Qwin let her eyes adjust and she rolled over and looked at the man standing in front of her. He had dark hair and dark brown eyes and another man behind him stood staring at her.

"I beg your pardon," she said.

"Do you fear death, I didn't write it and I hate saying it, but do you," the man asked.

"I don't know, I guess so," Qwin shakily replied.

"Welcome to the crew," he said offering her a hand up.

"I think I passed out falling into the water, what happened, where am I," she asked.

"Welcome aboard the Flying Dutchman miss," he said walking away.

"He's not in a very good mood," the man behind him said. "Oh, I didn't know. I'm terribly sorry," Qwin told him.

"It's not your fault. Since your part of us now, how about you loosen that tack line over there," he told her. Qwin looked blankly at him. "You're not accustomed to a ship are you lass, I'm Bootstrap Bill, I'd be glad to help you," he told her. Named after a shoe, interesting Qwin thought.

"You take this rope," he grabbed a rope, "and pull it. Then you tie it to here. And you're done," Bootstrap said. Qwin paid close attention to the details of loosening a tack sail. Bootstrap walked away watching the girl tie and untie the sail, Fast learner he thought. Bootstrap went to talk to the captain. Before he could speak the captain started about his matters.

"Can we keep a girl on board? Are we allowed to make her work like a sailor? Should we let her off easy," Will asked.

"I don't know. She's a quick learner, I watched her loosen and retie a tack line in a matter of minutes," Bootstrap told him. "I think you should give her a set of simple tasks and she how she handles them Captain." Will sighed and agreed with his father.

Qwin tied, untied and retied the rope for the fifth time when the captain walked up to her. "Nice job," he said looking at the neatly tied rope.

"You're captain," she asked.

"Yes I am, Captain Turner specifically," Will stated extending his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," Qwin said dully shaking his hand. "You're not pirates, are you," she asked shakily.

"Would you be frightened if I answered that as yes," he asked with a wry smile. Qwin's expression slipped into fright as she looked at Will.

"You obviously haven't been to sea very much," Will pointed out.

"No sir," she said shakily with a manner of fear in her voice.

"We're not as fearsome as you think," he remarked.

"As you say sir," she stammered. Qwin walked away with a fast pace in her step. She moved around like a frightened butterfly until she realized she was closed in, stuck behind four walls of a ship, and wherever she went, she was with pirates. Qwin found an empty room below deck and closed the door (made sure it was locked several times) and began to cry on the floor. What I'd give to be back in Anguilla with my parents and even Charlie she thought. Her sobs subsided as crewman passed by, but as soon as they were gone she let out the explosion of emotion that was bottled up inside.

She lay there for the rest of the day and after sunset the captain noted her absence. "Where's the girl," Will asked his first mate.

"She's somewhere on the ship, swimming away wouldn't help her," Bootstrap replied.

Qwin finally mustered the strength to pull herself together and leave the room. "Excuse me sir, is there anything for supper," she asked a crewman.

He looked awkwardly at her. "Food for supper," Qwin asked again.

He roared with laughter and grabbed Qwin by the arm and dragged her up on deck. He dragged her to a large room that held what used to be a playable organ. Captain Turner and Bootstrap were sitting at a table discussing something that seemed of importance.

"Look what I found below deck," the crewman shouted. Qwin attempted to free herself, but her feeble attempts proved worthless. "Came up to me asking for supper," he roared.

"Release her," the captain ordered. Waiting a moment too long Qwin lost it. She took one look at the man and slammed her heeled shoe down on his foot. He howled in pain and she elbowed him in the gut.

"Teach you to lay a hand on me," she shouted. The man glanced at Qwin and cleared the scene faster than you could say "Ouch that hurt."

The captain and first mate applauded. "Impressive job," Will said.

"I've been pushed around by a little brother for years, I knew that would come in handy sometime," Qwin said blushing.

"A matter of hours and she's fending for herself. You're one independent lass," Bootstrap stated.

"Must be from my parents," Qwin told them.

Bootstrap and Will exchanged a look to one another. "We've taken a girl from her parents. Are we allowed to do that," Bootstrap asked.

"She was near death, that's my job to pick up all those who were to die at sea," Will told him.

"You took me from no one. I never knew either of my parents," Qwin admitted. "Was I, dead," she asked in shock.

"Not in that sense," Will replied. "It's a shame to hear about your parents miss—," Will started, and then he realized he didn't know her name.

"Landes," Qwin replied.

"Supper, haven't used that word in a while," he remarked.

"How can you not have supper," Qwin asked. Will sighed and explained about how he ended up captain of the ship. "Ouch," she stated.

"Haven't eaten supper in near to sixteen years," Will said with an attempted enthusiastic smile. "But that looks like something you need, so let's make haste on that."

Qwin was shocked at what a nice man the captain actually was. In under a half an hour, he managed to find Qwin two semi-appetizing looking pieces of bread and a rather good apple. He made sure she had somewhere to sleep and said good night to her. Like usual the sea prevented her from sleeping and Qwin tossed and turned into the early hours of the night.

After sleeping from what seemed to be twenty minutes, she was rudely awaken by the captain shouting, "All hands on deck, rise and shine you scalawags."