It’s time for this week’s Song Title Challenge.
Write a short piece of fiction, around 300 words, using the song title as your story title but don’t listen to the song. You can pick your own genre or use the one suggested to me. Remember to link back to this post so I can find yours.
If you would like to suggest a song title for a future post, you can do so from the challenge page. You can also leave a suggestion on the Facebook page.
This week’s song is Storm the Sorrow by Epica. Thanks to Matthew Wright for the suggestion. He didn’t give a genre, but we’re both fantasy lovers, so guess what I chose?
Storm the Sorrow
The hull creaked in protest as the keel sliced through another wave. Angry foam washed across the deck, threatening drag the crew over the gunwales.
“Cap’n! I don’t think she can take much more. We should throw anchors an’ pray Neptune spares us.”
Captain Travers glanced at his first mate, then back to the task at hand. “I never took you for a religious man, Mr Rogers. I thought you didn’t believe in gods?”
“I don’t Cap’n. But this storm… I’ve ne’er seen anything like it. It’s almost like…”
“You have my leave to go belowdecks and pray, Mr Rogers. But I intend on riding out this storm. The Sorrow has taken me through worse than this and I trust her to bring me safe to port once more. Now, do you wish to be relieved from your post or will you tell these worthless sea dogs to tighten that rigging before it breaks loose and kills someone?”
“Aye, Cap’n.” He stomped down the stairs. “Who tied down that rope? My mother can tie better knots than this! Do I have to do everything myself?”
Travers allowed himself a quick smile but felt it turn wry on his face. He couldn’t tell Rogers, or any of the crew, that this storm was indeed sent by Neptune himself. He had challenged the sea god and this storm was merely the beginning. Who knew what else they would have to face before all was done.
His gaze fell on his hand where it grasped the wheel, and the ring the siren had given him with the stone that reflected the light like ripples of water. “It will protect you,” she had promised. He prayed…he hoped, she was right.
Copyright © 2014 Herman Kok
As always, here’s the song.
if all else fails...use a hammer 
Aha! You had me thinking the Greek gods would have no part in this story. Just a sailor’s superstition. I hope that ring from the siren is pretty smoking awesome. Challenging Neptune while aboard a ship seems like folly. Fun story. I really enjoyed the dialogue.
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Thanks. I enjoy writing dialogue, and I try to make as much use of it as I can in these. I was thinking this one will go into the file of stories for possible future expansion, but I’ll need to learn a lot more of sailing ships before I’ll be able to pull that off.
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Sounds like an entertaining research project to me. You’re doing well so far. Don’t stop. 😉
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I’m going to have to write an entry, aren’t I? 🙂
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Absolutely. Get those fiction muscles back in shape. On the other hand, my most regular title contributor has yet to write a post of his own.
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Yay! New title contributors!
(Now, how about adding a couple of genres? Children’s Story could be a fun start…)
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I imagine they’d be some pretty scary children’s stories given recent evidence.
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Though you have to admit that I’ve been nicer lately…
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And then you submitted your two latest titles…
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I try not to be too predictable…
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Let no man ever accuse you of that!
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