"Ben, take me with you, please?" Mari Mathers cried ot her older
brother. Her violet eyes shone with the look of boredom. Her deep black
hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red ribbon. Her twenty-one year
old brother, who was handsome but thin from months without proper
nutrition. He had chocolate brown hair and green eyes, which were know
staring at the seventeen year old girl clinging to his side.
"Mar, what have I told you about this? It's bad for your condition!" He told her, refering to her small case of scarlet fever. But Mari stared at him with shining eyes.
"Please, Ben, please?" She asked him. "I miss the smell of the sea. I miss the clouds outside and the deep blue sky that they lay against. I miss everything. Please?"
Ben rolled his eyes. His little sister was going to regret going outside in this chilly season. But as long as she was covered up, she could go.
"Alright, alright. But we're only going to the blacksmith's for a while." replied Ben. Mari smiled and hugged her brother. She threw on her shawl and ran out the door. She took in a breath of the salty ocean's breeze and began to walk with her brother.
"Why are you going to the blacksmith's shop anyway?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"Looking for a job. And maybe strike up a conversation with Will." Mari nodded, even though she didn't know who Will was. Ben looked to her.
"Don't remember Will Turner, do you? You and him used to be inseprable when you were children." He began. "It was you, Will, and that Timothy Gardner who used to run around together. But then you stopped when Mother died and we had to move to Tortuga with Father."
Mari nodded. "I don't remember him. All I remember is going to that horrible place with Dad and having to live in some old sailor's house...what was his name?...Gibbs, was it, Ben?"
"Yes, Mr. Gibbs used to be a sailor on the same ship as Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington." Mari shuddered.
"Norrington's not Commodore yet." She told him as they stopped at Brown's Blacksmith Shop. "And if I had my way, he wouldn't be."
Ben knocked on the door of the shop and waited a while. "Why haven't I ever seen this Turner boy and you have?" Mari asked. Ben shrugged again.
"Well, you've been sick. I mean, you haven't been out of the house for weeks. Chris and Matt have been taking care of you."
The door opened to reveal a handsome young man, supposedly Will Turner. He smiled and shook hands with Mari's brother.
"Ben, good to see you. Come on in, Mr. Brown's asleep...as usual." Ben stepped inside but Mari remained staring at Will. Is it possible for a man to look that good? She asked herself.
"Marissa?" Will asked. He smiled and searched her over. "Wow, you've...really grown up. You're so beautiful, come in." He opened the door for her. She walked in and stood, staring at Will with extreme fondness. He stared her over again.
"It's been so long since I've seen you last. Ben's told me all about you. How's the fever?"
Mari just stood there and nodded. Her heart stopped beating. She had been friends with this guy for years and never even remember his handsome face?
"It's better." Ben said to Will, knowing that Mari was dazed.
"That's good." Will stated, running his hands through his hair. "Anyway, I heard that Timothy Gardner is going to sail to Tortuga to get himself a house."
Mari was shocked. Timothy Gardner, sweet, young, charming Timothy Gardner move to a place like that? Will read the shock on her face.
"I know, it's hard to believe. I guess he thinks that he'll find a mate in Tortuga because he's had no such luck here."
"Oh, but he's so handsome. I'm surprised. Poor Timothy." Mari spoke up finally. Will smiled and put his hand on hers.
"Your voice, it reminds me so much of your mother. You look exactly like her. How's Matthew?"
Mari thought of her twin brother, Chris. He looked like her, dark black hair and violet eyes, but he was more masculine and taller.
"He's doing good. Hoping to marry the Governor's daughter, Miss Swann." Ben said. Will's face turned pink but he still talked.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," Mari told him. "He thinks he's such a hot shot, the dirty scoundrel."
"Well, he must be if he thinks he can court Elizabeth Swann. That Norrington thinks he's going to propose. When he sets his mind to something, he sticks to it." Will told them.
Ben sighed. "Well, Mari and I need to get to town. I'm trying to find someone who has the right medicine to get rid of her cough." Will nodded and held up a sword.
"I have to deliver this to the Governor. Might as well join you." Mari smiled to herself. This day wasn't going to be that bad.
"Mar, what have I told you about this? It's bad for your condition!" He told her, refering to her small case of scarlet fever. But Mari stared at him with shining eyes.
"Please, Ben, please?" She asked him. "I miss the smell of the sea. I miss the clouds outside and the deep blue sky that they lay against. I miss everything. Please?"
Ben rolled his eyes. His little sister was going to regret going outside in this chilly season. But as long as she was covered up, she could go.
"Alright, alright. But we're only going to the blacksmith's for a while." replied Ben. Mari smiled and hugged her brother. She threw on her shawl and ran out the door. She took in a breath of the salty ocean's breeze and began to walk with her brother.
"Why are you going to the blacksmith's shop anyway?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"Looking for a job. And maybe strike up a conversation with Will." Mari nodded, even though she didn't know who Will was. Ben looked to her.
"Don't remember Will Turner, do you? You and him used to be inseprable when you were children." He began. "It was you, Will, and that Timothy Gardner who used to run around together. But then you stopped when Mother died and we had to move to Tortuga with Father."
Mari nodded. "I don't remember him. All I remember is going to that horrible place with Dad and having to live in some old sailor's house...what was his name?...Gibbs, was it, Ben?"
"Yes, Mr. Gibbs used to be a sailor on the same ship as Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington." Mari shuddered.
"Norrington's not Commodore yet." She told him as they stopped at Brown's Blacksmith Shop. "And if I had my way, he wouldn't be."
Ben knocked on the door of the shop and waited a while. "Why haven't I ever seen this Turner boy and you have?" Mari asked. Ben shrugged again.
"Well, you've been sick. I mean, you haven't been out of the house for weeks. Chris and Matt have been taking care of you."
The door opened to reveal a handsome young man, supposedly Will Turner. He smiled and shook hands with Mari's brother.
"Ben, good to see you. Come on in, Mr. Brown's asleep...as usual." Ben stepped inside but Mari remained staring at Will. Is it possible for a man to look that good? She asked herself.
"Marissa?" Will asked. He smiled and searched her over. "Wow, you've...really grown up. You're so beautiful, come in." He opened the door for her. She walked in and stood, staring at Will with extreme fondness. He stared her over again.
"It's been so long since I've seen you last. Ben's told me all about you. How's the fever?"
Mari just stood there and nodded. Her heart stopped beating. She had been friends with this guy for years and never even remember his handsome face?
"It's better." Ben said to Will, knowing that Mari was dazed.
"That's good." Will stated, running his hands through his hair. "Anyway, I heard that Timothy Gardner is going to sail to Tortuga to get himself a house."
Mari was shocked. Timothy Gardner, sweet, young, charming Timothy Gardner move to a place like that? Will read the shock on her face.
"I know, it's hard to believe. I guess he thinks that he'll find a mate in Tortuga because he's had no such luck here."
"Oh, but he's so handsome. I'm surprised. Poor Timothy." Mari spoke up finally. Will smiled and put his hand on hers.
"Your voice, it reminds me so much of your mother. You look exactly like her. How's Matthew?"
Mari thought of her twin brother, Chris. He looked like her, dark black hair and violet eyes, but he was more masculine and taller.
"He's doing good. Hoping to marry the Governor's daughter, Miss Swann." Ben said. Will's face turned pink but he still talked.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," Mari told him. "He thinks he's such a hot shot, the dirty scoundrel."
"Well, he must be if he thinks he can court Elizabeth Swann. That Norrington thinks he's going to propose. When he sets his mind to something, he sticks to it." Will told them.
Ben sighed. "Well, Mari and I need to get to town. I'm trying to find someone who has the right medicine to get rid of her cough." Will nodded and held up a sword.
"I have to deliver this to the Governor. Might as well join you." Mari smiled to herself. This day wasn't going to be that bad.