Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any characters or settings related to it. I do, however, own any original characters in this story.
Author's Note: Ok, it's updated, everyone! Sorry it took so long, but there was Spring Break, and all. Hope you enjoy the chapter! By the way, The Captive is NOT a ghost ship! It is simply a pirate ship! Hope that's cleared up now.
Chapter Three
Maria
The men hurried along, down a hatch in the deck, bringing the girls with them. The girls were silent, trying to communicate through looks.
The men dragged them along a series of dark corridors, finally coming to the brig, where they locked each girl in a separate metal bar cell. They laughed one more time at them, then headed back the way they had come.
They had left a small candle in each cell, but the light was fading fast and the girls could barely make out their meagre surroundings. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Then Raquelle spoke up, breaking the silence: "So, are you going to begin explaining to me what the last few hours have been about, or am I to sit here, confused and grieving?" she asked Bethany.
Bethany sighed, "Well, where d'ye want me to begin?" she asked. Raquelle leaned on the metal grids that shut off the cell and suggested, "How about why you had a cutlass in that bag? Or where you learned to fight like that? Or why you told the pirates your name was Maria?"
Bethany took a deep breath. "Well, first o' all, me name's not Bethany. It's Maria. I be not what you think I am. I'm not noble, and I'm not going to Port Royal to visit me Aunties. I've been sailing them waters for years. I learned to fight and all about ships n' sailing. Ye know, I'm only telling ye this 'cause yer me friend. The only friend I've 'ad in a long time. Ah, to blazes with it! I'm a bit of a pirate, me self. O' course, I follow me own set 'o rules. I sail from ship to ship, taking what I can get me hands on. It's not an easy life." Raquelle was speechless. How could this be Bethany, her friend? The girl that stood before her in the other cell, Maria, was very different from Bethany, the girl she had met a few weeks ago on the Blue Mermaid. Raquelle shook her head, thinking. After a tense moment Bethany—or rather, Maria—said, "Raquelle? I just wanted to tell ye…I'm sorry. I really am." Raquelle nodded silently. She didn't doubt Maria, but she was a pirate! How could things ever be the same again?
An hour later still none of the girls had spoken. They could hear laughter and ship-work from above. Raquelle groaned as the candle in her went flickered out. She was hungry and now cold. The deathly silence dragged out more, but suddenly Raquelle turned to the dim light in the other cell and asked, "But why were you going to Port Royal, then? And why did you lie?"
"Well, they wouldn't have let me on the ship if the knew who I be, now would they? And I was going to Port to, just…..oh, you know…." Maria said dismissively. But of course there was an actual reason, and they both knew it. Maria swallowed and reached inside one of her pockets. She pulled her hand out and opened it, revealing as much as she could to Raquelle. In Maria's palm Raquelle could vaguely make out a string necklace with a large wooden fang attached to it.
"This was my father's," Maria said, using a tone Raquelle had never heard from her before. It was tearful and lonely. Raquelle nodded in the darkness, completely sympathizing with Maria. "I know what it's like," she said, trying to reassure Maria, "My father died recently. I never even knew him properly." Maria nodded, but she was lost in her own thoughts. Raquelle decided not to press the matter, such as asking what Maria's father had to do with Port Royal.
Silence reigned again in the brig for a long time. Raquelle tried to settle down and maybe sleep, but her cell was dark, damp, and about as comfortable as a cactus plant. She could hear Maria shifting in her cell, but she decided to remain silent. What was there to say, anyway?
After what seemed like years, one of the pirates came down to the brig, lit another candle for Raquelle, and shoved what seemed like an old slice of rock-hard bread through the metal bars, one slice for each girl.
Maria seemed to be asleep, but Raquelle did her best to try and eat her bread slice. She nearly broke her teeth in the effort, but at least she wouldn't starve now.
The days were long and hard, and the girls lost track of time and place, stranded in a dark, lonely closed world. Most days were spent in long, cold silences with occasional meals. Both girls were immensely relieved that they still hadn't been "used for the pirates' amusement" yet. However, this relief soon came to an end on the fifth day after they were imprisoned. It happened after they were given their second slice of the day (they received about three or four, if they were lucky) with a glass of foul-tasting water.
After the girls had finished their "meals", the usual pirate came to retrieve their glasses. But along with him came Captain Johnson and three other men, all with the same, greedy, hungry look on their faces. The girls were instantly suspicious and alert.
"'Ello darlings," Johnson greeted them grimly, "We was 'opin youse'd be up for tha' little amusement we talked abou' before."
The girls looked at one another in terror. How could this be happening!"?
Without waiting for a reply, Johnson unlocked both their cells and dragged the girls over to the men, who, without further ado, began to tear the girls' clothes and grope at places. The girls resisted helplessly, unable to match the men's' strength.
Raquelle was doing anything to keep the filthy hands away from her chest, but the two men that were "using" her were too strong. Meanwhile, Maria was trying to bend down to reach her dagger, but every time she managed to duck down the pirates would pull her back up again. The game was getting a little too out of hand and when things were really extreme and Raquelle was considering screaming non-stop, even if she did get killed on the spot, another pirate, who the girls recognized as the man with the eye patch appeared. He was agitated and looked quite worried.
"Captain, Captain!" he cried, panting. "The ship's under attack, Cap'n!"
Johnson stopped tearing Maria's blouse and blinked. "What the devil are you on about?" he demanded impatiently. "Which flag d' we have up on main mast?"
"The Jolly Roger, sir," replied the pirate.
"And they still continue to attack us?"
"Aye, sir."
Johnson paused to think for a moment. Then he said, "From where do they attack us?"
"The starboard side, Cap'n."
"Counterattack, then. Come about and run out the guns, preparing for battle. Stay aboard, though. We'll chase 'em off soon enough. Now move!"
"Aye, sir," the patch man said, running back to the give the orders to the crew.
"Dwight!" cried Johnson, as soon as the man had left.
"Aye?" he replied, running back.
"What ship is attacking ours, do ye know?"
"No, sir. I haven't seen it before, but some of the crew seem to know it."
"Describe it to me. Quick!"
"Er…wide deck, Jolly Roger flag, black sails…"
"What? Black sails?"
"Aye, sir."
Johnson's eyes grew wide. "Back to the deck! Give the men me orders!" he barked. Then, turning to the other pirates, he ordered, "Lock the prisoners in the cells, then join the others. Now!" Then he ran back up to the deck, where a bell was ringing and Dwight's voice rang out: "All hands! All hands on deck!"
