Chapter Two: Secrets Untold.
The afternoon sun made the sea sparkle around Port Royal, most of the inhabitants were on their way homewards, to eat supper and spend the remainder of the evening with their families.
Kilie galloped slowly through town on a beautiful green broke bay horse. She was relaxed in the saddle, even though the young colt started at nearly everything it saw. At one point a cat scurried across the ally way, causing the horse to spook and rear into the air.
Kilie lost hold of the reins and grabbed at them, unsuccessfully. She slid down the horse's back with a yelp landing on her own back into a pile of wooden crates. They cracked and snapped under her, and dust flew up everywhere; the colt then bolted forward, disappearing around a corner.
She lay there, the wind knocked out of her; the air came into her lungs in big gasping gulps. Her back and her head stung with pain. The pants and shirt she was wearing were now dirty and torn at parts. Her eyes watered with the stinging pain, she felt something warm trickling down her arm, and noticed blood soaking through the sleeve of her shirt. Kilie let out a painful groan and tried to get up.
"Ere, let me 'elp ye up, luv." Came a husky voice above her.
She blinked, trying to focus, but all she saw was a blur through her tears. The only thing that came in clearly was the tanned, dirty hand extended out to her, she groped for it and the stranger took hold, lifting her up gently.
"Thank you." She said softly, regaining her breath.
'Aye, it was no problem, luv." The stranger replied.
Kilie rubbed her eyes, drying them; she blinked several times before her vision finally cleared. She saw standing before her, a rough looking man, about five inches taller than her. He wore a faded, worn grey coat, and an even more worn out leather three-corner hat, which slightly covered the red bandana that was tied over his head. His black hair was strewn with dreadlocks and beads, he had a goatee and his eyes were like the color of chocolate, they glittered with a constantly amused look to them.
He smiled, revealing a few gold teeth, but other than that, they were clean. He looked grungy, but in a very attractive kind of way.
Kilie smiled a little, dusting herself off.
The stranger moved his eyes along her body, thinking to himself. 'Clothes in the likeness of a man's, but with a slight feminine touch to them.... but only slightly. Pants fashioned after a man's, but made slimmer, to fit her. long sleeved shirt.. hmmmm. Definatly a mans, the front was left untied, making a long "V" shape down her chest, just ending above voluptuous breasts. Long reddish auburn hair, trailing down just above her waist, and green eyes glittering brighter than all the emeralds in the world.'
'Damn,' he thought to himself with a smirk.... 'I could be a bloody poet!'
Kilie glanced back up at the stranger, extending her hand to him. "My name is Kilie Marsterson."
"Captain Jack Sparrow." He said shaking her hand and giving it a slight peck.
"So wha' spooked the bejesus out of that 'orse of yers?" he said, his eyes focused intently on hers.
"A cat.." Kilie retorted with a huff.
"A cat? Bloody cowardly 'orse if ye ask me."
"Well, he's still just a baby, this was his first time out of the arena." She gazed down the ally. "Speaking of which, I had better go find him."
"You train 'orses for a livin'?" he raised a dark eyebrow, surprised.
Kilie grinned. "Is there something wrong with that?"
Jack held up his hands defensively. "No, no, nothin' wrong with that at all, luv. Just a bit surprising, really. Not too many women aroun' 'ere with that occupation."
"Well, I'm not like other women."
'That I can see' he thought to himself.
"You say you're a... a Captain?" Kilie asked, returning to the earlier topic.
Jack smiled with pride. "Yeah, matter of fact, me ship is down at the docks, only came 'ere for a few days then it's off to the sea again."
"What is it that you do.. Captain? Kilie raised a reddish eyebrow.
"Well, me and me crew are what you might call.... Tradesmen." Jack said with a smirk. He wasn't exactly far from the truth.
"Really? What do you trade?"
'Our cannon balls for their gold and jewels" he thought to himself. "Um.... Well, that really depends, luv.... ye see.... we don't exactly... give anything as much as.... take everything.... we're more like-"
Kilie's eyes widened. "You- You're a Pirate!"
"Freebooter, is a nicer term, luv."
Kilie didn't exactly know what to think of that, she did know that she wanted to leave, it was bad enough that she was thought of poorly because of her occupation and the way she dressed in public...... but if she were seen in the company of a Pirate, she might lose her home. Although she hated living with the "terrible twosome" as she called Sophia and Rachel, she did not wish to live on the streets because they caught her speaking to a pirate.
"I.. I really should be going, I have to catch my horse and- and... get- uh..... get home." She backed away quickly and turned, fleeing around the very same corner that the colt had taken off down.
Jack smiled after her, continuing his swaggering walk back to the Pearl for a bit of rest... before heading back to the pub.
'She likes me.' He thought smugly to himself. 'And who could blame the lass? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!'
* * * * * * * * * * *
"There you are. Been searching all over for you!" Kilie said softly, spotting the run away colt munching away at some flowers in a garden.
The horse pricked his ears and looked at her, letting out a soft nicker, as if to say, "What happened to you?"
Kilie smiled and walked up, patting the bay's soft neck. "Come, on boy, lets go home." She placed the reins back over his neck, realizing for the first time that the saddle was gone. She sighed, a little frustrated, she had other saddles, but it was the fact that she had lost one that bugged her. She jumped up onto the colt's back, saddle or no saddle, she was going home.
She glanced down at her blood soaked sleeve. 'Better clean that up as soon as possible. Wouldn't want Sophia and Rachel to faint at the sight of blood.... Actually, yes I would. What the hell, I'll leave it there.' She smiled evilly and nudged the colt into a fast paced trot towards home.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Anne peered out from one of the upstairs windows, she watched as Kilie cantered up the road; didn't she have a saddle on that colt when she left this morning? She stayed at the window until she saw that Kilie had gone into the barn, then she turned and went as quick as her old body would allow her, down the stairs and out back.
"There we go, babe, that was more than enough riding for us today." She rubbed the colt's cupped ears and kissed his muzzle. "I'll let you go and eat your supper now." She whispered as she led the colt into his stall and closed the door behind her.
She had just hung the bridle up on a rack with a bunch of others, when she heard the sound of someone running for the barn. She turned and watched the entryway; upon seeing that it was Anne she smiled and walked to the maid.
Kilie's smile faded when she noticed the tears that were falling from Anne's face.
"What's wrong?" she asked, taking hold of Anne's shoulder.
Anne took a few deep gulps of air, she really never ran that much.
Kilie waited patiently for Anne to catch her breath.
"It's Marie..." Anne huffed. "She's- she's..... she wants to see you now child."
Kilie didn't have to ask Anne why, the look on her face told her everything she needed to know... Marie was dying.
Kilie's eyes burned with tears, she bit her lip, holding them back. A simple nod was all she gave to Anne, before tearing across the yard and to the house.
She walked up the stairs slowly, not wanting to face Marie. Not wanting to accept this.
She saw Mr. Walter and the doctor conversing quietly next to Marie's door, they both gave her a sympathetic look as she approached them.
Sophia and Rachel both sat on a couch, their arms folded, long black hair tied up, and their dark eyes glaring hard at Kilie. As if to say, "How dare you even go into that room!"
The doctor grabbed her gently by the arm, speaking to her softly. "She doesn't have much longer, but she only want's to see you"
Kilie nodded soberly, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly before grabbing hold of the doorknob and stepping in, closing the door behind her.
The room was dimly lit with candles; the curtains were drawn, concealing the beautiful sunset outside. In a giant poster bed, lay a frail, old woman, her long silver hair lying about her. Her eyes were closed and her irregular breathing was shallow.
Pale blue eyes opened slowly as Kilie came to sit next to her bed, a smile played on the old, wrinkled lips.
"Hello, child."
Kilie smiled slightly, taking hold of Marie's fragile hand. "Hello, Marie."
Marie's eyes roamed across her room, she frowned and coughed. "Can you believe these people? Locking me away in this stuffy room to die."
Kilie flinched at the words.
Marie, lifted a hand, motioning to the window infront of her, "Kilie, please do an old woman a last favor."
Kilie nodded, "Anything Marie."
"Remove those curtains and open that window, I don't wish to die staring at a stuffy, plain ceiling. I want to see the sun set over the ocean, and feel the wind on my face. Just one last time."
Kilie stood, walking to the big window, she ripped the curtains down and opened the window as far out is it would go, immediately the room was blasted by a strong wind, and the scent of the ocean carried over to Marie's nostrils.
The old woman smiled and breathed in. The scent of the ocean and the feel of the wind caressing her face brought back so many memories of days long since past.
"Come sit by me again, child."
Kilie returned to her place beside Marie. Tears forming in her green eyes.
Marie sat up slowly, her blue eyes fixed intently on Kilie. There was a silent moment between them before the old woman spoke again.
"I don't want you to waste your life the way I wasted mine." She said softly.
"No Marie, no, you never wasted your life! You've lived a wonderful life, in comfort and stability, with a family.." Kilie shook her head.
"I wasted my life!" Marie said sternly. "You call stability, and a comfortable home living? Child, there are places in this world, that only a lucky few ever get to see. Places that, people like Sophia, and Rachel, and my son, will never know, because they simply can't function in a life like that. They need stability." Marie coughed and took a deep breath. "But you child, you are standing on the edge of something better, a chance to live." She stopped, pointing to her dresser. "Go and open that top drawer, there is a small chest in there, bring it to me."
Kilie did as she was told, and found a small, golden chest, no bigger than a book, in the back of the top drawer. She picked it up and brought it over to Marie, placing it in her lap.
Marie stroked the chest lovingly, tears coming to her eyes. She opened it up, and took out an old, yellow, folded piece of parchment.
"This, is what I want you to have, child." She handed the parchment to Kilie, who took it without opening it, her eyes never leaving Marie's face.
"This was given to me, by a..... friend of mine, many years ago, when I was 22, not much older than you my dear. His name was Joeseph Mcinnly." Marie's eyes met Kilie's. "He was a Pirate." Kilie said nothing, but her eyes widened with surprise.
Marie smiled and laughed a little at Kilie's reaction. "He was 24, he had black hair that came to his shoulders, and lucid brown eyes."
Kilie thought about this description, it reminded her a little of the Pirate in the ally who had helped her.
"He and I met and were inseparable, I can't remember how many times I snuck out of my room and climbed down the balcony to meet him at the bottom. He told me stories about the ocean, the places he had seen, the people he had met and the treasures he had found. 'Being a Pirate is not just about taking treasure, Marie.' He once said to me. 'It's about freedom, freedom to go where the wind takes you, to call no man your master.' The life he described to me was one I had always dreamed of, yet felt, that I could never attain."
The wind blew harder in the room, causing the candles in the room to flicker. Kilie went to close the window, but Marie stopped her.
"No, child, leave them open... please." Marie fell into a coughing fit after this, and it took her a few moments to regain her voice.
"My parents never knew about the two of us until the day I found out that I was pregnant. And when they did find out, they were ashamed of me. Joeseph asked me to come away with him on his captain's ship; they would be leaving within a week. I wanted to go, more than anything. But foolishly, I allowed my mother to convince me to stay, I said goodbye to Joeseph, and watching him sail away. When the baby was born, I knew I would never be allowed to keep it, so, I found a family that could, and gave it to them, but not before giving it a name. I named him Thomas Joeseph and used my maiden name instead of his fathers, and then, gave the baby up. I told the woman who took him to not reveal who his mother was, until he was 18. But, from what I know, he found out sooner, and turned pirate himself. I was proud to hear that." Marie took a deep sigh.
"No one knows of this, no one that is, until now." She smiled up at Kilie.
"Marie, why have you told me all this?" Kilie asked, leaning in towards the old woman.
Marie lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes, "Because child. I gave up the opportunity of a better life, a life worth living for." She laughed. "It took me 67 years to realize that.... I don't want you to have to wait that long."
She reached for Kilie's hand and squeezed it. "You have the chance now, to see the world, to explore, it's in your blood, child. It's in your soul. Your father was a pirate, and I can see in your eyes, the spark, the longing for adventure, and the sweet music that only the wide ocean can bring."
Kilie's eyes stung as tears began to fall from her face.
"Unfold that piece of parchment I gave to you." Marie's voice became raspy.
Kilie did, and was surprised to see what looked like a piece of a map on the parchment in her hands.
"It's a map, that piece of land there," she pointed to an island. "That is the island of the black sand. In one of it's coves, lies some of the greatest riches in all of Europe. Joeseph gave this to me; he said the map was useless without the missing piece. But you, Kilie, you can find it. I know you can. Go, child, go and live free."
Marie coughed hard, a little bit of blood coming up with it. Kilie grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned the blood from her lips.
Marie hugged the girl gently, brushing some of Kilie's long red hair away from her face. She gazed deeply into her green eyes, smiling. "I wish you could have been my granddaughter."
Kilie kissed the old woman on the forehead. "So do I." She whispered.
Marie's eyes fell to the window, the sun had set, and the moon was rising like a silver sphere of light over the ocean, making the water shimmer in the dark.
Kilie's hair blew around her face.
"It's so beautiful," Marie whispered, "So beautiful..." Marie took one last deep breath, her eyes closed slowly; Kilie felt the grip on her hand soften. And she knew then that Marie was gone.
The tears fell silently form Kilie's eyes, she let her head drop to Marie's lifeless arm, her slender form heaving hard as she cried.
The door to the bedroom opened and the doctor, and Mr. Walter walked in. Kilie glanced up at them; she stood and bowed to Mr. Walter, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She noticed the now dry blood and walked briskly by them, she needed any excuse she could find to get out of that room.
She shoved the parchment into her pocket and ran down the hall, ignoring the calls that came from Sophia and Rachel.
Kilie slammed the door to her room, and changed her bloodied shirt to a fresh clean one. She then bolted downstairs and out of the house, she ran on until she reached the seashore and collapsed onto the soft sand breathing heavily.
The stars glittered in the sky above her, and the wind blew through her hair, playing with it. She felt more alone now that she had ever felt in her life. She could not go back to that house, not after this. She lay back on the sand, and curled into a tight ball, crying herself to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
"We kind'l an' charrrrr, infllllaame an' igggnight! Drik up me 'earties yo ho! We burrrn up the c-c-city, we're really a fffffright. Drink up me 'earties yo ho!" Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled his way back to his ship from the pub. He smiled as he sung his favorite song. "REALLY BAD EGGSSSSSSSSS!" He slurred at the top of his lungs. "Good evvvnin' ssssssir!" He tipped his hat to a palm tree, his other hand carrying a half filled bottle of rum, on of several bottles that he had consumed that night.
He was so incredibly smashed that he narrowly missed Kilie's sleeping form lying in his somewhat zigzagging path. "Who put that there?" he stood, staring down at the red haired girl infront of him.
His eyes widened. "Is' a girl!" he exclaimed. He bent down, examining her. "O' in their bloody minds leaves a perfectly good girl lyin' on the bloody beach?" He swayed and hiccuped, his face mere inches from her's.
"Oh, 'ang on, I know thissss girl.... Is' the one I met earlier te'day!" he exclaimed happily to his rum bottle. He looked her all over, and nodded his head. "Well, can't jus' leave 'er 'ere on the beach all night...." He reached a hand under her back, trying to pick her up. He grunted and set his Rum bottle down, only to have second thoughts and pick it back up again. "NO! Can't let go of the RUM!" he held the bottle close to his chest like a teddy bear, kissing it and patting it fondly.
And so he sat there on the sand, trying to decide what to do. He smiled as he realized his plan of action, he would drink the rest of his rum, and THEN he would pick up the girl. Brilliant!
He opened the bottle and threw his head back, chugging away; he finished in less than a minute and tossed the bottle. "Woo!" His arms flailed about him as he sat next to Kilie. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he sank to the ground, passing out next to Kilie.
"Too much rum..." He murmured, and was out like a light.
The afternoon sun made the sea sparkle around Port Royal, most of the inhabitants were on their way homewards, to eat supper and spend the remainder of the evening with their families.
Kilie galloped slowly through town on a beautiful green broke bay horse. She was relaxed in the saddle, even though the young colt started at nearly everything it saw. At one point a cat scurried across the ally way, causing the horse to spook and rear into the air.
Kilie lost hold of the reins and grabbed at them, unsuccessfully. She slid down the horse's back with a yelp landing on her own back into a pile of wooden crates. They cracked and snapped under her, and dust flew up everywhere; the colt then bolted forward, disappearing around a corner.
She lay there, the wind knocked out of her; the air came into her lungs in big gasping gulps. Her back and her head stung with pain. The pants and shirt she was wearing were now dirty and torn at parts. Her eyes watered with the stinging pain, she felt something warm trickling down her arm, and noticed blood soaking through the sleeve of her shirt. Kilie let out a painful groan and tried to get up.
"Ere, let me 'elp ye up, luv." Came a husky voice above her.
She blinked, trying to focus, but all she saw was a blur through her tears. The only thing that came in clearly was the tanned, dirty hand extended out to her, she groped for it and the stranger took hold, lifting her up gently.
"Thank you." She said softly, regaining her breath.
'Aye, it was no problem, luv." The stranger replied.
Kilie rubbed her eyes, drying them; she blinked several times before her vision finally cleared. She saw standing before her, a rough looking man, about five inches taller than her. He wore a faded, worn grey coat, and an even more worn out leather three-corner hat, which slightly covered the red bandana that was tied over his head. His black hair was strewn with dreadlocks and beads, he had a goatee and his eyes were like the color of chocolate, they glittered with a constantly amused look to them.
He smiled, revealing a few gold teeth, but other than that, they were clean. He looked grungy, but in a very attractive kind of way.
Kilie smiled a little, dusting herself off.
The stranger moved his eyes along her body, thinking to himself. 'Clothes in the likeness of a man's, but with a slight feminine touch to them.... but only slightly. Pants fashioned after a man's, but made slimmer, to fit her. long sleeved shirt.. hmmmm. Definatly a mans, the front was left untied, making a long "V" shape down her chest, just ending above voluptuous breasts. Long reddish auburn hair, trailing down just above her waist, and green eyes glittering brighter than all the emeralds in the world.'
'Damn,' he thought to himself with a smirk.... 'I could be a bloody poet!'
Kilie glanced back up at the stranger, extending her hand to him. "My name is Kilie Marsterson."
"Captain Jack Sparrow." He said shaking her hand and giving it a slight peck.
"So wha' spooked the bejesus out of that 'orse of yers?" he said, his eyes focused intently on hers.
"A cat.." Kilie retorted with a huff.
"A cat? Bloody cowardly 'orse if ye ask me."
"Well, he's still just a baby, this was his first time out of the arena." She gazed down the ally. "Speaking of which, I had better go find him."
"You train 'orses for a livin'?" he raised a dark eyebrow, surprised.
Kilie grinned. "Is there something wrong with that?"
Jack held up his hands defensively. "No, no, nothin' wrong with that at all, luv. Just a bit surprising, really. Not too many women aroun' 'ere with that occupation."
"Well, I'm not like other women."
'That I can see' he thought to himself.
"You say you're a... a Captain?" Kilie asked, returning to the earlier topic.
Jack smiled with pride. "Yeah, matter of fact, me ship is down at the docks, only came 'ere for a few days then it's off to the sea again."
"What is it that you do.. Captain? Kilie raised a reddish eyebrow.
"Well, me and me crew are what you might call.... Tradesmen." Jack said with a smirk. He wasn't exactly far from the truth.
"Really? What do you trade?"
'Our cannon balls for their gold and jewels" he thought to himself. "Um.... Well, that really depends, luv.... ye see.... we don't exactly... give anything as much as.... take everything.... we're more like-"
Kilie's eyes widened. "You- You're a Pirate!"
"Freebooter, is a nicer term, luv."
Kilie didn't exactly know what to think of that, she did know that she wanted to leave, it was bad enough that she was thought of poorly because of her occupation and the way she dressed in public...... but if she were seen in the company of a Pirate, she might lose her home. Although she hated living with the "terrible twosome" as she called Sophia and Rachel, she did not wish to live on the streets because they caught her speaking to a pirate.
"I.. I really should be going, I have to catch my horse and- and... get- uh..... get home." She backed away quickly and turned, fleeing around the very same corner that the colt had taken off down.
Jack smiled after her, continuing his swaggering walk back to the Pearl for a bit of rest... before heading back to the pub.
'She likes me.' He thought smugly to himself. 'And who could blame the lass? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!'
* * * * * * * * * * *
"There you are. Been searching all over for you!" Kilie said softly, spotting the run away colt munching away at some flowers in a garden.
The horse pricked his ears and looked at her, letting out a soft nicker, as if to say, "What happened to you?"
Kilie smiled and walked up, patting the bay's soft neck. "Come, on boy, lets go home." She placed the reins back over his neck, realizing for the first time that the saddle was gone. She sighed, a little frustrated, she had other saddles, but it was the fact that she had lost one that bugged her. She jumped up onto the colt's back, saddle or no saddle, she was going home.
She glanced down at her blood soaked sleeve. 'Better clean that up as soon as possible. Wouldn't want Sophia and Rachel to faint at the sight of blood.... Actually, yes I would. What the hell, I'll leave it there.' She smiled evilly and nudged the colt into a fast paced trot towards home.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Anne peered out from one of the upstairs windows, she watched as Kilie cantered up the road; didn't she have a saddle on that colt when she left this morning? She stayed at the window until she saw that Kilie had gone into the barn, then she turned and went as quick as her old body would allow her, down the stairs and out back.
"There we go, babe, that was more than enough riding for us today." She rubbed the colt's cupped ears and kissed his muzzle. "I'll let you go and eat your supper now." She whispered as she led the colt into his stall and closed the door behind her.
She had just hung the bridle up on a rack with a bunch of others, when she heard the sound of someone running for the barn. She turned and watched the entryway; upon seeing that it was Anne she smiled and walked to the maid.
Kilie's smile faded when she noticed the tears that were falling from Anne's face.
"What's wrong?" she asked, taking hold of Anne's shoulder.
Anne took a few deep gulps of air, she really never ran that much.
Kilie waited patiently for Anne to catch her breath.
"It's Marie..." Anne huffed. "She's- she's..... she wants to see you now child."
Kilie didn't have to ask Anne why, the look on her face told her everything she needed to know... Marie was dying.
Kilie's eyes burned with tears, she bit her lip, holding them back. A simple nod was all she gave to Anne, before tearing across the yard and to the house.
She walked up the stairs slowly, not wanting to face Marie. Not wanting to accept this.
She saw Mr. Walter and the doctor conversing quietly next to Marie's door, they both gave her a sympathetic look as she approached them.
Sophia and Rachel both sat on a couch, their arms folded, long black hair tied up, and their dark eyes glaring hard at Kilie. As if to say, "How dare you even go into that room!"
The doctor grabbed her gently by the arm, speaking to her softly. "She doesn't have much longer, but she only want's to see you"
Kilie nodded soberly, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly before grabbing hold of the doorknob and stepping in, closing the door behind her.
The room was dimly lit with candles; the curtains were drawn, concealing the beautiful sunset outside. In a giant poster bed, lay a frail, old woman, her long silver hair lying about her. Her eyes were closed and her irregular breathing was shallow.
Pale blue eyes opened slowly as Kilie came to sit next to her bed, a smile played on the old, wrinkled lips.
"Hello, child."
Kilie smiled slightly, taking hold of Marie's fragile hand. "Hello, Marie."
Marie's eyes roamed across her room, she frowned and coughed. "Can you believe these people? Locking me away in this stuffy room to die."
Kilie flinched at the words.
Marie, lifted a hand, motioning to the window infront of her, "Kilie, please do an old woman a last favor."
Kilie nodded, "Anything Marie."
"Remove those curtains and open that window, I don't wish to die staring at a stuffy, plain ceiling. I want to see the sun set over the ocean, and feel the wind on my face. Just one last time."
Kilie stood, walking to the big window, she ripped the curtains down and opened the window as far out is it would go, immediately the room was blasted by a strong wind, and the scent of the ocean carried over to Marie's nostrils.
The old woman smiled and breathed in. The scent of the ocean and the feel of the wind caressing her face brought back so many memories of days long since past.
"Come sit by me again, child."
Kilie returned to her place beside Marie. Tears forming in her green eyes.
Marie sat up slowly, her blue eyes fixed intently on Kilie. There was a silent moment between them before the old woman spoke again.
"I don't want you to waste your life the way I wasted mine." She said softly.
"No Marie, no, you never wasted your life! You've lived a wonderful life, in comfort and stability, with a family.." Kilie shook her head.
"I wasted my life!" Marie said sternly. "You call stability, and a comfortable home living? Child, there are places in this world, that only a lucky few ever get to see. Places that, people like Sophia, and Rachel, and my son, will never know, because they simply can't function in a life like that. They need stability." Marie coughed and took a deep breath. "But you child, you are standing on the edge of something better, a chance to live." She stopped, pointing to her dresser. "Go and open that top drawer, there is a small chest in there, bring it to me."
Kilie did as she was told, and found a small, golden chest, no bigger than a book, in the back of the top drawer. She picked it up and brought it over to Marie, placing it in her lap.
Marie stroked the chest lovingly, tears coming to her eyes. She opened it up, and took out an old, yellow, folded piece of parchment.
"This, is what I want you to have, child." She handed the parchment to Kilie, who took it without opening it, her eyes never leaving Marie's face.
"This was given to me, by a..... friend of mine, many years ago, when I was 22, not much older than you my dear. His name was Joeseph Mcinnly." Marie's eyes met Kilie's. "He was a Pirate." Kilie said nothing, but her eyes widened with surprise.
Marie smiled and laughed a little at Kilie's reaction. "He was 24, he had black hair that came to his shoulders, and lucid brown eyes."
Kilie thought about this description, it reminded her a little of the Pirate in the ally who had helped her.
"He and I met and were inseparable, I can't remember how many times I snuck out of my room and climbed down the balcony to meet him at the bottom. He told me stories about the ocean, the places he had seen, the people he had met and the treasures he had found. 'Being a Pirate is not just about taking treasure, Marie.' He once said to me. 'It's about freedom, freedom to go where the wind takes you, to call no man your master.' The life he described to me was one I had always dreamed of, yet felt, that I could never attain."
The wind blew harder in the room, causing the candles in the room to flicker. Kilie went to close the window, but Marie stopped her.
"No, child, leave them open... please." Marie fell into a coughing fit after this, and it took her a few moments to regain her voice.
"My parents never knew about the two of us until the day I found out that I was pregnant. And when they did find out, they were ashamed of me. Joeseph asked me to come away with him on his captain's ship; they would be leaving within a week. I wanted to go, more than anything. But foolishly, I allowed my mother to convince me to stay, I said goodbye to Joeseph, and watching him sail away. When the baby was born, I knew I would never be allowed to keep it, so, I found a family that could, and gave it to them, but not before giving it a name. I named him Thomas Joeseph and used my maiden name instead of his fathers, and then, gave the baby up. I told the woman who took him to not reveal who his mother was, until he was 18. But, from what I know, he found out sooner, and turned pirate himself. I was proud to hear that." Marie took a deep sigh.
"No one knows of this, no one that is, until now." She smiled up at Kilie.
"Marie, why have you told me all this?" Kilie asked, leaning in towards the old woman.
Marie lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes, "Because child. I gave up the opportunity of a better life, a life worth living for." She laughed. "It took me 67 years to realize that.... I don't want you to have to wait that long."
She reached for Kilie's hand and squeezed it. "You have the chance now, to see the world, to explore, it's in your blood, child. It's in your soul. Your father was a pirate, and I can see in your eyes, the spark, the longing for adventure, and the sweet music that only the wide ocean can bring."
Kilie's eyes stung as tears began to fall from her face.
"Unfold that piece of parchment I gave to you." Marie's voice became raspy.
Kilie did, and was surprised to see what looked like a piece of a map on the parchment in her hands.
"It's a map, that piece of land there," she pointed to an island. "That is the island of the black sand. In one of it's coves, lies some of the greatest riches in all of Europe. Joeseph gave this to me; he said the map was useless without the missing piece. But you, Kilie, you can find it. I know you can. Go, child, go and live free."
Marie coughed hard, a little bit of blood coming up with it. Kilie grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned the blood from her lips.
Marie hugged the girl gently, brushing some of Kilie's long red hair away from her face. She gazed deeply into her green eyes, smiling. "I wish you could have been my granddaughter."
Kilie kissed the old woman on the forehead. "So do I." She whispered.
Marie's eyes fell to the window, the sun had set, and the moon was rising like a silver sphere of light over the ocean, making the water shimmer in the dark.
Kilie's hair blew around her face.
"It's so beautiful," Marie whispered, "So beautiful..." Marie took one last deep breath, her eyes closed slowly; Kilie felt the grip on her hand soften. And she knew then that Marie was gone.
The tears fell silently form Kilie's eyes, she let her head drop to Marie's lifeless arm, her slender form heaving hard as she cried.
The door to the bedroom opened and the doctor, and Mr. Walter walked in. Kilie glanced up at them; she stood and bowed to Mr. Walter, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She noticed the now dry blood and walked briskly by them, she needed any excuse she could find to get out of that room.
She shoved the parchment into her pocket and ran down the hall, ignoring the calls that came from Sophia and Rachel.
Kilie slammed the door to her room, and changed her bloodied shirt to a fresh clean one. She then bolted downstairs and out of the house, she ran on until she reached the seashore and collapsed onto the soft sand breathing heavily.
The stars glittered in the sky above her, and the wind blew through her hair, playing with it. She felt more alone now that she had ever felt in her life. She could not go back to that house, not after this. She lay back on the sand, and curled into a tight ball, crying herself to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
"We kind'l an' charrrrr, infllllaame an' igggnight! Drik up me 'earties yo ho! We burrrn up the c-c-city, we're really a fffffright. Drink up me 'earties yo ho!" Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled his way back to his ship from the pub. He smiled as he sung his favorite song. "REALLY BAD EGGSSSSSSSSS!" He slurred at the top of his lungs. "Good evvvnin' ssssssir!" He tipped his hat to a palm tree, his other hand carrying a half filled bottle of rum, on of several bottles that he had consumed that night.
He was so incredibly smashed that he narrowly missed Kilie's sleeping form lying in his somewhat zigzagging path. "Who put that there?" he stood, staring down at the red haired girl infront of him.
His eyes widened. "Is' a girl!" he exclaimed. He bent down, examining her. "O' in their bloody minds leaves a perfectly good girl lyin' on the bloody beach?" He swayed and hiccuped, his face mere inches from her's.
"Oh, 'ang on, I know thissss girl.... Is' the one I met earlier te'day!" he exclaimed happily to his rum bottle. He looked her all over, and nodded his head. "Well, can't jus' leave 'er 'ere on the beach all night...." He reached a hand under her back, trying to pick her up. He grunted and set his Rum bottle down, only to have second thoughts and pick it back up again. "NO! Can't let go of the RUM!" he held the bottle close to his chest like a teddy bear, kissing it and patting it fondly.
And so he sat there on the sand, trying to decide what to do. He smiled as he realized his plan of action, he would drink the rest of his rum, and THEN he would pick up the girl. Brilliant!
He opened the bottle and threw his head back, chugging away; he finished in less than a minute and tossed the bottle. "Woo!" His arms flailed about him as he sat next to Kilie. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he sank to the ground, passing out next to Kilie.
"Too much rum..." He murmured, and was out like a light.
