The Captain

nineteen

Ramsay was removed from the Mermaid's Revenge two days later. 

I felt nothing as I watched him get thrown from the boat, but a weight removed itself from my shoulders as we sailed away from the port in Naden. 

Maverick and I hadn't spoken since the incident, which only made his presence more confusing. 

I continued to work, trying my best to put that awful sneer out of my mind. It still cropped up in my dreams, usually followed by the memory of the choking sensation of my near-drowning, but I was determined to move on. 

I was going to get my hands on that treasure, and some creepy old man wasn't about to stop me. 

Maverick gathered us on the deck. 

"Alright lads."

Bonnie cleared her throat. 

"And lasses," he amended, "we're heading into the Red Pass today. I know what you've heard, all the ghost stories and whatnot. But we're not gonna let some children's fables deter us, are we?"

"No sir," Charlie said. 

The rest of us nodded in agreement. 

"Excellent. And I don't wanna hear any protesting about orders. If we're gonna do this, all of you have to trust me."

His eyes met mine for a split second before he continued. 

"That treasure is as good as ours."

The cheer from the crew was deafening.

With that, everyone dispersed to their stations. I climbed into the crows and settled in. 

The next few hours were uneventful. To be honest, the Red Pass didn't feel much different from any other stretch of water we'd crossed. And yet, the tension on the deck was palpable. Nobody was speaking. Everyone seemed tense, waiting for something. 

My eyes were sore from staring into the fog and the vast blue abyss when I finally noticed something. 

"Ship! There's a ship dead ahead!" I yelled, grabbing the spyglass.

The ship looked odd, a greyish-colored cloud seeming to hover over it. Oddly, I couldn't see anyone on the deck. 

I slid down the rope with practiced ease and landed on the deck. 

Dalt and Tim were beginning to man the cannons. 

Ernie watched the approaching boat with apprehension. 

"Something doesn't feel right," Charlie muttered. 

Maverick stared the boat down. 

"Everyone prepare to be boarded."

I watched nervously as the boat approached, now seeing a few figures milling about on the deck. There was still something slightly off about it. 

It got closer, headed in a straight line for us. 

"They're going to hit us head-on," Bonnie said quietly. 

The boat got closer and closer, the rotting wood approaching fast. 

"Aren't we going to get out of the way?" I asked. 

Instead, Maverick yelled out. 

"Prepare for impact!"

"Are you crazy?" 

He sent me a firm glare and I bit the inside of my cheek, grabbing hold of the mast and waiting.