Ocean Storm (Queen of Piracy Duology #1)

Chapter 13: Pure uncertainty

Everything was gone. That damn water had ended my life, I could feel it. The water sliced my chest inside like a thousand knives... strange, isn't it? How can a liquid meant to save lives do something like that? I always thought water kept people alive and gave them strength. Instead, it decided to leave my body soft as jellyfish and destroy my hopes to have a happy life someday. Of course, being in uncle Ruben's ship gave me joy. However, it all changed when I found out the horrible truth about him and Dr. Bakker. You must be wondering why I got so angry at my uncle and didn't care much that a doctor, who's supposed to help others, murdered my father. The answer is simple: Dr. Bakker didn't persuade me to join a pirate crew to hurt dad's feelings. At the same time, I understood my uncle's reasons to do what he did... Anyway, I was a mess. I didn't know how, but I could think while dying. At a particular moment, I suddenly woke up. My gaze was unfocused and, when I thought things couldn't get any weirder, I started breathing underwater like a mermaid. Once my eyesight came back to normal, I saw the shadow of a man. He stood in front of me.

"Am I dead?" I squinted while approaching him. "Who are you?"

He got closer to me, revealing his face. I wouldn't stop blinking. When I thought my life couldn't get any crazier... guess what?

It can't be. I must be in hell already!

He pressed his lips together, "Hello, Eva."

It was my father, in flesh and bone... or perhaps something else? I didn't know. His body had a weird glowed. My father was dressed exactly like he was when he died. Tears ran down my face and I gawked, unsure of what to say. What the hell was he doing in the middle of the ocean? Did he know I'd become a pirate? I felt a headache while wondering which could be the answers to my questions.

"Dad?" I frowned and touched his arm. "If you're here, why can't I feel you?"

He recoiled and forced a smile, "I'm a ghost."

I sighed and gazed downward, "That explains a lot since I'm dead... and it's all uncle Ruben's fault!"

Dad frowned while shaking his head in denial. He caressed my face, seemingly worried about me. I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes, controlling myself not to cry.

"Your uncle is guilty of many things, but the shipwreck isn't one of them."

I scowled. How could my father say that about the man who took his life? What uncle Ruben had done was selfish and unforgivable! Dad shouldn't have defended that assassin... I wasn't ready to forgive my uncle anytime soon and doubted dad liked him at all.

"What do you mean?!" I increased my tone of voice. "Did you know he killed you?"

"Of course. The fact that Ruben planned to kill me was the main reason I fled from the Netherlands. He'd been wanting to do it for a long time," dad looked at the ocean floor and back at me. "I completely understand his reasons and that's why I forgave him."

I raised both eyebrows. Dad was weird and did terrible things, I know, but that didn't change the fact that uncle Ruben was a murderer. I had followed a merciless killer instead of accepting my fate... I wondered what my father thought of that.

I sobbed again and glared at my father, "I can't forgive uncle Ruben right now, but don't you dare think I forgot what you did to my mother and me!"

He bit his lower lip. Did my father sincerely regret his actions? Although he appeared to feel guilty, there was no way to be sure. He'd fooled me before, so he could do it again.

Dad took a deep breath, "You should forgive him. Forgiveness removes a massive weight from your soul."

I pressed my lips together, thinking about his words. My body was so soft at that moment that I couldn't feel my arms and legs.