Post by Delta1212 on Sept 28, 2006 20:26:07 GMT -5
A light breeze blew in off the water. Samuel took a deep breath, tasting the salty tang of the ocean air. Feeling refreshed, he gazed out over the waves below, admiring the sunrise as it reflected off the glassy surface that stretched as far as the eye could see. The bright oranges and reds provided a stark contrast to the simple black and white garb which adorned Samuel. He glanced down at the sheer drop before him and then quickly pulled his eyes away before a sense of vertigo could overtake him. His position on the cliff afforded him a spectacular view of the surrounding wilderness. Behind him, thick forests stretched for miles, oddly mirroring the equally vast expanse of the ocean in front. Tucked below him him on the shore, a village was sprouting. Several cottages were erected around a small meeting hall, where church services were held each Sunday. The sounds of small children at play and of livestock being unloaded from the recently arrived ship were barely audible over the crashing waves. From where he stood, that little bit of civilization seemed so fragile, especially in comparison with the two behemoths of nature between which it lay trapped.
A second breeze whipped up and almost ripped the tall black hat from Samuel's head. He gripped the rim firmly with both hands before setting a course for the village. He had just started down the hill when something above the horizon caught his eye. He stood still, once again gazing out over the water. Whatever it had been, it was gone now. Samuel watched for several long moments before deciding to give up. As governor of the new colony, he was responsible for the welfare of his people and could ill afford to tarry when there was work to be done. Just as this thought crossed his mind, an explosion ripped the air, accompanied by a gust that ripped Samuel's hat from his hands and nearly sent him sprawling. A bright dot of silver and red was visible to the left of the rising sun. As Samuel watched it grew until it was the size of the ship anchored in the harbor. Then, it hit the water. There was a second explosion and, this time, Samuel was sent tumbling backward down the hill by a hot rush of air. A great wave rose up and smashed the ship into the cliff side, splintering the wooden vessel with a roar of shrieking timbers that was made more excruciatingly unbearable by the fact that it was almost drowned out by the rumbling emanating from the thing that was sticking out of the water. It was if a small silver island had just crashed into the bay. Samuel pulled himself to his feet and rushed back to town as fast as his feet would carry him.
A second breeze whipped up and almost ripped the tall black hat from Samuel's head. He gripped the rim firmly with both hands before setting a course for the village. He had just started down the hill when something above the horizon caught his eye. He stood still, once again gazing out over the water. Whatever it had been, it was gone now. Samuel watched for several long moments before deciding to give up. As governor of the new colony, he was responsible for the welfare of his people and could ill afford to tarry when there was work to be done. Just as this thought crossed his mind, an explosion ripped the air, accompanied by a gust that ripped Samuel's hat from his hands and nearly sent him sprawling. A bright dot of silver and red was visible to the left of the rising sun. As Samuel watched it grew until it was the size of the ship anchored in the harbor. Then, it hit the water. There was a second explosion and, this time, Samuel was sent tumbling backward down the hill by a hot rush of air. A great wave rose up and smashed the ship into the cliff side, splintering the wooden vessel with a roar of shrieking timbers that was made more excruciatingly unbearable by the fact that it was almost drowned out by the rumbling emanating from the thing that was sticking out of the water. It was if a small silver island had just crashed into the bay. Samuel pulled himself to his feet and rushed back to town as fast as his feet would carry him.