A PROLOGUE that i threw together, I'm getting the idea for a story from this, critic it to your hearts content.
The Cornish coast loomed in my binoculars. Almost home. I scanned the beach for signs of an unwelcome welcoming party. I could see nothing. The boat moved steadily closer. I left my spot just above the bridge and went to my cabin, checking everything was ready. The boat suddenly lurched hard to one side. I failed to go with the roll and hit my shins on the bunk. Muttering curses i moved to the door. On deck the crew were yelling and running. The boat lurched once more, followed by the sound of splintering wood. Smoke poured out from below decks. I made my way quickly to the bridge.
"What's wrong?" I asked
"Sea mines!" the captain was looking harrased. "Moored mines i reckon" He turned away from me. I was already racking my brains for all i knew about moored mines. It was basically a powered mine in a torpedo shape. They would be attached to the sea floor by cable, the nose of the mine would have a small sona device and it would seek out surface ships. When one came into range, the cable would release and the mine would power its way to the source of its contact. There was little a surface ship could do to avoid a moored mine.
“Just get the crew into a life boat and go!” I shouted over the sound of another mine. “You will be searched, but you did not know me, you never heard of me, just go!” The captain nodded unhappily. I went to the navigation board, where a crew member had just marked our position. The map in hand I ran from the bridge as the ship was hit again. The ship banked to the port, throwing me out the door. I managed to grab a railing and swearing, I made my way down to my quarters as the rest of the ship’s crew went up on deck. In my room I quickly found it. I ran back to the back end of the ship, where the engine had died a minute before.
I lifted the box and flung it over the side. I watched it sink. There was a little bubble of air, and it was gone, 18 months of work committed to the sea. A load of water came onto the boat and sent me sliding to the other side. I raced back to the bridge as the first lifeboat was lowered. Time to leave, these people had done what they could, i had come this far with them, the rest i could do alone. I pulled off my shirt to reveal the wet suit I had on underneath. I pulled from a cabinet an aqualung and the diving gear. I put it on and put the map in a water-proof bag into the wet suit. I waved to the captain, went outside, put on the fins and flopped backwards of the boat. I let the sinking ship go by, and then set off inland. I looked up every now and then to see where I was going, I soon saw the cliffs. They went from horizon to horizon. The only way up would be that narrow gap at the other end of the beach. To my right there was just sand, miles and miles of soft, white sand. To my left was a long cleft of rock that went right up to the cliff face, the only way out for many miles. I went to the left. It was soon to shallow for the aqualung. I took it off and let it sink into the sand. Looking around, I could see unwelcome guests running down the pass. I took a moment to study the cliffs. These cliffs were eroding, and often large pieces of rock would just fall away, leaving footholds, I could go up the cliff face, then I could run into the town, and be free. I slipped from the water and darted to the first cleft of rocks.
I was hidden before the first man stepped onto the beach. I made my way up the cleft, being silent and keeping a look out for any more men coming close. It was bad luck I was seen, I was close to the cliff, so I went for a last look. A man was looking right at me. I pulled my head back as the alarm went off. I ran to the base of the cliff. Ahead I could see a short track leading up. I went up it, it was covered in sharp slate and my hands and feet soon where bleeding. I was running for my life, and could bare no thought to the pain. At the top of this path, there was a thin ledge that lead up into the cliff. Up I went, I just had to go up. At the end, I ran out into a platform, a wide slab of rock, jutting out from the cliff face, where the rock underneath had fallen away. There was no way on. I looked to the cliff as dark clouds ran in from the sea. I glanced back down, watching figures what were my enemy moving swifty towards me. The water was lighted for a moment by another mine, the ship was gone. I could see people in the water, thrashing and gaping. They had known I was coming. No time to think, had to get away. I took a hold on the cliff face and climbed. I worked my way up, look for hold, take hold, climb, settle into a rythem. I looked up and I could just see the top of the cliff. Behind me, I could hear shouts, but no one was following me up. It started to rain. Thick splashes hit my face and ran off the end of my nose. I could see another platform to my right. I got to it and rested. There was very little light, i could just make out figures below, looking up, looking at me and not seeing me, it was too dark. It would be only moments before someone thought to light a torch. Up again, up to the top. I took a hold and went. Five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters. It was then it happened. A strong light trained it'self on me. I had a small hold under my feet, to small, because, with a crunch, my feet slipped back into nothing. At that moment a gust of wind swept over the cliff, flinging me out, away from the cliff. As I came crashing back to it. It hit the wall face first. A pain went down my face, the side of my face, and over my ribs. I hung on for grim death. But the hold I had would not take all of my weight. My fingers started to slip. I scrabbled for a hold with my toes, feeling as I did the blood run down the bottom of my feet, making it harder to get a grip on the wet stone. I was again thrown back into nothing when my fingers gave out. I fell down, down, until I hit the ledge fifteen meters below.
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