A Love For Stories

As this is my first story writing on Vocal i was lost for a while on what i should write or what would even be allowed. I have ever since i learnt to write a desire to show the world the wonderful stories/ideas that my imagination comes up with. After a number of years and subsequently leaving university i thought i would find all the old little stories i wrote when i was a child and into my teenage years and put them all together in a book. It turned out a bit more difficult than i had anticipated as certainly most of the older stories are barely legible and need to be re-written. With life getting in the way as usual most of this re-writing fell by the way-side. So i am hoping if this story of mine gets published and you are reading this now, i wish to create a series.

I will type out these crazy wonderful (some short some long) stories for your perusal to enjoy at your leisure. Many were created during a difficult time in my life where i wished to escape from reality, and i hope they help you to escape reality a few minutes at a time, and maybe even make you smile in envisioning a small child starting to write a novel from the one bit of stimuli in her hand, an eyeball pen from a Halloween magazine.

Without further ado, here is the first story: Bramford the Pirate

When i was just seven my mother died. My father was so distraught, that he could no longer look after me properly, so i was sent to an orphanage for ten years. I was small and weak and was bullied because of it, so obviously i very much regretted i was even born and missed my mother dearly. I left the orphanage the night of my seventeenth birthday, and i met a lad the same age as me shortly afterwards.

He was known as Eddie Marshall, and i Bramford Willis. We found ourselves working in a little bakery shop down Marlow High Street. We had good pay but always looked a bit shabbier than most people. One day the eleventh of June to be exact, a strange man walked in. He smelled of rum and sweat and particularly looked like a pirate.

In fact he was indeed a pirate, which is the beginning of how i became Bramford the most feared pirate the seas had ever seen. When Willy (that was the pirates name) asked me if i would like to join his crew, i jumped at the chance. Eddie however was a little hesitant but joined up with me anyway. The crew was not at all cheerful to us to begin with, but i had known this sort of behavior most of my life, so i knew how to cope.

Eddie on the other hand had never dealt with this sort of confrontation, and struggled for a few years before deciding he had made a terrible mistake so decided to ask Captain Willy if he could leave the ship. The Captain was strangely amused by this and gave Eddie his wish. The following day Eddie walked the plank never to be seen again.

After that i never liked the Captain the way i used to, and subsequently neither did his crew. One stormy night the crew and i started hatching a plan to overthrow the Captain and take hold of the ship. It would have been placed in action the very next day if it wasn't for the problem that soon occurred. Who would be the next Captain? Even though i was the newest recruit the crew chose me, saying it was my ability to always stay standing when in a fight even if i was losing that gave them courage.

I was thrilled if a little overwhelmed. From then on i was known as Captain Bramford Willis. Twenty-five years later we made port at my old home, as though i had been avoiding it. While in the seaside pub gathering supplies i overheard two gentlemen talking.

"Really? I don't believe it..." said one

"Yes, i know, i almost died myself when i heard. Andrew Willis dead as a dodo..."

"I know but to go like that..." the gentleman shook his head.

Meanwhile i had stopped moving. My father who i had tried so hard to forget, dead. Strangely the news moved me. I went up to them and asked the gentlemen if they know when the funeral was. They both looked at me oddly, explaining that he had died fourteen years ago and to this day no one knows why or how.

I flew out of the pub tears streaming behind me. I had no idea why but i had an intense urge to find him. I found the cemetery, a big old one for the whole town, and searched. I looked for hours, and as the sun was falling behind the clouds i found him. I settled down beside the grave and must have fallen asleep, as when i awoke i was in a bed in a hospital. They explained i had been moaning in my sleep and sounding deranged and afraid for my health they took me there. Here was a peaceful place so i decided to stay for the rest of my days, visiting my father every Tuesday, until my last day my fiftieth birthday.