Piracy | A Horrordust Story

Festival

The seaside festivities were always jaw dropping. Hundreds of people running around with half-melted ice creams and sweaty face paint running down their face and hitting their white shirts. Then the parents trying to chase after their children.

The town of Crawn celebrated freedom of pirate control every year since 1717 BCE. The true meaning of the festival had faded over time, aswell as traditions. What used to be weeks of joyful singing and cheering now was nothing more than an outdoor trampoline park and circus.

Still, it was entertaining. And Dust, the person who ran the popcorn stand found it that way too. Despite being over 35°C, the inside of the stand was quite cool, the way Dust liked it. Watching the joy outside run rampant as parents ran to catch up to their children, and children ran to their parents for money to buy an oversized teddy bear that would obviously be ruined in about 30 minutes. This was always something he looked forward to each year.

The sweet, buttery smell reminded him of a simpler time as a child. He was once one of those children who ran around the plaza. Now he was one of the people who ran the plaza. It always seemed so different. Despite it being only a decade ago, the atmosphere was duller than before.

As Dust began to doze off however, a crowd of people dressed in scraggy clothing that looked like it came from the 17th century came through. One leading the horde. He approached Dust, taking his hat off and bowing to the young man.

Dust appeared puzzled by the man but took the bow nicely, greeting the oddly dressed person with a handshake.

"Hey-" Dust began before being interrupted by the other man.

"2... large popcorns please"

The larger male seemed to read off of the sign above, clearly not having been here before. Dust, however, understood his request and prepared them immediately.

"That'll be £9.98, Sir."

The man seemed puzzled... again. He put a hand in his pocket and pulled out 4 pristine gold coins. If sold they would be worth nearly 100× the value of the popcorn sold.

Dust tried to hand the coins back to the man, but he was nowhere to be found. He placed the coins to the side, thinking of what to do, and mainly, who on earth was that guy?

As time passed throughout the day, Dust occasionally had similar dressed men approach for popcorn, each one giving him pure gold coins and leaving before he could give them it back. He totalled over 40 gold coins by the time the celebrations died down for the day.

He began to close up shop, turning everything off, locking the cart and attaching it to his truck before the same man from earlier approach him. This time, he didn't bow.

He wore a captains hat, the left side of it hung much lower than the other half. The stereotypical 'skull and cross bones' etched onto it. The Jolly Roger banner. On the hat faintly the initials 'H.T' could be seen upon it. His clothes looked ripped and torn, rugged and out of place for a normal event.

However, Dust wondered if they actually knew the meaning of the celebration and were trying to spread it to everyone. Regardless, he was still extremely out of place.

The man spoke first.

"Do ye know where the town o' Crawn be?"

He spoke in a heavy and thick accent, clearly not making an attempt to hide his origins. Although, the celebrations were still apparent, so it could be an addition to the 'cosplay'.

Dust spoke again, smiling politely at the man.

"Well, Sir, you'll be glad to know that you're actually in the town of Crawn right now."

Dust spoke softly, yet abruptly. He wasn't gentle with his vocal chords and could definitely come across as angry if he needed to.

The man appeared to zone out, staring at the sea as the moon set over it.

"On the day where sun not reach dawn
Where magic bleed from the fawn..."

The man repeated the phrase under his breath a few times before appearing to snap back into reality, preparing to speak again.

"Thank ye fer that. Fair winds t' ye heartie"

And he ran back to the now dying festival. Dust got into his truck and drove it into his driveway fully. He lived about 20 yards away from where his popcorn stand was.

As he packed up and locked everything up. He pondered.

Just who were those men.