Chapter 15: pick on people your own size!

The ship came to a halt at Tortuga - we'd been sailing for a day or so, if I remembered rightly and during the entire journey I'd told my memories of times gone by. It had certainly been a corny day, but it was better than having a piercing in the head.

Right, you guard the ship whilst I try to find the crew. He said. I could come with you, I suggested hopefully. And who'd guard the ship exactly? I frowned, I prove my point. I rolled my eyes, Hurry up at least. But he had already wandered off, flounting along with his usual step.

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I made myself comfortable on deck, lying under the sun and rocking back and forth, and back and forth and back and forth, and back and... Well, it carried on like that for quite some time. I can't remember exactly how long. It was one of those in-between states, neither here nor there, neither asleep nor awake.

Suddenly, though, the sun was blocked by darkness, I blinked. And then, instead of a cheery warmth on my face, I felt a beautiful - ahem - sloshy icy-coldness.

I roared, bolting upright. he attempted to intervene. That was my war-cry, and Jack knew the very meaning of it when I collided head first into his stomach, sending him falling to the ground. He rubbed his head, Don't see the need for that... He said, blinking. Neither do I... I answered scathingly.

A snicker from my left made me turn around. Blast it, I think I might have made a slight mistake there... And I had indeed. The snicker turned to an outright laugh as I met eyes with the person in front of me. I smiled sweetly, Did you just throw water all over me?

The person was so engrossed in slapping their leg and pointing whilst spluttering like crazy, that I could take my time as I stepped towards them and bolted my fist right into their face. A cracking met my knuckles and as I withdrew my hand, I noticed ruby splutters tumbling from the person's nose.

The laughter stopped. In fact, every sound stopped and there was a complete silence. I looked around. Although I hadn't noticed, the entire crew was there and staring at me quietly. I soon found out why. The person took their hood off and in front of me was a child, of about 10, incredibly tall for their age, but 10 all the same.

This is Gibbs' daughter, Fen. Jack said from behind me. She's known ter play tricks on people from time ter time, but normally her victims have more of a sense of humour. His voice was dreadfully scathing. I- I- I- I turned to Gibbs, who looked like he would willingly twist my head off by my ears. God help me, if it is right that he should do so, was the only thing I could think. And crikey, I didn't even believe in God...

I knew later on why I prayed. Because I could see what was coming. To say the least, it wasn't very pleasant. In fact, it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to live through. Gibbs walked over to me, very slowly and pointedly and said, a step in front of me, The devil'll get yer fer that, young sprite, the blooming devil. He took a step back, drew his sleeves up and in the time it took me to gulp grasped my hair in one vast hand and my nose in the other and, well yes, then he twisted...

Woah, no, no, you can't do that Gibbs, you can't... too late... Jack cried from behind.

Ten minutes later everything was over. Everyone was aboard, even Elisabeth, who had somehow found her way over here and we were sailing away. Jack had given me a decent job, now. A real crew member's job - and not scrubbing the deck. But each time he walked past me, which, now I think about it was very often - he kept shooting me weird looks.

After about the hundreth time, I found out why. Yer look a lot like Rudolph, like that, you know... What, Rudolph, who's that? I answered, stopping the task I was doing. A reindeer, was the answer I got.

Jack walked off, leaving me puzzled.

A couple of hours onwards, when we were definitely out to sea, everyone was sitting in a big circle. It was pretty hilarious, seeing everyone sitting in a circle like that, in fact, I'd even go so far as to say that it was downright hilarious.

Here's where we stand, announced Jack in a rather orderly way. Will, ye all know who he is, is missing. An' we're out to find him. Fen is a new member of the crew... He's from Tortuga. I frowned at this statement, it was an utter lie. An' he's got a map, which we're to follow. Right, anyone got any questions. No, well let's be off then. And the circle was abandoned quicker than you can say Bob's me uncle. I sat still, petrified into place. He knew about the map, he knew about the map, he knew about the -

Yes, Fen, I know about the map. I looked up. He knew about the map, He knew about the map, he knew about the- Fen, if you don't wipe that look off yer face, I'll call Gibbs over here to wake you up. Or I must just wake you up meself.

I didn't move. He waved a hand in front of my face. How do you know about the map? I asked dazedly. It was hanging off ye when ye fainted. I fainted? A while back. I thought I tripped over... Could of been that...

I jumped up and out of my daze, You aren't having it. What? I don't want it. Well that's good because I'm not, under any circumstances, handing it over. He grinned, eyes sparkling, Have I ever given you any reason not to trust me? I looked him dead in the eye and said, Yes, as have I you.

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I ain't gonna apologise for the cliff hanger, because you're lucky - or not, depending on your point of view - that I didn't kill them both off in this chapter.

Thanks lots and lots and loads and loads for the reviews, they really help me. Please help me to make this story better and send me some good, solid critiscism, rum and sea water for all you that do... (now that is enticing, isn't it... There'll be mixed together, too, yummy....)

Thanks especially to, i rule you all (you know, your logic is impressive... lol),Daydreambeliever (thanks for hanging on here!!), Arche de Katze (nice name, by the way, where did you get the idea from?), ChaosLightning13 (wowee, you have sent me a lot of reviews.... but I don't appreciate the fact that you're trying to bribe Jack into coming back for his hat... hmmm, would you mind lending it me...??) and Dragonflygirl804 (you sent me loads of reviews as well, thankee!!)

Whilst I'm at it, where are you etheriums angel??? PLEASE update... you too, kristhegreat and Novalea, it's been ages...