~~Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the characters that I create~~
Thanks to bimboobee and i love orlando bloom for reviewing. I hope I don't disappoint either one of you with my story.
Six months earlier
Her feet pounded against the pavement and her breaths came in shallow, intermittent gasps. Sheridan had been running for what seemed like an eternity through the alley, trying to escape the men who were, or had been, chasing her. She thought by now she would have shook them, but just to be certain she kept running, in desperation or because of a pure, primal sense of self-preservation. It was one or the other, not that she particularly cared. In truth, she was hard pressed to find anything whihc even faintly stirred any emotion within her. Her view on llife had become frighteningly apathetic.
She had scarcely felt anything when she had been moving with the wind; her whole body had gone numb after a short period of time. When she stopped, however, the pain and muscle strains she had put out of her mind swelled up to a tormenting crescendo, and she collapsed in the dank alley, writhing and sobbing silent tears.
She had no idea what she'd done to deserve this life, but nevertheless this was it. Scum. Living off the streets.
Lying there, realizing how pitiful she must look, broken, defeated, and dirty, her pride refused to allow her to remain on the ground. Her body was bruised and sore, while every bit of her self respect was being ground, painfully, beneath her toe for each moment she remained in her submissive, weak, position.
Summoning her last ounce of strength, she staggered to her feet just as a great warrior will refuse to allow his enemies to see him cowering meekly before them. When she reclaimed her balance, she hesistatingly moved forward, wary of what could be lurking in the shadows. Laughing wryly, she thought about all the 'excitement' she had had earlier in the evening.
~~~Earlier~~~
"Hey there, li'l miss . . . wanna show an 'ol mate a good time?"
"Ye lech, back off before I show you just what 'pleasant' company I can be." Sheridan replied scathingly.
"I'll take that spunk of yers any day; I like wenches who bite . . . it makes the evening much more - entertaining," the man cackled drunkenly.
Shaking her head, she turned to move away, but the man had somehow summond some of his friends, and they formed a tight circle around her.
"See here, lass," one of the men broke in, "we've been down on our luck, so we got no money-"
"I'm so sorry," Sheridan replied derisively, "did you go out and spend ye well earned money on your mother's birthday present? Or did ye get sidetracked on the way there and buy a round of drinks for yourself instead?"
"See here," the man continued, ignoring her snide comment, "we're broke and the 'entertainers' in town won't do nothing without getting paid in advance. So that leaves us to catch our own prey. Other words, ye stuck with us." The mam howled in a perverted frenzy as Sheridan felt her instincts flare up for her to get out of there.
Her mind was drawing a blank on what to do to get out of her distasteful imbroglio - until she saw a piece of silver glinting from the man's belt.
"Oh please, just lemme go. Ye don't want me; I'm boring, and besides I'm not experienced enough." Sheridan choked back her disgust in hopes the man would do what her plan called for. Just as Circe, Greek goddess, bewitched men with her herbs and drugs, so did Sheridan entrap this man through wiles; and he fell straight into her lair.
Jerking her roughly against him, he pressed his drunken mouth against her lips. She almost gagged from his liquor ridden breath, but she fought down her revulsion and pretended to be entranced. The moment she did, the man loosened his grip slightly, thinking he had won.
In that moment, Sheridan slid her hand down to his belt and covertly slipped out the silver blade. With lightening quick reflexes and shocking strength, she stabbed the knife into the man's groin, before running like hell.
"Catch her," the man hissed to his companions, but like water, she evaded all of their grasps, to run her own course.
~~~
Shaking her head to bring her mind back to the present, Sheridan smiled sardonically. Yes, her life was grand, living hand to mouth, being treated like a meal to the drunk men of Tortuga, yep, she had it all.
Dawn was displaying her radiant light show across the sky, as bursts of oranges, reds, and pinks stretched the horizon. Yet even this marvelous beauty only filled Sheridan with a morose pain. This beauty would have been much more appreciated if only she could see it at its best: at sea.
That would never occur again though. She deserved this life, she realized suddenly, because she had taken the sea's glory for granted. Because of her immoral behavior towards it, her ship, Luminous Glory, had been stolen right out from under her. She couldn't blame whoever took her ship, so as long as they were treating it better than she had. She had treated Glory disrespectfully by spending more on nights out on the town than on repairs or improvements, and because of her loss, she refused to spend any more money, on 'entertainments'. Not that that mattered or helped now. Her ship was gone and any money she could get her hands on immediately went to paying to putting food in her belly.
A sudden crash sounded, and Sheridan jumped out of way seconds before a heavy treasure chest fell from a window. Startled and nonplussed, she stood there with her mouth agape at the intricate details of the chest. It was the most beautiful sight, something she admired instantly, which was extremely rare for her.
"You have come," a voice that was filled with such mixed emotions caused Sheridan to start. Lifting her eyes, she saw a plump middle-aged woman looking at her with wonder.
"I'm sorry- I'm not sure I understand . . ." Sheridan's voice trailed off to a silence as she stared at the woman, her brow furrowing slightly. Something wasn't adding up.
"I see I have startled you, for that there is no need; I can assure you," the woman stated briskly, "now come at once; the moment is wasting away." With that she turned her back to go inside.
Something told Sheridan to go in, her instincts most likely, but still, she placed her hand upon her sword warily.
Without turning her back the woman said, "There is no need for that sword. You're time for destruction will come soon enough. Enjoy you're innocence while you can."
Shivers shot through her spine at the ominous message and she started to step back, but almost instantaneously she moved forward again. Her curiousity was spiked; she had to know.
Thanks to bimboobee and i love orlando bloom for reviewing. I hope I don't disappoint either one of you with my story.
Six months earlier
Her feet pounded against the pavement and her breaths came in shallow, intermittent gasps. Sheridan had been running for what seemed like an eternity through the alley, trying to escape the men who were, or had been, chasing her. She thought by now she would have shook them, but just to be certain she kept running, in desperation or because of a pure, primal sense of self-preservation. It was one or the other, not that she particularly cared. In truth, she was hard pressed to find anything whihc even faintly stirred any emotion within her. Her view on llife had become frighteningly apathetic.
She had scarcely felt anything when she had been moving with the wind; her whole body had gone numb after a short period of time. When she stopped, however, the pain and muscle strains she had put out of her mind swelled up to a tormenting crescendo, and she collapsed in the dank alley, writhing and sobbing silent tears.
She had no idea what she'd done to deserve this life, but nevertheless this was it. Scum. Living off the streets.
Lying there, realizing how pitiful she must look, broken, defeated, and dirty, her pride refused to allow her to remain on the ground. Her body was bruised and sore, while every bit of her self respect was being ground, painfully, beneath her toe for each moment she remained in her submissive, weak, position.
Summoning her last ounce of strength, she staggered to her feet just as a great warrior will refuse to allow his enemies to see him cowering meekly before them. When she reclaimed her balance, she hesistatingly moved forward, wary of what could be lurking in the shadows. Laughing wryly, she thought about all the 'excitement' she had had earlier in the evening.
~~~Earlier~~~
"Hey there, li'l miss . . . wanna show an 'ol mate a good time?"
"Ye lech, back off before I show you just what 'pleasant' company I can be." Sheridan replied scathingly.
"I'll take that spunk of yers any day; I like wenches who bite . . . it makes the evening much more - entertaining," the man cackled drunkenly.
Shaking her head, she turned to move away, but the man had somehow summond some of his friends, and they formed a tight circle around her.
"See here, lass," one of the men broke in, "we've been down on our luck, so we got no money-"
"I'm so sorry," Sheridan replied derisively, "did you go out and spend ye well earned money on your mother's birthday present? Or did ye get sidetracked on the way there and buy a round of drinks for yourself instead?"
"See here," the man continued, ignoring her snide comment, "we're broke and the 'entertainers' in town won't do nothing without getting paid in advance. So that leaves us to catch our own prey. Other words, ye stuck with us." The mam howled in a perverted frenzy as Sheridan felt her instincts flare up for her to get out of there.
Her mind was drawing a blank on what to do to get out of her distasteful imbroglio - until she saw a piece of silver glinting from the man's belt.
"Oh please, just lemme go. Ye don't want me; I'm boring, and besides I'm not experienced enough." Sheridan choked back her disgust in hopes the man would do what her plan called for. Just as Circe, Greek goddess, bewitched men with her herbs and drugs, so did Sheridan entrap this man through wiles; and he fell straight into her lair.
Jerking her roughly against him, he pressed his drunken mouth against her lips. She almost gagged from his liquor ridden breath, but she fought down her revulsion and pretended to be entranced. The moment she did, the man loosened his grip slightly, thinking he had won.
In that moment, Sheridan slid her hand down to his belt and covertly slipped out the silver blade. With lightening quick reflexes and shocking strength, she stabbed the knife into the man's groin, before running like hell.
"Catch her," the man hissed to his companions, but like water, she evaded all of their grasps, to run her own course.
~~~
Shaking her head to bring her mind back to the present, Sheridan smiled sardonically. Yes, her life was grand, living hand to mouth, being treated like a meal to the drunk men of Tortuga, yep, she had it all.
Dawn was displaying her radiant light show across the sky, as bursts of oranges, reds, and pinks stretched the horizon. Yet even this marvelous beauty only filled Sheridan with a morose pain. This beauty would have been much more appreciated if only she could see it at its best: at sea.
That would never occur again though. She deserved this life, she realized suddenly, because she had taken the sea's glory for granted. Because of her immoral behavior towards it, her ship, Luminous Glory, had been stolen right out from under her. She couldn't blame whoever took her ship, so as long as they were treating it better than she had. She had treated Glory disrespectfully by spending more on nights out on the town than on repairs or improvements, and because of her loss, she refused to spend any more money, on 'entertainments'. Not that that mattered or helped now. Her ship was gone and any money she could get her hands on immediately went to paying to putting food in her belly.
A sudden crash sounded, and Sheridan jumped out of way seconds before a heavy treasure chest fell from a window. Startled and nonplussed, she stood there with her mouth agape at the intricate details of the chest. It was the most beautiful sight, something she admired instantly, which was extremely rare for her.
"You have come," a voice that was filled with such mixed emotions caused Sheridan to start. Lifting her eyes, she saw a plump middle-aged woman looking at her with wonder.
"I'm sorry- I'm not sure I understand . . ." Sheridan's voice trailed off to a silence as she stared at the woman, her brow furrowing slightly. Something wasn't adding up.
"I see I have startled you, for that there is no need; I can assure you," the woman stated briskly, "now come at once; the moment is wasting away." With that she turned her back to go inside.
Something told Sheridan to go in, her instincts most likely, but still, she placed her hand upon her sword warily.
Without turning her back the woman said, "There is no need for that sword. You're time for destruction will come soon enough. Enjoy you're innocence while you can."
Shivers shot through her spine at the ominous message and she started to step back, but almost instantaneously she moved forward again. Her curiousity was spiked; she had to know.