Captain Tory & the Magic Lantern

"I'm home uncle!" Ben said as he opened the door and dropped his bags.

"Ah, Ben, just the person I was looking for". Ben's uncle took a book from the shelf and sat down. "Today, I shall read you a different story then all the other ones we have read. This is not a fiction story, but a true story of a man I once knew. In fact, I wrote it!" he showed the cover to his nephew, looking proud. Ben looked at the book curiously.

"The Magic Lantern? Okay... but it doesn't seem very real."

"Nonsense child, of course it's real! Here, let's start reading....."

A couple of years ago, the land was not as civilised as it was today. The harbor was domained by pirates, and everyone was forced to give out their precious valuables. No one was brave enough to stand up to them. One day, a sailor walked to the dock and snuck up onto a pirate's ship. This ship belonged to the pirate most feared in the world, and his name was Captain Gold. Gold had the most valuable treasures in the world, and it just so happened that that night, he was partying with his crew for the success of their newfound treasure. The sailor who walked onto the ship was not noticed, the pirates were too drunk to tell friend and foe. He looked around inside the treasure chests, and finally found something that interested him. He took it, and left without a trace.

The next day, Captain Gold's crew had a terrible hangover. They hung about in the quarters, not knowing of the theivery that took place or the burglar himself. The burglar was not just a sailor, but a captain too. He was Captain Tory, and he thought stealing the loot was a fine way to get revenge on the pirates. "I'll get them for taking away my docks!" he thoiught to himself. He opened the treasure chest, and took out a lamp.

Tory did not know what the lamp was, and why a pirate would have it, but he knew if the most feared pirate in the world would have it, it must've been something important. He polished it, turned it on, and hung it up. It seemed very ordinary. "Wierd" Tory said. "Nothing unusual. Maybe if I go for a walk with it" Tory took it from the hook, and walked outside. He whistled and moved along, swinging his arm.

There was a CLASH, and Tory looked around. Fruits from the nearby fruit stand had somehow broken the window of the pub across the street. The barman got out and started yelling at the fruit merchant, and they got into a big fight. Tory walked on.

Again and again, wierd things would happen while walking. A couple of chickens would rush out the pen from the opened fence, even though the fence was properly closed. A tree would fall down, demolishing the ceiling of another building. Even a coffee shop vanished, leaving the customers and waiters very confused.

Tory couldn't see how these phenomenons could be happening, but yet they were. He stopped at the dock entrance, took up his latern and examined it. As he did, he swung the lantern 3 times.

A pirate ship disappeared from view. All the pirates instead fell in the water, and they struggled to get onto the dock. "...Impossible" Tory thought. "Is this latern some sort of wizard's invention?"

As Tory was experimenting with the lantern, Captain Gold got out of his bed. His head hurt, but he was used to the pain that rum would give him. "Doesn't matter anyway" he though aloud. "With my lantern, I could simply poof the headache away!" he chuckled, and walked out, only to find...

"MY LANTERN!!!!!!! GONE!"

Looking back at Tory, he relealised that the lantern could be a key part in fighting these pirates. In fact, he could vanish ALL of their pirate ships, and once again fisherman could go out to sea without needing to fear the theives of the sea. He straightened up, and brought his lantern with him. "I'll tick them off first. That should capture their attention". He loaded up a cannon, and fired at a random pirate ship. It was a bullseye, and another group of pirates sank like an anchor. However, these pirates knew how to swim, so they got on the dock with ease.

"Fool!" cried the captain. "Did you think you could shoot us and get away with it?"

"Why yes," Tory responded. He swung his lantern 3 times, and suddenly a giant anchor flew out of the sky and crushed the captain. "Anyone else?" Tory asked.

While the pirates ran, Captain Gold got off the ship. He was mad, and nothing could stop him when he was mad. He stormed all the way to the village, looking at Tory first, then the anchor, then the lantern.

"So it was you...."

"Oho! You're the captain of the ship I robbed?"

"I could be. But it doesnt matter, does it? Now that your going to die"

Gold took out his gun, but Tory was prepared. He held up the lantern and swung. In an instant, the gun was gone. Gold took out his sword, and Tory made it vanish too. It was down to Gold's fist. Gold charged at Tory, and Tory held up the lantern again. In that instant, the lantern's lights flickered off, and the lantern did nothing as he swung it. Tory felt a blow to his stomach, and he was on the floor. The lantern dropped and cracked. Gold looked down, and that was all Tory could see before he blacked out.

Moments later, he woke up in the infirmary. "Where am I?" asked Tory, dazed.

"You're in the infirmary." a passing nurse told him. "Do not worry, we already have Captain Gold arrested. He muttered something about not being able to do magic anymore as the police dragged him. By the way, we believe this is yours". The nurse handed Tory the lantern. Tory looked upon it, cracked. He decided to get a second opinion on this lantern.

He took it to a shop as soon as he was discharged, and the shopkeeper told him the lantern was fixable, for a heavy price. Tory got all the gold he could, and in a week the lantern was ready. He took it, and walked down the market, wondering what other adventures he would have with the lantern.

"That was the worst story ever! The climax appeared too early, and there was little dialogue exchange! And speaking of which, why didn't Tory get any of Gold's gold? This DOES sound like something you wrote uncle! I doubt the lantern exists anyway." Ben stood up and was about to walk away, but then...

"Well, if you don't believe me," his Uncle said, "maybe I can show you."

Ben's Uncle took out a lantern from his cabinet. He turned it on, swung the lantern 3 times, and Ben was gone. Ben later appeared back at his school entrance, dazzled and confused.

Is magic real? Who knows? Is anything real at all?

Neobender85 18:09, July 20, 2010 (UTC)