Author's Note: On to chapter three. Oh whatever will Julia do? Surrounded most dreadfully by pirates….. I just wanted to say a thank you, to all those that have so kindly reviewed my story. And send my deepest regards to all of the fantastic ladies at the Unofficially Yours Jason Isaacs Forum!
Death Can Change One
Chapter 3
The cold air blew over the deck of the Jolly Roger, the boat gently eased with the calm swells of the cove, where a rather large group of pirates had gathered. They all wore shocked expressions and had began to murmur amongst themselves, assembling around something very queer indeed. Wrapped in a blanket and comfortably sleeping near the Captain's Quarters, was a woman.
Starkey was the first to say what the others had been thinking.
"What manner of trickery is this? We be cursed men, tis a woman! How'd she get here?"
"Ain't no ladies 'bout these parts." whispered Mason
"Evil trickery from that thar Peter Pan, I reckon" Starkey had leaned over Julia, to get a closer look at her.
"Right purdy though, idn't she?" Noodler had goofily piped in.
"Aye." they had all assented, at the same time.
"Should we tell the Cap'n?" Noodler looked about concerned.
"No, Idiot!" they all shouted
"We should have some fun with the beauty first." Starkey, bent over and smiled leeringly at Julia with his dirty and decaying teeth. He reached out his hand to stroke her face where it was caught ferociously by Bill Jukes
"And who is to say that you gets her first?" they all shouted.
At the commotion above her, Julia finally awoke to the shock of her life. She wasn't on her balcony, but on a ship. Her mind reeled as she quickly scanned her surroundings, looking up she gasped, for flying at the highest point of the vessel was the skull and crossed swords, the Jolly Roger. It was then that she noticed them, a large group of Pirates fighting amongst themselves, not five feet away from her. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. Leaping up, pressing herself against a stairwell beside her, and searching frantically for a weapon that might afford her some defense against the mob of men, of whom to her great disappointment, had noticed her rise and had stopped arguing to watch her. They had all formed a tight circle about her, closing in, panic written across her features. There was just too many of them, she had nowhere to escape to.
"Leave me alone, stay back." Julia had found her voice and screamed.
They all seemed to chuckle and only moved in closer. It was surprisingly quiet when they all heard the sound, a familiar snapping of a gun being cocked back.
"Ehm, I hope you brutes weren't planning on doing anything to the Lady, were yous?"
Mr. Smee had awoken finally, and moved through the group, his two guns pointed at the lot of them.
To Julia's surprise, a stout, small, older gentlemen had drawn his guns on the much larger and intimidating group of pirates. She looked about nervously again, the air was extremely cold, thinking perhaps she might make a swim for it, since over the side of the boat was the most beautiful Island she had ever seen. But quickly she realized that she couldn't manage it, there was snow all over the coast, she would have quickly died of hypothermia before she ever made it to land. No, she was stuck. She only hoped that the small older man that had come to her aid wasn't picked up and tossed over the side of the ship.
"Right that you Lads all signed the Capn's articles, befoure you's took yer posts, you knows the rules: "There to be no rapin' of the fine ladies." We may be pirates, but your to conduct yourselves as gentlemen ter the women."
" Ah, come now, the cap'n hasn't been himself lately. What he don't know won't hurt him." laughed Mason
"Aye, but the Cap'n will hurt you lot. Mark my words, if anything were to happen to the lady." Snapped Smee.
Julia listened intently at his statement, the men all groaned as if in defeat. Who was this Captain if he could instill fear in this gruesome lot? She shivered involuntarily at the thought.
Noodler quickly yelped, as he pointed at Julia. "She brings us a curse Mr. Smee! Ain't know one saw her come on board, thar be evil magic that brought her!"
Julia was still frozen in her spot, held in utter fascination, as she heard the men arguing at the man they had called Mr. Smee. Mr. Smee… Mr. Smee! She had heard that name before, but how was it possible? Yet as she stared at the old pirate, she realized she had heard of his name somewhere before.
Mr. Smee frowned and turned to look at whom was causing the commotion, she wasn't dressed like any woman he had seen before, she was obviously not from Neverland. She had pressed herself to the stairs that lead to the Captain's Quarters. Shivering from the cold of the night air, confusion and fear were written across her otherwise beautiful features. She certainly didn't appear to him to be the least bit cursed or magical. In fact, he felt bad for the poor thing, and realized he needed to get her inside and away from the brutes that surrounded them.
Mr. Smee, with his guns still drawn, turned to his fellow men, shaking his head.
"Ehm, but if she be so evil, why are you lot so quick to take advantage of the poor defenseless Lass? No, she is to go straight to the Cap'n, Magic or no."
Mr. Smee approached her.
"Follow me Lass, you are to see the Cap'n"
"I don't have a choice in the matter, do I?" she whispered, fear immediately grasping her at the mention of the Captain of the ship.
"No, miss, that tis unless you'd rather spend the evening with this lot?" Mr. Smee smiled and pointed at the men still congregated close to them.
Looking back at the dirty and brutal group, a sigh on her lips.
"No, I suppose not" She followed closely behind the short man, up a small flight of stairs. He had pushed open a large ornate wooden door, and if Julia had been paying closer attention, she would have noticed the name Captain Jas. Hook engraved upon it. But she was too frightened and distracted to notice much, no longer in her world. There couldn't be real pirates left in the real world, hadn't true Piracy died out in the 1700's? Taking one last glance at the Island, it was unrecognizable to anything she had seen before. She had followed Smee into a short Hall, and they had encountered a second door. At that moment he turned and regarded her.
"Best, you wait here Miss, the Cap'n is probably asleep."
His confident demeanor had changed, and he seemed to have subconsciously hunched his shoulders as he peered through the light that spilled through a crack in the door. He then quickly disappeared into the room, leaving Julia alone in the passageway. She had noticed the fear in his eyes, and her stomach churned. Having no idea of what the Captain of the ship was like, her only confidence was that he obviously didn't approve of the use of rape. How had she come to this place? How had this happened? She didn't know. Suddenly overcome with cold and doubt she slid down the wall, and hunched herself up, willing herself to wake if she was dreaming.
Mr. Smee nervously looked about the ornate cabin, and then he saw his target. The Captain lay sleeping quite soundly for once, in his bed. He noticed with a pang of guilt that it appeared that he was actually getting some much needed rest, and there he was to wake him. Nervously approaching him, Smee made note that he wasn't wearing his hook, which made the task of waking him only slightly less dangerous.
"Cap'n , Cap'n" Smee whispered as he poked his shoulder attempting to keep his distance.
At the sound of Smee he shot upward, anger apparent at being awoken. He wore no shirt, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he quickly grasped his head. There it was the incessant pounding from his drunken excess.
"Smee! There had better be a good reason why you woke me! Because if there isn't, I am going to lash you!" His voice deep and raspy, malevolent eyes were hidden under the mass of dreaded hair. Smee gasped in hesitation, knowing he had awoken him to a dreadful temper.
"Captain, there is a woman on board!" Smee had backed against the wall, attempting to evade his anger.
Pushing his hair back he tilted his head at Smee, and in a wicked turn of mood, chuckled openly.
"Really Smee. There are no women in this cursed place. That is unless you count the savages, as I certainly don't. Have you gotten into too much Rum, and found yourself in the arms of Pretty Boy Roy again? I know awakening to that shock has been utterly traumatizing for you!" He was openly laughing now, falling back onto the bed, his head striking his pillows with an obscene cackle.
Mr. Smee turning a shade of red in mock embarrassment, screwed up his face. Lifting himself to his full height for his small plump form, he yelped.
"Captain there is a "real" woman on board the ship. In fact Cap'n, I got her waitin' right behind the door. Poor thing don't know how she got here either sir! I had to wrestle her away from the men, fore they did real damage to the lass." Mr. Smee shuffled his feet, looking down, his cheeks still tinted with embarrassment from the Captain's previous accusation.
At Smee's statement he lifted himself up. Slowly looking into his boson's eyes, he saw honesty, and being mindful of his throbbing head, he cautiously lifted his harness and with a surprising amount of grace, slipped the lethal implement into place.
"Right behind the door, you say?" Hook was squinting at the door in disbelief. Hastily grabbing a black ruffled shirt from his closet, he buttoned it with his single hand. Leisurely he appraised his clearly unpleasant appearance in the mirror. Sighing in dismay at his hair, which now stood at odd angles from his usual soft curls, his beautiful hook was black instead of the gleaming sheen, which he so desired. He had always paid so much attention to his appearance and had always made it a point to wear the grandest of attire, to imprint an air of superiority over his men and that evil sprite, Peter Pan. But now that there was an actual lady in his midst, he looked like a wreck.
Approaching the door and slowly drawing it back, there sat huddled in the corner and shivering from the cold was indeed a woman. Her knees were drawn to her chest and she wore unusual clothes. A short sleeved top that appeared to be made of a form fitting deep red, and pants. As he drew closer however he noticed the pants were made of a peculiar material that looked dark blue and seemed to mold to her legs. Her arms were pale and slim yet slightly freckled, they wrapped protectively about her legs, which were quite lengthy. She most certainly was not from Neverland, nor any place that he had ever visited. Just as suddenly, her knees lowered, and he was looking into her eyes, beautiful warm brown eyes, that widened in what he could only see as stunned recognition.
As Julia sat huddled collecting her thoughts, the door had swiftly creaked open. Instead of Mr. Smee it was someone else. She blinked trying to get her eyes to adjust to the light that streamed into the darkness she had been in. Looking up, his figure was rather tall and lean, in the darkness he stood silhouetted for a moment by the light behind him. She could just make out a ruffled shirt and long hair that spilled over his shoulders. It was then that he had drawn closer and she saw it in the light, a vicious hook held the place of where his right hand should have been. Her eyes shot up to his face which she could now see clearly. He had long handsome features with a proud aristocratic nose, his chin and cheeks covered in stubble and an untidy goatee. Their eyes had met and she had expected them to be dark, to go along with his intimidating appearance. Though they were framed in tired circles, she was staring into eyes that were stunningly beautiful, cold, and blue. Gasping audibly, her mind overwhelmed, she knew this man, but how was it humanly possible? He could be none other than Captain James Hook.
