Three days and counting down until we reached port. Three days and I would be off of this wretched ship called 'Petunia' and away from her nasty crew. Picking this vessel had been the worst way to start a new life in the new land. My disappointment in myself had only worsened on this twelve day trip and if I didn't get my act together I wasn't going to stay sane for much longer. What a way to start a new life.
Sounding loudly from the crow's nest came a panicked cry, "Ship starboard side!". The stark pronouncement snapped me quickly out of my reverie and sent me straight to pure panic. "I'm just a writer", I thought as my insides turned chill at the sight of a massive ship not twenty paces from the starboard rail. Teaming with foul men who's singular appearance spoke of dark things and rough lives. The beast of a vessel loomed high overhead making it easy for the pirates to cast grappling hooks over the railing. Before anyone had even moved, our ship had been taken.
I stood there in shock as men of the ghastly sort boarded our ship, no one moved. One by one the pirates slew the crew of 'Petunia', caught completely unprepared...we were but sheep to them. Twenty of their men were now aboard the ship, myself and two other crew members were left standing. From the massive ship came a gruff voice saying "Surrender ye weapons and ye'll be spar'd."
I couldn't believe what I heard! No one aboard the 'Petunia' had taken up arms! My thoughts were interrupted as a plank was lowered to the center of our deck. A burly man the color of death began swiftly walking down the wooden ramp. His steps were heavy from his thick black boots. They sparkeled a muted red in the sun. He started to laugh as he approached, "Not even a scratch, Yarley" he noticed as he patted a trenchcoat wearing mess of a man on the back. The other pirates began to laugh menacingly with their captain.
From below deck came a loud cry from our captain and the crewmembers who were stationed below. Hope welled within me as the doors leading to below burst open and charged towards the pirates' captain. I felt that we would be okay, the captain of 'Petunia' flowering before our eyes. A new day had begun for all of them!
Still laughing through the daunting battle cry of the crewmembers, the captain slowly drew from his left breast pocket a black pistol. The barrel was huge and long like a sword. Without even looking he aimed the barrel towards the charging crewmembers and shot the captain of our ship right in the middle of his forehead, the force of the blast knocking the captain back into his charging crew members. They were slaughtered by more gunshots as the pirates aboard 'Petunia' had also drawn their weapons.
My horror at the massacre was dulled when the captain stood in my face. His breath smelled of clove and onions, carmelized from the searing heat of his mouth. Numerous cuts graced his deeply pocked face. "Remember this", he whispered in my ear as he grabbed the back of my head, pulling my hair he brought me down to my knees. Laughing once more he backhanded me with such force I was thrown into a group of barrels tied to the railing. The world went black as their laughing filled my ears in muffled tones. My last thought before seeing the dark was Pirate.
"Pirate!", I yelled as I jerked from sleep.
Yarrrrrrrr!
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