Chapter Twelve
"Fresh water is indeed my friend." Olivia declared out loud to herself as she leaned back in the waist-deep pool. It was her third day on the island and she had decided to explore a bit. Following her water source away from shore she found this lovely spot, and finally decided that since she was alone, she may as well take a bath of sorts. Outdoor bathing struck her as odd at first and she constantly looked about her as if expecting someone to appear and spy on her, but after an hour of soaking she was beginning to get used to it. She had no idea how dirty she felt until she finally got a chance to be clean, and although the pond wasn't exactly a nice warm shower with her lovely scented soaps and shampoos, it was fresh water and better than nothing.
"Well, I guess I have to get up soon." She said, yawning. She then blinked, laughing out loud. "Who am I talking to?" She asked herself. She splashed out of the water and quickly dressed, pulling on her old shorts and shirt. Since she was alone she saw no reason to trip over her dress.
Not sure what to do with herself now she decided to wander down to shore. The sound of the waves was relaxing and she found she could think clearly with some background noise. It was too quiet on the island. Even remote areas back home had some type of noise. Airplanes, traffic on the highways, and the ever-present white noise, filled her world with a constant hum that she now found it to be eerie to be without. She wandered down to shore and settled herself on a rock she found on her first day here, which overlooked the sea, giving her a picture perfect scenic view.
Feeling wonderfully clean she leaned back against the warm stone, closing her eyes, letting the sun dry her hair. The humidity and salt in the air made it curl more than she could ever had guessed. Had Olivia caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror she would hardly recognize the girl looking back. She felt extremely lazy here, passing her time idly. She could not think of what to do with herself, and had wished she'd asked for a book or something to occupy her idle thoughts.
She yawned, feeling suddenly sleepy. She had not slept well during the night, being constantly assaulted by nightmares. The silence and darkness bothered her, and she felt as though she was becoming afraid of the dark again like she had been as a little girl. She sighed, closing her eyes. A nap wouldn't hurt, and it wasn't as if she'd be going anywhere any time soon. Olivia twisted her hair into a knot to make her head more comfortable (a trick learned camping and not remembering a pillow) and was soon fast asleep.
She was walking arm and arm on a beach with Tom. Suddenly, a wicked idea came to mind. "Race you!" She shouted, taking off at full speed. She laughed as she ran towards the waves, kicking the water back at him. Tom came after her, catching her hand and easily pulling her back to him. He held her close and their eyes locked, she suddenly felt breathless and not from running. She could stay here forever, lost in those eyes. He suddenly lifted her into his arms and spun her around, laughing.
Olivia cried out in surprise and shrieked with laughter. "Tom! Stop! You'll make me sick! TOM!" She was laughing so hard she could barely speak. Everything seemed so perfect that time seemed to stand still.
He finally put her down, still laughing and not releasing her. "Better?" He asked.
Olivia grinned, "Which one of you said that?"
Tom chuckled, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her.
"Oh. That one. You're my favorite." She replied, putting her arms around his neck to be close to him.
He moved his hands down her back to come to rest around her waist, locking her in his warm embrace. "Oh how I love you, Olivia." He said softly, leaning in and kissing her passionately.
She closed her eyes, feeling safe and secure in his arms while he kissed her. Nothing could possibly go wrong while he was with her. Time stood still and everything seemed to stop. All she could think about was her present, here and now, the rest of the world did not matter one bit. Never in her life had she felt this happy. Suddenly, something felt wrong, as if an alarm went off in her head.
She opened her eyes just in time to see the flash of a blade and a strange man standing behind Tom. She heard herself scream as the blade fell and saw Tom's face change suddenly. He fell forward, shock and pain in his eyes. She slowed his fall as best she could, unable to support his full weight. The sand turned a sticky red as blood flowed from the wound.
"Tom!" She cried out in horror, her eyes wide with fear as she desperately reached out for his hand. "Tom!"
He looked up at her, his eyes still wide with surprise. "Olivia.... love...." He fell back against the sand, his face strangely lax and his eyes glazed, his grip on her hand suddenly relaxed.
Olivia screamed again, "TOM!" She knew he was already gone, but she could not accept it. "Tom! Please come back! No!"
"Tom!" Olivia jerked awake with a gasp, sitting up quickly and almost falling off the rock. Her heart was racing and she struggled to catch her breath. "What a dream." She muttered to herself. It had truly terrified her, and had been so vivid, so real. With a deep breath she looked off into the horizon, and quickly did a double take.
A ship. Was the Surprise back already? She had never really studied the ship from a distance so she could not be sure at a glance. Olivia stood, squinting into the sunlight to see. A boat had been launched and was rowing towards shore. She studied the large ship more carefully, straining to see the name. Wilmington.
"Oh shit!" She cried out, turning and running full speed away from shore. Maybe they didn't see her, after all she was just one girl, and was sleeping. Maybe they missed her. Yeah right, Olivia knew she would never be that lucky. In a panic she looked around her camp. Well, there was always finding a place to hide. She quickly threw her dress on over her clothes, deciding if she was found she ought to at least be properly dressed. It was strange how her mind worked in a crisis. She decided to follow the stream so she wouldn't get lost, and ran off to find a place to hide.
She'd been running for a little while when she stopped, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
"She can't have gotten far!" A harsh voice broke the silence and Olivia held her breath, listening carefully.
"Tracks lead up stream." Another voice replied. They were getting closer, heading straight for her.
Olivia silently kicked herself for not being more careful and looked around desperately for a place to hide. She looked up, the tree was climbable, nice thick branches, getting up quietly shouldn't be much of a problem. Olivia grabbed onto the nearest branch and swung herself upwards, climbing higher and higher until she felt she was sufficiently hidden. Just as long as they didn't look directly up she would be fine. She watched as two men walked under the tree, holding her breath afraid to move an inch yet shaking in fear. They paused under the tree, looking around. She closed her eyes praying they didn't look up.
"Must have gone that way." One said. His voice was loud and harsh, like sandpaper grating against itself, a sound that always made her skin crawl.
She opened her eyes and watched them move off. She waited a few minutes, her forehead resting against a tree limb as she wondered just how long she ought to stay up here. With amusement she realized that this was probably the one thing Tom had not given instructions about in his nervous rambling before he left. Finally, after listening to the silence around her she decided it was indeed safe to get down.
With a groan she noticed her foot had fallen asleep and bent it in circles in an attempt to get feeling back. She went from branch to branch, as gracefully as she could in a dress, and landed on the ground with a sigh of relief.
That sigh turned into a scream as someone grabbed her from behind, clapping a hand over her mouth, muffling her shout.
"Well, well, what have we here?" It was one of the men who had been searching for her obviously, but up close he was even more terrifying than from in the tree. He was a huge man, towering over Olivia, his teeth were bad and his breath was worse. He removed his hand from her mouth, but kept his grip on her arm, his free hand stroking her cheek, enjoy the power he had over her.
"Let go!" She demanded, she did not like the look in her eyes, and never remembering feeling more frightened in her life.
He merely laughed at her, "Let go? Ha! Oh I'll let go missy, but what will you give me in return hm?" He mocked her, leaning in for a kiss.
Olivia turned her head away in disgust and placed a well-aimed kick that forced him to cry out and double over in pain, she swung a punch that sent him toppling over and made a run for it.
Unfortunately, another man caught her arm. "Hold up there!" He said, laughing. "Stay still!" He ordered, locking her arm in a more secure grip. "Honestly, miss, I'm not going to hurt you."
"That bitch!" The first man groaned from the ground. "That no good-"
"Oh now enough Patterson! You deserved it!" He laughed. "There now Miss, no harm done. What's a lady doing out here by herself anyhow?"
Olivia paused, her mind had gone completely blank. "Oh. Nothing. I live here."
"You live here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alone?"
"Yep." Olivia replied. "I'm anti-social and so forth and it was decided that this place was best for me. Now, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but excuse me I have to-" She attempted to step away and leave but he caught her arm again. "Go." She finished dejectedly.
"Oh no you don't." He said. "The Captain wants to speak with you."
"Why's that?" She asked weakly.
"Bit odd to find a lonely lady on an empty island. Obviously you was stranded. Thought he'd be mannerly and bring you to a civilized port." He said, smiling. "I promise Patterson here won't give you no trouble."
"That isn't very reassuring." She muttered as she was led away. She did not try to run, figuring it would be useless. They would only catch her again. She felt her heart sink as she was helped into a boat and rowed off to the Wilmington. What if they took her with them? Would she ever see Tom again? Would the Surprise find them and believe she really was a spy? Olivia just couldn't see how things could get better; all she could see were worst-case scenarios playing in her mind over and over again.
They reached the ship and she was helped aboard without ceremony. She hardly had difficulty, having spent years climbing rocks, however the fact that every man in sight wanted to help her made things more difficult. The man she kicked was still grumbling as she stood up straight and looked around the ship. She had decided she would show no fear, but she couldn't help feeling incredibly small and alone at the moment. Still, she held her head high and folded her hands calmly behind her back.
"Welcome abroad Miss." She was greeted by a small rat looking man, who smiled slyly at her, as if he knew something. "The Captain wants to see you right away."
Olivia took a deep breath and nodded, following the man to the cabin. The Captain, or the man she assumed as the Captain, sat hunched over maps at a table. He looked up as they entered and smiled at Olivia. "Ah! Our guest has arrived!" He said happily. "Thank you Mr. Martin that will be all."
Mr. Martin nodded, and left, closing the door behind him. Olivia stood uncertainly in the room. She had no idea what was going to happen next and was terrified, but looked calm as she stood there, facing the man who by all rights was the enemy. It was funny that he did not seem frightening at all. He almost looked grandfatherly, smiling kindly at her. His hair was beginning to gray and his eyes sparkled blue as he indicated for her to sit in a nearby chair and offered her a drink.
Olivia politely refused, shifting nervously in her seat. She glanced around the room, taking everything in at once.
He nodded, returning to his seat. "I'm Captain Fokes, welcome abroad the Wilmington." He said. "May I have your name?"
"Olivia, Olivia Corin." She replied, not offering any more information.
"You seem frightened dear girl. Why on earth would you be?" He asked.
Olivia raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You kidnapped me." She pointed out.
The Captain laughed, "You shall come to no harm, I assure you. That is, if you cooperate." He added as a sort of afterthought.
"Cooperate with what?" She asked, baffled.
"My men had a good look at your camp. It is clear you came from that English ship, the Surprise." He said, calmly sipping his drink.
"What of it?" Olivia asked shortly.
"Any information you might be able to share with us would be most appreciated." He said. "Any at all."
Olivia shook her head, "I don't remember anything of value, sir." She replied quickly.
He studied her a moment, his eyes suddenly turned cool and calculating. He then smiled again, "Well, perhaps after you rest you will be more willing to help." He said, getting up. "You will be coming with us after all."
Olivia jumped to her feet. "What? Sir, I beg you to return me to the island. I assure you I am in no danger."
"Now, now, Miss Corin. I cannot in good conscience leave a young woman such as yourself alone on an island now can I?" He said, maddeningly calm.
"Please." Olivia begged, her heart pounding. "Please take me back."
"Perhaps." The Captain said, his calculating gaze on her again. "Perhaps if you tell me where the Surprise was headed. Are they coming after us? Where did they set course?" He asked.
Olivia licked her lips, weighing her options. She would not betray the Surprise, but could she give false information? She thought on it a moment, then decided that she doubted she could make up false information that would be believable, then she'd be in even more trouble. She shook her head, "I cannot say."
"Cannot? Or will not?" He snarled, suddenly his mood was very changed and Olivia stepped back in fear. As quick as if had changed the first time he became happy once more, and smiled at her. "Well, my dear, then I cannot take you back to your island." He said, emphasizing the 'cannot' with a sinister grin. "Perhaps after you rest, you will be of more use. Tomorrow, you will have one more chance to give what information I requested. If you do not, well, my dear Miss Corin, I cannot ensure you will have a pleasant trip." He gave her a small bow, mocking her. "Good day." With these words, he turned and left Olivia alone.
She sank back into her chair, all her worries flew around her head and she closed her eyes tightly, hoping she would open them and find herself back on the island, or better yet, back on the Surprise. When she opened them and found herself still in the great cabin of the Wilmington, she sighed. "Okay Tom." She muttered under her breath. "If ever I needed a knight in shining armor to swoop in and rescue me, now would be the time." She would tell Fokes nothing of course. Not that she really knew anything, all she really knew was that the Surprise was looking for the Wilmington, but she would still not say one word about it to him. Captain Aubrey and his crew had been very kind to her, and even if she were not engaged to the first lieutenant, she would still feel some loyalty to the ship. It was strange though, here she was on an American ship and her loyalties were too the British. The irony was not lost on her and she smiled wearily.
"Well, Olivia." She said to herself, standing up and stretching. "You never do what you're supposed to anyway."
With that she went and laid down to rest, but sleep did not take her. She could not for the life of her stop thinking. She wondered with fear what Captain Fokes had meant by not ensuring a 'pleasant trip'. She certainly did not like the implications, and she remembered the look in that man, Patterson's eyes when he had caught her. She shuddered, feeling quite sick, and somehow managed to drift off into a fretful sleep, hoping that tomorrow the Surprise and Tom would magically appear to her rescue.
A/N: Bum bum bum!!! What? You thought I'd just let Olivia sit around on the island and then Tom would come and pick her up and they'd get married and have cute babies and live happily ever after? Haha well I can't do things that easily! Olivia's in a bit of a spot isn't she? Yeah, I know the dream thing was corny and odd but I couldn't help it! Anyway, will Captain Fokes be a jerk? Will Mr. Pullings rescue his truelove? Will Olivia kick anymore sailors in the balls? Tune in next time on "As the Surprise Sails!" (also known as "To Wives and Sweethearts" because I stink at titles).
TheMusingFit: Haha I had a roommate while I wrote most of this story and yes, she thought I was nuts. But she was crazy too so it really didn't matter much. She's also a good idea bouncer even though she'd never read the books or seen the movie at the time... actually I just enjoy saying my thoughts out loud because it helps me think and she just happened to be there at the time... anyway! The moral of the story is, don't be afraid to let your roommate know you are insane. Because insanity is fun. And what will the midshipmen think? Probably that Mr. Pullings was getting it on with Olivia hehe.... Did I just say that? Bad me! Bad! Haha thanks for the lovely review and hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Fawks: Haha don't squeal like a rabid fan girl too much... it'll hurt your throat. And you don't need to thank me for posting haha. Thank YOU for reviewing! A book? By me? Haha um... that'd be a scary scary odd book. This story is a total of 83 pages single spaced on word? Does that count as a book? I think it does... it's the longest thing I've ever written haha. Happy reading!
Sarah: Aw... I'm sorry your chapter 10 review wasn't there... that's sad. Haha well I'm sorry if you waited too long for this chapter. I started to post it yesterday but then my computer was retarded and deleted the whole dang thing (pokes it). Sugar highs are fun. Next sugar high you're on thing about how funny the name Pullings is. Hehe. Pullings! It's just fun to say. It's also extremely easy to gutter... hehe but I won't go there. Here's the chapter. Hope you aren't too insane! And as always, thanks for reviewing m'dear! Cheers!
CAJUNpIPPENpIRATE: Haha Jack's an elf??? Whoa! That's awesome! Haha British accents are pretty hot aren't they? Though I'm living in England right now and am getting used to them because I hear them everywhere, and sometimes I don't understand what the heck these people are saying because they talk so darn fast! (pokes them) SLOW DOWN!! Anyway, haha, enough of my exchange student woes (and I have a ton of them....) the Pirates soundtrack does rock. I listened to it when I walked up to campus today. It was fun. Listening to bluegrass while walking around England is fun too just because it's weird to listen to bluegrass in England. How long will that spoon last? Well... what's the spoon made out of? That makes a difference you know. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you liked this one! Thanks for the review m'dear!
Lily Knotwise: Hahaha the chains on my... yeah bet those two will have a very interesting wedding night.... but let's not go there now.... haha. Well I kept writing and I hope you're still reading. And I hope even more you're still enjoying it! Hehe! Thanks for reviewing!
Serena: Haha okay I'll try not to keep you waiting too long. And as for a sequel, I mentally have scenes for a sequel in my mind... I just haven't put most of them down in story format, you know? And I may not at all... it really depends. The sequel is insane. Really really insane. Haha. And it has very little plot other than funny moments and cute ones. So maybe I'll write and post it.... Maybe I won't... really depends as I said. Haha as for hints... well... hints on the sequel or hints on this story? Tell you what.. I'm not big on secrets and I love spoilers myself so if you email me at MaturinBean02 at yahoo (sorry about the format of my writting the email address... it's really like a normal email with the but is a pain and kept deleting that... jerks) I'll tell you whatever... maybe. I have the right to refuse information you know.. hehe. Anyway, thanks for the lovely review and being interested in this story.... It amazes me that you want more even after this story haha... wow! Thanks!
British-luver: Haha you've planed my kidnapping? Well hate to make you change those plans but I'm in England now.. haha I'm tricksy like that! Actually I'm studying abroad... if classes ever start and I get to the studying part of this deal (pokes slow university for not having classes start yet). Actually, school makes me write more believe it or not. Most people it's the other way around, but writing junk like this is my way of taking a break... and most of my ideas hit me in class because I'm easily distracted like that. Like I recall writing most of this chapter on a snowy day between my history of Japan class and econ 111. Go figure. Anyway... glad you're enjoying this story. And thanks for the wonderful reviews that amuse me to no end! Hope you liked this chapter and hope to hear from you again! Hehe! Thanks!
Sillytigerlily: Haha, yeah I figured Olivia may as well except that she's a Mary-Sue... haha couldn't resist it. Haha well, she's no longer marooned.... but she's also um... in trouble... so what else is new? Anyway, thanks for the review. If I start keeping you waiting too long feel free to email me and poke me with a stick. That's how you get results... hehe! Hope you enjoyed the update!
All you reviewers seriously rock! I love hearing from you and you have no idea how much you amuse and brighten my day! Yaaaaaay for you!!!!!
Now, for my usual begging for reviews. Please review. Good or bad. I don't take offense to criticism because it's a fact of life and I'm used to it. I just like hearing from people! I'm an ocean away from home and start classes Monday (hopefully...) and need something to make me happy and amused! So review and I will love you forever! Don't review and I'll... um.... well I won't do anything because I won't know if you read and don't review... because how could I? But review anyway because it's nice! Thanks m'dears!!
Until next time... happy reading!