Ten-year old Jack sat up in the bed Dr. Grogan had put him in. He ran his hand across a blue and black bruise on his lower chest, where his attacker had punched him the previous day. It ached at his touch, so he sighed and pulled his arm back. The mark the whip had left across his chest wasn't bleeding. It hadn't been deep enough for stitches, though the horrible scratch on his back had needed it. Truthfully, he ached all over. It wasn't every day that he fought a full grown man over rum that was knocked out of his hand by mistake.

Jack ran a hand through his medium-length ruffled black hair. Then he sighed, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up weakly, walking towards the door on wobbly legs. Of course, his father had gone off to some bar as soon as he dropped him off. At noon, he'd be leaving on some kind of pirate voyage. He left the room, stumbling down the stairs. He reached the exit and was about to open it when a deep voice came from behind.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?"

"I'm leaving, Doc." He replied.

"That's not a good idea in your condition." Doctor Grogan told him.

"This time I'll make sure not to get slammed around by some piece of wood." He rolled his eyes.

Before the man could respond, Jack yanked open the door and raced out. He ran through the street, slipping among crowds and out of the way of carriages. Since it was nearly noon right now, he headed towards the port, making sure to keep running. He raced past a young girl, who glared at him with hatred. He rounded the corner of the last building and snuck onto the docks. They creaked underneath him, but he didn't pay any attention to it.

He spotted his father's ship. He wasn't supposed to leave Tortuga, but he couldn't resist. He wanted adventure. He wanted a pirate's life, like everyone else here.

He saw the men lifting the anchor and knew that he'd have to hurry. Within a few seconds, the anchor was up and the sails were down. He tensed as he saw the wind start tugging at them.

Now! A silent voice told him.

Jack sprang into action, mustering all of the speed he had. Suddenly he noticed that the ship was gaining speed faster than he'd hoped. He leapt off the edge of the dock, grabbing a rope that hung off the back of the ship. He put his feet on the back of the ship, like someone climbing up the side of a rocky cliff. He climbed up the rope a little so he wasn't on the edge of it.

He smiled triumphantly and murmured,"It's a pirates' life for me."