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The Iron Bars is a book written by Pencil-. It is about a young boy who was arrested for piracy at left to rot in prison. This is a book where every alternating chapter, a pattern of narrators will occur. Music will be optional to listen to while reading the story to help imagine it. Pictures will also be added for this as well. I havee decided as a challenge, to add at least one user's name to a chapter, at the end of the book, you will have to see if you found all of them. If you are given an unfair role, such as dying very early in the book, I am sorry but I won't be changing it. I want to keep this book the way it is.
"I cannot stress how sad this book is, if you easily cry and don't think you should read it, then don't. You don't have to." --Pencil-, main author of this book.
"My name, is Jared Morgan. I am a pirate of the seven seas,
I have dealt with many things in my life,
but when I was a lad in prison, nothing was worse.
Pitiful treatment of the inmates, a hot bowl of water claimed to be soup,
the mongrels that run this place are heartless with no sense of love.
And one stands out from the rest of them, Lieutenant Mason.
I seem to have faith in him; I do not know why."
--What the back of the cover would say if it were a real book
"On this day, the twenty-ninth of June in the Year of our Lord, 1710, by the grace and power of His Majesty, King George Louis I, the following men shall be sentenced to death." The man shouted, in his black uniform decorated with a white design. His hat was a bicorne worn sideways, it was black with a yellow rim all the way around. "They have been brought forth on convictions of the following crimes:
Mark Zuckerman: Theft
Will Greasescarlett: Treason
Arnold Montgomery: Murder
Jared Morgan: Piracy
All are sentenced to death by hanging."
As I heard my name, my heart started racing, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. My legs were shaking; I was starting to cry. "Why is this world so cruel?" said Jared as a pouch was placed over his head by a guard.
"I truly know not. I am sorry that you must die here today," said the man. I just silently heard myself breath inside the pouch, running out of oxygen. But oxygen did not matter, for I was about to die. I heard the lev
The beach Jared would walk across in his youth.
er being pulled, I closed my eyes. My life started to flash before my eyes, like they say.
I imagined when I was little, walking down the beach with a stick in my left hand, dragging across the sand, and a seashell in my right hand, thinking about what will happen next. My thick, long, dirty blonde hair flowing down past my ears. As I giggled, I never knew my death would come this early.
I remember those sweet, sweet childhood moments. But out of all of them, my best friend, James Crossbones; he was about my age, around 5 inches taller than me, and he had very short brown hair and hazel eyes. I was suddenly back to my days of playing "pirate."
"Halt, you nasty pirate!" he would yell.
"You'll never take me alive you blasted Navy!" I would say.
We always had something to do, there wasn't ever a dull moment between the two of us. As we got older, we slowly grew apart. James became obsessed with art, I always just played with my imagination. Then, that one horrid day; January 5th, 1701, the death of James.
Pressed flower art James made.
It was a sunny morning down by the harbor. James was chasing me through the barrels and crates. Sailors laughed at the site of us. We dodged between cranes moving heavy cargo, rolled past angry quartermasters, and hopped over rolling barrels. I suddenly found myself cornered in-between two boxes. A crane's frame loomed over us. He laughed gleefully, and stalked towards me. Suddenly, from the other side of the crane, a great cry sounded. James looked up in time to see the crane begin to fall. He surged forward, and pushed us between two crates. I fell out the other side, but could not find him. Suddenly, I heard his voice.
"Jared, run!" he cried. I turned and sprinted as the dock began to collapse. I dove to a lower level just as the supports gave in. As I looked back, I saw nothing but wreckage. Then, ominously, the water began to take on a red tint. Blood. I stood, scared, and walked to the dock's edge. There, in the water, a heavily beaten body, smaller than the rest, floated.
"James..... James!" I yelled. But there was no response.
Chapter 2 - The Hanging
I left the barracks at my normal time. Made my normal rounds. It seemed quite a nice morning for what was to occur. As I left the bakery with my small loaf, I spotted the prisoners, moving single-file down the road. I hurried, using alleys and shortcuts, to the square where the hanging was to occur.
The Prison Fort.
There, I met the commander of the garrison, who ordered me to place the nooses and sacks (used for decency) over their heads. I had never done this, and already knew it would be the most despicable action of my career. But, for King and Country, I follow orders.
"Lieutenant Mason," said the commander before I walked away.
"Yessir?"
"Don't slip up."
"Yessir."
By the time the prisoners entered the square, most of the crowd had assmbled. I looked from face to face, looking for any sign of guilt, doubt, or uncomfortableness, but found none. These people were ready to watch the prisoners drop. I shook with a start as the herald began the usual talk.
"On this day, the twenty-ninth of June in the Year of our Lord, 1710, by the grace and power of His Majesty, King George Louis I, the following men shall be sentenced to death. They have been brought forth on convictions of the following crimes:
Mark Zuckerman: Theft
Will Greasescarlett: Treason
Arnold Montgomery: Murder
Jared Morgan: Piracy
All are sentenced to death by hanging."
When it was my cue, I rose up on the stage. I wrapped the noose around the first one, who refused to look up. I placed the bag firmly over his head. I moved to the second and third, who both cried for mercy. And then I reached the fourth. The boy was young, that was for sure. As I placed the noose, the boy coughed out, "Why is the world so cruel?"
"I truly know not. I am sorry that you must die here today," I whispered as I looked into his eyes. His eyes fell into a daze as I placed the bag over his head. I stepped down from the platform, as the herald continued to read. I began to fall into a daze, thinking about my own youth.
Chapter 3 - Fate is Cruel
My mother's name was Mary. She was a loving, caring, mother. She had long red hair and was a bit pale. She had blue eyes. She would always take care of me and tuck me into bed at night like any other. I remember waking up to the smell of warm fresh bread. I would run down the stairs in my nightgown
The city Jared lived in.
, my hair flopping, I was given my hair from my mother.
"How was your sleep, honey?" She would ask me every morning.
"Excellent as usual, mother." I would reply.
"Son, have you finished your painting yet?" My father asked.
His name was Marc. He was a tall man with a slightly tanned tone, short dirty blonde hair and green-brown eyes. His vision was not very good. He needed to lean in to see something. He was always somewhere working or telling me about his journeys. As a young man, he was a cabin boy and traveled all around the world.
The worst thing in my life, probably, was the British raid. The town was nice and quiet, but a large ship was slowly sailing under the bridge of the town. As it passed the buildings, the ship opened fire, reducing them to rubble. Everyone was panicking! I was put into shock!
"Get Jared, Marc! Hurry!" My mother said with deep emotion.
"Jared! JARED!" My father called out.
I was so scared I started to find a spot to hide on at the beach. There was so much noise and explosion, babies were crying and women were screaming at the top of their lungs. Men were heard, and soon after, unmistakable gunfire.
"JARED!" A woman's voice cried out.
I knew right away his mother had been shot, she was gone. Dead, a memory. I just sat there, weeping, laying on the sand. The tears came into contact with the sand. I no longer felt living with my wonderful mother deprived of her son; her life.
Suddenly, the noise had stopped. It seems that the town had been massacred. Jared heard men.
"Get on the ship! That's an order!" Shouted a man with a thick accent. I heard two people walking down the beach, he peaked up from his tears. They were British. I was far away enough to escape. He stood up and wiped away his tears. Click, click, BANG! BANG! I knew right away I was under attack! I started running. BANG! BANG!My ankle was grazed as I fled, and I tumbled into the sand, crying. I struggled to get back up. Finally, I made it, and started limping to get away.
"Where have you been!? Get on the ship! Now!"
"Wh-why should I-I. . ?" I said in excruciating pain.
"Why!? Well, for the drafting, of course! We're going to war!"
I slowly was dragged to the ship, I was miserable. Crying over the loss of my mother, and possibly my father. I limped onto the ship, and glanced around hoping his father or a member of the family was around. I only saw strangers.
"Heavenly Father, please help me. . ." Were the last words I said as the ship's hold was closed up.
Chapter 4 - Enlisted
"Mr. Mason, come in," said my London school teacher. Class had just been let out, when my father appeared. My teacher had asked for a meeting.
"Thank you, ma'am. If you don't mind me asking, what's this all about? What's my boy done?" my father hurriedly asked. The teacher let out a small chuckle.
"Nothing wrong, Mr. Mason! In fact, your child is excelling in all aspects. Well, most," my teacher said. "The one lacking, seems to be interest. He often seems bored with the topics we cover." My father looked at me, obviously wanting an explanation.
"I find the topics boring, it is true. I crave adventure, to see the world." I finally said. My teacher grinned. "Garrett, m'boy, nothing to be ashamed of. Mr. Mason, has your son ever considered a career in the Royal Navy?" My father shook his head.
"Truth be told, I don't believe."
"Well, Garrett, would you consider it?"
I pondered the thought for a moment. Would I give up my happy, pampered, son-of-a-merchant life, for the seas? Is this truly what I wanted? "Yessir," I finally said. My teacher smiled.
"Well, I'm aware the Navy has openings for cabin boys. When do you turn thirteen years?"
"A few weeks, sir."
"Well then. I hope to not see you for a long while after that." He smiled warmly at me.
A few weeks later, I reported to a small building on the Thames. An officer lined us up, and counted us off. Sixty-eight in total.
"Not bad!" the officer yelled to us. He asked the captains to step out and choose their cabin boys. Being an average size, I was probably not a prime target. But, almost immediately, a friendly-looking captain pointed at me, and called me to his side. He directed me to stand at attention, and he picked out two other boys, both of similar size. The other captains glanced at him like he was insane, but he shrugged.
"I like an underdog now and again," he said.
The nearest captain laughed, and replied, "As do I. But three?"
Within the hour we were readying to board ships. It suddenly occurred to me... why had each captain gotten more than one? The captain explained that due to the importance of the ship, they would be waiting on several officers. And that's when I saw it. A great, hulking Third Rate. Dozens of cannons. I climbed aboard grinning.
Chapter 5 - A Pirate's Life for Me!
As I limped to a corner of the ship with a bullet in my ankle, I couldn't help thinking what would happen. Would I be sent into the war? Will I be left at a fort to serve the king? Will I die? The thoughts raging through my head were unbareable.
The men all around the ship were a mess, one was sitting in the corner, weeping. Another was just holding his son that was spared, silently. He acted as if the world didn't exist, it was just him and his son. And a group of four men were talking about something, I thought about trying to sneak over and see, but I'm a dead giveaway if they see me, mostly because of my ankle.
I decided to sleep for the night, the ship's hold got quiet while I was still listening with my eyes closed. I started drifting off, I had a dream about my mother. Saying how much she misses me.
"I love you, Jared. Nothing about you is flawed." She would say. As I began to cry, I said
"I miss you, mother. I really and truly do, why did the British raid us!?"
I hugged her looking away, and when I looked back at her, she was a skeleton!
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That's when I woke up from the nightmare, there was only about seven people in the ship's hold. There was loud gunfire and clashing of swords above on deck. I didn't know what was happening,
"There be a mutiny on deck, sonny. Best to stay down here with that ankle of yers." Said an older looking man with a beard.
"No, I'm fighting for my fate, for my life. The ship needs me!" I said as I picked up a cutlass from off the floor.
"You are not going!" Said the man.
He was grabbing my ankle with the bullet in it. I immediatley fell in pain. I couldn't just let the ship take the mutiny by hand because of a few extra people.
"Give me your gun" I said.
"Why should I!?" Said the man.
"Give me the gun!" I reapeated.
The man handed over his pistol without a word. It was a fine pistol, it was gold and brown. I checked for ammo. I loaded it with some that I had in my pocket in the city. I aimed with the hatch into the hold open, I had a perfect shot of a few enemies. BANG! BANG! Two British were dead before they even hit the deck. I continued firing rounds until there were no Navy in sight, it seems the pirates won.
"HURRAY!" Everyone started to sing.
The pirates had had a sucessful mutiny. I knew this was the perfect time to begin on the path of piracy. I took a fallen pirate's hat and put it on my head. I limped across the ship looking for a crew to join as groups of more than five were discussing what to do next.
There was a crew with about twenty men.
"Captain, how shall we get a ship now?" Said what looked like the first mate.
"Get in close," Said the captain.
"Sir, I would like to join your crew, if you're fine with that." I said with a little pain left from the bullet.
"Sir, you can join us! We're deciding on how to get back to land." Said another pirate.
"Now boys, lean in. I have a plan."
There was whispering, not even I could here. I had no assurance of what was going to happen.
"MANSLAUGHTER!!!" Shouted the captain of the group. Everyone began charging at eachother, it was a bloody mess. Friends fighting friends, family fighting family. And pirates just fighting pirates. It was another bloody mess.
In the end, it seems that we won. The captain of the crew took the wheel, and the crew took cannons. We were sailing at an excellent rate. Until we ran into a huge patch of water with Navy. . .
Chapter 6 - Promotion
I served with my captain aboard the H.M.S. Yonder for several years. I became great friends with most the crew members. Life was good upon the ship, but even better on land. We visited majestic palaces, breath-taking landscapes, and beautiful oceans. I hardly knew it was all about to end. I was nearing my sixth birthday as a cabin boy, when the unthinkable happened. A Spanish raid!
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We were near the port of Santa Catalina when out of the darkness, cannons fired. They tore into the hull, badly damaging us. We returned fire, full broadside. The welcome sound of a ship collapsing temporarily comforted us, before more cannon-fire returned. By the fifth wave, most of the officers were dead, and our captain clung to dear life.
The HMS Yonder in combat with Spain.
"Take control," he whispered to me as I clasped his hand. I nodded, then stood. I looked at the remaining officers, and we began formulating a plan.
"Lower the sails, catch the wind!" I cried as another round hit out port side. "Fire every third cannon!" A lesser burst of gunfire issued from our decks, just as I had planned. One more burst from the Spaniards left them hitting fish. We were already on our way. It didn't take long for them to realize in the thick fog, but long enough. They were trailing farther behind, but little did they know we were leading them straight to Ambergris, a military strong-point.
When we entered the bay, the Spaniards were sunk almost immediately. We dragged into port with heavy losses, where I was immediately rewarded for my bravery. Promoted to Lieutenant. And so began my duty as a fort officer, for the time being.
Chapter 7 - The Hanging
As we sailed into the patch of navy, we tried to act like a navy ship, the crew decided to hit the deck and pretend nobody was there. One of the ships had spotted us and sailing torwards us. We stopped, my captain had taken navy clothing from one of the bodies and put it on. We didn't have time to put on the clothing ourselves, so the captain ordered us to get inside the hull. The navy officer from the other ship had came over to ours and stepped on.
"Good day sir, where are you heading today?" Said the officer.
"I be heading to Florida, I am supposed to drop off cargo for the king." Said our captain.
"Sir, do you mind if I look in your ship's hull?" The officer said.
"Um, that won't be nessecary, officer." Said the captain.
"I insist, if you do not let me in, you will be sentenced to hanging for treason!" Blurted the officer.
That's when the gunshot was heard, all the other officers and admirals from the ship had charged onto ours. We had been outnumbered.
"Men, you can come out now." the captain said.
One by one, everyone slowly walked out from the hull. We were taken away on their ship.
"Here we go again," I whispered to the first mate.
"Well, we may be able to escape, who knows?" Said the first mate.
Hours had passed, I was thinking about many things. What will happen? Will I see my dad again? Will I die? Will I be drafted into this war? My thoughts constantly were shifting from one to another. As I was thinking about this war that was going on, the ship suddenly stopped.
"What's going on!?" I yelled in fear.
"We've stopped." Said the captain as he gets up.
Everyone was taken out from the hold, it seems like there was a fort right down the dock, it seemed like we were being drafted.
"What's going to happen to us?" I asked an officer.
"You will be hung for piracy along with a few other of our criminals." My ear drums rang as he said that. I couldn't be hung, I just couldn't! I was starting to shed a few tears. Now what will happen? I thought as I was crying. I knew it was all over. A few minutes passed, and I was taken up to the gallows. It seems there were some people from a village nearby.
"On this day, the twenty-ninth of June in the Year of our Lord, 1710, by the grace and power of His Majesty, King George Louis I, the following men shall be sentenced to death." The man shouted, in his black uniform decorated with a white design. His hat was a bicorne worn sideways, it was black with a yellow rim all the way around. "They have been brought forth on convictions of the following crimes:
Mark Zuckerman: Theft
Will Greasescarlett: Treason
Arnold Montgomery: Murder
Jared Morgan: Piracy
All are sentenced to death by hanging."
As I heard my name, my heart started racing, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. My legs were
The gallows Jared was being hung at, Jared can't be seen over the men.
shaking; I was starting to cry. "Why is this world so cruel?" said Jared as a pouch was placed over his head by a guard.
"I truly know not. I am sorry that you must die here today," said the man. I just silently heard myself breath inside the pouch, running out of oxygen. But oxygen did not matter, for I was about to die. I heard the lever being pulled, I closed my eyes and started thinking about the afterlife, but then it began raining, the lever was pulled back and the platforms were placed back.
"Bah, it's raining! We can't have a hanging during the rain!" Said the man who read off the paper.
"Thank you Heavenly Father for helping me." I thought to myself as the pouch was taken off my head."
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I was taken to a jail cell, I did not rebel against the man taking me there either, I knew I had no hope left. But that it started raining was just luck. I just sat on the bench chained to the ceiling for a few minutes, then I laid down and thought about my hanging as I faced the wall.
"Will the hanging be tomorrow?"
"Will I be able to escape?"
"Is there hope for me?"
I quietly whispered to myself.
"I'm sure there is, what is your name son?" A voice said, I turned around and saw an officer in the standard Navy uniform, he had a plate with a ham and cheese sandwich, there was a glass of milk in his other hand.
Chapter 8 -
More will be added to "The Iron Bars"! Brainstorming in progress!
