The Legend of the Silver Galleon, a ghost story by Dolphin19

“Come on Mama! Grampa’s going to tell us the Silver Galleon story!” cried Jack.
“Now, I still think you’re too young for these ghost stories,” Mama said firmly.
“Lay off it Jess!” said Grampa, “And listen!”

I was a boy I was. No older than nine years of age. My father was a gifted sailor and had taken me down to the harbour to help prepare his ship (The Queen Mary) for his voyage to America that cold December morning. 1842 was a good year for sailing, my father had told me, because ships had recently undergone some industrial changes to make them faster and stronger.
“Papa! It’s too early! I’m extremely tired!” I moaned.
“Well you need to get used to it laddy. And anyway, Grandma and Grandpa can’t look after you forever! Your mother wouldn’t have wanted her only son to be lazy.” Papa advised in his thick Irish accent.
“Papa? What is that?” I asked but he didn’t reply.

He was transfixed: eyes staring in horror; mouth open hands rapidly shaking. It looked pure and solid like a silver goblet. At first, I thought Old Bob (a lively fisherman) was playing a little joke on me and Papa until I saw the name of the ship. Barely visible amongst decaying water reeds was the peeling silver-painted name of the ship – The Silver Galleon… I had never believed the legend about the galleon that haunted Belfast harbour from midnight to 5 am on the 6^th day of every month on an even year. Until now.

I might not have believed the legend but I was terrified of it just in case it was true. The legend told how the Silver Galleon was sunk in a battle between the British and the Dutch in April 1670 with the loss of her entire crew. Since then, the captain and his doomed vessel had continued to sail these waters… The captain (John Silver) would lure children onto the ship and slowly (but brutally) murder them by taking their souls.

Papa turned on his heels to face me and grabbed my shoulders.
“Jeremy! Run! Far away from here and don’t ask questions either! Just run for your life and back home. NOW!” whispered Papa hurriedly. But it was too late. A hypnotising song pulled us onto the ship and locked us below the deck.

“Papa I’m scared. What are we to do?” I asked.
“We need to find a way out!” said Papa, “Follow me!”

For what seemed like hours, we walked until we came to a door Papa seemed to recognise. We went in and the door slammed shut behind us.
“Well, well, well! Look what we have here!” A booming voice echoed through the room, “After six years of toddlers, we have a boy and a man!”

A tall, silvery figure rose through the floor. He had a small silver beard and a long black coat with gold-stitched trims. We only saw him for a few seconds because father lunged for him and stepped on a loose plank.
“Papa!” I yelled as a razor-sharp axe catapulted towards him.

Time seemed to get slower as the axe flew through the air. All of my happy memories with him flashed before my eyes. The blade struck Papa’s head and he fell to his knees.
“Nooooooooo!” I cried, tears running down my face. I ran towards him just as he closed his eyes for the very last time…

Fifteen minutes later, I finally had the courage to get to my feet. My hands were covered in Papa’s blood. I screamed. A lot. Gradually, I bent down and eased the blood-covered axe from my father’s pale head. Lifting the axe above my head, I made my way towards the door and started trying to chop it down.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha! Are you trying to escape little boy? You’re going to have to try much harder than that!” sneered John Silver gliding through the wall and entering the room yet again. He had grey blood-shot eyes and a large gash covered most of his left cheek. His black boots hovered fine inches above the floor and a dark captain’s hat perched on his ghostly head.
“Grab him!”
I swung the axe one last time and the door came down. Running through the maze of corridors, I got extremely lost while dodging various ghosts from John Silver’s crew until I found a staircase going down… but what I saw there was something I would never unsee…

Terrified, I crept down the stairs. The bodies were piled untidily on top of each other. There were children, men and women. I saw, in a dark corner, the bodies of the crew had been shoved. Then I heard someone coming down the stairs. I looked around frantically but there was nowhere to hide.

“Jeremy? Wha’ ya doin’ down ‘ere?” asked the friendly voice of Old Bob, the fisherman.
“Bob! I’m so happy it’s you!” I cried.
“Where’s ya father?” Bob asked.
“Dead,” I replied, “They killed him…
“Wa’? No! I bet you’re playin’ a trick on me ya are! ‘E’ll jump out righ’ now ‘e will!” Bob said.
“No… I’m not.” I whispered.
“Well we really need to get out ‘er ‘ere we do,” Bob told me. “Follow me.

Bob led me back onto the deck and we were just about to leave the ship when John Silver and his crew leapt in front of us.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you leave!” John Silver cackled.
“Well then! We’ll make ya!” Old Bob said, fiercer than I had ever heard him before.

He grabbed the nearby sword of a crew member and started fighting John Silver.
Old Bob quickly swivelled his sword and sent John Silver’s flying.
“Well you may have won this battle but we have won the war!” cried John Silver, disappearing along with the rest of his crew.
“Come on Jeremy. We have much to discuss,” said old Bob. “Now, I know you have lost your father tonight, and this will be hard for you to get through, but your grandparents were also murdered…”

I remember crying and asking what I was to do. He told me that I could live with him. I agreed and I asked to go and pack my things. He told me that I could do what I wanted to do there and take as long as I wanted.

“And that is the story, or my story, of the Silver Galleon.” Grampa finished off.
“Wow! Grampa! That was a great story!” Jack gasped.

And to this day, the Silver Galleon continues to roam in Belfast harbour so you need to be careful… their next target might be you!