Chapter 1: Choices
It was a massive ship that I knew could cause me grief and make me wish I was back where I started. But I had already packed my bags and was in the queue with the rest of them.
And by rest of them I mean the herds of mostly squatty, stinky, pimply men who would be doing most of the labor, a couple women with questionable roles on this ship over perfumed and made up some looking worse for wear than others.
Already on board was the Captian β Jack Sparrow and the Ship's master, a man by the name of Justin Pike.
Rumours were confusing as the Great Jack Sparrow although a rogue was a good man, whereas Justin Pike- he was known for being cold, ruthless and some stories would make him evil and power hungry.
It was finally my turn to board the ship the 2 burlap sacs now heavy and straining the skin in each hand. I did not have much but it was still too much to carry.
"Kitty Martin" called the finely dressed woman with the ship's list of people.
She looks at me as though I am a tangled mess of a person her laser beam stare penetrates my soul and I feel cold.
I have to look away. There is a pause and just like all the other members that went aboard I waited the moment and began to step on the ship.
"Wait." The finely dressed woman's long fingered, strong arm and hand block me. Her nails are filed into daggers and painted black.
"Do you have the required forms ready to hand?" she asks her eyes gleaming at me.
I start but I am confused. In my confusion her expression slightly lifts.
"Well, I'm sorry but if you do not have the proper paper work. I'm afraid you can't be let on board. β GUARDS!"
And that's when I was taken by both arms and thrown off into the street the queue of scum and the crew of scum laughing at the girl without papers.
The side of my face scraped and bruises everywhere I felt this fire starting from my belly reaching my fists and flooding my chest and face.
Who does that wicked witch think she is?! Then I realize all of my packing has come undone on the busy dirt road. I hurry to pick up my clothes, underwear and some small precious items β my favorite book, a small jewelry box that was locked thankfully, and my pet bird Budgie who was walking around looking confused.
That's when I noticed the cart and horses running towards him. I drop my jewelry box and book and run towards Budgie who can't fly. I grasp him a little too tightly but just in time from the hurdling cart just the dust and rocks being kicked up at me but I don't notice it as I am just happy holding him and knowing I reached him in time.
He looks up at me and chirps nudging his beak at me.
I sit down in a local pub with my now dirty belongings and hide budgie back in his cage in the sac with a few bread crumbs to keep him occupied.
Fortunately I had saved a little extra and ordered a thick meaty sandwich and a coke to drown my sorrows in. I had to think about what to do next. If I couldn't get on that boat what would I do instead?
I chomp into my first bite and swallow a gulp of cola and instantly I am soothed.
I pay the bored looking waitress and head out to watch the people board the ship.
The line of people is substantially shorter and the actions on the boat look like they are about ready to leave. The woman with the manifest spots me watching and phanes sympathetic sorrow for a microsecond and then takes on a sunny disposition and checks off the last few people.
"aw not allowed on kitty?" a questions from above followed by a high laugh of two girls, one tall and big boned, the other short and slender.
They sit on either side of me and stare at my bag. The slender one nervously plays with her dress bottom, crumpling the bottom with her hands.
"Yeah I don't need any help." I grab for my bad but the bigger one already had a tight grip on the other end.
"Wait." She smiles and thumbs over the burlap material.
"What would you say if I told you we know a way on the boat." She offers
The slender one has a chestier cat smile growing from ear to ear as the silence continues. The bigger one looks bored.
"I don't know." I lie. I want to know more but in the end I will say yes because if I don't get on that ship I don't even what to think about where I will be.
Laughter erupts from both of them, the bigger one first and a second after the little one does with emphasis to make up for the pause.
The bigger one narrows her dark beady eyes her sparse eyebrows pointing down and upward across a wide, flat face. I gulp.
"I mean I don't know what I will have to do, but of course!" This spills out of me but I immediately feel wrong about it. I ignore this feeling in favour of seeing what the plan could be.
Their eyes brighten and the bigger one calms her expression.
"First we need your luggage" they start
"but I can-" I try to begin
"You can give us the bag and we will ensure it will be stored aboard. But this is the first test you must pass."
I stare down at my bag and think of the things in it βand most of all my bird.
They can take the rest, but not my bird.
I grab the bag away and grab the animal from the bag.
"What is that?" The big one asks
"It's my pet and I need to keep this one. The rest I entrust to you to store"
I keep getting a nagging feeling in my gut about this deal. But the way they look at the exotic gold sparrow makes me need to reconsider.
"No that bird needs to come with us too." The little one grabs for it and I step away clasping the bird gently.
"Kitty you need to give him to us" The big one says.
"Yes, Kitty let us help you. Why are you being so difficult? " the little one asks
It feels like I am being interviewed by a pair of on air personalities because the conversation with them is just too choreographed.
I need to make a choice between my bird or the ship with everywhere it can take me.
