A story to find your muse again . . .

[Pew]

The wind tugged hard against the partially unfurled sails, lightning flashed again and the thunder rumbled more quickly after than before.

Tension grew as Fletcher squinted in the dark looking for other weapons in the crew before him; it was to Bobstay's left where he saw what he was looking for.

[Ransom]

Tension grew as Fletcher squinted in the dark looking for other weapons in the crew before him; it was to Bobstay's left where he saw what he was looking for.

It was a small keg of gunpowder, brought on deck before the battle which left so many dead had started.

INTERMISSION! LOL

Gah, I'm losing track of how may people are on deck, and who is on whose side. We have Bobstay on the bad guy's side, and Fletcher on the good guy's side. Who are the rest? How many? Pew, name your original guy who discovered the body, or...was that Bobstay? I'm sooo confused!

[Captain McCool]

Haha, I'm right there with you, Ransom!

[Pew]

K.

Here's where we are:

"The blood pooled at his feet causing the deck to look eerily dark in the moonlight. He stooped and checked the body for any signs of life, knowing he would probably find none. But to his amazement, the man opened his eyes, grinned, and then attempted to stab him with a short knife.

A quick kick to the ribs left the man writhing in pain.

He drew his pistol, "How many more?" was all he said. Heavy breathing was now the only thing that could heard on deck.

Unfortunately, the heavy breathing was from someone behind him.

He spun to face the new adversary, but a sharp rap from a belaying pin across his wrist forced him to drop his weapon. He grabbed his wrist and swore an oath in pain. An unmasked expression of surprise shown in his features as he faced his adversary.

"You, too, Bobstay?" he gasped. He sidestepped Bobstay as to not be caught in the middle of the two. "This is mutiny, you'll all hang!" he hissed.

Their grinning expressions told him that mutiny was probably the whole point, and they didn't intend to hang for it.

The Lieutennant heard the steel of the blade scraping on the side of a 9 pounder as its owner stood, and he wheeled again to ward off the attack, but now multiple men were on top of him, holding him down, weapons poised though not moving - as if these men who had so savagely turned upon him and the other officers just moments ago needed him alive, if only for a few more minutes.

"Lieutenant Alister Thompson" Halward said his name with false amenity, "Good sir," feigned politeness slurred his words further clarifying his contempt for the officer "You possess something that we are in need of."

"Be that as it may, I have no intention of giving in to your scurvy desires!"

"Well then," said Halward, "I guess that puts us at a bit of an impass, don' it?"

The second 'click' of a pistol lock was suddenly heard in the calm night air.

Fletcher, who had been hiding behind the capstan, finally stood up, pointing his pistol at the mutineers, "This evens the odds a bit, don't it gents?"

"Don't be fookin' stupid Fletcher, yer out manned, outgunned an'out classed." Bobstay growled.

The glint in Fletcher's eye could only be seen when the lightning flashed overhead. Fletcher laughed, and pulled another gun from his belt, "So, Bobstay, who's outgunned by who, exactly?"

The wind tugged hard against the partially unfurled sails, lightning flashed again and the thunder rumbled more quickly after than before. Tension grew as Fletcher squinted in the dark looking for other weapons in the crew before him; it was to Bobstay's left where he saw what he was looking for. It was a small keg of gunpowder, brought on deck before the battle which left so many dead had started."

Cliff notes:

I have no direction for this story. It twists and turns by each sentence.

So far:

• Lieutenant Alister Thompson was the first character in the story.
  
• Lieutenant Alister Thompson and Fletcher are facing a mutiny led by Bobstay and Halward.
  
• A storms a brewin', quite metaphorically

All good?

[Bloody Bill Flint]

It was a small keg of gunpowder, brought on deck before the battle which left so many dead had started. Halward caught his glance and guffawed, "Surely ye can't be serious mate, if you touch off that powder you'n the good Lieutenant die with us!"

[Ransom]

Halward caught his glance and guffawed, "Surely ye can't be serious mate, if you touch off that powder you'n the good Lieutenant die with us!"

Fletcher merely shook his head, "Once again, you have it all wrong, for it's the ship's goat just behind you that caught my atten"—his words were cut off as the goat, angry at all the fighting, and crazed with the smell of blood, gave a running charge and butted Bobstay in the...butt.

[Captain McCool]

*Aaahahahahahaha... okay, not back to your regularly scheduled story *

[Pew]

Fletcher merely shook his head, "Once again, you have it all wrong, for it's the ship's goat just behind you that caught my atten"—his words were cut off as the goat, angry at all the fighting, and crazed with the smell of blood, gave a running charge and butted Bobstay in the...butt.

He fell forward straight into the arms of Fletcher now wrestling for control of one of the pistols.

[Ransom]

He fell forward straight into the arms of Fletcher now wrestling for control of one of the pistols.

One pistol went flying, hit the deck, and skidded over the side.

[Pew]

One pistol went flying, hit the deck, and skidded over the side.

Bobstay now grabbed for the other, still in Fletcher's grip, with both of his hands.

[Silkie McDonough]

Thompson also noted that small powder keg knowing its worth but Halward, although weak and injured, kept him in check with his steel against the lieutenants throat.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Thompson also noted that small powder keg knowing its worth but Halward, although weak and injured, kept him in check with his steel against the lieutenants throat. The was a scrape of flint, and the sound of thunder leaving Bobstay on the deck clutching his thigh.

[Ransom]

The was a scrape of flint, and the sound of thunder leaving Bobstay on the deck clutching his thigh.

Fletcher scrambled to quickly reload, as the goat jumped over Bobstay and ran to the foredeck, hopping over dead bodies, and slipping in blood as it went.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Fletcher scrambled to quickly reload, as the goat jumped over Bobstay and ran to the foredeck, hopping over dead bodies, and slipping in blood as it went.

The goat's panicked flight caught Halward's attention just long enough.

[Pew]

The goat's panicked flight caught Halward's attention just long enough.

The lieutenant grabbed Halward's arm quickly, turned his wrist and plunged the dagger deeply into Halward's thigh.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

The lieutenant grabbed Halward's arm quickly, turned his wrist and plunged the dagger deeply into Halward's thigh.

Halward howled in pain and backhanded Thompson sending the smaller man sprawling to the deck.

[Ransom]

Halward howled in pain and backhanded Thompson sending the smaller man sprawling to the deck.

Fletcher, mindful of Bobstay and Halward still fumbling around on the deck, yanked Thompson to his feet, keeping his now loaded pistol on the other mutineers, "One twitch of an eyebrow, you dogs, and I put a ball between your eyes!"

[Pew]

Fletcher, mindful of Bobstay and Halward still fumbling around on the deck, yanked Thompson to his feet, keeping his now loaded pistol on the other mutineers, "One twitch of an eyebrow, you dogs, and I put a ball between your eyes!"

Silence fell across the deck save for the low rumble of thunder and a sudden musket report from the fo'c'stle.

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Silence fell across the deck save for the low rumble of thunder and a sudden musket report from the fo'c'stle.

Fletcher crumpled to the deck, there was an ugly ripple of laughter through the mob and they began to close in on the hapless officer.

[Ransom]

Fletcher crumpled to the deck, there was an ugly ripple of laughter through the mob and they began to close in on the hapless officer.

Fletcher frantically tried to stuff his kerchief into the bleeding shoulder wound, then looked to where the shot had come from, "Who the hell are you?"

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Fletcher frantically tried to stuff his kerchief into the bleeding shoulder wound, then looked to where the shot had come from, "Who the hell are you?"

The man stepped from the shadows, "Let's just say I have a certain interest in the goings on of this ship, eh?"

[Ransom]

The man stepped from the shadows, "Let's just say I have a certain interest in the goings on of this ship, eh?"

Coughing,Fletcher grunted, "And on whose side do those interests lay?"

[Pew]

Coughing,Fletcher grunted, "And on whose side do those interests lay?"

"On my side," the shadowy figure quipped as he stepped into the waist.

[Silkie McDonough]

The light of the full moon was darkened by the storm clouds rolling in with the coming storm.

Aside: Just call me the weather girl.

[Ransom]

The light of the full moon was darkened by the storm clouds rolling in with the coming storm.

In the next flash of lightning, another ship's sails were sillowetted(?) against the dark sky and a warning shot was fired, so close that the spray hit Fletcher in the face.