Chap. 7
The next few days were all blurred together. Stella began her working, slowly learning the ropes from Anamaria, who had turned out to be a welcome friend. The two women chatted about life while they worked; Anamaria cleaning knifes and Stella washing the deck (as was the only skill she had mastered and could be trusted with yet). The sky was slowly turning darker, and Stella felt herself aching for the sun. It started raining after lunch, and at first it was a warm, quiet rain. It seemed like it would last for days, just a steady, peaceful drip. But it didn't. I became faster and faster. It turned cold and beat down on the Pearl. The crew was furiously teaching Stella how to man a ship in a storm; about the sails and such, and this only made her more frightened. She could see a bit of worry in Will's eyes. Jack was the only one who's confidence never wavered. He stood true at the helm, compass in hand.
"You know, that compass doesn't point North." Will told Stella one day below deck as the rain was pummeling down.
"But, Will! He uses it all the time! He opens and studies it, then closes it and spins the helm in one direction!"
"I know. It doesn't make any sense. No one knows how he got it, or even how he uses it. But one thing's for sure: It is always with him. I had to wake him up one day, I think he had passed out, and the compass was sitting there on his bedside table. He truly treasures it."
"Well," Stella began, "I suppose there's lots of things people don't know about Jack. He's so mysterious. He just loves being alone."
"It's true." Will admitted. They chatted for a bit longer and then rose to go help upstairs. The rain had grown harder and a strong wind had picked up.
"Storm's comin'!" Jack cried out. Stella swallowed hard, a fear growing in her heart. She remembered the storms back home. The palm trees bent over and sand was picked up and thrown at whoever was stupid enough to be on the beach. Stella hated storms even when she got older. They meant she was cooped up inside the small, lonely house with her father. He could always tell when storms were coming and he stocked up on liquer, enough to last him days. This meant that he was drunk the entire time, so Stella hid in the pantry to escape him.
Stella shook herself out of the bad memory, and turned her attention back to the ship. Will was glancing longingly up at the crow's nest, though fully aware of the danger.
"Stella! It's not safe up here for you! Go back downstairs! I'll check on you in a bit!" Will shouted over the roar of the storm.
"No Will I want to help!" Stella shouted back. Will yelled something, but it was inaudible in the storm. Suddenly, Anamaria ran towards Stella and pulled her away sharply. Seconds later a piece off the crow's nest plummeted to the spot where she'd just been standing. It was on fire, obviously a lightening bolt had struck it. Jack ran over with a bucket of water and put out the fire as if it were himself that was burning. Stella stood in shock before screaming a "Thank you!" at Anamaria, who nodded and then ran off to help a bunch of sailors struggling with a sail. A wave rose and washed over the side of the ship, dousing Stella with saltwater. Will called to her and she ran over to assist him. He was cutting off a sail, which was ripped and would make sailing through the storm even harder. Suddenly, another wave crashed down on them, throwing Will and Stella across the deck. They rolled on the slippery wood uncontrollably, helplessly grabbing at anything to stop them. Will reached for Stella's hand right before they hit the side of the ship. Stella fell on top of Will, his hand still grasping hers. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours before Jack rushed over to make sure they were alright. It was only then that Stella felt the blood trickling down her arm. A cut about three inches long was on her left arm. During their fall, the knife Will had been using had made a gash in Stella's arm.
Anamaria rushed over and tore a piece of fabric off her skirt to cover the wound. Her tending to Stella was interrupted for the sail that Will had been cutting had torn free. Everyone leapt out of the way as it soared past them and into the rushing waters below.
"Nooo!!" A cry rang out and Stella whipped around to find Jack looking around furiously, his hands searching his pockets.
"Where's me compass? Where'd it go? Bloody hell!" Jack looked ready to cry as he ran around, searching for his beloved compass.
The crew managed to make it through the storm alright. Stella had been sent down to mend to her wound when the storm had died down. She was just cleaning it with water when Will came down.
"How are you feeling, Stella?" Will asked.
"I'm alright, just a bit wobbly. Still shaken, you know, from the storm." Will nodded and Stella tried to get to her feet but simply lost her balance and began to fall. Will jumped behind her and caught her underneath her arms, and gently lowered her back into her chair.
"Oh, sorry. I'm so embarrassed, I was fine before and now I'm so.tipsy." Stella admitted to Will, reaching for bandages to continue tending to her wound.
"No, let me. You rest." Will said, grabbing the wraps and pulling up a chair in front of Stella. She smiled and held out her arm. Will tenderly wound the cloth around the cut and tied it, stopping for a moment to run his fingers over the bandaged area. Stella's gaze met Will's and it seemed to her as if a solid rope had been made between them, attaching one to the other. Slowly, the rope shortened as they began to lean into one another. Their lips only inches apart, the door flew open to reveal Jack, still looking like a child who lost his mother.
"Oh, sorry. I was looking for me rum." He slurred, a bit embarrassed about walking in on the scene. Will sighed.
"It's in your room, Jack. Where you left it." Will said this while staring down at the floor. Stella could say nothing but she was sure the blushing of her cheeks said plenty.
"Oh." Jack nodded then left the doorway. She looked at Will for a second before both burst out in laughter.
"Well," Stella said after they had both managed to their breath, "I'm off to bed." They both stood up, shared a quick hug, and then Stella left to lay in bed and smile in her sleep.
The next few days were all blurred together. Stella began her working, slowly learning the ropes from Anamaria, who had turned out to be a welcome friend. The two women chatted about life while they worked; Anamaria cleaning knifes and Stella washing the deck (as was the only skill she had mastered and could be trusted with yet). The sky was slowly turning darker, and Stella felt herself aching for the sun. It started raining after lunch, and at first it was a warm, quiet rain. It seemed like it would last for days, just a steady, peaceful drip. But it didn't. I became faster and faster. It turned cold and beat down on the Pearl. The crew was furiously teaching Stella how to man a ship in a storm; about the sails and such, and this only made her more frightened. She could see a bit of worry in Will's eyes. Jack was the only one who's confidence never wavered. He stood true at the helm, compass in hand.
"You know, that compass doesn't point North." Will told Stella one day below deck as the rain was pummeling down.
"But, Will! He uses it all the time! He opens and studies it, then closes it and spins the helm in one direction!"
"I know. It doesn't make any sense. No one knows how he got it, or even how he uses it. But one thing's for sure: It is always with him. I had to wake him up one day, I think he had passed out, and the compass was sitting there on his bedside table. He truly treasures it."
"Well," Stella began, "I suppose there's lots of things people don't know about Jack. He's so mysterious. He just loves being alone."
"It's true." Will admitted. They chatted for a bit longer and then rose to go help upstairs. The rain had grown harder and a strong wind had picked up.
"Storm's comin'!" Jack cried out. Stella swallowed hard, a fear growing in her heart. She remembered the storms back home. The palm trees bent over and sand was picked up and thrown at whoever was stupid enough to be on the beach. Stella hated storms even when she got older. They meant she was cooped up inside the small, lonely house with her father. He could always tell when storms were coming and he stocked up on liquer, enough to last him days. This meant that he was drunk the entire time, so Stella hid in the pantry to escape him.
Stella shook herself out of the bad memory, and turned her attention back to the ship. Will was glancing longingly up at the crow's nest, though fully aware of the danger.
"Stella! It's not safe up here for you! Go back downstairs! I'll check on you in a bit!" Will shouted over the roar of the storm.
"No Will I want to help!" Stella shouted back. Will yelled something, but it was inaudible in the storm. Suddenly, Anamaria ran towards Stella and pulled her away sharply. Seconds later a piece off the crow's nest plummeted to the spot where she'd just been standing. It was on fire, obviously a lightening bolt had struck it. Jack ran over with a bucket of water and put out the fire as if it were himself that was burning. Stella stood in shock before screaming a "Thank you!" at Anamaria, who nodded and then ran off to help a bunch of sailors struggling with a sail. A wave rose and washed over the side of the ship, dousing Stella with saltwater. Will called to her and she ran over to assist him. He was cutting off a sail, which was ripped and would make sailing through the storm even harder. Suddenly, another wave crashed down on them, throwing Will and Stella across the deck. They rolled on the slippery wood uncontrollably, helplessly grabbing at anything to stop them. Will reached for Stella's hand right before they hit the side of the ship. Stella fell on top of Will, his hand still grasping hers. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours before Jack rushed over to make sure they were alright. It was only then that Stella felt the blood trickling down her arm. A cut about three inches long was on her left arm. During their fall, the knife Will had been using had made a gash in Stella's arm.
Anamaria rushed over and tore a piece of fabric off her skirt to cover the wound. Her tending to Stella was interrupted for the sail that Will had been cutting had torn free. Everyone leapt out of the way as it soared past them and into the rushing waters below.
"Nooo!!" A cry rang out and Stella whipped around to find Jack looking around furiously, his hands searching his pockets.
"Where's me compass? Where'd it go? Bloody hell!" Jack looked ready to cry as he ran around, searching for his beloved compass.
The crew managed to make it through the storm alright. Stella had been sent down to mend to her wound when the storm had died down. She was just cleaning it with water when Will came down.
"How are you feeling, Stella?" Will asked.
"I'm alright, just a bit wobbly. Still shaken, you know, from the storm." Will nodded and Stella tried to get to her feet but simply lost her balance and began to fall. Will jumped behind her and caught her underneath her arms, and gently lowered her back into her chair.
"Oh, sorry. I'm so embarrassed, I was fine before and now I'm so.tipsy." Stella admitted to Will, reaching for bandages to continue tending to her wound.
"No, let me. You rest." Will said, grabbing the wraps and pulling up a chair in front of Stella. She smiled and held out her arm. Will tenderly wound the cloth around the cut and tied it, stopping for a moment to run his fingers over the bandaged area. Stella's gaze met Will's and it seemed to her as if a solid rope had been made between them, attaching one to the other. Slowly, the rope shortened as they began to lean into one another. Their lips only inches apart, the door flew open to reveal Jack, still looking like a child who lost his mother.
"Oh, sorry. I was looking for me rum." He slurred, a bit embarrassed about walking in on the scene. Will sighed.
"It's in your room, Jack. Where you left it." Will said this while staring down at the floor. Stella could say nothing but she was sure the blushing of her cheeks said plenty.
"Oh." Jack nodded then left the doorway. She looked at Will for a second before both burst out in laughter.
"Well," Stella said after they had both managed to their breath, "I'm off to bed." They both stood up, shared a quick hug, and then Stella left to lay in bed and smile in her sleep.