Necro Pirates: Scene - "The Ritual"
INT. SHIP'S HOLD - NIGHT
The hold of "The Sea Serpent" is dimly lit by flickering lanterns, casting long shadows on the damp wooden walls. Crates and barrels are stacked haphazardly, and the air is thick with the stench of seawater and decay.
At the center of the hold, a group of young pirates, dressed in ragged clothes and adorned with mismatched jewelry, huddle around a makeshift altar. The altar is draped in a tattered black cloth and covered in strange symbols drawn in what appears to be dried blood. Atop the altar lies a human skull, its empty sockets staring up at the ceiling.
Leading the group is CASSANDRA (17), a fiery redhead with a defiant streak. She holds a rusty dagger aloft, her face illuminated by the flickering candlelight. Her eyes are closed, and she chants in a low, guttural voice.
Around her stand:
* FINN (16): A lanky boy with a mop of brown hair and a nervous disposition. He fidgets with the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting around the hold.
* MAYA (15): A petite girl with dark skin and braids adorned with beads. She watches Cassandra with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
* REX (18): A burly, tattooed young man with a shaved head. He stands with his arms crossed, a skeptical expression on his face.
CASSANDRA
(chanting)
Spirits of the deep, hear our call! Grant us the power to command the dead!
Finn shifts uncomfortably.
FINN
(whispering)
Are you sure about this, Cass? This feels kinda... wrong.
MAYA
(whispering)
Quiet, Finn! You'll disrupt the ritual.
REX
(scoffs)
Ritual? This is just a bunch of hocus pocus. You really think chanting at a skull is gonna raise an army of the dead?
Cassandra opens her eyes, glaring at Rex.
CASSANDRA
You wanna see hocus pocus, Rex? I'll show you hocus pocus!
She raises the dagger higher, and the chanting intensifies. The air in the hold grows colder, and a faint, ethereal mist begins to seep from the skull on the altar. The mist swirls and coalesces, taking on a vaguely humanoid shape.
Finn gasps, Maya's eyes widen in amazement, and even Rex takes a step back, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
CASSANDRA
(triumphantly)
Behold! The first of our undead legion!
The mist solidifies, revealing a skeletal figure clad in rotting rags. It raises its bony arms, and a low moan escapes its lipless mouth.
FADE OUT.