I would like to submit this short story to the Ampersand, my name is Cody Long, thank you for possible consideration.

[Cody L]

Eight years ago, I joined this crew; a waling crew, starting on the Indian Coast. Some of the men were running from the trade company, others just trying to make a living, bread for the family at home. I on the other hand seek revenge. 

In order to find the man who killed my brother, I must sail the seven seas. In the age of piracy, the seas are unsafe, one must be properly trained for the travels. I am ready to leave this crew and start my own. I gather a pennant lad and a chef for the travels. The boy lost his family in a sea storm. He is there to remind me that there is still innocence in this world. I raise a jolly roger and ships swarm to me, pirates want to join me, pirates want to fight me, navy wants to destroy me. As the months pass, so do years, and I find myself prestigiously sailing a crew for one man.

My first mate is the boy, I keep him closest to me beyond everyone else. He is the only one I can trust. All others will lie through their teeth about who they are, and what they are after. They all want my gold. The navigator of the ship, a measly weasel of a man, greasy in appearance and attitude, has gathered information from the Carolinas in the new Americas. He says the man I want is in Nassau, a place in the Bahamas. The place I was born and raised. Why would that man return to the very place where he ended my life? Now he must face me once again and see a new man, reborn from the Golden Age of Piracy. Death hath no beginning nor end for you.

Three months it takes. Three months of sailing to return to my old home, the place I thought I would never return. Woodes Rogers is at the docks to greet me. Damn privateers. This one can’t ever leave my family alone. I walk slowly past him after we drop anchor. The man says nothing. He knows what I seek. Yet he scoffs as I walk by. I turn and force two fiery holes into the back of his head with an evil glare, and he never turns back around. I continue where I was headed, singleminded. I strut angrily past my old schoolhouse, the church, the gallows, and I finally reach my old homestead. It seems to be inhabited, but to a fool who cannot clean after himself. Most likely a drunken imbecile. I shove open the door and stand in my old kitchen, looking and reminiscing of the life I could have had. I goto the bedrooms and see where my brother and I once slept, empty and unchanged for years. The door creaks and I lift up my sword and point it at the source. A shadowy figure stands there with one hand on the door and the other holding an hourglass. This is the man, I have heard rumors of his jolly roger, the hourglass is unmistakeable. This is Blackbeard. The man who killed my brother.

“It seems as tho’ ye be home, boyo’. Have ye heard of me legacy? I ‘ave traveled te’ world, an’ seen many sights, but thi’ takes it all. Do you remembe’ me?”

“How could I ever forget my own father?”

“Aye, ye still sour about ye brotha’? Listen boyo’, I told ye it was not me fault. He took me most value’d booty. I had to ge’ it bach. It made me stronga’ for i’ tho’. I...”

I cut him off and bring my sword towards him. He dodges and unsheathes his own.

“Have I taugh’ you no mannahs me boyo’?!”

I growl and bring my sword to meet his. When our swords touched, mine shattered in two. I fell to the floor and my father stood over me pointing his blade down to me.

“I am powahful me boyo’. You canno’ win agains’ me. I killed yer brotha’, and I cahn deestroy ye too. Ye wer’ alwayss the weakah’ one.” He spat as he talked. His lips gnarled back a bit. His eyes glowed with a hat intensity. But I didn’t fear it.

“You will die!”

I pulled out the pistol I hid for ten years hoping to kill this man. As I aimed and fired the powerful weapon, the man’s sword goes through my chest. The bullet goes through the arm holding the hourglass, and it drops. As I grasp for breath and clench my chest I think only of my failure and pity all the men of my crews. The boy. What will happen with him? No one can stay innocent forever. Teach... Edward “Blackbeard” Teach... I will see you in hell. Awaiting my final revenge. Soon enough my plan will end your life. Woodes Rogers will banish you from this island, and the navy lieutenant, Maynard, or something of the such, will have your head. You can’t bribe your way out of this one. You can’t see your. Boy. What will happen of the boy...

(Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, was one of the greatest pirates to ever live. He once lived on the island of Nassau and was banished from there and stripped of every title which Blackbeard had bought from the government. After this, Robert Maynard, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, caught up with Teach’s ship and they fought on the seas. Maynard hung Blackbeard’s head from the mast of the ship for everyone to see how pathetic of a man this disgrace truly was... Ah, pirates. Don’t you just love pirates.)