FicWad

I hurried along the streets as quickly and quietly as I could. Nobody must see me. If they did, I would most certainly be caught and dragged back to where I had come from. Why was I running away? Well, I was running away from the terrible fate my parents had sealed for me. They expected me to marry Sir Allen Parker. Sir Allen had lots of money. That was the only reason why my parents thought I should marry him. They didn't think twice about love or a meaningful relationship. I guessed that they hadn't ever even loved each other. No wonder they were so unhappy.

Deep in my heart, I knew there was no way I wanted to end up like them. No way would I sit around and get old with a man I didn't care about. I would refuse to have his children as well. It wasn't that Sir Allen was a bad man; he just didn't love me. And to be honest, I didn't love him either. We had only met a few times and from what I could tell about him, all he cared about was money, fame, and a high status.

So here I was now, escaping from my fate. I had crept out of my room in the dead of night and was now tiptoeing along the streets. A sudden crack caused me to freeze and look around cautiously. To my great relief, the night feel back into silence. Telling myself that maybe I should be a bit more careful about where I stepped, I continued my run across the pavement once more.

I didn't really have a good plan about where I was going. I hadn't even bothered to pack anything either. All I had were the clothes on my back, the hat on my head, and the engagement ring on my finger. I had kind of forgotten about the engagement ring. For a moment, I wanted to rip the vile thing off my finger and throw it as far away from me as I could. Luckily, I stopped myself just in time though. I couldn't throw it away. After all, it was definitely worth a lot of money. Money was something I would certainly need later down the road.

As I continued down the road, rain started to spill from the heavens. It soaked through my dark pants and black shirt. I had dressed in black in hopes that nobody would recognize me for who I really was. The hat with the large brim on my head also helped conceal my identity as well. By now, I had almost reached the dock by our little town. Even through the rain, I could see a large ship resting by the dock.

My plan wasn't a very good one. As a matter of fact, it was downright stupid and very risky. Nevertheless, I was determined to take this risk. No way was I going to sit around and be a submissive little girl when it came to getting married. I believed in true love. If you didn't have true love, then what did you have? In my opinion, without love, you are nothing.

Anyways, enough about love for now. Right now, all that mattered was my plan. I had been planning to sneak aboard a ship in the harbor and sail far away from my little town and hope to never return. I was aware that there were several problems with my plan. After all, what if the crew members on the ship didn't like me? What if women weren't allowed on the ship? And thirdly, what if they found me and brought me back here?

Those were all very bothersome questions, but right now, I just had to shove them to the back of my mind. They didn't really matter now. I was willing to run the risk. As I scanned the sea ahead of me, my eyes rested on the one and only ship in the harbor. I couldn't help but think that it was rather strange that only one ship was by the dock. Usually, there were three or four ships resting there. No matter though.

I finally reached the side of the large ship and peered at it more closely. It was hard to see the details of it because of the rain, but I immediately knew it was a big and powerful ship. I grabbed the side of the ship and a robe hanging from it. I had never really climbed a rope before, but there's a first time for everything. Using all my strength, I twisted my legs around the rope and started to climb up it slowly but surely.

After only five minutes, I had somehow managed to climb the rope. I was now hanging rather precariously above the ship. I would have to jump down to reach the ship's deck. That thought made me take in a quick breath. Heights had always been one of my biggest fears and I was certainly a long way up right now. However, before I could chicken out, I heard creaking noises from somewhere nearby. Uh oh, that meant someone was coming! Without another thought, I let go of the rope and fell throw the air until I reached the bottom of the ship with a thud.

Hoping that nobody had heard me, I crawled behind a barrel of some unknown substance and held my breath. A loud voice and footsteps met my ears, "Did you hear that noise? It sounded like someone had fallen or something." Another voice answered the first voice, "Maybe it was just a mouse or something. You never know. But anyways, go haul the anchor in right away. The captain is in a hurry."

More footsteps sounded and the first voice contradicted the second one, "A mouse? How the hell would a mouse get on our ship?" The second voice retorted, "I don't know. But it is possible." A loud crashing sound told me that the anchor had been hauled up onto the ship. The sounds of many, many more footsteps and lots of voices met my ears. Apparently this ship had a very large crew.

I continued to stay crouched in my little hideaway as people all around me performed their assigned duties on the ship. Finally, I felt a lift from the sea below us; we were off! My heart seemed to soar as high as the heavens as the ship started traveling across the waves. I was finally leaving the place I had come to dread so much. Never again would I return here.

As I lay on my side behind the barrel, sleep started to overcome me. I was rather tired. It was the middle of the night after all and I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the last few nights. So despite the fact that it was raining, the fact that I was on a ship with a bunch of unknown people, and the fact that I hated being wet, I somehow managed to drift off to the world of dreams.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Hey, you there!" a loud voice in my ear and a kick to my side sent me spiraling out of my dreams and back into reality. I wasn't sure if I was quite ready to leave my dream world just yet. I had been dreaming about what I wished would happen in my future. I dreamed that the captain of this ship was a royal prince. He would treat me well, fall in love with me, and we would live happily ever after. I know it's rather pathetic, but it doesn't hurt to dream of happy endings and fairy tales, right?

The kick to my side caused me to cringe and clench my teeth. Blinking sleep out of my eyes, I rolled back into a sitting position and looked upwards. The man standing above me was short and stocky. His hair was straggly, the top of his head was bald, and he was pretty ugly to be honest. Still half asleep, I merely blinked up at him.

The stocky man turned around and called to someone behind him, "Hey Ragetti, get over here! I have something to show you!" Show him? Something wasn't boding well. I was getting a bad feeling in my gut. Looking around to get my bearings, my eyes fell on the flags hoisted above the ship. They were black and had a skull and crossbone marked upon them. Oh my god...was this a pirate ship?

Before I could think of this anymore, a tall and thin man with a very strange looking eye came over and joined the first man. Giving the first man a big grin, he said, "What do we have here? A stowaway perhaps?" The man, obviously named Ragetti, then turned to me and said, "What's your name, boy? Have you come to join the crew of the Black Pearl?"

Hm, the ship's name was the Black Pearl. I seemed to think I had heard that name before, but I wasn't quite sure. All I was sure about at this point was that I was in a bad situation. Pirates were cruel, reckless, and murderers! I had never even considered the possibility that I might accidentally board a pirate ship! Unfortunately, I was now paying the consequences of that.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the wide-brimmed hat off my head and met Ragetti's eyes. In a firm voice, I replied, "I'm not a boy. My name is Bernadette Cook. But yes, I have come to join the crew. What can I do to help?" I figured this was the best thing to say to Ragetti. After all, I most certainly didn't want to displease pirates. They were known to be nasty at times.

Unfortunately, I had said the wrong thing. At my words, both men's eyebrows flew up and they gaped at me. I felt very uncomfortable under their stares and wondered what they were thinking as they stared at me. Before I could ask them what was wrong, another head appeared above me. This person had short grayish-brown hair, a wrinkled face, and shocked eyes.

"My, my!" the newcomer exclaimed. "Have you been stealing women onto the ship, Pintel?" The first man, who I assumed was named Pintel, quickly shook his head, "No, no, of course not, Mr. Gibbs! I was only doing my duties when I happened to come across her. She was just lying her behind the barrel where we were storing all the extra rum."

Mr. Gibbs frowned at Pintel and said, "What were you doing by the barrel of the extra rum anyways?" Pintel opened his mouth, started to say something, and then shut it almost immediately. He gave Mr. Gibbs a sheepish smile and then looked at his feet. By now, three more faces appeared over me. Two seconds later, the whole crew was towering over me.

I hated having everyone staring at me. I hated it even more that everyone on here was a pirate. Well, I assumed they were all pirates anyways. After all, this was a pirate ship and pirates sailed on pirate ships. Feeling uncomfortable with all the pairs of eyes on me, I made an attempt to get to my feet. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I had planned. My legs felt like jelly beaneath me and refused to let me stand up.

Finally, a big man with dark skin and dark hair asked me rather loudly, "What's your business here, girl?" I didn't like this man much at all. His voice was too loud, his eyes were too wild, and I most certainly didn't like the way he was looking at me. Several of the men standing nearby had pistols in their belts or were carrying some other kind of weapon. All it took was one little pull and I would have a bullet in my head.

There were a lot of things I could say to the dark man. Finally, I decided that the truth would be best. In a rather unsteady voice that conveyed my fear, I stuttered, "I'm running away from home. I...I don't get along with my family." A long silence followed my words. Finally, a particularly scraggly and mean-looking pirate took a step forward and said, "I'll take her down below to the bunks. She'll be kept out of the way there and maybe she'll be able to do us some good."

I didn't like at all the way the man had said all that. I didn't want to go down below to the bunks. It would be cold and dark down there and I had no idea what the men would do to me. Pirates were brutal; whatever they did to me certainly couldn't be good. I slowly started backing up against the side of the ship with hopes that a magical prince would appear out of thin air and come save me. Unfortunately, I kind of knew that wasn't going to happen.

However, before anyone could grab me, the loud thud of boots crossing the deck sounded and a rather commanding voice said loudly, "Alright, alright, everyone out of the way. What's going on here?" At the sound of the voice, the pirates group around me instantly retreated and I was left shivering on the floor of the ship. I was really cold by now. I was only wearing a thin shirt and a simple pair of black pants. Why hadn't I remembered to bring a coat along?

Suddenly, a shadow was cast over me. Looking upwards, I say that a tall man was standing over me. He looked exactly what a pirate should look like. He wore baggy pants, brown boots, a black coat, and a belt with a large buckle on it. On his head was a large hat with feathers upon it and there was a monkey chattering noisily on his shoulder. What really caught my attention was the man's eyes. They were the deepest blue that I had ever seen before. It was surprising that I could even see his eye color considering how hard it was raining and all.

Pintel immediately answered the man's original question, "I found this girl hiding behind the barrel of rum, captain. She said she's running away from home. What shall we do with her now?" Pintel looked from the captain to me, and then back to the captain again. I held my breath as I waited for the captain's response. His next words would probably determine my fate once and for all.

The captain looked down and me and didn't speak for a long while. I was suddenly aware of how pathetic and awful I probably looked right now. My hair was wet and hanging in loose strands around my face. I didn't have any makeup on besides for eyeliner which had probably smeared all over by now. And I was also suddenly very self conscious of the way my wet shirt was clinging to my body.

"So you're running away from home, girl? There's gotta be a reason for it," the captain stated a-matter-of-factly. When I didn't say anything, he took a step even closer to me and said, "Well? Go on and tell us why you're running away. You can speak, can't you? I haven't heard you say a word yet."

Summoning up all my courage, I finally found my voice and said, "My parents were going to force me to get married to a man more than twice my age who barely knows me. I would not let myself submit to such an awful destiny. So I decided to run away by boarding the first ship I could find. And now I am here."

"I see. So you're running away to find true love then, aye?" the captain said in almost a comical voice. Blushing, I shrugged and looked at the floor of the ship. I wasn't exactly going to find true love when I was on a boat with pirates, but hopefully someday I would be able to find the man of my dreams who would love me for who I was.

When I didn't reply, the captain sighed, rolled his eyes, and then said, "You're going to have to learn to speak up, girl. This isn't really a place for a woman to be. Unfortunately, we're kind of stuck with you now. I could have my crew throw you overboard though..." The captain's words stirred up a pit of feaer in my stomach. Would he be so cruel as do throw me overboard?

Giving me a lopsided smile, the captain continued, "I wouldn't do that to ya, little lassie. At least, not for now. I will warn ye though. This isn't a place for a young person like yourself. Dark things happen on pirate ships. I cannot say whether or not you'll be safe here. I can control my ship, but not always the crew. Stand up a second, girl."

I was getting more and more nervous by the moment. What kinds of "dark things" happened on pirate ships? What would the members of the crew do to me? I was trembling more than before, but that was more from anxiety versus from being cold at this point. I attempted to get to my feet, but like before, I couldn't make my legs move.

Sighing loudly, the captain took a step forwards, leaned down, and pulled me to my feet rather roughly so that we were standing right in front of each other. A strange feeling came over me as the captain looked me up and down from head to toe. I flinched as his gaze passed over my chest and down my legs. I didn't think I liked being scrutinized so carefully by an unpredictable pirate.

After looking me over to his satisfaction, the captain locked gazes with me. I was suddenly immersed in a sea of blue as I stared into them. A strange feeling that I couldn't quite idenitify started running through my veins. Something was wrong about this. Something was very wrong indeed. Unfortunately, it took me a long six months to find out exactly what that something was.