Chapter 3: A Chance

(A/N: Made this chapter a bit bigger, and in my opinion better written, hope it's to your liking, everyone!)

I started gathering up long dresses and tying them together. Typical run away plan, but at least my parents and maids were occupied at the moment.

My room was only on the second floor, but it was a little triumph in itself to get down to the ground outside. Once I had landed in the dirt, I wasn't sure where to go. I looked at the open window above me and decided it would be much safer to leave somewhere before I got caught. I didn't need a plan to just get away from the scene.

I hurried down to the main part of town as my corset felt like it was cracking my ribs. Not a very pleasant feeling. I slowed as I got closer to my destination, I didn't want to cause a ruckus or raise suspicion.

As I walked by the many stores I found that there was many a couple out and about today. Husband and wifes walking along the path smiling at each other and their hands together, and men taking strolls with ladies as they were courting them. My gaze turned to the ground, feeling a bit envious of the lovers.

When I was younger, I had made up imaginary boys who were perfect in every way, and would do anything to make me their wife. This childish mindset was given up when I grew older, even though these imaginary boys never became real.

It was true, my father had tried to marry me off several times, but the only thing the men were attracted to was my family fortune, and most of them were twice my age or older.

I kept walking with my eyes fixed at the ground in front of me, when suddenly I reached the edge of the town. The only thing in front of me now was an empty beach, with a visible forest up ahead. I decided to keep walking even though I had never ventured this far before.

Thoughts hurdled through my brain.

"Should I stop now? I don't know what danger waits for me beyond here... maybe I should turn back..."

I stopped walking and clenched my fists.

"Adele, you have to stop being a baby! You were too overprotected, and that's why you ran away. Turning back now would only contradict yourself!" my mumbles got louder with the last sentence, and I started walking again with newfound determination.

The forest came sooner than expected. It was much darker inside than it was on the beach. I trudged along, mad at my choice of clothes. Here and there, I had to pull my dress out of sharp brambles, and then there was the occasional loss of one of my shoes in the damp dirt.

"Damn dress," I muttered to myself as I pulled it off a particularly sharp bush. My hand scraped across the rough surface and the light revealed a deep cut as I pulled it closer to my face for visibility.

While I was inspecting my hand, I heard some male voices up ahead that weren't far off from where I was, and my whole body went rigid. What scared me most about the voices was that they were deeper and lacked the eloquence I was used to at home.

The voices spoke once again, and this time I was expecting them and in turn could make out the words.

"Gibbs, we almost ready to make sail?" asked a voice. It was the strangest voice I had heard, yet one of the most genuine. It was smooth, yet the man slurred some of his words.

Something that caught my attention was the fact that the man mentioned making sail... yet the docks were well behind me. Why would a ship dock in a remote location when there were docks?

"Aye, Cap'n. We be almost ready, jus' gotta get the rest of the rum loaded!" responded a man with an older voice.

"Perfect!" exclaimed the first voice, and then all was silent.

I made my way out of the forest, towards where the voices were coming from, and gasped. There was a large ship with black sails docked... right on the sand. Something told me this was my chance. I could stowaway on this ship, as scary looking as it was, and get away forever.

I heard something, or someone, coming from my left. I took this as my chance, and boarded the ship after I saw the deserted deck. I hid behind some barrels near the stairs up to the helm, and after making sure it was clear, I made my way down to a big room. My guess it was some crew member's quarters, but it would make a perfect hiding spot while no one was in it at the moment.

I could hear some movement on deck, and feel the ship move as if it was getting ready to make way. I was so lucky the crew only came back after I was hidden.

My body was fatigued, and I longed to sleep. I looked at the bed longingly, but realized I couldn't sleep on it in case someone came in. My eyes rested under the bed, and I figured that would be the best and safest place to rest my body as well, so I crawled under.

As soon as my head laid against the floor and my muscles relaxed, I was asleep.