Dorade Box. That's what it's called - the big vent in front of his face that stinks worse than the smell of a dumpster, as the Captain pushes him forward, threatening to throw him inside.

"Apologize, scum! Now!" The Captain roars. His parrot friend has hopped from the railing back onto the captain's shoulder, now looking on with malicious glee.

"Okay, okay!" He cries, "I'll apologize!" But something has occurred to him. A Dorade Box is designed to vent the air while preventing sea water from flooding the hold. He remembers seeing a diagram, somewhere. So it really isn't possible to dump him down there at all. They're bluffing.

The captain eases his grip and allows him to straighten up. He looks at them both - man and bird, leering at him, and he wonders if they're about to burst out laughing and let him in on the joke. But then something strange happens.

Without even realizing he is going to do it, he balls his hand into a fist and punches the captain full in the face.

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Twentieth chapter in an ongoing serial based on @mariannewest's daily #freewrite writing prompts. Here are the previous chapters listed below:

Chapter One>Chapter Two

Chapter Three>Chapter Four

Chapter Five>Chapter Six

Chapter Seven>Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine>Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven>Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen>Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen>Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen>Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

And here is Chapter Twenty One.

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Written in five minutes from the writing prompt, "the smell of a dumpster" as part of the #freewrite exercise. Image is also by me. You can view the prompt here and check out the other entries; not a one to be thrown away. Thanks to @mariannewest for creating and running this one man's treasure of literary finds.

WEEK TWO OF THE "WRITE FROM MY MUSIC" CONTEST IS UP

Check out my new contest where you listen to an instrumental piece of music by yours truly, and then write your own story inspired by that piece. You can join the contest here.