CROSSING FATES
Flowing through the streets, washing upon every avenue, house, store, like a flood that would drown all in its path…was joy.
The rapture was excessive, if one noted it in statistics, the emotion ranked higher in stock than rum did in any port. The bustles of people parading down the lanes, chattering happily without a care in the world, surrounded by even more happier crowds, they were all engulfed in such cheerful exuberance.
Balloons danced tenderly in the air toward blue skies that mirrored the ocean's own perfect shade as confetti of every color sprinkled against the roads like shimmering pieces of glass under a calm sun. Workers, officials, lords, every rank of society basked in the happiness that thrived in the port on that very special day.
And what was the occasion that breathed such pleasure?
"The circus?"
"That's right, little one. The circus. They've finally come to visit us!"
The answer would have sufficed the little girl, whose feet faced a hard challenge of keeping up with those of their companion. A small hand remained grasped in the strong grip of the woman who had answered quite hastily as they moved along side the crowd. The answer would have sufficed. But it lacked, for the little girl did not know what the circus was.
Confusion wrote itself upon her soft features, her head bobbing up to meet with the woman's eyes but alas, said woman had her own pair settled on the journey ahead. "But Miss Jonas….what is the circus?"
"Hush now, Anamaria! Asking such childish questions! Ye just keep up with me and you'll see for yourself. Oh, there's the governor!"
Instantly ignored by her supposed guardian, who now busied herself with waving frantically at a man several feet ahead of her, little Anamaria pouted in silly fury and huffed. Of course it was a childish question, she was but a child of course! Her masters always reminded her of that, or rather reminded themselves. Eyes of glistening brown looked to her little forearm that wore a small bruise, courtesy of the Baron Marlette.
She had promised to clean up after Angela, that silly girl, and sure enough, when she was done with her piano lessons, Anamaria carried on after and put the books away. She should have known that Angela would not leave without her daily dose of hurting the younger girl. As the little maid went to fix up the ornaments that stood near by the piano, the daughter of Baron Marlette, pushed off Ana and sent the crystal designs shattering to the ground. The blonde sprite ran off giggling but came back in hopes of watching that worthless girl be scolded and hit.
Little Anamaria never caused harm to anyone in that household! Angela's older brother had told the little girl that the reason his sister hated Anamaria so much was because of how prettier she was. He had to be lying, for then he said it was a shame that she was black. Anamaria simply did not understand. Yes, she was of a darker tone but it was just a silly color. Maybe if she was green Angela and the entire family would like her.
"Keep up, Anamaria please!" The angel of six summers looked up at Miss Jonas and muttered with a tint of sorrow in her, "Yes, Miss Jonas…"
Miss Jonas was the only white lady in the house of Marlette that cared for Anamaria. She, thought little Anamaria, was the only one who did not care about her color. She treated her much better than others did, even if she was a little mean sometimes. But Anamaria loved Miss Jonas. She was the only mother figure she had.
Thoughts were soon silenced as the colors of the world struck her fascinating. So many happy faces, so many different shades of colors on people and yet they were all with each other. Was the circus….good? Yes. Yes, it had to be, thought Anamaria. For people today don't care about color because of the circus! I like the circus already!
A smile reached her darling face, giggles twinkling out of her as she watched the world dance in joy. "I like the circus, Miss Jonas!"
"We're not even there yet, child!" Laughed the woman, looking down at the little fairy at her side. "Now you hold onto me hand tightly, ye hear? We must be quick if we want to have the good seats!"
Anamaria bobbed her little head of dancing raven silk, waves of dark hair twirling as the wind blew by, tickling her cheeks with sweet caress.
And indeed the time came when a stronger hold between her hand and Miss Jonas's was needed. People began to fill up the spaces between personal boundaries as the entrance to the circus was just ahead. The lane kept narrowing to the point where columns of five were only allowed and people pushed against each other trying to fit in. Small even for her age, Anamaria disappeared in the sea of breeches and skirts, amazed eyes skimming through the swarm of interesting footwear. The volume of noise rose to several notches as everyone and anyone surrounded Anamaria and Miss Jonas. It was becoming hard to hear Jonas's commands and the less she heard, the less Anamaria paid attention to what she was doing and what had to be done.
A pair of sparkling shoes captivated her innocent attention and Anamaria, allured by all senses, subconsciously loosened her grip on Jonas's hand, wanting to slow down their pace in order to touch the shoes that glittered. They're so pretty…I wonder if I could touch them….?
Big brown eyes glanced upwards to the redhead and back to the shoes. She would not get lost in the sea of feet! It would only be a moment! And then she'd come right back to Miss Jonas's side. Yes, that was a marvelous plan!
Ready to commence said plan of action, Anamaria freely released herself from Jonas's gravity and set her against the parade of people going against her. Just a few people down and she'd be able to touch those pearly shoes!
But the journey was a lot harder than she thought and little Anamaria fought against the oncoming walls of people, snaking between person and person to finally reach the pair of shoes. And even then, she could not touch them!
It seemed that every time Anamaria made a move to reach out and touch, the feet would move ahead and she'd be bumped into by someone. Her existence though, was considered as a cat and not a child. Soon it drove Anamaria to near exasperation and when her little hand was dreadfully stomped out, with a yelp she moved away and forgot her objective.
Cradling her hand like a wounded bird of song, she stood up and looked forwards. But saw no Miss Jonas.
"Miss Jonas! Miss Jonas where are you!" Cried out her little voice but it never reached the surface of heads and ears for the noise was much louder than her.
"Miss Jonas! Miss Jonas!" She began to move forwards but every step taken was a bump against someone and soon she become dizzy with the turns and turns that she made, apologizing to those she bumped into but they would not hear. No one saw the child.
Fear struck in her for she had never been lost before and with tears that suddenly whelmed up in frightened eyes, Anamaria hurried out of the swarm of people, rushing past people who cried out in shock of such collisions.
"What in the world was that?" Came a question but it would remain unanswered for Anamaria dashed to an alley where no one but the shadows cast by sunlight accompanied her.
Panting from the fright, Anamaria nestled against the stone wall and closed her eyes tightly. "I'm okay, I'm okay, everything's going to be fine…" She chanted like a mantra, her tiny voice quivering as it spoke.
"Everything's going to be fine…."
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney said I would scare away the young audience if I wickedly murdered Elizabeth Swann.
A/N: It started out as a one-shot but out of habit, I've made it too long for a one-shot and now I've gotta make it into chapters. Which is no problem for me but Damnit I just can't write one-shots and I really want toooo!
Anyways. Ana's a slave. She's six. She's being taken to the circus. I know, maybe all of my historical facts are way fuckin' off (pardon my French) but this is an A/U story. So enjoy the story, don't hurt yourself with wondering if there were even circuses back then, if Port Royal was even established back then and all that stuff. I don't. I just write. You should too!
---- AB FIRESTAR