Chapter 3

Sorry about the posting earlier

Falling Under

Theresa came in five minutes shortly after Rory was pulling the sheets over her.

"So how'd it go? Theresa prodded.

"Whadye mean?"

"Your date."

'What date? We were jus' hanging out."

"Sure. I saw how interested he was in you. Spill."

"Ummm. Hmmm nuthing we just ran around t'wn which wsnt very much" she slurred trying to slip into sleep. God why did Theresa always do this to her? Even as children.

"It went okay. I had fun." She yawned. "I think 'e liked me...

"Okay?"

"He tried to kiss me."

"What!" Theresa struggled to bolt upright finally falling on her pillow and settled for proping herself on her arm. ''Soo?"

Rory mumbled eyes already closed "I kissed him baaack." Please Tee Let me sleep.

'You what!" Laughing softly " Rory you slut!"

''Shut. Up. Remembuuur its been neearly two years for me. Cant blame a poor girl for trying.''

"Oh well guess not". Theresa remarked softly "If I wasnt attached and soo very attracted to Daniel might have gone for him myself. I 'as sooo crazy 'bout Daniel 'n still am. You should have seen this picture of him some years ago. Man did he look wild then! Bu' Good."

"Daniel?"

"NO, Jason."

"Whadye mean ?"

Theresa fell back on her pillow, eyes nearly closed, ''God he was to sight to see then, guess he cleaned himself up cause he started getting all this work. An' then that offer to be on an 'pedition covered by National Geographic. 'uess it runs in his genes or sumpthing. What a character... then" she slurred.

"Charac-- what do you mean?" Rory looked over at her friend but her friend had finally fallen fast asleep.

It was the drumming of feet pounding on deck that first woke her. Looking over the right at the porthole she saw it was still dark. On her left red number glared red at 3:33 am , cutting into tender sleep deprived eyes. She looked over at Theresa's bed. A body curled motionless under her blanket. The woman could sleep through a bomb going off.

The soft booming of thunder from somewhere. 'Storm?' She dimly tried to recall anything in the weather report about any approaching storm.

It became quiet again. She started to nod off. The next thing she was aware of was the voices those of Tom and Daniel. Some kind of commotion up on board. Sighing she threw back the sheet and went up on board to check.

Tom and his first mate were there and they were looking off to the far north side of the harbor. There appeared in the distance two ships and there seemed to be cannon fire going on between them. "That's strange", Tom was commenting, "Its got to be almost five in the morning they can't be putting on a show."

"Maybe they're just trying out the cannons? Like a rehearsal----" Daniel trailed off realizing how lame that sounded.

Taking this 'Pirate Days' thing very seriously" Tom joked. "Very authentic though don't ya think? Look at the detail on those ships."

She looked. Yes they were near perfect replicas of late 17th Century ships. Even in the predawn light she could make out the outline and some of the details.

"Never mind the details, look at that gunfire! Have you seen any quite like this in years" Daniel shouted. They could really see the cannon fireworks display better now volleying between the two vessels, illuminating the surface of the water.

"What kind of ship is that other one? It looks like it's supposed to be a pirate ship." But not like any he had seen so far. The eastern sky was starting lighted to a soft gray-violet. Tom squinted in the predawn light, the ship looked to be painted almost black with its ebony colored wood to its torn charcoal sails. How unusual that ship would have black sails. He shivered, glancing sideways towards Rory, hoping she had not noticed.

"We shouldn't be getting this close! We are getting in their way." Daniel looked at Tom "I thought you said you cut the motor?''

"I did". Tom frowned realizing that they were getting closer as if being pulled toward the scene.

Suddenly Rory who had been quiet the whole time exclaimed in horror " We are being pulled toward them!"

He looked down uneasily at the water around the ship it seemed to be swirling and churning around the Cygnet II yet from what he could see farther out to sea the water was perfectly calm.

The yacht began rocking violently back and forth nearly pitching Tom and Daniel forward over the edge. Tom steadied himself and turned back to take the wheel. Daniel reached out to steady Rory but only reached out to empty air. He turned wildly to his right as he heard a loud splash of a body hitting the water.

Gone. Oh God she's gone over. He looked over the boat. Where was she? He couldn't see anything. No body in the water. But she had to be somewhere.
Surely she could swim?

"Tom. She's gone!"

"Where's Rory?' Theresa had just come aboard deck. "What is happening to the boat?"

"She's gone overboard!" "Where is she?" Daniel squinted trying to see in the dim morning light.

"What?" Theresa shrieked.

There was a low fog rising off of the water. 'Where did this come from?' the first mate wondered it had been clear this morning. The two warring ships seemed to have completely disappeared from sight.

Rory tried to struggle in the swirling water. She turned around and around trying to see the Cygnet but couldn't find it. What? Her thoughts raced where is it? She thought she could hear voices off to the side.. Where did this fog come from? It had been perfectly clear this morning. She panicked now not able to see or hear voices from the Cygnet anymore.

She could feel the water suddenly become more violent, churning around her pulling her closer to the two ships till she was nearly between them. She looked up at the ship nearest to her, a feeling of dread coming over her.' Get away from it' flashed through her and began swimming the other way. Just in that moment she briefly glanced up toward the naval ships deck and to see a face leaning down over the edge, peering down at her. Funny it looked just someone dressed in period clothing. A young navy soldier. Cannon fire lit up his face at that moment revealing him to be probably no older twenty at most. Then suddenly he was gone, a fireball ripping in the navy ship hitting just below where he stood. There was a loud explosion, Rory as tried to duck below the surface what was sure would be shrapnel coming toward her.

She felt something first pulling at her lower body and realized some force seemed to be pulling her down. She fought against it, straining with all her might, but to no avail. She found herself being sucked below the surface. She tried to reach behind her back realizing the pack was still on and would hinder her progress of coming to the surface but could not find the release on the straps.

Above she could see the fiery remains of the battle going on above her as she fought to regain the surface. Three feet from the surface. Two. One. With a final push she managed to break the surface, gasping and sputtering trying to clear her mouth of seawater. Looking over her shoulder she could see the a great hole on the ships starboard side

Disintegrated on one side, its surviving occupants began pitching themselves over the other side into the water. Grown men and young alike yelling and screaming, realizing this was their last moment in this world.

Desperate she began swimming toward the other ship. There was another explosion coming from the Navy ship. Something fell near then struck her on the side of her head sending her to blackness.

end of chapter Read?