Shipwreck

SHIPWRECK

Tara Willis

17" x 11"

"Shipwreck" has a darker story. The undead merman is actually the vengeful spirit of a captured slave.

 While being held below deck on the slave ship he would hear the cries of his wife, who was being raped by the captain. Eventually the wife died and the captain had her thrown overboard to become shark food. The poor slave was so broken hearted he too died and was thrown overboard. But moments before his death, he swore he would return from the grave and take his revenge on that ship.

A few years later when that same ship was on its way back to Africa to capture more slaves, the slave rose from the dead, swam to the surface and attacked the crew. He murdered every last crew member who tried to get in his way. Then he went to the captain's quarters. Even though it has been years since her death, the slave could still hear her blood-curdling cries. He found the captain hiding in the wardrobe. The captain tried to plead for his life, but the slave stabbed him in the throat killing him instantly.

He was not done, though. He smashed a lantern on the floor and the entire room was up in flames. He jumped back in the water and watched the ship burn until it finally sank. With his wife's death avenged, the slave went back into the sea where he could finally sleep in peace.