A/N- Sorry for the slightly longer than usual wait- I've been on holiday in Dartmoor for the last week! I'm back now though (I guess you might have noticed that!) with a nice new and shiny chapter!! Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Much to my frustration and annoyance, Alex is determined that I stay in bed, however much I try to rise. He fusses around me much like a mother, and, although I know he is only trying to help, often it seems as though he is being more of a hindrance.
Even more annoying is the fact that, deep inside, I know that he is right- I cannot get out of bed. Whatever ailment has gripped me leaves me feeling sick and dizzy whenever I do so much as sit up, and I regularly have moments where my sight deserts me, leaving me scared and disorientated. I have become a shell of my former self, losing weight faster than I try to keep it on due to the way I can hardly keep my food down. When Alex hands me a mirror one time, I am shocked at what I see- my hair hangs limp and lacklustre when I used to have glossy curls, and my eyes are dull- the swirling colours of blue and green looking dark and stormy, instead of their usual aquamarine. I cannot argue with the facts, which only serves to make me grumpy and restless. Part of me admires the way Alex is still so determined to keep me company while I am in this state
What worries me more however, is not matters of the body. With the long time I have to rest, I fret about my ship, where Jack is taking us, and Jack himself. The pirate captain has been suspiciously absent over the past few days since I fell ill, despite the fact that I have actually stolen his bed and most of his quarters. Often I hear noises in the cabin next door where he has his table and his sea charts, but there has been only one occasion whilst I was awake when he actually paid me a visit, and even that was only a short one. It is as though he is scared of catching whatever I may have… And yet this does not seem like it would be a trait of Jack's.
According to Alex, who occasionally leaves my side to carry out various errands such as fetching me food or drink, Jack is trying to get the best out of the Pearl and her crew so that we reach our destination as fast as possible. I see no reason why my illness would suddenly cause this haste, but obviously Jack has other thoughts as he pushes the ship to her limits. Alex stays quiet, but I think that he also knows the reason for such a speed. A few times, I catch him staring at me when he thinks I am asleep with a worried look in his eyes, and I know that he is deeply concerned. This does nothing to ease my frustration- if only I could get on my feet again, then I am certain I would feel a lot more power to find out what is really going on.
I spend more and more of my time sleeping- partly because it seems to be the only way to pass the time, and partly because I am feeling increasingly exhausted. It is strange, but the more sleep I get, the more tired I feel.
When I slip into these restless slumbers, often I have strange, and occasionally disturbing, dreams. Several involve the pirate Serpiente, who, although he has been dead for over a year, still continues to haunt me. Even the sight of his face on the edge of my subconscious has the power to disrupt my sleep, and I wake up gasping for breath and looking wildly around the cabin. I feel stupid when I think that all I am afraid of is a memory, but even so his pale face is vivid enough to deeply unsettle me.
One late afternoon I have one of these episodes, and, predictably, wake up still seeing his face in front of me. Alex is beside my bed in an instant.
"Sierra? What's the matter?"
My thoughts adjust, and I fully wake up to where I am- in Jack's cabin, safe and sound. Sighing, I lie back down again.
"Nothing… Just another bad dream."
Alex moves around the end of the bed, swapping sides so that he can look at my face once again. Reaches out, he places a hand on my forehead.
"You still have a fever… It's probably what's bringing on these nightmares."
Shaking my head, I reply,
"No, Alex… These dreams have been occurring since the Isla Del Espejos incident, and I don't think they're going away anytime soon."
My friend smiles at me, but still does not manage to mask his concern.
"Well, try and get back to sleep if you can… I'll be here to make sure you are alright. You need your rest, Sierra- you look terrible."
"Thanks." I mutter, before closing my eyes and trying to drift back off to sleep. I hear Alex move off to one corner of the room, sitting down on a chair to watch over me.
More comfortable now, and with the details of the dream already starting to fade, I soon drift off into a dreamless sleep, which seems to stretch into eternity.
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Slowly surfacing into consciousness, I open my eyes to find the day's sunlight has disappeared and is instead replaced with inky darkness.
Finally, I feel rested- that sleep must have done me some good, as the weakness and odd eye behaviour seems to have disappeared. Looking around the cabin, I see that Alex is nowhere to be seen, which is slightly strange, but I reason it away with the fact he has probably gone for some fresh air.
I feel so rejuvenated that I decide that I might as well go and join him on deck, where I assume he is. Gingerly, I step out of bed onto the rough wooden deck, and when I am satisfied that my legs with truly support me, I slip quietly out of the door and into Jack's main cabin.
The pirate is not around either- probably having accompanied Alex. I feel slightly relieved about this, as I did not really want to face Jack by himself at this moment in time, having so recently recovered from whatever illness I had.
My bare feet make no sound as I tread softly across the floor of the deserted cabin. The moon that is just visible out of one of the windows throws silvery shadows onto the floor, helping me to pick my way through the various pieces of furniture and other odd trinkets that Jack has picked up on his travels, until I make it to the door. Swinging it open, I walk out onto the still, dark deck.
The night is calm- despite the way that the few strands of cloud that I can see are scudding along at an impressive rate, I feel no wind on my face. Walking over to the rail, I look down at the sea to find that this too is calm, with only a few rippling waves disturbing its surface. Even the Pearl seems to have ceased movement, resting still in the black ocean.
Looking around, I see no sign of either Jack or Alex, who I would have thought would come running over to assist me as soon as they saw me out on deck.
Well, Alex at least… I think to myself. Jack, I'm not so sure.
However, it is apparent that this will not happen- I am alone on the deck, without even a crewmember on their night-watch to keep me company. Some instinct in the back of my mind twitches into consciousness, pointing out how this is slightly odd, but I pay no attention to it while I try and think where Alex and Jack may have got to.
Coming to a decision, I start to walk in the direction of the galley, in the vague hope that they have decided to prepare a late night meal- Alex's eating times have be irregular at the best of times since he started to car for me.
A voice whispers behind me, breaking the silence of the night and making me whip around to see who is speaking.
"Sierra…"
The sound is carried on the wind with an echo of the ocean, seeming to make the voice split into many different ones, all of different tones and pitches. However, the origin still remains a mystery to me.
The whispering continues, rising and falling in volume like waves. It sounds as though it is all around me, to such an extent that I wonder if I am going mad and it is all simply in my head. Placing my hands over my ears, I try to block out the noise- surprisingly, this seems to work and so I am reassured slightly that it is not just me hearing voices, but actually someone real nearby who is whispering my name.
When I take my hands away, the sound seems to have died away slightly, and instead of being all around me now has more of a direction it originates from. Puzzled, I start to follow the voices.
They lead me straight to the side of the ship, where I look out over the sea- perhaps there is a boat in the water?
However, I see nothing, save for the vast darkness of the sea at night. Confused, I look down at the waves below me, and for a while any thoughts of voices are forgotten as I am distracted by the behaviour of the ocean's surface.
A few moments ago, it was as smooth as glass, but now it seems to have a mind of its own. As the waves crisscross erratically over one another with some larger than their neighbours and others rising up only to disappear once again a few metres on, it looks as though the sea has come alive. I have never seen anything like it before.
Leaning as far over the side as I can, I peer down into the water, narrowing my eyes as I try and fully comprehend what is going on. This does no good, however, as the more I stare into the water, the more energised the waves become, springing up higher and higher until I start to feel the spray on my face.
Then I focus on one of the waves in particular as it rises, coming closer to my face than any of the others yet. What I see causes me to shoot back several steps, completely startled.
A pair of eyes stares back from the water, locked onto my own. They hover at the same height as my own for a split second, before dropping back down into the rest of the sea below. I immediately hurry back to the side of the ship, to see if I can make out whatever creature they belonged to.
At first I only see what I could before- the waves swirling around the ship. However, suddenly I make out a more definite shape in the waves which is not simply a swell- a head appears for a moment above the surface, before disappearing once more.
Another wave shoots up next to me, and this time I see the figure immediately- a vague human shape can just be made out in the main body of the water, but it is the eyes which are the most obvious- once again, they pierce mine as their owner stares at my face.
I see the being gracefully slip under the surface of the sea after having dropped back down with the wave, and, managing to track the movement of its silvery body I notice another one joining it. Soon I notice that there is not simply one or two of them, but a huge group, possibly nearing a hundred, with each taking it in turn to rise up with a wave to stare it at me.
The eyes they use to gaze at me so intently can only be described in one way- wild. Their swirling depth keeps me constantly guessing as to what colour they actually are, as sometimes they appear a brilliant blue but others a murky green, as well as every possible colour in between. These colours twist and mix around each other and make the eyes look very much like the sea in which these creatures live. The rest of their body seems to be similarly coloured, the skin carrying a tint of ghostly pale blue.
I find the shape of their body hard to define, as although they look to be vaguely human they seem to have no permanent shape, instead shifting and flowing like water. It is in no doubt however that they are perfectly streamlined, designed like a seal's to help them slip effortlessly through the water. At one point I also think I see a flash of a hand, webbed between the fingers- another adaptation for the world in which they live.
As each rises up to be closer to me, I see their mouths forming my name- a seemingly silent call, and yet I can hear each individual whisper.
One in particular seems to take more interest than the rest. I guess from the large eyes and more delicate features that this individual is female, but whether this is true I do not know, and have no real way of finding out. While others only rise once, she appears many times- distinctive due to her different colouring of a more silver hint than blue, her eyes pierce into my very soul each time she looks at me. I vaguely notice that each time she appears she is coming closer and closer to me on the deck of the Pearl, until I feel the spray from the wave carrying her on my face. Soon, there are not much more than two arms' lengths between us, and she seemingly picks up on this, stretching out a silvery arm towards me.
On an impulse, I respond by reaching out towards her.
The voices return in earnest now, reaching a level that is almost unbearable for my ears. They seem to be urging me on, and willing me to make contact with one of their kind.
The sea spirit is just out of my reach, however much I try and stretch my arm out. Gripping hold of the railing with my free hand, I attempt to push myself just that little bit further… Never has such a small distance felt so large.
As I stretch that final distance, I realise I have made a fatal error- leaning out so far has changed my balance, pushing me over the side. Fear enters my body and I desperately try to scrabble back and regain some stability, but it is too late- I begin to pitch forwards, down to the waiting sea below. My mouth opens as I slip, preparing for a scream.
In these final few seconds, I see the face of the spirit in the wave change. Instead of the benign smile, it twists to form something less pleasant, and I see a gleam of triumph in those ocean-coloured eyes.
However, just as I believe I am lost, I suddenly jolt to a stop as I feel something clamp around my ankles. The air is knocked from my lungs and I am held, suspended in mid-air.
I use all the strength I can muster to look up, and manage to spot a flash of pale hair. Hope springs back into my heart as I realise Alex has come to my rescue.
The sea spirit's face contorts once again as she notices what has happened, and she snarls, hissing like a feral cat. The voices of the others rise to a keening howl, much like a strong wind, as they plead with me to join them. Part of me tries to respond, pulling me ever closer to the surface of the heaving sea, but a voice inside my head keeps me sane and helps to fight this impulse.
I hear a strained grunt from Alex as he attempts to pull me back onboard, and with a sickening feeling I realise he is at the limit of his strength. However, he perseveres and finally I begin to inch up back onto the ship, my balance returning to a place where I can push myself over the final bit of the railing.
Once safe on deck, all my new-found strength leaves me and I collapse back against Alex, who holds me close, supporting me.
Looking out over the sea, I see that surface is returning to normal as the waves subside, taking the beings that had attempted to lure me into their world with them. Their voices also die away, and soon all I can hear is the cry of a lone seagull as it wheels high above us.
For a few moments, there is silence. Then Alex decides to speak up.
"Come on, Sierra… You shouldn't be out here; it's just not safe when you're obviously not well. Let's get you back to your cabin, and you can explain on the way why the hell you decided it would be a good idea to try and jump over the side…"
I resist as Alex tries to push me gently in the direction of Jack's cabin.
"What do you mean, jump over the side?"
"Well, why were you leaning so far out in the first place? I would have thought by now you would have learnt the dangers of hanging over the side like that. Did you see something interesting in the water, perhaps? I admit the waves were looking particularly spectacular tonight, but that's not reason to act so stupidly." He smiles slightly after this last sentence as if to show that he is not really angry but merely relieved. I hardly notice this however, as I turn to face him, completely incredulous.
"Did you not see those creatures?!"
In response, Alex looks worried.
"There was nothing there, Sierra… Just the sea. Don't worry me even more than you have already tonight- I thought I'd lost you. Please, stop playing games- I saw as you leant too far out and fell over."
Tears of disbelief and frustration spring into my eyes, which only serve to annoy me even more.
"Alex, there were a load of bloody sea creatures trying to drag me into the water! How could I play games over that?!"
However much I insist, I still cannot get Alex to believe me. Instead, he seems to put what I saw down to delusions caused by my illness, making him even more determined that I should return to rest. Despite the screaming and protesting that I give him, he still manages to propel me through Jack's main cabin, and into bed.
I repeat what I saw to him over and over again, giving as much detail as possible, but each time I reach the end of my account Alex just shakes his head in disbelief, looking more and more worried. Finally, he simply stands and leaves the room as though he cannot take any more, leaving me shouting after him, but to no avail.
This completely flat dismissal of what I thought I had seen and experienced makes me even start to doubt myself. Perhaps Alex is right, and what I saw was only mirages caused by a high temperature and general illness- this certainly seems to be supported by the way that I am starting to feel as ill as I did before as my shaky legs and thumping headache return. However, I am sure that even my fairly imaginative mind could not come up with something quite as vivid as tonight's events.
After a long period of silence I hear two sets of footsteps approaching, which seem to enter Jack's cabin and then stop. Then I hear two male voices in conversation, unmistakeably Jack and Alex.
Alex's voice is low and urgent as he presumably describes the recent developments to the pirate captain, while Jack, on the other hand, sounds calm when he occasionally speaks up. This seems to serve only to annoy Alex, for soon his voice rises in volume and takes on and angrier tone. However, I still cannot hear what is being said, however much I strain my ears.
This continues for about ten minutes, until I can bear it not longer. I rise into a sitting position, and swing my legs off the bed.
As I stand, I have to swing my arms out rapidly to try and stop myself from simply falling over again, and I am forced to lean against the wall for support and the deck bucks and twists underneath my feet as though we are caught in a huge tempest. I wait for it to subside, but this seems as though it is unlikely to happen and so I decide that it will be best to just inch forwards towards the door.
I do not know how long it takes me, but finally I grasp hold of the doorframe, completely exhausted from the effort of crossing the room. Pushing the door open, which Alex must have slammed shut as he left, I am confronted with my friend and Jack looking as though they are at each other's throats- the tension is almost unbearable.
However, they both pause, mid-argument, to turn and stare at me as I lean weakly against the doorframe. Alex's mouth hangs open slightly as it takes in my appearance- I can only imagine I look as terrible as I feel- while Jack just looks slightly alarmed.
Looking from one to the other, I manage to come up with a sentence that sounds satisfyingly threatening.
"One of you better be about to explain what on earth is going on, or I swear I will actually jump over the side of the ship- and I'll make sure there's no brave hero around to save me this time."
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ChocolatPirate- Oh dear, I said too much... Hehe, I'm gonna keep you guessing! Although, read second part of comment to Uschi, might say a bit more... might not! lol! And I'm glad you liked that line... Although I can't see how Sierra could ever consider Jack to be disgusting... I'm sure you'll agree! ;)
RumQueen- Yes, yes he did! And, erm, read above comment to CP (Hmm... quite a lot of x-referencing going on here...)! Lol... I'm sure YOU'LL agree too! And I'm updating as fast as I can, I promise... School is madness at the moment, revising for exams etc... Though I've got my Easter hols now, so mucho writing can take place methinks!!
Captain Uschi- Hakuna Matata! Glad you're here now, and enjoying it! I hope this one lives up to your expectations (as it seems to be doing so far!), and isn't one of those sequels which isn't even worth the paper it's written on! I'm personally really excited about the ending... I know what's going to happen, but haven't written it yet, and I hope it's going to be as good as i imagine it to be!
