The haunted ship

The construction was huge. Tons of steel so well preserved that no one would guess to be more than 100 years old. It was in the most perfect conditions, even when everybody knew to have suffered a serious accident some winters ago. The crew’s only survivor was the captain.

The story about how it happened was never totally uncovered. The news told they were travelling with valuable cargo full of micro chips. And preferred to sail trough shallow water in a way full of obstacles, rather than deep water most often sailed by smaller and quicker pirate ships.

It seemed to be the perfect plan, after all, those devious ways were well know by every single soul in the crew. It would not be the tenth nor the hundredth time they were going through the place. Now, you should be wondering: why the hell a tiny pirate ship would not venture into the same shallow waters? After all, if they’re smaller the risk is also smaller.

The answer is quite simple: demand. On open sea it would be possible to find much more large ships with them both, valuable cargos and inexperienced crews inside. It takes much less effort to find and conquer a ship on open sea, every good pirate knows it. The issue is that, just like in every kind of profession, there are also incompetent pirates.

That’s why in that tragic night there was no attack. Instead, a little pirate ship was waiting for any precious cargo available. While waiting for a prey, when trying to escape the shallow waters it hit a rock. Testifying the shipwreck nearby, the huge ship started the rescue mission.

Tricked by a submerged part of the little pirate ship, the merchant ship’s crew got themselves out of the route and also hit the rocks. In the worst way, they found out the spot they were in remains above a maritime canyon. So, the little ship was swallowed by the depths of the ocean. The huge ship survived, but faced a painful lost, including its entire crew, except for its captain.

Since that night, a lot has changed in the watercraft. After the reform and its return to the seas, every winter the ship was haunted. Late at night, sounds of a second engine room started somewhere inside the vessel. Most of people used to say they were the spirits of the former crew that came back to work on the ship once more. So far, nobody have had guts to get closer to the place. In fact, many of the new crew member resigned after some of the ominous experiences.

Then, a new winter has come and, after more resignations, there was the need to reinforce the crew once again. — Haunted or not, a ship must sail. Said the chief officer to the new sailor.

The girl was curious about the stories she heard for years, and also excited for finally have the opportunity to work in such an immense ship. Even better, the famous two engine rooms vessel. She asked: — Don’t you believe that having a woman on board it’s a sign of bad luck?

It was not necessary for chief officer to answer the question: — Lots of ships already sank with no women onboard. It seems that superstitions were not by their side, isn’t it? That said, the ship is not haunted. Forget this story.

She did forget. For some days, cause certain morning, one of the deck ratings said to have heard a engine room working in an obscure spot in the ship. Probably, the former crew working on the ghost engine room, as the legend says. He told he took the courage to get a little closer and the entire event happened in a place with dozens of close doors. No one knew what was behind those doors.

From the moment she herd the story told by the brave, yet coward deck ratings, each turn the new sailor tried to get closer to the close doors area, in an attempt to hear some strange noise. One of these nights, she finally could hear the engine room working. She walked to the aisle e walked trough all the closed doors. The sound was coming from what was behind the last one. All she had to do was to open the door and the mystery would be gone for good. But the door was locked.

Following her instincts, she took a clip out of the hair and moved it into the locker. Right after some movements, she though to listen to a different noise inside the gear and was certain the door was ready to be open. To her disappointment, the door remained locked. More curious to the point of being careless, she get back to her cabin and gabbed an essencial tool for everybody who already gone through tough times: a crow bar. It was need to force the door once, twice… Three times and it was open. Then, she found out the place was a beverage pantry. And on the floor, snoring loudly in a supernatural way, with an empty rum bottle in one of his hands was the captain.

Disappointed and pissed off, the sailor started to walk back to her station. So, the chief officer came towards her and said: — It’s been a while since your rounds keep coming to this area. Did you find out something?

With the crow bar still in her hands, the sailor answered: — Just found out the ghost engine room, also well known as our captain. You were right, it’s not a haunted ship.

The chief officer says: — Please, don’t tell anyone. For all these years, not a single one of the hundreds of superstitious sailors that worked in ship had the gut to find the truth. The ship is haunted by the regrets of our capitan. Every winter, he recalls the accident and, most of all, recalls that he gave the order to rescue the little unidentified ship, which for certain was a pirate watercraft. Of course he would never guess that decision would cost so many lives. Since then, his therapy are lots of rum doses, until he fall to sleep.

Still disappointed, the sailor said: — If you prefer it this way, duo to the respect and trust that the whole crew has for you, I’ll say nothing about the captain. The truth is he should never have tried to rescue those pirates.

The chief officer answered: — That was also my belief. But he says to me all the time that if there was no attempt to rescue the ship in danger, he would also live in regret. A different kind of one, but still a regret. He made his choice which I do not agree with, but every time I can, I thank the captain for it. — Why would you thank for such a shit hole decision?

Surprised by her naivety, the chief officer, with an embarrassed smile in his face said: — Don’t you know? The little pirate ship had an incompetent captain. He survived the shipwreck and in the opinion of the captain of this vessel, turned into a competent chief officer.