Ch.29 Departure
Josephine got back from another day around the town. She went up to her
room and checked her window.
She sighed exasperated at finding nothing there. Maybe 'Captain Barbosa'
was just playing with her.
"It's been over a week," she muttered aloud.
"Over a week since what?" A voice asked.
Josephine turned, startled. It was Elizabeth.
"Since I arrived here," Josephine managed smoothly.
"Ah. Do you regret coming here?" Elizabeth asked as she walked over and sat
on the bed.
"No." Josephine said. "It's been great to see Will again, and to meet you
also, Elizabeth."
"Do you plan to stay?" Elizabeth asked.
"Possibly," Josephine said. No, she thought.
"It's been wonderful having another woman around; you should consider it,"
Elizabeth said.
"Oh, I am," Josephine said. Her stomach churned guiltily. She didn't like
lying.
"Well, I came up to call you to dinner," Elizabeth said. She stood up.
"I'll be down in a few minutes," Josephine said.
"OK," Elizabeth said. She turned and left through the door.
Josephine took one last look out the window and then followed Elizabeth
down.
The food was delicious. Josephine finished her meal and Will finished his story. Everyone laughed. Will began a new story. "Once there was an man and a woman living in a house. Now the they had a son. His name was Matthias. One day while walking in the woods the mother found a baby, that was quite ugly. The son and father urged the mother to cast it away, but the mother fell in love with it and nursed it. She named it Cheno. The boys grew up side by side—with the Matthias always trying to get ahead of the Cheno is some way or another. He treated him very badly...." Josephine tuned out of the story. She remembered it from childhood. An angel saw it fit to play a joke on Matthias. The angel switched the souls of the two boys into the other's body. Matthias was treated horribly and was made fun of. He learned his lesson, and the angel gave him his body back, but Cheno's soul was put back into a body identical to Matthias's. This, therefore, always reminded Matthias about how he had treated his brother. It was a simple and amusing story. Will finished the story and everyone paused and reflected on the moral. Governor Swann broke the silence. "Josephine, why don't you tell a story?" "Yes, yes!" Everyone else chorused. "I don't know any..." Josephine started. "Everyone has at least one good story," Governor Swann said. "Well, all right," Josephine said. She thought. "There once was a young girl who lived with her parents in a nice house. One night, robbers came to her house. They murdered her parents and stole all the valuables. The girl, Lanae, escaped. She left the town hurriedly and moved to the next town. There she caught wind of the robber. She confronted him, upon locating him. He, instead of killing her, found her a worthy adversary, and instead took her with him by force. He kept her with his band while he raided more villages. She learned the ropes, and also learned how to escape. Then, the robber had her come on the job to be a distraction. She almost got caught by the town soldiers because of the robber's betrayal. She escaped however, and then confronted the robber. He abandoned her in the middle of nowhere, though he liked her, because he couldn't let his men see him 'soft'. Lanae found shelter with compassionate people in a village nearby. While walking through the village one day, she met up with a man who said he was a soldier and an enemy of the robber. They arranged a trap for the robber by using Lanae as bait. Then the robber came, and the soldier humiliated him and left him stranded in the middle of nowhere. The girl never heard from soldier or robber again and went on to live a perfectly normal life." No spoke after she finished. Josephine got uncomfortable with the silence. "Excuse me," she said. She got up from the table and went to her room. She lay down on her bed and looked out her window. It was nearly dark. Something was digging into her back. She sat up and felt around the bed. Something round, and cold was there. She picked it up. It was a rock. On the surface of the rockface, was scratched letters that read N-O-W. NOW. Josephine looked over at her window. It was cracked open just slightly; It hadn't been open before she went down. She hid the rock in a trunk and found a role of cloth. She stuffed clothes, hair things, etc, into it and then hid it. She waited till everyone else had gone to bed, and then went down to the kitchen to grab some food. She went upstairs, grabbed her clothes, and looked around her room. She eyed her sword, and grabbed it. "Now, all ready—just one last thing to do," She said. She got out a piece of parchment and a quill. "Dear Will," she began...
Josephine walked softly down the stairs and out the door. Then she walked down to the harbor. She walked down onto the beach and waited. She drew her sword and idly looked at it. She heard steps behind her and she turned. She pointed her sword at a figure hidden in the shadows. "Miss Turner," the man said. Josephine put away her sword. "Captain Barbosa." "Shall we go?" he asked smiling. Josephine shivered again at the smile. It was like a smile of the dead. Josephine shook off her premonition and lifted her head. "I wait for you," she said. Barbosa turned and walked away followed by Josephine. They disappeared into the dark.
The food was delicious. Josephine finished her meal and Will finished his story. Everyone laughed. Will began a new story. "Once there was an man and a woman living in a house. Now the they had a son. His name was Matthias. One day while walking in the woods the mother found a baby, that was quite ugly. The son and father urged the mother to cast it away, but the mother fell in love with it and nursed it. She named it Cheno. The boys grew up side by side—with the Matthias always trying to get ahead of the Cheno is some way or another. He treated him very badly...." Josephine tuned out of the story. She remembered it from childhood. An angel saw it fit to play a joke on Matthias. The angel switched the souls of the two boys into the other's body. Matthias was treated horribly and was made fun of. He learned his lesson, and the angel gave him his body back, but Cheno's soul was put back into a body identical to Matthias's. This, therefore, always reminded Matthias about how he had treated his brother. It was a simple and amusing story. Will finished the story and everyone paused and reflected on the moral. Governor Swann broke the silence. "Josephine, why don't you tell a story?" "Yes, yes!" Everyone else chorused. "I don't know any..." Josephine started. "Everyone has at least one good story," Governor Swann said. "Well, all right," Josephine said. She thought. "There once was a young girl who lived with her parents in a nice house. One night, robbers came to her house. They murdered her parents and stole all the valuables. The girl, Lanae, escaped. She left the town hurriedly and moved to the next town. There she caught wind of the robber. She confronted him, upon locating him. He, instead of killing her, found her a worthy adversary, and instead took her with him by force. He kept her with his band while he raided more villages. She learned the ropes, and also learned how to escape. Then, the robber had her come on the job to be a distraction. She almost got caught by the town soldiers because of the robber's betrayal. She escaped however, and then confronted the robber. He abandoned her in the middle of nowhere, though he liked her, because he couldn't let his men see him 'soft'. Lanae found shelter with compassionate people in a village nearby. While walking through the village one day, she met up with a man who said he was a soldier and an enemy of the robber. They arranged a trap for the robber by using Lanae as bait. Then the robber came, and the soldier humiliated him and left him stranded in the middle of nowhere. The girl never heard from soldier or robber again and went on to live a perfectly normal life." No spoke after she finished. Josephine got uncomfortable with the silence. "Excuse me," she said. She got up from the table and went to her room. She lay down on her bed and looked out her window. It was nearly dark. Something was digging into her back. She sat up and felt around the bed. Something round, and cold was there. She picked it up. It was a rock. On the surface of the rockface, was scratched letters that read N-O-W. NOW. Josephine looked over at her window. It was cracked open just slightly; It hadn't been open before she went down. She hid the rock in a trunk and found a role of cloth. She stuffed clothes, hair things, etc, into it and then hid it. She waited till everyone else had gone to bed, and then went down to the kitchen to grab some food. She went upstairs, grabbed her clothes, and looked around her room. She eyed her sword, and grabbed it. "Now, all ready—just one last thing to do," She said. She got out a piece of parchment and a quill. "Dear Will," she began...
Josephine walked softly down the stairs and out the door. Then she walked down to the harbor. She walked down onto the beach and waited. She drew her sword and idly looked at it. She heard steps behind her and she turned. She pointed her sword at a figure hidden in the shadows. "Miss Turner," the man said. Josephine put away her sword. "Captain Barbosa." "Shall we go?" he asked smiling. Josephine shivered again at the smile. It was like a smile of the dead. Josephine shook off her premonition and lifted her head. "I wait for you," she said. Barbosa turned and walked away followed by Josephine. They disappeared into the dark.