Never had Annie felt so completely alone in her life. The matron's words rang in her ears over and over again with all the scorn and hatred their speaker had meant for. Her cheeks were stained with harsh salty tears, eyes prickling, threatening to flood once more. Unwanted, disowned--the tears streamed down her face, now. She had lost track of the hours she had spent here in the corner of the orphanage away from all the others. The cruelty of the head matron was something she was use to but the words stung with the wrath of a thousand blades piercing into her skin. The red flash of an air bomb erupted outside of the orphanage window accompanied by the familiar sounds of war Annie had grown accustomed to. She shut her eyes against it all--the war, the abandonment, the sorrow. In the depths of her mind she let go. The world around her fell away, the hard wooden window seat below her, the cold glass against her bare arm, England and its war faded off. It was all something of another world, someone else's life not hers. It was all a distant memory, nothing but a dream in the past...
Annie stirred groggily, unable to open her eyes with sleep refusing to renounce its grasp on her consciousness. Thick salty air filled her nostrils and the sounds of waves lapping against sand and gulls calling to each other reached her ears. She opened her eyes slowly to see her own dark brown hair spread across her face. Where am I? How did I get here? What happened? questions pushed their way to the front of her mind clamoring to be answered. At the question of What happened last? Annie pushed them all away. She couldn't remember what she had been doing or where she had been. It was a gaping whole in her mind. Some place she did not want to be. So she focused on the world around her at this moment. Coarse sand clung to her arms and legs as she pushed away from the ground. Her arms shook for a moment and bent despite her efforts. She was aware of the waves kissing her toes, and then it rose to her knees. Pulling herself meekly along the shore she spent up the last remnants of energy held within her. A wave crashed down over her and she drew a breath. Salt water filled her lungs burning her throat. She sat there coughing and when finally she breathed air again her eyes shut without her permission and she was asleep again.
The next time Annie woke she was aware of hands under her and movement. Opening her eyes half way she saw the face of a young man and three others gently caring her somewhere. Her mouth was dry and she found she couldn't utter a word even if she wanted to. Whatever would come would come. She was powerless now too weak to sustain herself much longer. Her eyelids drooped and she drifted back to unconsciousness.
Three days later Annie opened her eyes yet again. Sunlight streamed in through a circular window in the wall facing her. She was lying in a hammock wrapped in a tangle of sheets and blankets and two men were talking in hushed voices somewhere not too far off. Strength had returned to her body sense her last touch with the world. She rested back on her elbows and looked around to see the two men speaking in a corner of the room by a door slanted into the wall. When they saw her watching them their words fell away.
"Good morning, miss," one of them said after a while looking sheepish like a dog that knew he'd been caught doing something against his master's will.
Before Annie could reply the man bellowed, "KELLY GET IN HERE SHE'S AWAKE!"
The door was pulled open shortly after and the young man she had seen carried her entered. He couldn't be a day older than sixteen but his weathered skin and leathery hands gave the impression he was quite old from the days of work and sun taking its toll. He was not short but next to the two giants on either side of him now his arms looked like easily snapped twigs in the hands of either man. Sandy ginger hair was unkempt and wind blown and his eyes sparkled a light brown dazzling with the reflection of the sun. The other two men were similar in build and had firm muscles every inch from hours of labored work. They were unmistakably brothers. One had short curly blond hair the other wavy dark brown hair cut to the nape of his neck. A mischievous glint danced in each man's eyes not even doused now as they averted their eyes to the floor. All three of them were adorned in harsh canvass shirts with ragged edges at the sleeves coming up to the giant's shoulders and mid arm for Kelly. Kelly wore black leather leggings were patched and dirty torn and shredded, under worn black boots. The other two wore similarly threadbare brown leggings and tattered boots. A thin, light sword hung unsheathed at Kelly's waste catching the light from the porthole. It occurred to Annie she was in a ship. The rocking of the floor and creaking as it moved sleepily were comforting but she was far from comforted. Her hair was tangled and matted, the ragged nightdress she had worn sense arrival was cutting against her stomach were the seam had rose to in her sleep.
Kelly bowed, "Glad to see you are awake, Miss?"
"Annie," Annie told him running one hand through her hair.
"Miss Annie," he said, "May I introduce you to Freg and Breck." With each name he gave a slight jerk in the direction of its owner. Freg was the blond man and Breck the dark set monster. "They're teddy bears," he reassured.
"Where am I?" Annie asked him uncertainly looking around at her small surroundings. The room was barely five feet across and three forward and they were pushing the limit of people as it was.
"The Jolly Roger," Freg said with some stab of pride.
"At least formerly known as," Breck added.
"Formerly?" she asked.
"That can be explained later. For now we ask you to enjoy the hospitality of the Pirates of Neverland, Miss Annie," Kelly cut off.
The word "pirates" should have startled her. Struck some sort of fear for what these alleged pirates were infamous for. But it didn't. "I'm glad to be aboard," Annie said smoothly.
At this all three men shone with their content.
"I'll fetch the water," Breck said.
"I'll help," Freg told him following his brother out of the room.
Kelly stood there awkwardly then motioned weakly to the door, "I'll go see about some food," he told her and left quickly.
A few minutes later Breck and Freg returned carrying a tub of water between them and set it down on the floor sloshing a bit over the side. "We'll make sure no one disturbs you, Miss Annie."
"Thank you," Annie said gratefully sliding from the hammock. "And please stop with the 'miss' nonsense."
"You are the guest aboard our fine ship we wish to show you all hospitality of a decent home," Kelly said entering the room again.
"Then call me Annie, if you please," she told him.
The boy smiled and left with his two large body guards not far behind.
Annie slipped the nightdress over her head and sank into the water. Filth of four days floated off of her. Dousing her head under quickly Annie sat back and closed her eyes.
She was aboard a pirate ship, with kind pirates, and in a land of dreams. She strayed away from letting her mind chew on the before. Whatever had gotten her here was gone and over. All that lay in the past was despair and hopelessness she wouldn't dwell on it, she decided. After a while she stepped out and crossed to the corner where a white button-down blouse with black vest and crimson skirt were laid out for her.
Probably taken from another ship's plunder, Annie reminded herself. Despite her best wishes she could not convince herself to have any fear of the pirates. They might be pirates but there's no set way someone must be because of their title.
She buttoned up the blouse and pulled on the skirt and vest. She had to ask Kelly if it could be arranged for her to get leggings instead, skirts provided many difficulties in moving about. She placed each foot into a boot and examined the effect in a tiny hand mirror laid on the bedside table. "I look like a pirate," Annie told herself in what was barely hidden as pride.
At that moment a knock sounded on the door. She set the mirror down and hollered, "Come in!"