he felt over taking the Expervier through what was known as a death trap began to ebb away. It certainly did not look ominous at the moment. But the captain was wise enough to know that a span of just a few hours could change a placid sea to an angry one; and this was precisely why he wanted to wait by the small island they had found and observe these waters. There was no point in rushing headlong into danger if it could be avoided.
As the sun sank nearer to the horizon, the shapes of the clouds were outlined in pink and orange, a magnificent display of artistry. Then, the sun fell below the clouds and the ship’s shadow stretched out on the island, growing huge and then vanishing silently with the sun, as though the ship itself had suddenly disappeared. Mabry was now busy with preparations for a small party to go ashore to see if they could add to their provisions. They were in no great danger of running out any time soon, but he liked to be cautious and to add to their supply when possible. He heard Aubry, his lieutenant, yelling orders from the boat as they lowered it into the sea on the larboard side. A few more words exchanged and the boat could be seen moving through the water towards the island. Normally, the captain would have been one of the party and would have left the ship in Waldrop’s hands for the night, but in this case, Mabry felt that it would be wiser to see to it that his men did not get too anxious being so near the Triangle.
The light continued to fade and those who remained on the ship could see the sailors working to build fires on the shore. Mabry checked with Waldrop to make sure the night watch was set and then made his way below deck to his cabin. He thought about the British ship waiting for him near Bermuda, and he wondered if they had already arrived and were growing impatient. He would not risk the lives of his men by hurrying, even though the sooner the peace proposal reached Belgium, the faster this blasted war would be over. He spread out his maps for the hundredth time, tracing the “Triangle” from Bermuda to Florida to Puerto Rico and sighed deeply. He would not sleep tonight.
~
Captain James Adair and the crew of the HMS Atlantis anchored off the coast of Bermuda for the night, expecting to gain sight of the Expervier sometime the following day. When Adair had learned of his orders, he was none too happy to be sent on this babysitting errand. He knew that most of the British were unhappy with the Americans, and for good reasons since they were the ones that started this war, but he also did not think they should insult the Americans by offering an escort from Bermuda. As if the Americans could not handle the open seas by themselves! But all that had changed when he learned who captained the ship they were to escort. Adair and Mabry had been at school together in England and had spent a lot of time bragging to each other about their future military exploits. The British captain still did not relish the idea of sailing all the way from Belgium to Bermuda just to make sure the precious peace proposal arrived safely, but at least he would be able to share some laughs with an old schoolmate.
Captain Adair and his men went ashore that night, leaving a significant presence on the ship under Thorpe’s command, just in case any mischief should occur during the night. As they made their way to the taverns near the heart of town, they received more attention than they wanted. The vendors were trying to sell them everything under the sun, but they were only interested in finding a tavern and buying a few strong drinks. They found that there were other sailors in town looking for the same thing and when they finally reached a tavern that was not overflowing, they waltzed in and made themselves at home. As they settled in for a few long draughts, Adair found a booth in a corner from which he could keep an eye on his men and still stay out of their way. He ordered a drink and sat down to enjoy it, laughing quietly at his men’s antics. It never took them long to get drunk… and rowdy.
After Adair had been watching for a while, he began to grow weary and wondered if he should have stayed aboard ship to keep an eye on things. The more he thought about this, the more uneasy he became. He was just about to get up and tell his first mate that he was returning to the Atlantis when the bartender came over and asked if he could join Adair.
“Certainly,” Adair said, a little annoyed with the man.
“I’m much obliged, sir,” the man said. “The name’s Thomas. I’ve been here for ten years, giving you British gents, and any other paying customers for that matter, a chance to relax and enjoy yourselves.”
“Well,” Adair said, glancing sideways at his men, “I think they appreciate it.”
“They’re all like that after a few drinks, you know,” Thomas replied. He seemed to become nervous, moving his hands and keeping his eyes on the table. As if finally gathering the courage, Thomas suddenly blurted out, “Do you have something to do with the peace agreement? I mean, you’re not here to inspect our coastline are you?”
“What makes you ask a question like that?” Adair eyed the big man suspiciously.
“Well, there’s been rumors up and down our coasts, especially among those of us who come from England, that ships are bringing the peace proposals up from the US soon.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adair lied.
“Alright, well if you’re going to be hard headed, that’s none of my business, but you should know what awaits any ship that tries to pass through the Triangle…”
Adair cut him off, “You know as well as I do that those stories are fabricated. It’s probably some pirates’ efforts to keep the world away from their treasure trove or something.”
“Believe that if you want, but I’ve heard some mighty strange stories in my day. Stories that you can’t just make up, if you know what I mean.”
Adair didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to hear any more stories. He’d already heard a thousand Triangle stories before he left Belgium, and he knew they were all lies.
“Listen, Thomas,” he began, “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve heard the stories. I know what people say about the Triangle, and I’ve heard enough. Besides, we aren’t traveling through the Triangle.”
“Oh you ain’t, aint you?” Thomas said. “Well then what are you doing here?”
Adair decided that Thomas had asked enough questions. He rose, paid his bill, including a generous tip for Thomas, and then left. As he wound his way back through the dirty streets to the dock, he thought about what Thomas had said. He still didn’t think there was any merit to this mysterious Triangle business, but he would feel better once he returned to the ship all the same.
~
As Mabry dozed in his desk chair, his head rolled from its position on the head rest and he was startled awake, surprised that he had slept at all. He heard the ship’s bell ring three times as he stretched and slowly rose from his desk to peer out the porthole at the ocean. To his surprise, a dense fog covered the waters surrounding the Expervier. He wondered at this, for the temperature was not right for a fog to develop. He donned his coat and ran above deck.
“Waldrop!” Mabry called, striding towards his commander. “What do you make of this?”
“Well, sir, we can’t make anything of it. It doesn’t fit. There’s no reason for there to be a fog under these conditions.”
“Has the party returned from the island?”
“Aye, captain, they have,” the commander quipped.
“Very good. Let’s keep a watch on this fog. Set a watch in the fighting top and main mast.” Mabry ordered, already on his way to the helm to check with Cooper.
“Aye, aye captain.”
Five hours later the fog was as dense as ever, and Mabry was beginning to doubt himself. He knew they shouldn’t weigh anchor yet, but he didn’t like not being able to see what lay ahead of him. As he considered their options, he heard shouts coming from the helm. He made his way toward the quarter deck and then the words came clearer.
Cooper saw him approaching and yelled, “Captain, the anchor cable’s snapped!”
Mabry began to sprint toward him, scarcely allowing himself to believe what he was hearing.
“What was that?” Mabry asked once he was standing on the quarterdeck with Waldrop, Aubry, and Cooper.
“The anchor cable’s been cut, sir,” Waldrop grimaced.
“How the devil did that happen?” Mabry shouted.
“That’s just it, sir… We don’t know.” Just as the words left Aubry’s mouth, the wheel began to spin out of Cooper’s hands.
“What the…!” Waldrop yelled.
Mabry’s mind was reeling… First the fog, then the anchor cable, now the wheel. Were they being sabotaged?
The wind filled the Expervier’s sails and she began to move slowly north. The four sailors stood staring straight ahead into the fog with unseeing eyes.
Well this is a fine kettle of fish, Mabry thought. We’re heading straight into the Triangle… Wait… What is that? Something materializing out of the fog… Another ship? It’s coming closer… USS Wildcat… But she’s been gone since 1800! Impossible… Is that Captain Davis on board? He can’t still be alive after all this time at sea… But the Wildcat was found without a soul on her just a few months after she was supposed to have gone down. I saw her when she was brought back to Virginia… I saw her with my own eyes… This is a ghost of a ship! Another… Another one is coming… The Wasp… And another, the Pickering… and what is this? A fourth? The Insurgent! John, old chap, what’s become of you? Oh God! This can’t be happening…
Wait… wait… what’s that noise? That whirring above my head. Cooper? Where are you? Stand up and face this like a man… Aubry? Waldrop? What’s happening to me? Aubry… Cooper… This can’t be happening…
~
Captain Adair was thankful that he had returned to his ship when he did. About three hours after his return, the watchman sounded the alarm. Adair returned to the deck, wondering what could possibly be the matter. When he reached the watchman, he was pointing out to sea, toward the southwest. A strange fog appeared to be moving toward them at a rapid pace and as Adair looked through his glass, he could see the vague outline of a ship against the fog.
“There she is,” he said.
“Sir?”
“The Expervier.” Adair returned, looking through his glass once more. “Thorpe!” the captain shouted.
“Here sir,” Thorpe yelled, running up from the middle deck.
“Alright,” Adair began, “I want you to look through this glass and tell me what you see.”
Thorpe grabbed the glass and put it to his eye.
“Well, sir,” he said, “looks an awful lot like a US warship to me. Did you read her name?”
“The Expervier.”
Thorpe started. “You don’t mean…”
As they all stared toward the growing fog and the ship sailing closer, they had an uncanny feeling that all was not well.
“We’re going to set sail,” Adair said quietly. “We’ve got to intercept her.”
“All right, but what about the crew that’s still ashore?” Thorpe asked.
“We can manage with the crew we have. Send one of the boys to tell them where we’ve gone and that we’ll be back for them tomorrow.” The captain’s face was set.
“Aye, aye sir.” Thorpe answered.
The Atlantis set sail not long afterwards, and by that time the Expervier was only a mile or two away. Adair stared grimly, balancing himself on the figurehead and looking for any sign of distress from the approaching ship. It was not changing its course and it seemed to be propelled by a strong wind. As the two ships sailed closer, Adair could make out its name painted in gold, but he saw no activity on board.
“Thorpe!” The captain yelled once again. The sailor came running. “We’re going to board her.”
“Yes, sir, but we aren’t capturing her, are we sir? Just an escort…” Thorpe muttered.
“Look, Thorpe! There isn’t a soul on deck! There’s something very wrong and we’re going to find out what it is.”
Thorpe hurried away to gather a boarding party and Adair gave orders for the helmsman to bring the Atlantis right alongside the American warship, which had begun to move more slowly. Each man in the boarding party had his sword at the ready and they prepared to lower the boarding planks.
As they made their way across the boards to the Expervier, the sea was ominously silent. The fog that had seemed to chase the Expervier now enveloped the Atlantis as well. As the British sailors landed on deck, their boots pounded too loudly on the wooden boards as they searched the deck and then the cabins and the hold for any sign of life.
“Vanished,” Adair stood on deck, dumbfounded. “Into thin air…”
Their thorough search yielded nothing… No clues… No bodies… Until Adair entered the captain’s cabin. As Adair stood in the doorway, his gaze swept the cabin and came to rest on the writing desk… Mabry’s desk. And then he saw the note. "I’m still here." That was all it said.
~
Mabry watched as Adair walked into his cabin and read the note he had left. He had been afraid that this would happen. He tried to talk to him.
“Adair, old chap,” Mabry began. But Adair didn’t even flinch.
“James! Don’t you know your old pal?” Mabry tried again. But once again, Adair didn’t turn around. He can’t hear me. He can’t hear me!
Suddenly Mabry grew frantic. Adair was completely oblivious, reading the note and looking about the room for clues to what happened. And there Mabry was, standing in the middle of the room and Adair couldn’t hear or see him!
Adair made another sweep of the room and headed for the door. Mabry stepped forward, determined. He stood right in front of the doorway, not sure what he hoped to accomplish. But Adair simply moved forward and walked right through him without hesitating.
“I’m here!” Mabry yelled at him. “Right here, old chap!” But it was no use.
Mabry followed him above deck and watched as the men finished their search and prepared to divide their crew in order to sail both ships back to Belgium. They had no idea where the peace proposals were. They didn’t know that those proposals had disappeared with his crew. He listened to them discussing arrangements and grew more and more angry.
As the new crew prepared to sail his ship, Mabry began to feel very strange. Suddenly he was watching from the fog as the Expervier sailed away. He gazed at his surroundings. So this was his fate. Here was the Expervier, an identical copy of his very own ship to sail for all time. But no crew. No Waldrop, no Cooper, and no Aubry. The reality of what was happening sunk into his mind, festering there and driving him to distraction. He would not stand for this.
“I’m still here!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. He ran to the figurehead and climbed out onto it, desperately yelling, screaming, waving, in effort to somehow get their attention. The Atlantis had turned his back to him. Adair sailed away, oblivious…
Mabry sobbed, the ship closing in around him. He hung his head.
"I’m still here…"