Where The Stories Come From

Part 6

I pull myself up with all my upper body strength, or lack there of. I barely budge, but I continue pulling. I feel my hands slipping off of the wood. I realize that I don't have time to think. I try to get a better grip onto the wood, and I do, but it's not much better. I then take my right leg and swing it up as high as I can, my left leg following. The captains dagger falls into the ocean. I'm weaponless. I get a few of my toes onto the ship and use them to pull my foot up, then my leg, and then the rest of me. I climb onto the side and flop onto the floor. I lay there for a moment, but I quickly get up in realization that I could be trampled by the other men. I bring myself up to my feet and catch my balance. I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I reflexively turn around and hit them as hard as I can with the back of my hand. I turn around and immediately cup my hands over my mouth realizing it was Elias that I just hit. He holds his jaw with his left hand. "Oh my god, I am so sorry, Elias!" I say with a little giggle.

"Don't be." He sighs, clearly in pain. "It was self defense. If anything, I'm kinda proud of you."

I laugh. "Watch out!" I yell as I see someone pointing a gun towards us. I grab his shoulders and force him to the ground. He turns around with his own pistol and shoots the Dutchman so that he falls on the floor. "Sorry. Did I just hurt you again?"

"Not as badly as you did a minute ago." We both laugh, but our moment of joy is brief. He turns away from me and goes to fight more Dutch sailors. I hear gunshot after gunshot ringing in my ears. I just want to get out of here, but I need to help if that is to happen. I scan the floor for something, anything, that I can use as a weapon. The rain obstructs my vision, but I catch a glimpse of a body of a Dutchman fall to the floor right by me. I run over to the body, holding my skirt up, and kneel down beside him to grab his sword for me. I grab the hilt and hold the blade at my side. "Do you have any idea how to use one of those?" Elias yells at me from across the ship.

"Yes, but I would rather not kill anybody!" I yell back.

"You may not have a choice!" He yells back.

"Is there any way I could avoid killing anyone?" I retaliate.

"Not unless you want to be the one who gets killed!" He screams as he drives a sword through a Dutchman. He pulls it out of the sailor and blood drips onto the deck, but is quickly washed away by the pouring rain.

"I don't want to do that!" I tell as I look down at the red water clouding the deck.

"Only do it if you have to!" I hear his sword clang with that of another cutlass wielded by an opposing sailor.

I take a deep breath and run as fast as I can to seek protection from the Dutchmen. I find refuge behind a crate that I can barely squeeze behind. I hear gunshots go off one at a time. Each one makes me jump with fear that they are coming towards my head. I look to my right to see what's happening over my shoulder, but I feel a hand grab my left arm. In a quick moment of reflex, I slash the arm with my sword. I notice that he is an opposing sailor. Blood gushes from his arm as I pull the blade out of his wound. He screams in agony. I feel guilt settling in. Almost out of no where, Harrison comes over and puts him out of his misery but putting his sword's blade through his heart, killing him instantly. He wraps his arms around me. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No. No I'm fine." I stutter. I speak before I realize that I have a huge gash in my leg. I don't even know how it happened. The blood from my wound has gotten onto my dress and drips on my leg. I never felt it happen.

"Oh my god, Christine! You're not alright!" He says as he kneels down to examine my leg. He pulls up my skirt to where the wound is, but I pull away.

"I'm fine." I say as I push his hands away from my skirt. "Go finish this battle. I'll take care of myself."

"Christine, it's not safe for you here. You shouldn't get any more hurt than you already are," He tries to convince me.

"I'll be fine, Harrison." I place my hand on his shoulder to assure him. He smiles back at me before running off to help his shipmates in their battle. I look down at my wound and decide not to deal with it at the moment. I hear the gunshots start to stop. I look up and hear swords clang on the ground. Captain McFadden holds a sword to the Dutch Captain's throat. I can't make out what he says, but I hear something about the ship being theirs. My heart regains its normal pace. Captain McFadden slashes the other captain's throat.

I make eye contact with Elias. It takes me a moment, but I notice a long, bloody line on his cheek. My stomach drops. The rain washes the blood away, but it only makes the water on his face red. "Gents, as you please." I hear McFadden's accent sound.

Elias comes right over to me. "Oh my god, Elias!" I wrap my arms around his neck. He places his armsaround my waist. "Let me help you. Go to my cabin as soon as you get back on the ship. Which should be soon. Don't let that wound get infected." He nods and goes back to his crew.

I hear a plank of wood hit the pirate ship. A plank to cross on. I take the opportunity and get back onto the ship as quickly as I can. I ask a crew member where the kitchen is. He looks confused. "Apologies. Where is the galley?" He takes me to a room in the quarters below deck. "Thank you," I respond.

I grab a pot and I run back upstairs as quickly as I can. I stand out in the downpour and wait for the pot to fill. A good portion of the pot is filled within a few seconds. I take it back down to the galley and  I light the fire. I hold the pot over the flame, using the skirt of my dress to keep my hands from burning. I keep it over the flame until the water inside begins to boil. I take it upstairs to my cabin and place it on my bedside table. I then tear off a portion of my skirt from where it was already ripped. I then rip the cotton to make four rags. I dip them in the hot water and wait for Elias.