I had a bit of writers block with this chapter! Hopefully it doesn't happen again! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Ava laid in her bed that night, thinking about Ryan and Amy. They were her closest friends at the orphanage. She slowly sat up, and looked around the room. The room looked so empty. First Alice, then Carmen, then Ryan and Amy! Ava sighed as she got out of her bed, then walked over to the window and sat down. As she opened up the window, a warm summer breeze blew in her hair. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her star charm that Ryan gave her. A single tear dropped on the star as she stared at it. She closed her eyes and looked away as she clenched the charm in her fist. She was just about to get up, but then she heard a fog horn coming from the bay. She opened her teary eyes, then looked to the bay. She watched a ship leave the docks to go to new places. Then it hit her.

-flashback-

"I've always thought about leaving this place and going off on my own.."

"Where would you go?"

"Out there... To the ships"

"It's better then staying here my whole life.."

-end flashback-

Ava looked towards the ships, then opened up her fist to see the star charm. She bit her lip, then decided. Yes, she was going to leave this place once and for all.

She opened up the drawer under her bed, then pulled out a small, grey, worn out backpack. She put her magazine in it, a flashlight, a notebook and some pencils, some clothes, and finally, her star charm. She figured she didn't need food from the kitchen, because the ships loaded up on food on the docks. Before anything else, she changed into day clothes. She put on a red dress with a black bow tied across the waist.

Ava knew she couldn't go downstairs to leave, because the doors lock tight. She had to escape through the window. She swung the backpack over her shoulder, then started tying bed sheets together. She made sure the knots were very tight, because, obviously, she didn't want to fall. After she tied the final knot to the end of the bed, she tossed the 'rope' out of the window.

Ava had to admit she was slightly nervous about this... Okay, a lot nervous. One, she was afraid of climbing out the window, two, she was afraid she would get caught, three, she was afraid of what would happen if she actually got away, and got on the ship. What would happen then? Would her life get better? Or worse? I guess that's what she was looking for. She climbed out the window, and took a deep breath. She held the sheets in a death grip, then slowly started climbing down. Let's just say it looks a lot easier in the movies. It took her about five minutes to get to the ground safely. She smiled slightly, relived that she didn't fall.

Ava looked toward the docks, then took her first step into her new life. She started walking towards the road, then looked both ways. Once she knew no cars were coming, she crossed the road, then walked down the sidewalk. She looked around at all the flashing signs trying to lure customers in, at the stray cats in the alleys, the passing people, the colorful cars, and the kids riding bikes passed her. She high-fived one of the bikers passing her. This was like entering a whole new world. Ava had never been out this late at night.

The sound of the ocean got stronger as she walked along the sidewalk. Finally, she reached the loading dock where a giant ship was loading food and such. She looked at the ships name. It was titled the Huntress. This ship looked promising! But she had the brains to know that any crew wouldn't allow a twelve year old onto their ship. She put a finger to her chin to think. She looked around, then saw some barrels that they were loading onto the ship. "Bingo.." She whispered to herself, then stealthily sneaked over to the barrels.

Once no sailors were around, she quickly took the top off one of the barrels, then looked inside. It was full of un-skinned potatoes. She looked around quickly to see if there were any sailors around. She only saw the ones way at the end of the dock.

But she could not get in this one. There were to many potatoes! She quickly put the top back on, then went to the one next to it. There was no label on it though. She quickly opened it up to see it was empty. She was no fool though! She took the label off of the 'carrots' barrel, and placed it on the empty one. She smiled slightly at her achievement, then got in the barrel, and crouched down. She quickly placed the top over her, then it was done. She was just hoping they weren't done loading yet.

Little did she know, the ship was leaving. As the ship left, a new one came in. The ship docked, then huge men in bandanas and gold earrings came and picked up barrels, including the one Ava was in.

"There must be a lot of carrots in here!" A pirate told another while walking on deck. Ava prayed he wouldn't open it up. "Ah, who cares! Just set it down and swab the deck" ordered another pirate. Ava felt the barrel being placed down, and after a few seconds, she heard a door close. She waited a few seconds to make sure no was in the room, then decided it was safe. She smiled excitedly, then pushed on the lid... But there was one problem. She couldn't get it open. A giant sack of had been placed over her barrel, ironically. She pushed and pushed but she couldn't get it open. "Ugh!" She groaned. "Great! I'll be like this all the way across the Pacific and back!" She groaned.

As she leaned back on the barrel, she noticed the ship was at an odd angle. It's probably some waves. Only... She didn't feel the ship move down in any way. This was very very odd. She brushed it off as nothing.. Probably the stress! Right?

Ava's eyes drooped slightly. She was exhausted from this little journey! She sighed and took off her backpack, and placed it on her lap. "Might as well get some rest.." Ava said to herself, knowing no was was in... Wherever she was. Now the barrel wasn't exactly a luxury hotel, but it's not like she had a choice. She closed her eyes, holding her backpack close to her. Sooner or later she fell asleep.

Later, she was given a rude awakening. Ava was woken up by a door slam. She quickly opened her rested eyes, then made a weird face. She pushed on the barrel, but then realized where she was. Then she also realized that she has to keep really quiet. She heard the creaking floor and someone's big feet walking around. To her horror, she heard them getting closer, and closer, until they seemed like they were right next to her. She put her hands together and started praying. She didn't want to be discovered just yet! They were to close to London! If they found her now, they would send her back for sure!

To her complete joy, she heard the foot steps leave. She smiled in relief, then moved some hair out of her eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the door close. "Thank you.." She sighed, then rested her head against the barrel.

Ava looked up at the top of the barrel, and wondered. "Hmm.." She said, then pushed on the top. She was in surprise, but absolute joy when the top came off. She smiled excitedly, finally free from the barrel. She stood up, totally off guard, then started to get out of the barrel. She swung her backpack over her shoulder, then started to take one foot out, but completely panicked when it didn't make it out of the barrel. She got off balance, then fell over, making lots of racket I might add.

She quickly got up and scolded herself for making so much noise, hoping that no one heard it. To her terror, she heard foot steps come closer and closer from outside. Ava had to think fast.

She quickly hid behind the door as it opened. Ava put her back up against the wall, and breathed as lightly as possible. "Alright! Who's here?" She heard a man's voice say. She saw a man walk over to the barrel where she fell. "What the heck?" He asked himself. Ava took note of his clothing. He had a red and white striped shirt, and blue pants that ended at his knees. He had brown, worn out sandals, white hair, and a gold hoop earring in his right ear. Not to mention the tattoo of a kraken taking down a ship on his right arm.

She noticed he was about to turn and leave. She had to act fast! Instead of acting fast, she completely panicked. Before he had a chance to see her, she ran out the door, but then she ran into a huge man with a small red hat, pink and white striped shirt, blue pants, an earring in his right ear, and to put it all together, a gigantic mustache across his face.

Ava screamed when he grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going, miss?" He asked her. Ava tried to pull her arm away. These weren't the sailors she had seen at the dock. What happened?

"Let me go!" Ava cowered in fear of the... Sailors? She heard a different voice call out to another "Cap'n! We caught Miss Eve!" He called. Ava cowered as his grip tightened. She was far to scared to notice what they were saying. "Please! Let me go!" Ava cried out. "Whats going on here?" A man in a red suit and black hair said. "Cap'n, we caught Miss Eve!"