A/N
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean is © 2003 Disney Enterprises, Inc. and
Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc.
This is my first bash at a Pirates of the Caribbean fic and I really want it to go well, so wish me luck! I hope you enjoy reading this and if you have a spare moment, please review it! And if it's not asking for too much, please give me some constructive criticism. That's basically just a review that says what parts were written well and which parts weren't, what could be improved, what parts really gripped your attention etc.
Thank you for deciding to come and read this, so I'd better let you get on with reading it now! Enjoy!
-----------
"Yes mother, I'll be right back," Lorraine called as she made her way through the door and out of the house. She clasped the two shilling coins in her hand as she walked towards the market place in the centre of town on the small Caribbean island of Orchila.
She strolled merrily down the various little streets, happily watching her skirts sway as she walked. It was a beautiful dress made of cream-coloured material and a thin rim of frilled lace lined the delicate hem, and the petticoats underneath were of smooth, cool satin. She simply loved it; it was the most gorgeous birthday present she had ever received, Lorraine had jumped at the chance to show her friends her new dress when her mother had asked her to go and fetch a loaf of bread and some fruit from the market.
Someone behind her tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around, her skirts skimming the dusty ground.
"Thomas!" laughed Lorraine as her face broke into a wide grin at the sight of her cheerful younger cousin.
"Tag, you're it!"
"What? But – fine then!" she giggled as she chased after him, weaving between the stalls of the market, through the crowds of busy people and along the well-known alleyways and street corners.
After a good half hour of playing tag, both agreed that it was time for a breather.
"Why are you all dressed up like that?" Thomas asked curiously as they sat down on a stone doorstep.
"It's my birthday!" she told him, surprised and somewhat offended.
"Oh, I didn't know, sorry. How old are you?"
"Thirteen. You're seven, aren't you?"
"Mhh-hmm." Thomas nodded his head. "Thirteen's an unlucky number isn't it?" He asked with the uttermost sincerity.
Lorraine responded by sticking her tongue out at him and playfully folding her arms in an angry manner.
*****
They talked about what they had got up to during the past week or so, joking and laughing and basically having a light-hearted chat. After a while, Thomas had to go back home. They quickly said their goodbyes and Lorraine slowly made her way back to the market.
"Lor! Hey, Lorraine!"
She smiled as she saw her best friend running towards her, shoving more than a few frustrated people out of the way in the process.
"Happy birthday!" the girl exclaimed as she gave her a long piece of pale blue silk.
Lorraine took the ribbon and ran her fingers up and down the smooth material. She knew that Rebecca would have had to work hard to afford this; she wasn't as well-off as Lorraine's family.
"You really shouldn't have..."
"Yes I should, and I did. You deserve it, Lor!" She reassured her, still smiling brightly.
Lorraine hugged her and thanked her graciously for the gift as she pocketed it.
"But look at you, all fancy and smart! You don't belong here with us riffle- raffle, Lady Tyne..." Rebecca bowed down low, holding back a laugh.
"Oh, stop it! You know I don't like that!"
"Of course, milady."
"Rebecca!" Lorraine folded her arms and cocked her head to the side expectantly, her eyebrows raised.
"Whatever...but you do look stunning, like a real rich lady or something." She sighed, not jealous at all, just somewhat proud to be in the presence of someone so grand-looking. "But you really should watch yourself when you're out and about," she said in a much more serious tone as she lowered her voice, "you can't trust every man here to stay away. There are plenty enough who would do anything to have a girl like you." Her eyes were full of worry for her friend, whom she wanted no harm done to.
Lorraine swallowed nervously and then slowly nodded her head in understanding. "I'll keep watch, don't worry."
"Anyway," Rebecca returned to her usual light tone of voice, "I've got to run, my ma's been waiting for ages for me to come back with Jimmy...trust the little mischief monkey to be let loose! Younger brothers, eh?" she laughed merrily. "See ya, Lor!"
"Goodbye!" she called at her friend's retreating back.
Lorraine then carried on back towards the market place, but as she passed the town hall, she heard screams from somewhere up ahead, near the port. She ran down the street, around the corner and along the alleyway, arriving at the square. There, near the shore, was a huge, menacing ship with large, black sails catching the fresh ocean breeze. The mere presence of the ship seemed to have an effect on the weather; the clouds were dark and there was a strong wind sweeping through the town.
A large crowd of disheveled men clothed in tattered, dirty garments made their way off of the colossal ship and onto the pier as the townsfolk frantically ran away screaming. Lorraine tried to listen out to what they were saying: Pier? Plight? Pint? She strained her ears, though there was no need to as a young peasant woman ran past shrieking 'pirates!'
Lorraine felt as if she'd just been punched in the stomach; her breath was pushed out of her. She felt sick with fear and panic. Pirates...why here? Why now? Her body felt numb.
After a few moments she looked up to see five of the unkempt men running in the direction of the market place. Lorraine closed her eyes and took some short, shallow breaths before swiftly spinning around, lifting her skirts up slightly and then darted away from the scene.
She didn't know where to run; just anywhere was better than being at the port at this moment. As far away as possible was best...
*****
She soon found a small, disused barn with a shed attached to its right side. Lorraine looked back for a moment to make sure that no-one saw her running here, and when she was satisfied, she made her move. She sprinted for the shed, running over the long dry grass, pulled open the old door, slammed it shut and fell into the farthest corner from the door. She sat trembling from the sudden rush of adrenalin coursing through her body.
Once she had calmed down a little, she slowly stood up and peered out of the glass-less window from which she could see the tip of the hellish black sails over the roofs of the small houses. The bellowing sounds of cannons being fired, the sudden bangs of pistol shots and the terrified screams of the local people filled the air to form a catastrophic blend of horrific noise.
*****
It went on and on ceaselessly for hours and hours. Evening approached and the sky darkened as the riot went on. Lorraine rocked back and forth as she sat huddled up with her arms hanging around her knees. She was beside herself with fear and panic. Were her mother and father alright? What about Thomas? The poor boy wouldn't understand what was happening. And Rebecca? Was she safe? All this worry just because of pirates...why did such vile people have to exist when their only desire in this world was to wreak havoc and cause destruction wherever they went? She had often heard stories and tales of the unforgivable deeds pirates carried out. They would steal from both the rich and the poor, as well as from everybody in between, they would kill people without a second thought and they would set fire to people's homes and other buildings. But there were also darker things that Lorraine had heard tell of; it was often said that they would scavenge the town for desirable women, whom they would then kidnap and take aboard their hell-bound ship. Many of Lorraine's closest friends, including Rebecca, had told her to watch out. She was a pretty young girl with bright chocolate brown eyes and rich, waist-length brown hair; a possible target for greedy, insatiable men, i.e. pirates. Lorraine never thought of herself as pretty, but rather scrawny and shy. She didn't come from a wealthy family upper-class family, but then again, she wasn't that poor either. To put it simply, she never had to worry about having to miss a meal at home, yet there wasn't enough food to be smothered in gluttony. She shivered nonetheless at the thought of pirates.
Lorraine was pulled out of her dark thoughts by the sound of orders being gruffly barked out and of loud uncivilised speech being called across the nearby field.
Lorraine froze. Pirates were approaching, but how close were they? She didn't know whether to take the risk and bolt out of the shed, run around the side of the barn and across to the dusty road that led to her home next to the field of stables; or whether to sit there motionless and silent so as not to attract any attention to the shed she was seeking refuge in.
After a few moments of indecisiveness, she came to the conclusion that the latter would be the safest option due to the fact that it was too dark to be able to see exactly where the road was from here, which could end up being a lethal risk.
Lorraine sat as still as she could. There was silence apart from the dim, muffled bursts of cannon firer and the bustle of panic-stricken townsfolk. The air seemed thick and tense, and she certainly didn't feel any more at ease here. It was too quiet now...like a bated breath or a coil under extreme tension. She felt as if the world would easily be able to hear her frantic, beating heart and her sharp breaths. She was trembling with anxiety and fear, what was happening?
A shadow fluttered around the window and it flew into the shed, flapping about recklessly, startling Lorraine. She jumped up, causing quite a clatter, and gasped at the sudden commotion, obviously making more of a fuss about than she normally would have done due to her current state.
The shadow returned to the window and as it perched upon the frame, the moonlight fell on the silhouette for a brief moment, enabling Lorraine to realise that it was just an owl, before it took to the air again.
As is disappeared she held her hand over her chest, just beneath the base of her throat, and felt her heart beating quickly. She was shaking with fright. She wanted to be back home...she had never felt petrified in her entire life; all of this worry, panic and dread was like being in a nightmare. Only this was real, and it was far, far worse than she could ever have imagined it to be. It was so dark. So tense. So cold...
There was a whistle and someone dangerously close to the shed called out in a strong, rough voice:
"Oi, lads! Over 'ere!"
Lorraine froze, terrified, her eyes were wide and she held her breath. Was that them? Were they the pirates? Were they coming here? Maybe if she sat really quietly, they would think that there was nothing here? Her eyelashes were damp with the beginnings of tears; she was frightened beyond belief. What if all those dreadful stories really were true...?
The metal door handle was slowly pulled down as Lorraine jerked her head up. She watched it fearfully, holding her breath. It clicked and the door creaked open. Her heartbeat quickened and she was trembling badly as she sat on the floor of her temporary sanctuary.
Dim moonlight filed into the dark, lightless shed and a large, shadowed figure was outlined in the doorway.
"Well, well, well. What 'ave we 'ere?"
This is my first bash at a Pirates of the Caribbean fic and I really want it to go well, so wish me luck! I hope you enjoy reading this and if you have a spare moment, please review it! And if it's not asking for too much, please give me some constructive criticism. That's basically just a review that says what parts were written well and which parts weren't, what could be improved, what parts really gripped your attention etc.
Thank you for deciding to come and read this, so I'd better let you get on with reading it now! Enjoy!
-----------
"Yes mother, I'll be right back," Lorraine called as she made her way through the door and out of the house. She clasped the two shilling coins in her hand as she walked towards the market place in the centre of town on the small Caribbean island of Orchila.
She strolled merrily down the various little streets, happily watching her skirts sway as she walked. It was a beautiful dress made of cream-coloured material and a thin rim of frilled lace lined the delicate hem, and the petticoats underneath were of smooth, cool satin. She simply loved it; it was the most gorgeous birthday present she had ever received, Lorraine had jumped at the chance to show her friends her new dress when her mother had asked her to go and fetch a loaf of bread and some fruit from the market.
Someone behind her tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around, her skirts skimming the dusty ground.
"Thomas!" laughed Lorraine as her face broke into a wide grin at the sight of her cheerful younger cousin.
"Tag, you're it!"
"What? But – fine then!" she giggled as she chased after him, weaving between the stalls of the market, through the crowds of busy people and along the well-known alleyways and street corners.
After a good half hour of playing tag, both agreed that it was time for a breather.
"Why are you all dressed up like that?" Thomas asked curiously as they sat down on a stone doorstep.
"It's my birthday!" she told him, surprised and somewhat offended.
"Oh, I didn't know, sorry. How old are you?"
"Thirteen. You're seven, aren't you?"
"Mhh-hmm." Thomas nodded his head. "Thirteen's an unlucky number isn't it?" He asked with the uttermost sincerity.
Lorraine responded by sticking her tongue out at him and playfully folding her arms in an angry manner.
*****
They talked about what they had got up to during the past week or so, joking and laughing and basically having a light-hearted chat. After a while, Thomas had to go back home. They quickly said their goodbyes and Lorraine slowly made her way back to the market.
"Lor! Hey, Lorraine!"
She smiled as she saw her best friend running towards her, shoving more than a few frustrated people out of the way in the process.
"Happy birthday!" the girl exclaimed as she gave her a long piece of pale blue silk.
Lorraine took the ribbon and ran her fingers up and down the smooth material. She knew that Rebecca would have had to work hard to afford this; she wasn't as well-off as Lorraine's family.
"You really shouldn't have..."
"Yes I should, and I did. You deserve it, Lor!" She reassured her, still smiling brightly.
Lorraine hugged her and thanked her graciously for the gift as she pocketed it.
"But look at you, all fancy and smart! You don't belong here with us riffle- raffle, Lady Tyne..." Rebecca bowed down low, holding back a laugh.
"Oh, stop it! You know I don't like that!"
"Of course, milady."
"Rebecca!" Lorraine folded her arms and cocked her head to the side expectantly, her eyebrows raised.
"Whatever...but you do look stunning, like a real rich lady or something." She sighed, not jealous at all, just somewhat proud to be in the presence of someone so grand-looking. "But you really should watch yourself when you're out and about," she said in a much more serious tone as she lowered her voice, "you can't trust every man here to stay away. There are plenty enough who would do anything to have a girl like you." Her eyes were full of worry for her friend, whom she wanted no harm done to.
Lorraine swallowed nervously and then slowly nodded her head in understanding. "I'll keep watch, don't worry."
"Anyway," Rebecca returned to her usual light tone of voice, "I've got to run, my ma's been waiting for ages for me to come back with Jimmy...trust the little mischief monkey to be let loose! Younger brothers, eh?" she laughed merrily. "See ya, Lor!"
"Goodbye!" she called at her friend's retreating back.
Lorraine then carried on back towards the market place, but as she passed the town hall, she heard screams from somewhere up ahead, near the port. She ran down the street, around the corner and along the alleyway, arriving at the square. There, near the shore, was a huge, menacing ship with large, black sails catching the fresh ocean breeze. The mere presence of the ship seemed to have an effect on the weather; the clouds were dark and there was a strong wind sweeping through the town.
A large crowd of disheveled men clothed in tattered, dirty garments made their way off of the colossal ship and onto the pier as the townsfolk frantically ran away screaming. Lorraine tried to listen out to what they were saying: Pier? Plight? Pint? She strained her ears, though there was no need to as a young peasant woman ran past shrieking 'pirates!'
Lorraine felt as if she'd just been punched in the stomach; her breath was pushed out of her. She felt sick with fear and panic. Pirates...why here? Why now? Her body felt numb.
After a few moments she looked up to see five of the unkempt men running in the direction of the market place. Lorraine closed her eyes and took some short, shallow breaths before swiftly spinning around, lifting her skirts up slightly and then darted away from the scene.
She didn't know where to run; just anywhere was better than being at the port at this moment. As far away as possible was best...
*****
She soon found a small, disused barn with a shed attached to its right side. Lorraine looked back for a moment to make sure that no-one saw her running here, and when she was satisfied, she made her move. She sprinted for the shed, running over the long dry grass, pulled open the old door, slammed it shut and fell into the farthest corner from the door. She sat trembling from the sudden rush of adrenalin coursing through her body.
Once she had calmed down a little, she slowly stood up and peered out of the glass-less window from which she could see the tip of the hellish black sails over the roofs of the small houses. The bellowing sounds of cannons being fired, the sudden bangs of pistol shots and the terrified screams of the local people filled the air to form a catastrophic blend of horrific noise.
*****
It went on and on ceaselessly for hours and hours. Evening approached and the sky darkened as the riot went on. Lorraine rocked back and forth as she sat huddled up with her arms hanging around her knees. She was beside herself with fear and panic. Were her mother and father alright? What about Thomas? The poor boy wouldn't understand what was happening. And Rebecca? Was she safe? All this worry just because of pirates...why did such vile people have to exist when their only desire in this world was to wreak havoc and cause destruction wherever they went? She had often heard stories and tales of the unforgivable deeds pirates carried out. They would steal from both the rich and the poor, as well as from everybody in between, they would kill people without a second thought and they would set fire to people's homes and other buildings. But there were also darker things that Lorraine had heard tell of; it was often said that they would scavenge the town for desirable women, whom they would then kidnap and take aboard their hell-bound ship. Many of Lorraine's closest friends, including Rebecca, had told her to watch out. She was a pretty young girl with bright chocolate brown eyes and rich, waist-length brown hair; a possible target for greedy, insatiable men, i.e. pirates. Lorraine never thought of herself as pretty, but rather scrawny and shy. She didn't come from a wealthy family upper-class family, but then again, she wasn't that poor either. To put it simply, she never had to worry about having to miss a meal at home, yet there wasn't enough food to be smothered in gluttony. She shivered nonetheless at the thought of pirates.
Lorraine was pulled out of her dark thoughts by the sound of orders being gruffly barked out and of loud uncivilised speech being called across the nearby field.
Lorraine froze. Pirates were approaching, but how close were they? She didn't know whether to take the risk and bolt out of the shed, run around the side of the barn and across to the dusty road that led to her home next to the field of stables; or whether to sit there motionless and silent so as not to attract any attention to the shed she was seeking refuge in.
After a few moments of indecisiveness, she came to the conclusion that the latter would be the safest option due to the fact that it was too dark to be able to see exactly where the road was from here, which could end up being a lethal risk.
Lorraine sat as still as she could. There was silence apart from the dim, muffled bursts of cannon firer and the bustle of panic-stricken townsfolk. The air seemed thick and tense, and she certainly didn't feel any more at ease here. It was too quiet now...like a bated breath or a coil under extreme tension. She felt as if the world would easily be able to hear her frantic, beating heart and her sharp breaths. She was trembling with anxiety and fear, what was happening?
A shadow fluttered around the window and it flew into the shed, flapping about recklessly, startling Lorraine. She jumped up, causing quite a clatter, and gasped at the sudden commotion, obviously making more of a fuss about than she normally would have done due to her current state.
The shadow returned to the window and as it perched upon the frame, the moonlight fell on the silhouette for a brief moment, enabling Lorraine to realise that it was just an owl, before it took to the air again.
As is disappeared she held her hand over her chest, just beneath the base of her throat, and felt her heart beating quickly. She was shaking with fright. She wanted to be back home...she had never felt petrified in her entire life; all of this worry, panic and dread was like being in a nightmare. Only this was real, and it was far, far worse than she could ever have imagined it to be. It was so dark. So tense. So cold...
There was a whistle and someone dangerously close to the shed called out in a strong, rough voice:
"Oi, lads! Over 'ere!"
Lorraine froze, terrified, her eyes were wide and she held her breath. Was that them? Were they the pirates? Were they coming here? Maybe if she sat really quietly, they would think that there was nothing here? Her eyelashes were damp with the beginnings of tears; she was frightened beyond belief. What if all those dreadful stories really were true...?
The metal door handle was slowly pulled down as Lorraine jerked her head up. She watched it fearfully, holding her breath. It clicked and the door creaked open. Her heartbeat quickened and she was trembling badly as she sat on the floor of her temporary sanctuary.
Dim moonlight filed into the dark, lightless shed and a large, shadowed figure was outlined in the doorway.
"Well, well, well. What 'ave we 'ere?"