Sub in the Bay | Teen Ink

Sub in the Bay

September 30, 2017
By Henrik BRONZE, Austin, Texas
Henrik BRONZE, Austin, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The time is January of 1942, the U.S has entered WWII. A submarine, the U.S.S Yeah Buoy, is leaving the bay early in the morning while people are still sleeping. Oliver Jones, a young soldier with short brown hair and bright blue eyes, was laying in his cot thinking about life decision when all of a sudden “YEE EE EEE.” an alarm went off. Jones, assuming it a drill, slowly got out of his cot, got dressed, and was walking out of his cabin.
He was leaving the cabin along with the other inmates  when the Captain, an older officer with a low voice and white hair, came running into the cabin yelling “TORPEDO INBOUND, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Oliver peered out the porthole and saw a red and white flag waving in the distance, like the sun rising from the ocean waves.


“Japanese,” he said furiously. He disliked, no he hated the Japanese after what they had done the month before. Everyone on the vessel, crewmates, and even the captain didn’t appreciate Oliver because of his clumsiness and how he always was in the way of things. He knew, that to show his mates that he wasn’t just a mess, but that he could help evacuate and get everyone off the ship in time.


Oliver acted immediately, running to all the cabins checking quickly for any inmates, who were not awoken by the shrieking alarm.


“5,000 FEET.”  screamed the captain into the walkie-talkie.


Oliver only had a few minutes to get everyone off the boat. Dashing from room to room,  he grabbed as many things as he could possibly hold. People were screaming, yelling, and frantically moving trying to get to the hatch as fast they could.


“4,000 FEET.” shouted the captain again. All these things were rushing through Oliver’s head.


“SUBMARINE, JAPAN, TORPEDO, HELP, OFF.”


Oliver’s head felt like the high ocean waves that tossed and turned out in the sea. His throat hurt from yelling like someone had drained his voice from him, and his legs felt as if they were jelly. Spinning in circles, not knowing what to do he kept going.


“3,000 FEET.”


Almost everyone was piled up at the door like ants around a picnic basket. Oliver started to head to the door when he remembered that he would prove to the whole crew that he was worth something and that he did matter.


“2,000 FEET.”


Oliver went around another time checking in all the spots like behind tables, chairs, radar equipment or anything else he could move.


“1,000 FEET, WE MUST BE BRAVE.” exclaimed the captain


The captain opened up the latch and everyone was leaving the boat scrambling through the exit.All the men were outside of the sub paddling and swimming to stay afloat. The captain had gotten off the sub and saw Oliver and yelled: “ GO, GO, GO, off the vessel.”


Oliver looked up at the captain and said: “I will not go down knowing, I escaped this submarine with my captain still aboard, let me stay sir.”


The captain, bewildered at the words, fumbled his next sentence “Jones, we never leave a man behind.” But it was too late.


“BOOM.”


The sound was like a crack of lightning or a thunderstrike during a storm. Red flames filled the air and metal debris flew into the sky. Blasts of light, an explosion filled the air. It was horrifying to see. The torpedo, hitting it like a baseball player hits a home run, except instead of fireworks, or cheers that came afterword, it was explosions and screams. The submarine debris was flying in every direction, and all they could do was watch. Very far in the distance, barely recognizable, was that same red and white flag. The other boats in the bay so close yet so far to them. A large passenger boat approached and boarded all the crew.


The captain spoke “Today we have lost one man, but to each of us we have lost one friend as well, and a part of our family, and a part of our team. So, in the end, we don’t just lose one man, we lose much more.” Then he paused “Oliver Jones was,” he said “ Brave.”


The author's comments:

I was inspired to do this peice because I have learned and watched many films on war and I wanted to write about one that I had been pulled to.


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