The Storm, William McTaggart, 1890
It was a bright and beautiful day on the Isle of Skye no clouds no wind, just one hot day to be able to relax.
“There is a storm coming and it is going to be a big one,” said Jim with a bone chilling voice.
“Impossible the weather is way too decent for that to happen,” replied Adam looking up at the sky wondering how he had got that idea. Jim looked over at Adam with a scowl on his face, “Why do you never believe me every time I say something to you?
You always answered back not believing me, now why is that because every time I have been right!” Adam said angrily.
“OK, OK I didn’t mean to upset you, but just look at it, it just looks too decent.”
“Sorry I just lost it there but just to let you know don’t go out on your weekly fishing trip this week because I am so scared that something is going to happen to you if you do go, so just don’t. Can you promise me that?”
“I am not going to promise you anything until the weather gets any worse because at the minute it is the perfect time to go.”
“Fine then I didn’t want to do this but I am going to keep the lock to the shed so that you won’t go out onto the sea!”
“Sorry but I am just going to borrow Kyle’s if that is the case then.”
“Fine but if you get very badly injured or caught in that storm I won’t be there to stop you.”
Later on that day when Adam was going out the shed was unlocked so he went in to check and the boat was missing so he went over to Kyle’s to borrow his boat but that too was also missing, Adam went back to the house to ask Jim where the boats were but to his surprise the boats were in the garage. Jim came out and said “Please don’t go I know you want to go at least once every week trying to catch this biggest fish you can think of but don’t. Just go twice next week I really don’t want you to go, something terrible is going to happen I just know it.”
“No,” Adam replied
“You are going to sneak out with them just because you want it for your self. Well I am not going to let that happen.”
“Adam you know I am not like that, I never have been, surely you must know that you are my best friend.”
“I am sorry but I am not going to take that chance, so goodbye.”
Adam walked off but felt a tiny bit worried in case Jim was right but he wouldn’t let that stop him from going so instead of going back he looked at Jim one last time and shouted goodbye.
Later on that evening it was starting to rain but Adam just thought it was a little drizzle and nothing bad was going to come out of it but then a second later he felt something pull hard at the fishing line then looked into the water to see if he could find out how big the fish was by the shadow of it. It looked big. Adam pulled the line as hard as he could which pulled the fish up onto the boat and he noticed that it was the one that he had been wanting all along. Suddenly there was a harsh wind and it bucketed it down with rain and after that there was a flash and straight after a big crash, the water was no longer peaceful and the sky was no longer blue it had gone black and the water thrashed about wildly like a man trying to wrestle an alligator. Adam screamed out as loud as he could “Help me!” but nobody could hear him. Then suddenly there was another crack and this time it had hit Adam’s boat. He thought to himself, “Jim was right I should have never come out today and caught this fish and I wish I could just see him one last time to say I am sorry.” Suddenly Adam looked up and saw Kyle’s boat sailing towards him but it wasn’t Kyle that was on the boat it was Jim. Adam shouted out “Jim is that you? Can you hear me?”
Jim replied “Yes now just wait there I am coming to you and you can hop onto my boat!” Jim got up next to Adam’s boat and Adam climbed across to the other boat with the fish in one of his hands. As they got back to shore Adam gave Jim a quick and awkward hug to say thank you. Suddenly when they were close to the shore the boat tipped due to a very violent wave. Jim was the first up above the water on shore but Adam was nowhere to be found. All that could be seen was a dead fish floating.
Under the water Adam was swimming up towards the surface when suddenly he saw the dead fish so he went for that instead. A minute later Adam found that he was out of breath and struggling to get to the surface but finally he made it.
Jim was nearly in tears trying to find Adam that was nowhere to be found. Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed the fish and then a head popped out of the water, it was Adam.
As they both swam back to shore there was a whole crowd of people cheering for them as they got to the beach. Later on that night Jim and Adam hung the fish up on the wall to show their triumph. From then on Adam listened to Jim and never got into so much trouble after that. But as he caught the fish anyway and he was not scared Adam never went to sea again.
By Jamie Richard McGregor