Chapter 4

I awoke in a cell that was no bigger than 2 metres wide both ways. Everything was concrete except the roof which was made of the same material we used back home; leaves. I was on my back on the floor and I sat up. All of a sudden a sharp dagger of pain stabbed me in the head and I yelped out loud. The throbbing carried on as I lay back on the floor. I twisted and tried to get onto my side to see if the pain was more bearable in that position. I lifted my hand and touched my face to wipe away the sweat on my brow. When I brought my hand away, the back of it was covered in a dark red substance. I panicked and wiped again with my fingers this time; I could feel a small indentation where I had been struck in the car. The wound was still bleeding which meant I had not been asleep for long.

I slowly sat up, making sure the pain radiated as little as possible from my head. I waited for something to happen. Where had the pirates taken me? I could hear faint sounds of people outside through the thin walls but nothing I could understand. I trusted not to shout as I knew that no one would come and save me. I soon became agitated and tired; my eyelids were heavy and I wanted to sleep. I lay down on the hard floor and rested my head against the cold concrete. I had my eyes closed but I never feel asleep.

A loud bang startled me from outside. I quickly sat up which made me cry loudly. I heard a laugh from the other side of the door so I moved my hand up to cover my mouth from making any other sound. I looked up at the heavy door and waited to see it budge. Finally, it heaved open and on the other side of the door stood a man I had never seen before. He smiled down at me and I looked away.

"Hello" he said. I still kept my eyes down, staring at his feet. He was wearing heavy duty boots that had scuff marks all over them, and blood stained the laces that wound up his leg. He took a step towards me and I flinched slightly. He laughed again and continued to walk forward.

"I've got something for you". I swallowed and let out a breath. The distance between the door and the man was far enough now that I could get out and run as fast as I could. I had to think fast or else this man would grab me before I could escape.

I was as fast as I could be. The man blurred in my peripheral vision as I ran through the threshold. My heart pounded against my chest as it was not ready for the sprint. When I made it out of the prison I took a sharp turn left and ran straight forward. Huts surrounded my path and I knew I had to get off of the trail if I were to escape. I quick dash right between two small buildings lead me into a covered area. All the green foliage suddenly made me dizzy and the pain at the front of my brain started to scream out for attention. I staggered forward slightly but I pressed on. I clenched my teeth to help with the pain as I swerved through the forest.

I couldn't last any longer and my throat was bone dry. I slowed down and panicked about where to go. I looked around and focused on my hearing. In the distance, not far from where I was, I could hear running water. I headed in that direction and I knew that if I got to a river, I could follow it until it lead out of this place. I got to the opening and my need for water was incredible so I dived straight forward to the water edge. I swallowed handfuls of water and then splashed some on my forehead which made the pain ease and washed away the blood. I knew hanging around for too long would mean I wasn't safe so I stood up and followed along the bank downstream.

Before I had walked 5ft something hit the back of my head with a hard push and I turned around. A man stood completely still pointing a gun directly at my head. I froze and my head felt dizzy again. More pirates walked out of the jungle with guns on their hips. There were too many people this time and I knew I had failed. A man from behind the pirate shouted at him.

"Hey! Put your gun down!" The man had a Spanish accent and I continued to stand still, just moving my eyes to where I heard the voice. The pirate obeyed and stepped back, putting the gun to his side. I knew I could kick and disable him but with the majority of the pirates surrounding me, I understood it would be a bad idea.

"Chica! I see you tried to run away", he was now talking to me. I breathed and realised if I kept quiet it would be easier to hurt so I let my voice me heard.

"I could have done it, if your men hadn't been so aggressive". I looked up and he was walking towards me. He laughed and tilted his head to the right as if he was examining me. The sun shone bright down onto us all and it danced off of the water's surface. It wasn't the shine on the river that caught my attention. Instead it was something I had feared and dreamt of my entire life on Rock Island. As the man tilted his head he revealed a long and deep scar that ran from his left eyebrow across his shaved head and back until I couldn't see. His hair was a short black Mohawk that was shaved either side, but roughly done.

"I saw the damage! What bastards!" He exclaimed. He kept walking towards me and I stood my ground, crossing my arms over my chest. I looked down briefly and whipped my head so that a small piece of my fringe would go to where it should me. I was wearing a tight grey t-shirt that Dennis gave to me a few years ago but it was my favourite so I kept it. I was also wearing my trousers that had a great tear in them and I remembered the incident with the boar before I got captured, and a small poke in my thigh reminded me I still had a cut there. I looked back up and he was only 4ft at the most away from me.

"But don't worry; I'll take care of you…" He waited for me to reply with me name so I gave it to him.

"Jessica". I uncrossed my arms and put them to the side of me. I put my weight onto my left hip and bent my knee to make it more comfortable.

"Jessica". He smiled and stepped closer. He grabbed the part of my fringe that kept falling into my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. I tried not to flinch but instead stood up straight and smiled at him. He looked surprised and smiled back.

"You're going to be so much fun Hermana", said the man with the scar.