The Jolly Rodger

Dawned approached and with it the sounds of many men, scuffling across the deck above her head. The hold opened and the man who kidnapped her climbed in. He had a flask of water in his right hand, and his left he held his sword.

"Take this lass, captain don't want you dieing on him now." He handed her the water and she thirstily grabbed it. "Yes you will make a good wench, you will." Jessie, at those words spit the water back in his face.

"I'm no bodies wench" snapped Jessie. The man lifted his sword and held it to her neck.

"Manners, wench, I wouldn't want to scratch that pretty neck of yours." When Jessie tried to reply he pushed harder on her neck, and a trickle of blood dripped down. "Learn where your place is fast under this flag lass, no one here will listen to a woman." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to the grate in the ceiling of the hold, and pointed upwards towards the flag that hung on the mast. Jessie took a shuddering breath as the sight of the Jolly Roger came into her view.

'Pirates' Jessie thought. The man looked at her and then threw her wrist down and turned and left. Jessie walked over to the wall and slid down. She had to get out of there. As the day turned to night and the first stars came out, she thought of the man who saved her life. Who was he? Did he know her? And was he that bright flash of blond she saw before she was kidnapped? If so, was it Jonny? Could it have been? Is Jonny Alive? And her dad? And mom, and Dr. Quest and Hadji? If it is them do they know its her? Do they know she's here? 'It cant be them, they wouldn't be pirates,' she thought 'unless it was their only choice, no they wouldn't do that, they'd rather die then hurt people.' Jessie stood up and walked over to the grate in the ceiling, and looked up at the flag, then scanning the stars for that one star that gave her hope. She didn't know where to look, but she stood there and closed her eyes and she could hear a voice in her head telling her their alive. And everything is going to be ok, she looked back up and at one very bright star. 'My family is not pirates, they wouldn't hurt anybody.' She looked back at her feet, and kicked away a piece of straw and walked back over to the far wall and sat down, her head in her hands. A few moments passed, and her head picked up slightly. "Would they?" She questioned out loud.

"Would who what miss?" Jessie was startled at the sound of someone else's voice. "Sorry if I startled you, I just wanted to bring you some late supper, I s'pect your getting a big hungry" Jessie looked at him, uncertainly, he had blond hair and green eyes. "Let me introduce myself, my names Toby, we never really met, but I'm the one who stopped Pete, from killing you"

"Thank you." Jessie replied grabbing at the fish and water.

"Is there anything else I can get or do for you miss? To make your stay with us a more comfortable one?" Jessie thought for a moment then responded.

"You could answer a few questions for me." She knew far to well, asking him to let her out, or go is out of the question.

"I may only answer questions I am at liberty to, some things it is not my say in if you know."

"Ok, I understand. For starters, why are you being so nice?"

"I was a prisoner like yourself some years ago, I know what its like, I don't think anyone should be treated in such away, especially a lady." Jessie Nodded

"Where are we headed?" The man hesitated the responded.

"An island off the coast of Africa."

"Why am I here?"

"The captain whishes to have you."

"But why me? Why not someone else?"

"I am afraid I don't know miss."

"Alright, then who is your captain?"

"My captain is a very brave and cunning leader, however he does not believe in blood shed, he has lead us to many riches. His is only known as Bardo."

"Between life and death." Jessie mused. They heard shouting and Toby quickly left the hold, not saying another word. She looked at the locked door for a while, before finishing her food.

It had been two days now, since Toby's visit, he never showed back up. 'Maybe they killed him, they might have heard him talking to me so nicely.' Jessie thought. In those two days, she searched every inch of the hold. But found nothing out of the ordinary, until the evening of that day. She just got done moving a huge pile of cannon balls, when she saw a small door in the wall. She had already received her dinner, so she could expect no visitors. She sat in front of the door, incase some one was to walk over her. When it got as dark as it was going to get, she pried the door open and crawled in, shutting it after her. It was very dusty and wasn't exactly spacious. She took a deep breath trying to contain her claustrophobia. She couldn't even see her hands in front of her. She fumbled with her watch. 'please let my watch still work' she thought as she hit a button for a flashlight. 'YES!' a light was emitted from the watch and she crawled on. She felt like she'd been crawling forever. For a ship, this passage seemed to go on forever. But then again, she never really saw the ship clearly, It might as well go on forever. But it all paid off when she heard some one say the name Bardo. She could barley make out faces through the small crack she was looking through. But she could hear just fine.

"Why isn't Bardo on board this ship?" a man asked from the left of Jessie sight, she couldn't quiet make him out.

"He is on his island. You need not question him. Or it will be your head." This man, was sitting at a desk almost right in front of Jessie.

"My head James, very unlikely." The first man said.

"Boys boys, there is no need to argue." A third man joined and the voice was an echo of an old, bad memory. Jessie strained to see the third man in the crack. It wasn't easy, but the sight made her sick to her stomach. 'Lorenzo'