Hi guys! Long time no see!

The ninth chapter, I'm really sorry it has taken me so long to write it, but I have been extremely busy with courses, homework, my internship and whatnot. However, I still try to write when I have some spare time, so I hope I will be able to keep posting on a regular basis.

I want to say thanks to those who are reading, following this story or reviewed, it feels good knowing what you do is appreciated.

This chapter contains rather foul language and graphical violence.

I do not own Far Cry nor none of its characters.

I will keep on writing, if you have some ideas or would like to point out some mistake in the chapters or comment anything you want, you know how ;).


My eyes snapped open when I heard someone muttering under their breath next to me. I saw through the corner of the eye how the pirate raised his hand to his face and rubbed it furiously, he sat up; frowning when he saw me. He yawned, not even bothering to cover his mouth, and stretched his limbs, making them crack.

"The fuck you looking at?" he said in a throaty voice.

"Nothing," I answered hurriedly, and turned my head slightly to look at him.

"Holy fuck," he grunted, cupping his forehead on one hand. "Like a fucking bullet in my fucking brain," he swung his legs out of bed briskly, he staggered slightly on the spot. He was ashen-faced; I looked at him, still cuffed to the bed.

"Fucking hell, it's gonna explode," he muttered, his eyes full of rage. "You still there? Out of my fucking sight! Disappear!" he snarled, looking at me. I instinctively tried to get up, but I was still restrained. He stomped to the desk and picked up the key, then wrenched the cuff from my ankle, scratching my skin in the process. I took my clothes from the ground as fast as I could and stormed out of the building.

I didn't stop walking until I reached the back of the cabin. Still shaken, I began to get dressed right there. I had to leave for a while, at least until he had calmed down a bit; I could sneak to the glade. I walked under the trees until I reached the little clearing and looked longingly at the rusty corrugated steel wall. I walked to it and kicked it with all my might.

Freedom was a few centimetres away from me, but I couldn't reach it. I sat with my back against the metal. I was starving, and I hadn't even gone to the toilet.

"He's raving mad," I thought, examining the torn skin from my ankle. "Fucking mental," I added in my mind. I would have never dared to speak those words aloud, for fear he would somehow hear me. My stomach growled pitifully, wanting food and water. That would have to wait, until the storm had passed.

I lingered there, feeling extremely impatient and nervous, tapping a foot rhythmically against the ground. Something red began to move between the emerald green leaves. The pirate came from them, he didn't look as pale and clammy as before.

"Why are you there?" he made a gesture with his arms, looking at me slightly confused. We looked at each other for a few seconds.

"You told me to disappear," I answered; he frowned slightly, then laughed raucously; I had to make an effort not to gawk at him. I remained there, sitting on the ground, while he laughed, eyes half-closed.

"Ok, chica, whatever. I'm fucking starving, go pick me one of those mangoes and some aspirin from the doc. Tell him I will go to his hut later," I got up and started walking, he swatted my thigh with one of his hands, smiling cheekily.

I huffed loudly when I was out of earshot, I couldn't comprehend his constant mood swings, and there was no way of anticipating how he would take anything. I treaded up the slope and mixed under the shadowy trees. The camp looked slightly busier than other days, some pirates carried long guns slung on their backs, walking towards the exit gate. I stopped in front of the canteen, deciding it would be best to pick breakfast after I had the aspirin.

I remembered the path from the other day, so finding it wouldn't be a problem. The air felt sticky around, and the weather was getting extremely hot. I pushed a few strands of hair out of my face, I would have to take another shower soon, and the stench from my tank was beginning to be unbearable. I would have to wash it…but I needed more clothes. An idea came up to my mind; I still had the rests from the other one, tattered and dirty, but I could wash it and then try to fix it. I would only need some thread and a needle.

However, I didn't have any sewing materials in my bag, and I would do anything before asking the pirate for that. Maybe the doctor would lend me some, he must have them, he was a doctor after all. That man looked nice enough, I could always try.

The improvised hospital was in front of me, I had walked rather fast. I raised my fist hesitantly, not knowing if the doctor was busy. Finally, I rapped the door softly. It opened, the doctor looked at me in surprise.

"Hello, does Vaas need me again?" he stepped aside to let me in.

"Well…truth is he said he would come later, he sent me for some aspiring for his headache," the older man rolled his eyes. He walked towards one of the metal cabinets against the walls.

"These pirates…they would end my supply of painkillers if I let them, I'm running low. However, I can't say no to the boss, not if I wish to keep all my limbs…" he made waved his hand in a resigned manner.

"He didn't look well this morning, and was rather pissed off…so, the sooner he gets well, the better for me," I commented.

"Mmmm, yeah, it's not wise to be on his range of fire when he isn't in a good mood, not even when he is. I'll give you something rather strong, it may make him feel sleepy, but it will help, and it will make things easier for you."

"Oh, thanks, really," I felt extremely grateful towards him. "Could…Could I ask you for something else? Do you have some thread and a needle? I really need to fix some clothes…" I trailed off.

"Of course," he said with a beam on his face, he went to the desk and opened one of the drawers, then pulled a bobbin of thread, he gave it to me, there was a needle tangled in it.

"Thanks a lot," I said, he put a little bottle of aspirins on my hand as well, I pocketed both things. "You can't imagine how grateful I feel, I would give them back to you as soon as I can," I couldn't help but smile, a rare thing those days, he smiled back.

"Don't worry about that, bring those to the boss," I set off for the cabin, saying goodbye as I exited. I trotted back to the cabin, feeling the weight of the things on my pocket. The front of the cabin was deserted.

"FUCKING USELESS PIECE OF JUNK!" hollered the pirate from inside. I entered hesitantly, nearly tiptoeing. The madman was jabbing furiously with a finger at the keyboard of the laptop. As if alerted by a sixth sense, he turned around, casting an infuriated glance towards me.

"About fucking time, puta!" he hissed, walking towards me. Fingers trembling like jelly, I reached for my pocket and grabbed the little bottle of aspirin, putting it in front of me as I was trying to ward off a vampire with a cross. He snatched it from my hand and walked to the fridge; he pulled a bottle of liquor from it, then he tipped a tablet on his hand and downed it with the liquid.

I didn't think it was really wise to mix alcohol with medicine, but it was his own decision, not mine; he could die as far as I was concerned. He left the bottle and stomped toward the steps, where he sat down heavily and grunted. I stayed put, looking at his back; he rubbed his head with his hands, messing his Mohawk.

I sat on the ground and took my shredded tank from under the table. I put it on my knees and began to thread the needle, it took me a while. I didn't know how to sew, but I had seen my grandmother doing it. I tried to make tight stitches, so it wouldn't tear easily. I ended up with a lot of irregular, crude knots down the front of my tank, making it tighter than before; but it would serve its purpose. Now I had to wash it, I got up at the same time as the pirate but, unlike him, I didn't stumble; he grabbed the threshold of the door, he was pale and sweaty, his eyes unfocused. He would have thrown me to the ground if I hadn't grabbed him before, clutching the back of his top clumsily. He grabbed my shoulders, trying to regain his footing.

"Fuck, I feel like I'm gonna puke," he breathed hoarsely. My knees were nearly bucking under his weight; I wouldn't hold for much longer, his skin was cold and clammy against mine.

"You should lie in bed…" you know, my voice strained.

"Are you fucking blind? If I move I will headfirst into the ground! Help me sit or something," I dragged both of us a few paces, but his foot caught in an irregularity of the floor and he fell backwards on the bed, pulling me with him in the process.

Our ribs crashed against each other, and I had been lucky enough to have my head to the side, or it would have collided against his. He pushed me off with a grunt; I remained there, trying to steady my breath.

"Should I fetch the doctor?" I asked nervously, he had his eyes closed tight.

"No, not yet; I will lie down for a bit, it's as if I was in a fucking rollercoaster or something," he grumbled.

"Ok then, I'll be outside," I said, getting ready to get up. However, he gripped my wrist before I could leave.

"No, you fucking stay here in case something happens and I need the doc," I exhaled through my nose, then sat on the bed with my back against the wall. We remained like this, him lying diagonally on the bed and me against the wall, throwing him glances from time to time. Bored to death, I began to bite my fingernails, I used to do it when I had nothing better at hand. However, I grew tired of that after a while, I started to doze off.

I woke up at some moment and looked instinctively at the fast asleep figure next to me. His head was turned to the side, I couldn't see his face. My stomach rumbled, I watched at him deep in thought, thinking if I should wake him up. However, he had been furious the other night, but if he was hungry when he woke up and I couldn't bring him food because it was late he would be angry too…Maybe I could just take my chances.

I tapped him softly in the shoulder, he didn't react at all, not even a grunt.

"Vaas," I said in a loud voice. "It's late, want something to eat?"

No response, he just lay there; I tapped his shoulder harder. Nothing, what happened? Was he dead? A mixture of sensations overwhelmed me; dread for what would happen if he was dead indeed and the pirates discovered it, and relief because the monster could be gone.

"Vaas?" I shook his shoulder, to little avail. "Shit," I spat out, I put a hand against his heart, straining to feel some heartbeat. The fucking idiot had to mix painkillers and alcohol, how could anyone be so stupid? Oh, there it was, the heartbeat; I sighed, feeling relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time.

"What's the fucking matter now?" he turned his head to me, eyes still half-closed. My hand was still on his chest, I took it away as if I had been burned.

"I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat," I said hesitantly; he raised an eyebrow, he looked slightly surprised. He stood up with a grunt and looked through the window, as if trying to guess the time of the day.

"Turns out I'm hungry, yeah; go fetch food then," he strolled out of the cabin. I jumped out of bed behind him and walked down the hill.

He looked in much better spirits; I cared for his wellbeing and happiness as much as he cared for mine, but it was convenient for me to have him in a good mood. I joined the queue and waited patiently for my turn to come.

I faced the cooker grimly with the two dishes in front of me, he ignored me on purpose for a whole minute, pretending to clean a knife with his dirty apron. My stretched out arms were beginning to feel numb. Seeing that I didn't plan on leaving, he snatched the dishes and filled them, I left without saying a word.

While I left, I felt someone behind me, I turned around. It was the Colombian pirate from the other day; he had tanned skin and cropped hair, he was on the burly side; most probably a brutish arrogant with more muscle than brains.

"Are you going to eat just that? Because I have a nice big sausage for you if you want," he said, I couldn't help but smirk.

"I'd probably end up as hungry as before, so no, thanks," I sneered.

Other pirates had been hearing our conversation, they whistled and laughed at my comeback. The smile slipped off his face and changed into fury and humiliation; I smiled triumphantly. However, he wouldn't be affronted by a girl like me and just stay there. His hand flew to my face and backhanded me harshly; some of the pirates laughed raucously and others looked among themselves with a worried expression.

"Let's see if you smile so much when I take you to the boss, bitch," he threw the dishes I still held to the ground and grabbed my arm painfully hard. He dragged me roughly to the hill, the stinging sensation from his slap hot on my face; I pulled, trying to free myself from him.

"Now you don't look so happy, don't you, hoe?" he leered, I remained in silence, looking at the top of the hill grimly.

Vaas was sitting on the steps, scratching his fingers. He looked up with a confused frown when he saw me and the other pirate.

"What's the matter, hermano? " that gorilla released me and pushed me in front of him, I tried hard to keep my balance.

"Your little puta, she insulted me," he pointed at me with one of his thick fingers.

"Chica, what did you tell him?" asked the pirate, looking with curiosity.

"I had little food on my plate, and he said that he had a nice big sausage for me if I wanted; I rejected it saying that I'd probably end as hungry as before. Then he hit me," the pirate lord raised an eyebrow, then got up and laughed softly.

"Well, hermana, you can't go around insulting people in their face, don't you think?" He said in a good-natured tone. I kept my face expressionless, he didn't look pissed off.

"Yeah, that's what I thought boss, she deserved to be put on her place," said the other pirate, encouraged by his superior's reaction.

"Yes, that's right," laughed Vaas. Then, he whipped out his gun out of his holster and a loud shot echoed through the jungle, the other pirate shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, gripping his thigh tightly.

"But…But boss!" screamed the man in pain. It was really strange seeing such a bulky man crumpled on the floor like a child with an injured knee.

"So…you fucking think you can do whatever the hell you want? Huh? Did I give you permission to touch her, to talk to her? Hmmm?" he growled, his face contorted in rage, making ample gestures with the arm that held his weapon.

"Ok, Ok, I should have asked," sobbed the man, trying to contain the blood with his hands, it seeped between his fingers like a little river.

"SAY YOU ARE SORRY! Tell her you are sorry for hitting her and calling her puta!" snarled Vaas, pushing the pistol against the pirate's wounded leg.

"Please! Please! Please! Forgive me!" howled the pirate at the top of his lungs.

"That's better," hissed Vaas, then put the cannon against the pirate's head.

BUM

The man's face looked full of surprise and betrayal, while his head was surrounded by a growing halo of blood. The crimson liquid began to dye the green grass; we stood there in silence.

"Fucking prick," added the pirate with disgust. "Michael! Come the fuck down and take this shit to the main camp!" he screamed to one of the pirates on the nearby towers. Said man climbed down the ladder hurriedly, other pirate appeared from the other tower to help him lift the corpse from the ground by its arms and feet.

"Main camp, boss?" said one of the pirate, if he was confused he hid it very well behind his aviator sunglasses.

"Yes, to the canteen zone; I'm going with you, I want to tell something to the others," he said coldly, his anger under control. "You stay here," he said turning his head in my direction. He started walking with his men behind him holding the dead man.

I remained there, aghast. He had really killed one of his men in cold blood, just for slapping his captive without permission. And the strange thing was that he had admitted that the pirate was right, that I shouldn't have insulted him. I sat on the steps to wait for him, my face still sore from the slap; would he punish me after this for insulting one of his men? He hadn't looked angry before, but that could change very easily.

He appeared a few minutes later, he carried two new dishes; I thought he would make me go for food again after he came back. I stood up and scanned with my eyes for a place to sit, as my usual place was drenched in blood. He pushed the dish into my hands and sat on the steps.

"You can stay where you are, chica, I don't mind," he said, sinking the fork on the stew. "I don't bite," he said with an impish grin.

Decided to trying to keep him in a good mood as long as possible, I sat on a higher step, nearly on the edge of the plank. We began to eat, it was a very strong meat, maybe goat.

"I gotta say you've got some balls, hermana. You should have known he wasn't going to accept whatever you got to say," he commented, chewing a piece of meat.

"He shouldn't have spoken to me on the first place," I replied, stabbing a bit of meat with the dull fork.

"No, he shouldn't. Why did you snap? You always have a grip on yourself when I talk dirty to you," he asked, looking in my direction keenly.

"I suppose I had had enough, he had been telling me things while we were queuing," he grunted in acquiescence and kept eating in silence.

I finished, he put his plate on my lap, next to mine. I left for the canteen; the trail had a little trail of blood on some places, it must have been from the dead pirate when he was taken down. I left the dishes, two pirates in a corner looked at me with hostility from the wall of one of the shanties; I held their gaze, but said nothing, I left as swiftly as I had come.

The pirate sat on the steps, he had lit a cigar and was biting the end with gusto. It amazed and horrified me at equal parts how calm he looked after having killed someone, one of his own men. I looked at the patch of blood-stained ground, seeing so much red reminded me of my mended tank, I could wash it now; anything to distract me.

I entered into the shack and picked the piece of clothing and my bottle of gel, then got to the shower booth. I rubbed it for a long while, trying to wash the splatters of blood from Keller's nose. My hands ended up covered in pinkish foam from the mixture of blood and soap. The stitches were strong, I noticed, even if they were irregular and clumsily made. When I finished I put it on the branch and took the bra and the shorts I had put the other day. They were clean albeit slightly stiff.

I got back to the shanty, the pirate sat on the ground, his back propped against the wall, still smoking. I tucked the clothes under the bed and picked up the book, then sat on the steps, at some distance from the cabin and concentrated on the book. However, I had the impression that the shot from before exploded on my ears every time I heard a stronger or sudden noise.

"Hey chica, leave that and come with me," I looked at him in confusion. "You heard me, come on, I don't have all the fucking day," I left the book on the steps and followed him.

He walked with long strides, I eyed him, what the hell did he want now? We kept walking, with me behind him, we walked past the canteen, there was a dried puddle of blood on the ground, probably from the pirate from before. He didn't say a word the whole time, I felt a tinge of fear inside me, was he pissed off at me for something?

We went through the labyrinth of huts, the pirates looked at me sideways, as if they didn't want to be seen doing it by Vaas. I realized we were nearing the cage zone, suspicions rose even more inside me.

The people inside looked half dead, dirty and desperate. They gawked at me or looked without seeing anything, eyes unfocused and glassy. A man scratched the dry ground distractedly, digging a shallow hole in the process, as if preparing his own tomb. Two women squabbled over a half-empty bottle of murky water, pulling at each other's hair and scratching, two pirates goaded them to attack at each other.

We were getting near my old cage; had he grown tired of me and decided to put me into a cage again? My mind struggled between the idea of getting far from that vicious man and being in such a miserable place, hungry and exposed to the violence of the other pirates.

We finally reached the cage I had shared with Sarah and the old man; there was a lone figure in it, the man looked asleep, I noticed a tiny figure cradled in his arms.

"Hey, you! Wake the fuck up, old geezer!" screamed Vaas. The man raised his head swiftly, confusion and fear in his eyes. His arms tightened around the little girl, who began mewling in annoyance, it was a pitifully feeble sound.

"You, get inside and pick the baby," he commanded to me, he opened the padlock an opened the door. I looked at him like stupefied; he pushed me impatiently into the cage. "Come on, fucking move."

I walked slowly to the old man, he gripped the girl even harder and looked at Vaas defiantly.

"What are you going to do with her? You already separated her from her mother; she's just a child, for God's sake!" he said indignantly.

"Don't stick your nose in things don't concern you, you fucking piece of shit! Give the baby to the girl before I slice you open!" growled the pirate, taking his knife out and pointing it at the old man. The man didn't look ready to relent; sensing danger, I decided to intervene.

"Give me the baby, he will kill you and take her anyway if you don't," the man clenched his jaw stubbornly. "I will take care of her, I promise," I said, though there was no way of knowing to which extent I would be able to keep that promise.

"She's right, hurry up," snarled Vaas from the other side of the cage. The man looked at me intently for a few seconds, he offered me the little girl; we stared at each other in the eye for a moment.

I held the baby against my chest and walked out of the cage, the pirate slammed the door close and locked it again. I looked at the old man one last time and I left behind the pirate. The baby wasn't dirty, but grimy; her blond hair filthy and her white skin smudged in dirt. The poor thing felt too light on my arms, she had been heavier the other days I had to pick her; the old man had kept her alive by giving her his food, but she needed to be properly fed.

What did he want to do with her? Was he going to kill her because she was of no use to him or something? And what did he want me for? Was he going to kill me as well? He walked fast, moving with long strides, swaying his arms slightly. We kept at that pace for a few minutes, the baby looked lethargic in my arms, leaning her head against my shoulder.

We had arrived to the doctor's hut, the pirate entered directly without knocking, I followed suit. The doctor was inside taking notes on a paper; he looked at us trying to hide his surprise; he left the pen and the paper.

"Is there a problem Vaas?" he asked cautiously.

"Nah, man. I just want to see Blondie, I'm going to get her out of bed," he replied in an offhand way.

"You brought the baby? Is she ok?" The doctor walked to me and examined the baby behind his thin metallic glasses; I allowed him to pick her up. "She's suffering from malnutrition, needs proper food," a stern rictus appeared on his face at the baby's state.

"Yeah, whatever, give her back to the girl and take us to the mother, fast," replied the pirate, sounding annoyed. The man offered me the baby and I picked her up; the doctor opened a door at the end of the room and we followed him. It was an ample, well lit room, full of rickety albeit clean beds; there were tables with surgical instrument too. At the end of the place there was a figure sitting on a bed, blond dishevelled hair covering their face.

We got to the figure, I had to stifle a gasp when I saw Sarah's face. She didn't seem to have acknowledged our presence; her eyes were glassy and stared at the sheets that covered her. Her fine nose was a lot bigger and lumpy, swollen and slightly bruised. Even her face looked strangely askew, asymmetrical, with bulges protruding in places where they shouldn't. The older man cleared his throat.

"Sarah…there…there is someone who wants to see you," he said, the woman raised her eyes to us, first to the doctor, then to Vaas, and finally to the baby and me. She looked dazed at first, but then a pair of tears rolled down her face and her mouth split into a grin.

"My girl, my little girl…" she muttered, eyes full of tears and joy. But then, her face changed, it contorted itself into a wild grimace of wrath and loathing, fear and pain.

"YOU FUCKING WHORE, GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY BABY!" she jumped out of bed with unexpected agility and rushed to me, teeth bared and glistening with saliva. Someone stepped in before she reached me; Vaas grabbed her by the neck, he looked livid with rage.

"Don't you dare touch her, puta. Now, calm the fuck down and sit where you were," he hissed, his face next to hers.

"SHE'S A FUCKING BETRAYING WHORE, SHE THINKS SHE'S BETTER THAN ME JUST BECAUSE SHE WON AND SHE'S SUCKING YOUR DICK!" she yelled, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me. That last comment incensed me, I clenched my teeth.

"FUCK YOU! Better that than having a shitty face and waiting to be whored out to the whole camp, bitch!" I snarled, yearning to shut her mouth with a punch.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! BOTH OF YOU!" roared the pirate, glowering at me; he turned to look at the doctor. "I don't know, doc, today it's as if everyone was trying to piss me off or something."

He pushed the woman roughly over the bed and took a deep breath.

"Ok, now you will fucking listen to me, if I hear a fucking word I will slap the shit out of whoever it was, understood?" he said this very slowly and remarked every syllable of what he said, he kept looking at me.

"Your face looks like shit, for real, I don't think I would fuck you even if you were the last woman on fucking Earth," he said, looking at Sarah. "But my men are getting tired of waiting, and a promise is a promise, you know? I'm a man of honour and all that shit. They can always turn you around if they don't want to see your mug, I don't give a fuck. The thing is…you are getting your ass out of bed and starting tonight making my men happy."

Sarah looked at me the whole time in mutinous silence, the baby was nervous between my arms, maybe because of the screams or because her mother was near.

"But I will be a good guy and I will let you have your baby, as long as you shag my men…if you don't, if I hear any complaint from my men I will cut her little throat in front of you and then kill you. Get it? It's fucking easy, Blondie; you fuck, you have your baby. She can stay with the doc while you are…working," he smiled malevolently at her.

"What about my face? Look what did your little whore to me!" the woman pointed at her nose, looking at me with hatred.

"Yeah, I know, not fucking blind. Shame, but I there's nothing I can do," the pirate scratched the back of his neck, and then he looked at me. "Well, get dressed and I will take you to the main area; you, chica, give the baby to the doc," ordered the pirate.

I did as he said, the doctor went to the other room with the baby and came back with a bundle of clothes, he gave them to Sarah. The doctor and I looked pointedly to another part to give the woman some privacy, though Vaas didn't even bother, eyeing her with mild interest. A few minutes passed until we finished; she had been given the clothes she had worn before, dirty and now baggy over her thinner frame.

The pirate grabbed the woman by the arm and pulled from her out of the room, I followed them. We walked for a while, Sarah dragging her feet behind the pirate, as if she was being taken to the gallows. The pirate turned to me at some moment.

"Hermana, get back to the shanty, I have to go to the main area with Blondie to make an announcement to the guys," I nodded and saw them take a different lane; I walked slowly to the shanty.

She was going let herself be given to those filthy men, like a hunk of meat to a pack of hyenas, all for her baby's sake. I felt I had no right to complain about my situation, better that madman than a hundred men like the one Vaas had killed that same day. I could have been her; I could be the one with the ruined face, being led to work as a sex slave. I sunk my teeth into my lip, hoping the physical pain would numb the guilt that engulfed me; even if it was the only thing I could have done, I had never felt so much remorse in my life.

I reached the top of the hill and sat on a rock, looking into the jungle, impassible and merciless, feeding from our suffering, not caring if we lived or die. I saw movement and heard screams from the pirates in the distance, in an open area; I supposed they were deciding who would be the first to have sex with Sarah. Disgusted, I left the rock and walked to the back of the shack; I looked at the mirror that hung there.

The scratches on my neck had practically healed, there were only four reddish lines on my skin. A sad girl inspected me from the mirror, her wounded lips pursed into a tight line. Her gaze was tired and fearful, purplish bags hung under them.

I felt dirty, maybe I could have a shower, it would do me good. I went automatically into the shack, taking my things and dragging my feet back to the shower. I hung my clothes over the door and made sure the door was in its place; the icy water soothed my burning skin. I couldn't help but feel sticky from the heat of the jungle, I wasn't really used to it.

Each drop felt like a cold tiny pinprick on my skin, I stood there for countless minutes, watching the water slide between my toes and to the planks on the ground and feeling the cold liquid on my skin. My body felt clean but my mind…it was tainted, adulterated, muddled. As if someone had introduced something alien and I couldn't get rid of it. I dressed, slipping the two clean pieces of clothing I had, I would be able to wear the other one the following day.

I entered into the shack barely acknowledging how I even got there. The pirate was nowhere to be seen; maybe he had stayed with the pirates and had decided to have a round with the other woman. He had said he wouldn't have sex with her even if she was the last woman on Earth, but you could never know how or when he would change his mind. I sat on the bed and looked absentmindedly at the top of the fridge. The pirate had left the little bottle of aspirins there; it would have served him right if he had died in the morning after mixing them with alcohol, at least Sarah wouldn't be forced to…I gulped, I couldn't even bring myself to think about it.

I don't know why I did it, but I got up and reached for the little container. I tipped one of the tablets on my hand and introduced it into my mouth, then downed it with some of the stale water from the bottle. I took my clothes off, leaving my tank and panties and curled into a ball on my side of the bed, hoping to erase everything.