Little Abigail Williams stirred in her sleep. An unnerving presence had settled over the mansion and Abigail was the first to notice. Slowly opening an eye, she peeked at her twin brother. "Mattie…" she whispered, "Mattie, are you awake?" She gave the sleeping child's shoulder a little shove. The boy only turned his back on her, muttering something unintelligible about bears. Abigail, now fully awake, rolled her eyes and sat upright.

Fine then, I'll inspect by myself.

The little girl slid from under the covers of their shared bed and unto the cold tile floor. A shiver ran down her spine at the contact. Abigail made her way toward the door of their bedroom, trying to avoid stepping on the toys laid everywhere on the floor. She was reaching for the doorknob when a scream was heard.

Abigail jumped back, startled, and fell on her butt. The scream echoed through the long corridors of the deserted mansion – everyone asleep – ricocheting against the walls, floor, and roof to finally return to the little girl's ears.

"M-Matthew!" she scrambled to her feet and ran to the bed. "Matthew, wake up! Please!" Abigail started to roughly shake the boy, who mumbled his protests but sat up.

"What is it, Abbey…?" he said, rubbing the sleep off his eyes and yawning. Abigail couldn't stand the slow pace her brother was going at, when her heart was racing so wildly.

"Mattie, I heard a scream. I'm worried," the 5-year-old told her twin, pulling at the blankets. "Hurry and come check it out with me!"

Matthew stared at her flatly. "Abbey, maybe it was a dream? Go back to sleep." With that said, he hid under the covers and returned to his slumber. Abigail puffed out her cheeks, worry now replaced with frustration.

Hmpf! It's not like I needed your help anyway!

She turned around and walked back toward the door. Slowly opening it, she risked a peek into the hallway. "M-Mum…?" she whispered. Nobody answered. Abigail's hand was trembling as she pushed the door, now exiting the safety of her room. She walked into the hallway and in the direction of her parents' room. "Mum?" she called, a little louder, just as she approached the door. "Dad? Are you–" Abigail's throat went dry as she realized the door was unlocked and slightly open. Her heartbeat sped up, beating so loudly she could feel it ringing in her ears. Gulping, she gathered all the courage in her tiny body and pushed the door wide open.

What she saw next would leave her scarred for the rest of her life. Abigail felt her whole body going numb. She wanted to throw up. Her knees quivered and her legs threatened to buckle under her. A scream was making its way up her constricted throat when a bloody hand was smacked against her lips, followed by another one covering her eyes. Abigail was lifted and carried in the direction where she'd come from, away from the place where her parents had been brutally murdered.

She could hear the stranger's footsteps as he ran through the hallway. Abigail wanted to squirm and protest, but she was too shocked. She couldn't move nor speak. She was paralyzed. The stranger started to slow down, finally coming to a stop and setting her down. He removed the hand that was covering her eyes.

"'Ello, there, miss," a blond man with green eyes said, kneeling before her. He was dressed in unusual clothes, the type her father had often referred to as "pirate attire". Nevertheless, this man's were stained with blood.

Mum and Dad's blood.

Abigail found it amazing that, even after what she'd just seen, her brain was working properly. She just couldn't voice those thoughts, since it seemed her mind had no power over her body anymore.

"Hey, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you, lass," the man said, flashing a small smile. Abigail hadn't realized she was shaking until the man pointed it out. She couldn't stop, even if she wanted. She simply stared at the pirate before her, pressing her back against the wall behind her. The man stared right back with those piercing emerald eyes. He roamed the girl with his gaze. "So you are Abigail, huh?" She felt her eyes go wider.

Abigail nodded shakily. "H-How did you know?" Her voice sounded so weak and distant; it infuriated Abigail and gave her some of her confidence back. She stopped leaning against the wall and stood her ground, face-to-face with the pirate. "And why did you kill," that word felt so foreign to her, it was hard to pronounce correctly, "my parents?"

The man blinked, taken aback by the child's sudden change. He sighed, looking at the ground and then back at the girl when he answered. "I hope you never have to find out, luv." With that said, he stood up and prepared to depart the crime scene.

"Wait!" Abigail cried, taking hold of the fabric of his pants, "What does that mean? And just who are you?" Abigail had finally come to her senses. Tears of anger were sliding down her cheeks, her words coming out strained.

The man stopped walking and turned towards the girl with a cocky smirk plastered on his face. "Captain Arthur Kirkland, the mightiest pirate that has ever sailed these English waters," he took off his hat and bowed elegantly, never breaking eye contact with the little girl, "at your service."

Abigail's mind was raging about how that evil man viewed all of this as a joke while the pirate took his leave, running down the stairs and out the door, disappearing into the night and leaving a sobbing child orphaned.

Mark my words, Kirkland: I will not rest until I see you hang.

Quite a strong promise for such a young child, eh? Not really. Abigail was no longer a child… because childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.