The Ghost ship by Iguana24

It was a Tuesday night when a small boy called Tom was walking to his friend Josh’s house as he normally did on Tuesdays. Suddenly, he witnessed a dark, green unnatural glow surfacing from a puddle. The closer he got, the more he thought he was doing something wrong. From the corner of his right semi-brown eye, he gazed upon movement and, before he could turn his head, he was unconscious.

When he awoke, he was sitting before a bar table opposite an old man. The old man had was most untidy: crumbs in his white hair; mud up his long, skinny arms; rotting yellow teeth.
“You are gonna come with me smoothly or I’m going to have to use brute force.”
Tom had stopped to consider the options when the church bell slowly chimed 10 pm. The old man started to murmur quickly now,
“Quickly now. We haven’t got all day now have we?”
“I-I-I don’t know sir,” Tom answered back very fast.

The old man dragged Tom to the harbour and stood grasping a lantern in his right hand and Tom in the other. Tom glared at the old church on the edge of town. It was now 10:27 pm.
“Only a few minutes left now boy,” exclaimed the old man.

Out of the mist emerged a ship. It was clearly haunted: ripped sails covered in mould; a ghost-like aura shrouding the boat; black substances emerging from all corners of the ship. Tom yelled out in horror but no one was around to hear him…

“How are you Mat?” emerged a voice from inside the cabin.

“I’m fine. How are you Commoror?”
“Better than great.” A ghostly grin found its way on to the face of the horrible woman who was speaking.

“Climb aboard child! Welcome to the Black Stallion!” enthused the lady who seemed to be being referred to as Commoror. Millions of floating substances formed the shape of five pale bodies. As each ‘man’ said their name, Tom suddenly felt like he would never see his home again…
“Tim Tradebottom.”
“Jeff Oddbod.”
“I’m Frank Mystery.”
“Combaias Pumuca.”
“And I, I am Will Stern – bravest of them all!” He then seemed like he had remembered something: he turned to face Cummoror’s eyes that had been burning into his back.
“I am the bravest here!” reminded Captain Commoror.
Suddenly, Cummoror threw money at the man and, before long, snatched Tom. The fierce crew sailed away, clutching Tom tightly when, unexpectedly, the boat tipped over but not into the ocean; it was like a flip-side of the world – the ‘upside-down’.

The journey went on for a while with little food or water. Beyond the snow-capped mountains, a pink glow welcomed the morning sun.
“Land at 6 o’clock!” yelled Frank.“We’re here!” Cummoror called as the morning sun lit up her eyes. As they journeyed further towards the cursed palace, Cummoror continued, “Welcome to Halalarge!”
“This is where you will mine for gold,” said Tim Trodgebottom. Tom then refused but got forced out of the haunted boat. Anxiously, he turned his head to see another boy who told him his name was Holl Tombaias. Tom and Holl were to work together for three years with two hours sleep per night.

Tom and Holl soon became friends and one day (Day 25) they decided to trust one another fully and hatch an escape plan… So, they searched. Instead of sleeping, they searched. For a way to go.

On Day 29, they saw something… some kind of animal… a squirrel maybe? If it could get in, then they could get out! In fear of being caught, they silently followed it… After 52 minutes of stalking their prey, they saw it… the Void – some kind of portal. They called it ‘Operation-get-into-the ghost-portal’ (or O.G.I.G.P. for short).
“Oi! You!” called a familiar voice.
“It’s William. If we get back to the mine now, he may not have seen our faces,” whispered Holl as they ran as fast as they could. As they turned a corner, Jeff Oddbod was there clutching his right fist in his left hand.
“Turn and run!” commanded Tom but it was too late: they were already surrounded.

Both unconscious, the two boys were carried to an unknown location by the pirates and left tied up with only one bottle of water between the two. Tom doused himself with the water making himself just able to slip out of the ropes and, without hesitation, he set Holl free too.

They walked up to the cellar door and slid it open. Then, the two mischievous boys saw the void. Without his mind being in control of his body, his fleshly vessel acted and leapt off the edge of the wooden plank and into the void. Holl soon followed.

Back in the human world, they knew that no one would believe them so they each went their separate ways, keeping in touch and occasionally meeting again. Tom went home to be hugged by his mother. Holl had no home as he had been gone for two years before Tom so Tom’s mum let him stay in the comfort of their home. The next day, Holl and Tom ventured to the harbour… Luckily, there was no ghost ship. A flicker of light found its way into Tom’s eyes and they went on with hope.