She stood in the line, shackled and bound, not only physically bound, but bound to her fate. She watched as a group of prisoners made their way up to the gallows, amongst them a young boy. He was singing.
The king and his men,
Stole the queen from her bed,
And bound her to her Bones,
The seas be ours,
And by the powers,
Where we will, we'll roam…
The others, all around her, waiting in the line, standing ready to hang, joined in.
She did not.
She watched the pirates, singing their song, clinging to this last thing before death descended to greet them. She clung to herself. Songs could not help her now.
She crept along the dock, signalling to the others to follow her. they crept after, sure of themselves, sure of her. she was their captain. She had never let them down before.
She shook her head, ridding herself of that thought.
She watched the boy.
He was scared, she could tell. But he kept singing. her heart went out to him, and she nearly cried out, but she stopped herself.
The chorus again.
Yo, ho, haul together,
Hoist the colors high,
Heave ho, thieves and beggars,
Never say we die…
The hangman pulled.
She screamed his name, watching in horror as her only true friend, her younger brother, the person she loved most in this world, fell, the noose quickly breaking his neck.
They smacked her and shoved her forward, up to the gallows and the hangman's noose. She stood tall, clinging to herself again. She begin to sing, in a low whisper.
"yo, ho, haul together, hoist the colors high, heave ho, thieves and beggars, never say we die…"
The door beneath her feet opened, and she fell through.
Into the black abyss.
"Jacob…"