Chapter fourteen: "We don't belong here"

After a solid amount of time, I was let out, though I had a guard trailing me the whole time, making it pointless to do anything private. I shut my eyes, and took a deep breath, going back into my small holding cell they called a room.

I sat down, though it was dark, I could make out certain images. The night had descended quickly, and the crickets were decanting their love songs, for it was soon nearing spring.

A hand was clasped over my mouth suddenly, and fell back on the bed, and on someone.

"Shh! Its just me!" An urgent voice said. I recognized it as Tara, and relaxed.

"How did you get in here?" I asked quietly, eyeing the door, after she let me go.

"Its not that hard. This place, it is weird. Sometimes they watch you, sometimes they don't." She sat cross legged on my bed, chin in her hands.

"Oh." I said, rubbing my neck, thinking. Tara obviously had something planned, but I couldn't extract information out of her unless she was willing to give it.

There was silence for a good twenty minutes, until finally, Tara stood up, and looked around.

"You got the shorter end of the stick. Where is your man?"

"Jack? How did you know about him?"

"If that be his name. Saw you arrive from the window."

"He thinks I either committed suicide, or left him. Dunno which yet."

"And so he just left? Without trying to find out why?" I opened my mouth, then shut it, not exactly knowing myself, and inwardly admitting that I was troubling over it.

"Maybe it said so in the letter."

"Well, if he didn't look into it, maybe he wasn't right for you anyways." I quickly glanced up at the lithe figure of my sister, my brows coming together in a frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say." I looked down again, feeling my face grow hot with anger. It slowly boiled inside me, and I thought; yes..she is right...if he cared a lick about me, he would have wanted to know why I did what I supposedly did.

"Well?"

"Well what?" I snapped, irritated at being pulled from my own thoughts. Tara had stopped pacing, and stood there, looking down at me, her face utterly blank.

"We don't belong here." She said simply.

"Well what do you suppose we do about it, eh? Should we just pick up and walk out the front door? Tell me, Id like to know."

"Well why not?" It was the first time I saw her getting heated. "Just give me a bit of time. We will be out of here soon. Just be patient...I have." I closed my eyes in sympathy, and sighed.

"Fine."

"Fine." She echoed. And without another word, left.

And so I waited. For almost three weeks, not seeing hide nor hair of Tara. One night, much like the last time she had visited me, she was in my room when I got back from dinner.

"Its time to go." She had a small bag packed and slug across her shoulder, and instead of the usual dress we were all made to wear, she was wearing men's breeches and a tunic.

"Where?"

"Wherever." She motioned me to follow her out, and soon, we were gone. I was still amazed, even know, that we had just picked up and walked out. However, when questioning Tara about it, she said naught a word, but looked a bit smug.

We traveled the good part of the night, and when we reached Accra, had to set up in a small boarding house until morning, or when we could find passage back to the Caribbean.

That, however, is where we started to quarrel.

"We should go to Ireland." Tara said stubbornly, as we were set up in our small room in the Janicsa's boarding house.

"I have a ward and a home in Port Royal," I slowly pulled out the night rail I used to sleep in, and turned my back on her, getting undressed. The sun was due up in a few hours, and I wanted to get into the town to find passage.

"What ward?"

"Wyeth. He is Jack's son." Tara mulled this piece of information over, while I pulled the night rail over my head, and climbed into one of the two twin beds.

"We are going to Port Royal," I said, rolling over, and bringing the quilt up to my chin, though the night was warm.

"Ireland."

"Port Royal, then we can go to Ireland. I just want to see Wyeth and Will and Elizabeth, please!" I near shouted, flying into the sitting position and glaring down my still standing sister. "I want to figure out why Jack so quick abandoned me, and if needed, I would like to inflict a little bit of pain that he did unto me. So, we are going to Port Royal, and that's FINAL." Tara said nothing more.

We were in luck. There was a small naval ship, bearing men of the British Royal Navy, willing to take us to England, then ultimately, Jamaica. Tara was quite when they would not except the bit of gold I was willing to hand to them. They eyed my dark tough skin, and acceptance into boys clothes warily, and I knew that if I was lucky, nothing would happen.

"You two can stay in the first mates cabin. Im sorry there are no better places then that, though the captain would gladly give up his," The man she had sought passage from told me. I shook my head.

"No, I feel bad enough taking the first mates. Its fine." the man nodded, and took his leave easily, leaving Tara and I alone.

"I still think we should be going to Ir"–

"Just shut up about bleeding Ireland!" I snapped at her, throwing my small pack down.

"Its your home."

"It was my home. My home is on the sea. If you want to go there so bad, just jump ship when we get to England. I don't care!" I screamed.

"Well excuse me for wanting to see the place where you grew up, and the home of my parents...which I might like to point out, abandoned me for that psycho place!" I hadn't seen Tara this angry before, but I stood my ground.

"You're the one who is psycho, Tara. Thats why they left you! Hello! No wonder they couldn't wait to leave you behind." I clearly struck a nerve. The ship gave a lurch as we headed off, and Tara stood there, glaring at me.

"I hope you do find that man of yours. And I hope he spits in your face and says he hates you. I really do." She slammed out of the cabin, splintering the door in her wake.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" A man poked his head in the cracked door, a look of shock on his face. I nodded.

"Sisterly love," I explained. He smiled wisely, and went off.

"Pirates!" The call shook me from my bed. There it was again. It was so dark that I fumbled around the cabin for a few minutes, until I found the door.

I burst out onto the deck, and looked wildly around. Something told this was no ordinary attack.

And there it was.

The Black Pearl.

I shuttered.