Lily08
10-13-2014, 08:58 AM
Old Shuck
On the North Norfolk coast of England there was a small town called Cromer. At first glance this town was your typically small town were the people did the same thing day in and day out, no one seemed to change in this town. There was never any change in Cromer. The people, the shops, and the weather. In the coldest part of winter when the town even during the day would be grey and misty it would never be clear to see the sea. There was nothing happy about this town.
It was Tuesday three in the morning, after a day off the captain was getting ready to go to sea. Six days in the week the captain would get up at three am to get ready to go to sea with his crew and his dog. A black collie called Shuck that would never communicate with anyone apart from his master, every morning he would wait on the gloomy beach and wait for his master to return safe and sound never would he go on the boat, apart from the last night.
It was now Wednesday and three am in the morning and as the days always go the captain and his dog got up to go to sea. It was in the thick of winter the air was bitterly cold, it was that cold as the captain would breathe in it felt like the unkind air was wounding him the wind was as strong as ever and the atmosphere did not seem right that day. The dog was standing by his master closer than ever. They both knew this wasn’t going to be like any other morning, Cromer was trying to tell them something bad was going to happen. As the captain went down on the beach to get his boat ready and to meet the other fishermen it occurred to him that maybe he should take his dog. It has never once came to his mind to take his dog but something was telling him not to part with his loyal campion.
‘Shuck, come on boy, you are getting in the boat today.’ Shouted the captain. The dog did not hesitate or even tilt its head in astonishment that it was allowed to get on the boat, never had there been a day when it was allowed to go to sea with his master. All the crew were anxious whether or not to risk going out to sea on a morning like that, but the captain would never miss a day’s work.
The weather had calmed down since they first walked to the beach so the captain instead they still went on. As they were rowing themselves out to sea singing songs, lighting their cigarettes and telling crude jokes the dog started to wail. No one had to say anything there was no need to the air was saying it all, the feeling of dread was on the horizon from the faintest of light that was in the sky came the blackest day that even in such a depressed town had they never seen the sky so dark and evil. One man piped up and ask to turn back, but no the captain did not want to let his feelings be right so instead of listening to his instincts and his dog crying he ignored it and kept rowing out further into the darkness of the sea that would bring him no happiness. The winds screech was getting louder and louder that it was stinging their ears, the clashing of the waves banging together, the screaming of grown men went in deep into the mind, the voices of determination to row safely back to shore didn’t even convince the captain that they would survive this vicious storm. As the wind got stronger, the lighting got brighter, the waves grew tougher and bigger they all knew this was it they were defeated by this morning. There was nothing more they could do part from pray, pray for forgiveness, pray for hope, and pray that god would stop this storm at once. As the captain accepted that there was no more he could do the dog looked at him and accepted himself that this was it. They both held on to each other just as the last wave pushed the boat deep down into the ocean. That was the end of the master and his loving dog.
Back in the town the community were waiting for the wreckage of the tragic disappearance. As the gentle tide scooped in the bits of the boat, the bodies started to wash up. Among the bodies was Shuck. There they all were apart from one soul, the captain, never did they find his body. As this was so the dog was buried on the sand where Shuck would always wait for his master to come back from sea. Sadly they were both never coming back.
Centuries passed and the stories of the wreckage changed, but the sighting of old Shuck still lives on today. He is seen roaming around the town walking to the beach and waiting on the sand every early morning. His eyes glow red as looking at resentment of the sea that took away his master and panting in hope his master will come back.
I decided on this story because as I was growing up in Cromer I would always be told different stories of Old Shuck. There are so many different stories about how he appeared and why he is still seen around the town, so I decided to write about Old Shuck but as my own version of what happened to him.
On the North Norfolk coast of England there was a small town called Cromer. At first glance this town was your typically small town were the people did the same thing day in and day out, no one seemed to change in this town. There was never any change in Cromer. The people, the shops, and the weather. In the coldest part of winter when the town even during the day would be grey and misty it would never be clear to see the sea. There was nothing happy about this town.
It was Tuesday three in the morning, after a day off the captain was getting ready to go to sea. Six days in the week the captain would get up at three am to get ready to go to sea with his crew and his dog. A black collie called Shuck that would never communicate with anyone apart from his master, every morning he would wait on the gloomy beach and wait for his master to return safe and sound never would he go on the boat, apart from the last night.
It was now Wednesday and three am in the morning and as the days always go the captain and his dog got up to go to sea. It was in the thick of winter the air was bitterly cold, it was that cold as the captain would breathe in it felt like the unkind air was wounding him the wind was as strong as ever and the atmosphere did not seem right that day. The dog was standing by his master closer than ever. They both knew this wasn’t going to be like any other morning, Cromer was trying to tell them something bad was going to happen. As the captain went down on the beach to get his boat ready and to meet the other fishermen it occurred to him that maybe he should take his dog. It has never once came to his mind to take his dog but something was telling him not to part with his loyal campion.
‘Shuck, come on boy, you are getting in the boat today.’ Shouted the captain. The dog did not hesitate or even tilt its head in astonishment that it was allowed to get on the boat, never had there been a day when it was allowed to go to sea with his master. All the crew were anxious whether or not to risk going out to sea on a morning like that, but the captain would never miss a day’s work.
The weather had calmed down since they first walked to the beach so the captain instead they still went on. As they were rowing themselves out to sea singing songs, lighting their cigarettes and telling crude jokes the dog started to wail. No one had to say anything there was no need to the air was saying it all, the feeling of dread was on the horizon from the faintest of light that was in the sky came the blackest day that even in such a depressed town had they never seen the sky so dark and evil. One man piped up and ask to turn back, but no the captain did not want to let his feelings be right so instead of listening to his instincts and his dog crying he ignored it and kept rowing out further into the darkness of the sea that would bring him no happiness. The winds screech was getting louder and louder that it was stinging their ears, the clashing of the waves banging together, the screaming of grown men went in deep into the mind, the voices of determination to row safely back to shore didn’t even convince the captain that they would survive this vicious storm. As the wind got stronger, the lighting got brighter, the waves grew tougher and bigger they all knew this was it they were defeated by this morning. There was nothing more they could do part from pray, pray for forgiveness, pray for hope, and pray that god would stop this storm at once. As the captain accepted that there was no more he could do the dog looked at him and accepted himself that this was it. They both held on to each other just as the last wave pushed the boat deep down into the ocean. That was the end of the master and his loving dog.
Back in the town the community were waiting for the wreckage of the tragic disappearance. As the gentle tide scooped in the bits of the boat, the bodies started to wash up. Among the bodies was Shuck. There they all were apart from one soul, the captain, never did they find his body. As this was so the dog was buried on the sand where Shuck would always wait for his master to come back from sea. Sadly they were both never coming back.
Centuries passed and the stories of the wreckage changed, but the sighting of old Shuck still lives on today. He is seen roaming around the town walking to the beach and waiting on the sand every early morning. His eyes glow red as looking at resentment of the sea that took away his master and panting in hope his master will come back.
I decided on this story because as I was growing up in Cromer I would always be told different stories of Old Shuck. There are so many different stories about how he appeared and why he is still seen around the town, so I decided to write about Old Shuck but as my own version of what happened to him.