Chapter 10:

"Salina! Dear god, look at you!" James grabbed Salina's arm and pulled her in from the rain. The house was so dark compared to the light and excitement from the tavern. "James I'm so sorry to trouble you this late of hour. But I-." "I'll go get you some towels and a blanket. Just stay here I'll be back." James dashed up the hard wood stairs down the hall into a small linen room. Salina stood in the opening of the house, dripping wet. Salina bent her head down and looked at the blood on her dress. She peeled back a flap of her dress and looked deeply at her wound.
"Salina!" James ran down the steps, nearly tripping, over to Salina. He knelt on the floor and looked at the slash. "What did you do?" "Tis only a flesh wound." Salina said while taking his hand gently into hers. "It was that drunk I saw in the garden wasn't it?" James became enraged; Salina drew his hand to her cheek. "No, no. Jack did not inflict this wound upon me. Tis not his fault. He'd never hurt me." Her eyes started to swell with tears as she looked further and further into James's face.
"How can you speak so highly of him. He's a pirate, a ruthless cut- throat!" James moved and placed the blanket around Salina's shoulders. "He's more than that. He is loyal." "To whom? Certainly not the Governor!" "To me!" James looked down at the young women and decided to sympathize with her. He put his arm around her back and showed her to a guest room. "I will call a doctor for you until he arrives keep these bandages on it. I will send my maid up to help you. Perhaps you should take a bath so that it does not get infected."
"Salina nodded her head and shut the door behind him. She turned and leaned up against the door; slowly she slid down into a crouched position and began to cry. 'Why do I care so much! I don't want to care! Release me from this pain!' Salina lifted her head and wiped her tears. "I won't care anymore!" She stated boldly.
Jack sat Jordan down at a table, grabbed his hat and walked cockeyed out of the tavern. He walked over to a bench across from the tavern by the tailor shop. Jack slouched down on the bench and soon laid back on it, watching the stars, remembering something Salina once asked him. " 'Have ye ever seen something so beautiful, Jack?' 'No. Unless you count this blond haired hooker I was with once. Now she was a beauty!'" Jack sighed and then closed his eyes, to drunk to think about it anymore.
When he opened his eyes he nearly screamed for Will was standing straight over him. Jack sat up straight so that William could sit next to him. "You know Salina sat here crying earlier." Jack turned and faced Will. "That's when she told me that she had a fiancé and not to tell you." Sparrow let out a grumble and then tilted his hat in his face. "Well she got what she wanted and what she deserved." "Jack how can you say that." "Cause I'm cap'in and cap'in knows best. Now if yel excuse me I'd like to get some sleep. Tell the boys we leave in three days time." "Yes sir cap'in." Will got up so that Jack could lay back down.
There was a knock at door so Salina slid away from it and stood up. "Come in." Her voice echoed in the room. A short round maid stepped into the room. Her hair was in tight little curls tied back by a ribbon. "Oh dear, look at you! My name is Chastity, and I am the maid in this house." The woman held her hand out to Salina. "I am Salina-" "Yes dear?" "Salina . Doubou." "Of course dear. Now lets take care of this wound. Salina walked with the women into a small room off of the bedroom. There was a tub in the center of the room with bottles of soaps and oils, a couple towels were laid out on a counter. "Over here dear. I'll fetch ye some warm water while ye get undressed." Salina nodded and watched the woman vacate the room.
Salina walked back into the bedroom and looked frantically for a knife. She pulled drawer after drawer open to try and find one, finally she found one and walked back into the small room, used the mirror and cut the dress off. "Ah! Much better. I can breath again." Salina said while dropping the tattered dress to the floor. She then took her bloomers and bra like top off. She truly was a beautiful women with a slender body, even though she did not except the fact herself. When Chastity came back with the water she stepped into the tub and let the scorching water run all over her body. Salina didn't even flinch when the water entered the wound.

Salina leaned full back into the tub, letting her hair soak in the crystal clear water. She watched the rain trickle down the windows flowing like her hair in the water. Not making even a ripple in the water Salina dozed off. Her dream started out the same as it had a few nights ago, with a burning ship and a girl on a boat. Now she could she the girls face, it was Beth, her cousin. Salina could feel the flames on her skin and hear the screams of a boy echoing in her ear. Her dream suddenly flashed to a fort where a pirate was about to be hanged. In the distance she could see another guard walking yet another pirate to the noose. This one had a sack on his head, and when Salina looked closer she saw that this pirate was not a man but indeed a woman, the sack was taken off of the pirates head as Salina froze with fright. It was she and the pirate next to her was none other than Jack.
"Today is a special day! A day when we have two hangings!" A man shouted from behind Salina, she tried to turn and see who it was but couldn't peel her eyes away from herself. The other Salina who looked much older and dirtier gave an evil look to the man who had just spoken, immediately after it seemed he responded to her glare. "Well Salina Rose!" The man cleared his throat and then spoke again. "Salina Doubou, you finally get what you wished for all along." He paused. "To die next to the man you saved a long time ago, and have all your crimes justified!" Salina got a chill and nearly fainted as she recognized the voice. But it was only a scream that rang out of her mouth as the lever was pulled and she watched her body fall.
Salina jumped up making water splash everywhere. She was gasping for air and her face was nearly pale. She cried for the maid and she came barreling in at the screams of the young women. Chastity ran to her side and held the girl tightly. "Let me get a towel for you." Salina nodded and tried to stand up; her body was still shaking from the shock of watching herself die. Chastity walked back over and helped Salina out of the tub and then wrapped the towel around her.
"Come with me dear. I'll fetch you some night cloths." Salina followed chastity into the bedroom and watched as she pulled out an under gown and a brush with a ribbon tied around it. The maid helped Salina put on the gown then gave her the brush to brush her hair. "If you should need me I'll be down the hall." "Thank you Chastity. Chastity?" The maid turned and looked at the girl. "Yes ma'am?" "What do ye know-." Salina paused and fixed her speech. "Sorry, what do you know about James and I?" "Well madam, I know ye's a fine lady, a proper women. James has always had a heart for ye and would do anything for ye. He told me once that he gave ye a ring but that you said not now and decided to keep it tied around ye neck until you be decided." Chastity walked over to Salina and looked at the chain. "That's all I know." "I see. Did he tell you about my leaving?" "All he said was that he didn't believe yous were dead and he was gonn' find ye, no matter what. It looks like he has." "Chastity, can you keep a secret?"
"Yes ma'am, I sure can." Chastity plopped down on the bed next to Salina. "Well, I obviously wasn't dead, and I wasn't kept prisoner by pirates either." "but, James say he saw ye with atleast one pirate." "Aye that he did. Twas Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow, he was the one James saw me with." "Miss?" "The only thing wrong with Jack is he's a drunk; he can refuse a drink. But he is the kindest man I have ever known." Unannounced to the women James stood out in the hallway ez-dropping. When he herd Chastity walking towards the door to leave he dashed into his room, acting like he was reading. "Good night, love." Chastity said to Salina as she shut the door. The candle went out and soon Salina was sound asleep.