Chapter 1 – The Way Things Were
She sat on the beach, long red hair flowing with the wind. The dim sunlight was fading into the west, turning the sea grey. She wore a dress of white, and looked into the distance, dreaming of other days. A lantern sat on the beach next to her, a custom kept for ten years. Each day she came to the beach an hour before the sunset, and stayed, some days until the night grew late. At first she would stay until the sun rose again, her tears, and the waves lulling her to sleep.
Fiona was dressed in a gown of white, loose flowing material. She could have had any man by now, but refused them all. She was now twenty-five, but still held onto a promise made to her at the age of fifteen. He would return, her heart tried to convince her. But in her head, she knew that he was already dead.
Some nights, when all the lights of the city had gone out, the people retired to their beds, Fiona fancied that she saw a sort of ghost ship in the distance. One of the first nights she spent at the beach, she saw it. The blue-eyed girl ran to it, ran in the water, and then swam as far as she could. She was found the next morning, supposedly drowned on the beach. But she was not dead, and lived on many more years indeed.
It was ten years ago, to the day. The girl lived in a settlement on the smallest of islands, with a community of no more than five hundred others. She had grown up in Rockwell, colonized by the Brits and settled by the Irish quite a while ago. Not many friends had the young girl, but one she had was special.
"Jack!" She called out, once more, her voice no longer horse from the first bitter days. It had been ten years ago when pirates had invaded the small settlement, taking it for what it was worth. Her and her friend, Little Jack Turner, as some called him, much to his annoyance, were on the beach playing during hours they should have been in their homes. In the distance they saw a boat. Jack told her there were pirates in it, and she was afraid, but she acted the brave part. Fiona seemed as interested in adventures with pirates and Jack did.
But as they drew nearer, Fiona's courage began to fail. She pulled Jack by her delicate hand, beckoning him to come into the forest, where they would be safe.
"I've got my sword," He said, a charming smile upon him as he pointed to a wooden sword that he made himself. She shook her head and pleaded with him. The pirates drew closer, and were reaching the bay just North of them. They still had a chance to hide in the forest's cover.
Finally, the boy rolled his eyes of dark brown, "Oh, come on Fiona." She gave him a warning look and he shrugged. "Oh well, then. I suppose for your safety I'd better take you into the woods, aye? Before I try t'fight em' off o' course."
She muttered in a scared and hushed whisper, "Whatever Jack, lets just get out of here."
"Just one last look, Fi?" He peered around the bend, and then a look of terror struck his face. He looked at her seriously and said one word, "Run."
She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, and as quietly as she could. Before she had gotten far at all she felt a hand over her mouth and Jack caught her in his arms. They froze, as they heard voices nearby.
"Oy, I know I 'eard some brats talkin' o'er here! And we'd best ta find 'em!"
Her blue eyes wide with fear, Fiona turned around to look at Jack. They were slowly backing into the rocks, and there was just enough space in a small cave for one to slip inside for hiding.
Jack turned to her and whispered in his lowest voice. "Fiona, you stay here, you'll be safe. I'm going to find another place to hide." She was shaking, and he pulled her close, his arms wrapping her tightly. "I promise I will come back for you, Fiona. I will always come back for you."
They heard the breaking of a twig and their eyes went wild. She retreated into the cave, he mouthed to her, "Always," before giving her a debonair wink. For a second she was comforted, and then he was out of sight.
Fiona shook inside her hiding spot, and it began to rain. The footsteps retreated, and she could hear nothing but the pounding of the rain for a long time. The night grew into the hours so late that she couldn't count them.
A loud, loud noise shook Fiona out of her reverie. She had never heard it before, it sounded like, like, an explosion? Fiona crawled out of her hiding place, and ran among the greenery towards the town. There was ruin, so much ruin. The young girl saw the pirates ship retreating, but a last explosion landed too near her. She was knocked unconscious.
Was it hours? Was it days? Was it weeks later? Fiona did not know how long she had slept the dreamless sleep. She woke confused, hardly remembering the events of the previous night. But one thought was perfectly clear to her. Jack. Where was Jack?
Fiona ran back to the forest, still quite disoriented. She cried out as she ran, back to her hiding spot. "Jack! Jack Turner! Are you there! Jack!" That day she ran her voice hoarse with cries. Someone grabbed her and took her home, but she fought and cried, and didn't stop screaming for two days. The boy's body was never found.
The woman on the beach recalled these memories nightly, the small candle of hope that she always held in her heart was still not ready to burn out. She would still wait; she would still call for him. He would come back for her.
A crystalline tear came to her eyes, as she tried again to convince herself. He would come back. And she would never give up that hope.
For she loved Jack Turner. Since the day they had met which she couldn't even remember. Since they were born. Since they had played in the forest and the beach and the town every day of her life until she was fifteen. Fiona couldn't lose hope; she couldn't lose hope for the love of her life.
Jack had a brother as well, William Turner, only a few years older than him. Will had gone in search of his younger brother several years back, never to return to Rockwell again.
She sat on the beach, long red hair flowing with the wind. The dim sunlight was fading into the west, turning the sea grey. She wore a dress of white, and looked into the distance, dreaming of other days. A lantern sat on the beach next to her, a custom kept for ten years. Each day she came to the beach an hour before the sunset, and stayed, some days until the night grew late. At first she would stay until the sun rose again, her tears, and the waves lulling her to sleep.
Fiona was dressed in a gown of white, loose flowing material. She could have had any man by now, but refused them all. She was now twenty-five, but still held onto a promise made to her at the age of fifteen. He would return, her heart tried to convince her. But in her head, she knew that he was already dead.
Some nights, when all the lights of the city had gone out, the people retired to their beds, Fiona fancied that she saw a sort of ghost ship in the distance. One of the first nights she spent at the beach, she saw it. The blue-eyed girl ran to it, ran in the water, and then swam as far as she could. She was found the next morning, supposedly drowned on the beach. But she was not dead, and lived on many more years indeed.
It was ten years ago, to the day. The girl lived in a settlement on the smallest of islands, with a community of no more than five hundred others. She had grown up in Rockwell, colonized by the Brits and settled by the Irish quite a while ago. Not many friends had the young girl, but one she had was special.
"Jack!" She called out, once more, her voice no longer horse from the first bitter days. It had been ten years ago when pirates had invaded the small settlement, taking it for what it was worth. Her and her friend, Little Jack Turner, as some called him, much to his annoyance, were on the beach playing during hours they should have been in their homes. In the distance they saw a boat. Jack told her there were pirates in it, and she was afraid, but she acted the brave part. Fiona seemed as interested in adventures with pirates and Jack did.
But as they drew nearer, Fiona's courage began to fail. She pulled Jack by her delicate hand, beckoning him to come into the forest, where they would be safe.
"I've got my sword," He said, a charming smile upon him as he pointed to a wooden sword that he made himself. She shook her head and pleaded with him. The pirates drew closer, and were reaching the bay just North of them. They still had a chance to hide in the forest's cover.
Finally, the boy rolled his eyes of dark brown, "Oh, come on Fiona." She gave him a warning look and he shrugged. "Oh well, then. I suppose for your safety I'd better take you into the woods, aye? Before I try t'fight em' off o' course."
She muttered in a scared and hushed whisper, "Whatever Jack, lets just get out of here."
"Just one last look, Fi?" He peered around the bend, and then a look of terror struck his face. He looked at her seriously and said one word, "Run."
She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, and as quietly as she could. Before she had gotten far at all she felt a hand over her mouth and Jack caught her in his arms. They froze, as they heard voices nearby.
"Oy, I know I 'eard some brats talkin' o'er here! And we'd best ta find 'em!"
Her blue eyes wide with fear, Fiona turned around to look at Jack. They were slowly backing into the rocks, and there was just enough space in a small cave for one to slip inside for hiding.
Jack turned to her and whispered in his lowest voice. "Fiona, you stay here, you'll be safe. I'm going to find another place to hide." She was shaking, and he pulled her close, his arms wrapping her tightly. "I promise I will come back for you, Fiona. I will always come back for you."
They heard the breaking of a twig and their eyes went wild. She retreated into the cave, he mouthed to her, "Always," before giving her a debonair wink. For a second she was comforted, and then he was out of sight.
Fiona shook inside her hiding spot, and it began to rain. The footsteps retreated, and she could hear nothing but the pounding of the rain for a long time. The night grew into the hours so late that she couldn't count them.
A loud, loud noise shook Fiona out of her reverie. She had never heard it before, it sounded like, like, an explosion? Fiona crawled out of her hiding place, and ran among the greenery towards the town. There was ruin, so much ruin. The young girl saw the pirates ship retreating, but a last explosion landed too near her. She was knocked unconscious.
Was it hours? Was it days? Was it weeks later? Fiona did not know how long she had slept the dreamless sleep. She woke confused, hardly remembering the events of the previous night. But one thought was perfectly clear to her. Jack. Where was Jack?
Fiona ran back to the forest, still quite disoriented. She cried out as she ran, back to her hiding spot. "Jack! Jack Turner! Are you there! Jack!" That day she ran her voice hoarse with cries. Someone grabbed her and took her home, but she fought and cried, and didn't stop screaming for two days. The boy's body was never found.
The woman on the beach recalled these memories nightly, the small candle of hope that she always held in her heart was still not ready to burn out. She would still wait; she would still call for him. He would come back for her.
A crystalline tear came to her eyes, as she tried again to convince herself. He would come back. And she would never give up that hope.
For she loved Jack Turner. Since the day they had met which she couldn't even remember. Since they were born. Since they had played in the forest and the beach and the town every day of her life until she was fifteen. Fiona couldn't lose hope; she couldn't lose hope for the love of her life.
Jack had a brother as well, William Turner, only a few years older than him. Will had gone in search of his younger brother several years back, never to return to Rockwell again.