Finally, they broke over the summit line and were dazzled by the visions of green, blue, white and brown. Jim steered the surfer closer to the ground so they could see better. "Oh look, Jim. There's the stream and the forest we were in yesterday!" "Oh yeah, but that's not where we're going." Beth was surprised by what he said. "Jim, what do you mean? Why are we going away from those ships? I thought they were your friends?" Jim nodded. "Yeah, they are. But there's something that I've found out about you and I've got to let you know." "Something about me? What is it?" Jim slowed the surfer and steered it towards a thick, green forest. Slower and slower it went as they flew under the thick yet beautiful canopy. Finally, they came to a glen where Jim stopped the board and lowered the sail. He held Bethany's hand so she could step off and then he turned off his board as it landed. Jim first shed his pack onto the vehicle before helping Beth to sit with her back against a tree. When she was comfortable, he knelt down before her and explained what he'd heard between Pekerth Flint and some woman called Maleficent.
When Jim finished the narrative, Beth sat stunned. She couldn't speak, didn't know what to say. All she could do was think about was what he had just revealed; she didn't doubt Jim for he'd proven himself true many times. But...all this time her real parents were alive and she'd never known them, never even seen them, never heard their voices and never even heard of them. And she had a sister too? Oh, why did this have to happen? Why would Anyone want to take her away? How could it be? Who could be so cruel? And why was she never found until now? Why hadn't she just run away when she was of age? Why had she been treated so...so...coldly? Why...why...why...why? There was no answer to these questions. Bethany's heart so torn by this that her mind couldn't hold back her emotions. And so, gradually, she bent over and began to sob softly...for herself, for her Father and her Mother, for all the good things that she never knew.
Jim's heart was grieving along with hers; she'd suffered far worse than he ever had but at least he could understand loss and betrayal. He gently wrapped his arms around her back and stroked her just as a father would. For the longest time, her grief and heartache just burst through with every salty drop that dripped from her overflowing eyes. After a while, Jim began to speak to her "I'm sorry Beth. I can't change what's already happened...but, I can help you find your way back to your family. Do you still want to go?" She looked at him with sadness first and then a tiny smile grew larger and she nodded. "Oh Yes I do! Oh I want to go...I want to know... if-if they loved me, if they still do and...sniff...if they'll take me back again." "Oh Sure, Beth, Your mom and dad are probably just dying to meet you! Hey I like you a lot; No reason that they wouldn't ! I'll even bet that they'd come running to this spot if they knew you were here right now." Beth listened as Jim eagerly offered his encouragement. She nodded slowly when he finished speaking. "Thank-You...so much." He smiled at her with that tender, compassionate expression that made her feel so warm inside and all over her skin.
Suddenly, Beth's eyes went wide as she looked past Jim. No sooner had Jim turned to see than the two of them were dog-piled by a number of small black yowling, grabbing creatures. There were so many of them that Jim and Beth couldn't fight them off. In a few minutes, the duo were flat on the ground being trussed up with their faces pushed into the ground. Finally the creatures on their backs yanked up their faces by their hair. Neither of them said anything; they were to surprised to cry out.
Then, Jim noticed the hem of a long, robe rain walking right towards them. He lifted his eyes as high as he could see: before him and Beth was a tall, thin, black-robed, black-horned, pale-faced woman with a long, golden staff grasped by her right hand. As Jim studied her, he could see inhuman coldness, acute intelligence and a smirk that hinted of foreboding intent for him and the girl next to him. And a part of him guessed who this was.
"Maleficent?", he queried with repressed anger "Why Yes.", answered the evil fairy in her smooth, cultured voice. "I've been watching the both of you for quite some time now. And I must say, you, boy, have done quite well—snatching my trophy and my possession from those whom I entrusted her to." Jim didn't respond; he couldn't tell if she knew that he'd heard everything. "But as you can see, you scroungy little breadcrumb, there is no place that you can go nor hide where I find you." She smiled with an utterly evil confidence. Then her mile turned into a cruel frown as she addressed her minions. "Take them both away and do not take a hair from their heads"
An hour past and Beth sat on a large, cold stone with a spirit of defeat and hopelessness resting upon her. Jim stood leaning against the opposite corner of their 8 feet-wide, 9 feet-long and 8 feet high dungeon cell. Both were attached with iron chains and clamps to their ankles from rings in the wall. All their supplies had been confiscated; all they had were the clothes on their bodies. There was no window or air vent—only the lone wooden door barred from on the other side. The rock was the only furniture; no bed, no chair, no torch or candle—not even a length of cloth to use as a blanket or a sleeping mat. Thus, the cell was completely enveloped in the darkness with only the sound of their breathing and the dripping of water. The stones were all wet from rain that would seep through and pool on the floor. Jim knew what stagnant water could hold so neither he nor Beth drank from it. On top of that, both were, by now, very hungry from their work, walk and lack of food.
Fortunately, some indeterminate time later, the door was unlatched and opened for a midget guard with a long snout to carry in a tray with two bowls of soup. While the server brought it in a set it down near Beth, several archers stood outside with arrows nocked to prevent any escape.
But Jim didn't move—not until he had a really good chance; his commando training had taught him how to be patient and cunning whenever taken hostage. Time and knowledge of every aspect of the enemy was utmost in such situations; only when or if their guard was down would there be any chance.
The door was shut the moment the guard exited. Beth listened as the guards footsteps moved away and out of earshot before speaking. "Perhaps they don't want to kill us. If they did, that...female wouldn't have brought us here and imprisoned us and given us food.", she said hopefully. Jim didn't respond which made Beth nervous. "Jim?", she asked, "What's wrong? I mean, why are you so...silent?" Jim shifted a little before answering. "I'm just...thinking...how we can escape, what does Maleficent want to do with us and what's going to happen?" Beth lowered her head as she thought on his words.
Come to think of it, she herself didn't understand why she was here. Oh she knew and believed that this horrible person or being called "Maleficent" was the one who'd taken her away from all she truly needed. And it was Maleficent who was keeping them from freedom; she obviously wanted to hurt and maybe even control her life. And as Beth thought on what had taken place and what was happening to her now, there emerged and began to grow in her heart and spirit a strong feeling that had very rarely broken through: Anger. Anger against this evil, wicked, conniving woman who dared to rob her from all she could have wanted—except for Jim who still was with her. Anger against those—those, pirates who'd kept her from the truth and used her to be their...washcloth. A life as a servant girl had never comforted or uplifted her spirits; Nay, it had only drained her confidence of personal significance and taken much of her hope captive without any promise of better. Everything that she'd been living in until now was a lie! She was not a pirate or a thief, nor was her heart or mind inclined to be so. Ever since she was old enough to think for herself, she'd understood this with all her deepest desires and feelings; there was no hope or life in what status she'd been given. No, all she wanted was what she'd only dreamed of: to be loved and to love in return; to experience and live with all that was beautiful and pure and fully good; to know her real destiny and hopes and never be without these. She vowed right then and there to never be satisfied until she could say with truthfulness and strength that she was home.
Meanwhile, Jim had taken notice of the soup bowls and bent down to look except that he couldn't—there was no light. "Uh, excuse me?", Jim called. "Quiet in there!", growled a nasty voice outside. "Uh, can we have a light to see our food, please?" There was no reply but after a few moments the door was rudely banged open and a different guard leaned in to plop down a glass-and-metal lantern. "Thank-you," Jim replied kindly. The door was slammed shut without any word again. The light allowed Beth to glance over and study the food. It didn't look very wholesome or appealing; it was very thin and had a black, oily-looking substance on the top. She leaned down, wrapped her hands around one bowl and lifted it to her lap. She took a spoonful of the stuff and lifted it close under her nose. It didn't smell bad at all but she still wasn't okay about it. She lowered it and looked more closely at the substance. She was beginning to think it might not be so bad at all when she froze. Was it her imagination or...Suddenly, the depression of the spoon stretched out and over the soup. At the same time, it turned pink and sprouted big cheeks with wide eyes.
Author's Note: Ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!!!! Couldn't resist Mates! I just had to throw in a few surprises that'll keep the story moving towards the apex of the climate. If it's sounding a little to trite or predictable, please let me know. I really do hate to travel down a well-worn path. Thank you, Etherium's Angel, for all your reviews and suggestions—I shall take much heed to them. God bless you All and enjoy the story!!!