52: Time Travel
The manipulation of time – it had been a subject that had always appeared frequently within the mind of Samantha Hawkins, and ever more so since her capture by her own Captain.
How would events go if –
How would she have turned out if –
Would she have gone mad, would she have told them of her plans, would she even have had this crazed desire for recognition and triumph and glory and power at all?
There were simply so many questions that Samantha had, and not nearly enough opportunities to get them all answered – she would only ever find out where this path led, and it was here, in the brig of the ship that had become her own home, abandoned by the woman that she had looked to as a role model.
If I could manipulate time…
It was a "question game" that she often played with herself, now more than ever before – if she had one chance to change the events that were to occur within her life, those that directly affected her, for such were the rules of time manipulation within her mind – what would be changed?
The more bitter part of her said that she would never have climbed aboard the massive black galleon that day at the Skull Island docks, no matter how strong her sense of curiosity was – that way, when it would set sail once more, there would be no stowaways below deck – it would merely be Sydney Underhill, and her ship.
And then, Samantha realized, if this had occurred, then she would not have acquired Jewel as a part of her crew either – for Sydney had only encountered Jewel during a mission – the purpose of which had been to obtain medicine for Samantha herself.
Had such medicine not been needed, the voyage would never have been made.
And of course, Quintus would never have been obtained – Sydney had only managed to do so through the help of her two crewmates – and if she did not have them, then a voyage to the plundered tunnels would be senseless, unthinkable.
Much to the buccaneer's dread, as interesting as this "game" of sorts was to play, it had once again led her to the very same conclusion.
Had I not come into contact with Sydney –
None of this would have happened.
Jewel would not be hanging across from where she was right now, chained to the wall (although miraculously asleep), with the manacles around her wrists digging into her flesh so that the skin underneath became chafed and bloody.
Quintus would not have carried any particular weight or memory with him – he would not have been Sydney's glass – eyed, diamond – eyed, beautiful soldier – he would have merely been one of many, one of hundreds of thousands of Armada musketeers.
Samantha's ever – childish fragment of her mind did not understand this all – it did not wish for this to be so, all of this pain, all of this despair – for the time – travel game was supposed to be a fun pastime, an indulgence of the what – ifs that every man and woman and child and being harbored within their head –
But it had only turned her initial dread into more dread –
And, she decided, she did not like the time – travel game anymore.
Poor Sammy. She just wanted the best for her captain and crewmate, really, and none of them met a happy end ultimately.
I do hope you enjoyed, and be sure to leave a review!
- Severina
