Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Captain Whitebeard, part 2

Captain Whitebeard woke suddenly to the sound of heavy pounding on his door. "Captain!" shouted the voice of young John Maynard, the new second mate.
"What do you want at this bloody hour of the night?" he cried. "Has the ship run aground? Are the redcoats on our tail?" He opened the door to behold more than just Maynard, but several other crew members, each with a solemn expression on his face. "Well?"
"Captain Whitebeard," began Maynard, "we woke you because the men and I have been having a little talk - rather, we've been sharing each other's concerns, and as of late, we're all a little worried 'bout your . . . eyesight."
"What?!"
"Now, don't take offense. You're still a marvelous captain. But the fog lifted two days ago, and you still don't have a blasted clue where we're headed."
"My eyesight is perfect!"
"Eh... how many fingers am I holding up?"
"Look you varmints - I'm in no mood to play games! If you have a serious problem instead of some grandmotherly concern, then maybe you can talk to me about it. Otherwise, don't wake me from my slumbers unless there's a sea monster on the horizon! Understand?"
The door was closed with a rather assertive slam.

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