~Ryan Brown, Class of 2025

10-year-old Jason Scythe was walking home from school with his siblings George and Sarah when he got separated from them after chasing a rabbit that he wanted to take home as a pet because he loved animals. He ran back to where he had seen them last, worried that his beloved siblings had gotten kidnapped. 

Then an old homeless man in TenleyTown stopped him in his tracks. “The fearsome king lives alone in the sea in his palace of jewels. He will destroy the earth if someone does not steal his crown.” The homeless man suddenly shouted in his ear, “Five dollars or I’ll kill you.” “I don’t have five dollars,” Jason cried. The homeless man suddenly had a club in his hands and was about to bring the club down on Jason’s head when there was a loud crack and the old man crumpled to the floor, knocked out. Behind him was his wonderful 7-year-old sister Sarah, with a determined look on her face! “Are you ok?” she asked. “Not really,” Jason replied truthfully, just as George walked up. “Those karate skills are scary. I’m lucky that I’m not one of your enemies.” 

Later, back at home, Jason relayed his story of the old homeless guy’s warnings to his siblings. George, the oldest of the three, had an angry look on his face. “Why did you listen to a crazy homeless man? You’re so stupid,” he said through gritted teeth. Inside, though, George was secretly excited about what the old man had said about the king who would destroy the earth. 

He decided to ask his neighbor, Captain Tory, to go on a fishing trip with him, Jason, and his dad in Chesapeake Bay, secretly hoping he would see a palace of jewels. His dad and Captain Tory agreed, and they went the next Saturday. “What boat are we going on?” asked Jason. “You’ll see,” Captain Tory replied. That night, they went with Captain Tory to the harbor. He swung the lantern three times, and slowly the schooner appeared. The boys gasped, and the captain smiled. “Aye, that’s my old girl.” On the trip, Jason and George saw a mysterious spot in the ocean that was shrouded in mist and fog. ‘That’s funny,’ Jason thought. “It’s a very clear night.” “Let’s go over there,” he muttered to George, and then louder, “Captain, I think that there might be some big fish over there in the fog.” “Righto, young Jason!” Captain Tory said as he revved up the boat into the mist. There was no palace or island there, but there were big fish. Then, when George caught a big one, they heard it. 

“Let me have a turn.” They turned around astonished, and there stood Sarah, their little sister. “What are you doing here?” barked Andrew, their dad. “Your mother must be so worried; you are grounded unless you catch the biggest fish yet,” he said, handing her a rod. Sarah cast a wimpy cast off the side of the boat with no bait on the end. Then, without notice, with a tug, the rod, with Sarah holding it, went over the side. Andrew yelled in horror and shouted, “GET THE BIG NET!” Then he told Sarah, “Let go of the rod, or it will pull you under.” Sarah didn’t listen; she was looking at what was below her. George quickly fetched the net, thinking about whether he would ever see his sister again. Andrew lowered the net over the port side of the schooner and caught Sarah with the rod still in her hands. While Jason and George held him from getting pulled under too, their dad heaved Sarah and the rod onto the boat. “Are you an idiot?” their dad said. “Why didn’t you listen? You could have drowned.” 

Meanwhile, Jason was reeling in Sarah’s catch. Something shiny glinted on the surface. “Is that a human?” Jason gasped in surprise. George came over and reeled the rest in. There stood a bedraggled man with royal robes and a crown on. “Let me go,” he whimpered. “Your hook caught my underwater underwear!” Sarah giggled, hiding it by pretending to cough. George undid the hook and asked, 

“Who are you anyway?” Then suddenly the man’s voice got deeper: “I’m king of the sea; you will be one of the first to die of all the humans that will die by my hand!” Captain Tory appeared and growled, “You’re never taking any of my family or friends.” He stabbed him in the heart and pushed him back into the water, where he sank down into the ocean, leaving something shiny on the surface. Sarah dove for it and grabbed it. “I’ve got the crown,” she said with a smile. 

After they were back on land, they started for home. That night, they buried the crown in their backyard. “The sea can’t get it here,” Andrew laughed. Then everyone had a fire and roasted marshmallows. 

Then George spoke with a sly grin on his face. “Sarah caught the biggest thing, but it wasn’t a fish, so she’s grounded!” 

Everyone laughed.