Chapter Nine: Just Keep Swimming
~~ I gasped and attempted to pull away from the Captain, but, he held me to him; smirking to the privateer. Raoul stood on deck with a perfect posture and a stern, emotionless expression as the Captain ran his fingers through my hair and chose a piece, twirling it around his index finger and smiling down to me. I looked up again to Raoul to see his stern expression drip away to one of rage which burnt heavily in both of his eyes; the Captain enjoyed every second of it. "What's the matter, monsieur privateer? Afraid that your girlfriend likes me better?"
He asked, I pinched the Captain's back and he glanced down to me with furrowed brows. "I'm not his girlfriend" I hissed through gritted teeth; the Captain grinned and nodded.
"It seems, monsieur privateer, she is not your girlfriend" the Captain said, sticking his bottom lip out in pseudo sadness.
"You are correct, my dear sir. We're betrothed; her parents agreed to it." Raoul said; I groaned and broke from the Captain's tight grasp.
"I am no one's! Do you hear me? No one owns me! I am my own person" I yelled at the Captain and Raoul both; the Captain was grinning and continued twirling my hair. The Captain walked behind me and rested his arms around my waist.
"Yes, clearly, you are no ones. Now, hop along into my quarters and I'll be there in a few moments to change that." He said, turning his head around towards me and smiling; I rolled my eyes and his crew laughed. Raoul shook his head.
"Why do you take this, Anna? Why do you take the sexual comments and perversion? Come to my boat, Anna, I swear you will have none of that here." Raoul said with a gentle smile, extending his hand to me.
"If you leave this boat our deal is off" the Captain said in a whisper into my ear; but, Raoul heard.
"Deal? What deal?" Raoul asked quickly, glancing from the Captain to I.
"It is none of your business, monsieur privateer." The Captain hissed, tightening his grip of my waist; Raoul held his hands up in surrender and stared at me.
"Come over to my ship, Anna, it's much nicer than a pirate ship, believe me, I've been on both! Besides, you can have your own room" Raoul said.
"I already have my own room" said I and the Captain grinned; Raoul sighed.
"A fully furnished room, and, I'll take you wherever you want to go; free of charge, no deals."
"No deals?" I asked, slightly convinced.
"No deals" Raoul said with a smile; the Captain's expression fell and he held me tighter to him.
"...But...what do you get out of it, Monsieur Raoul?" I asked, quite puzzled.
"Simply to travel with you." Raoul answered, still smiling, he knew he was winning me over. I attempted to move forwards but I was yanked in place by the Captain's arms which seemed to double in muscularity within seconds! I turned and glanced at his face to see white rage blanketing his features; in his eyes sparkled composed indignation.
"You're not leaving this vessel" the Captain hissed; turning to his men and throwing me to them, within seconds ten hands were holding me hostage.
"H-Hey! Let me go!" I cried, but, the Captain ignored my pleas and drew his sword to Raoul.
"Lock her in her quarters" the Captain hissed to his men, all of a sudden a gunshot rang out and within seconds mass chaos ensued! Men were rushing from boat to boat, swords drawn and guns blazing; cannon fire clouded the air and pirates swung on ropes above head, teeth gnashing and vocal chords straining. I was shoved into my room and fell as the boat rocked unexpectedly; the men slammed my door shut and I heard the lock click from my uncomfortable position of being pressed up against the wall beside my bed. I stood and on shaking legs and the boat rolled, causing me to fall back, onto my bed; this stumbling around went on for quite a while, until I gave up attempting to walk and clutched onto my bed for dear life. The lock clicked on my door and the Captain came through, I narrowed my eyes at him as he locked the door once more and turned to me.
"What?" He asked, sticking the key down his shirt (he attached the key onto a piece of yarn which he threw around his neck and underneath his shirt.) I stood.
"What the hell was that all about?" I yelled; he sighed and walked over to a chair, sitting down and looking at me. Silence engulfed the room. "Well?" I hissed, "I'm waiting" I continued, placing my hands on my hips and tapping my foot on the ground; the Captain smiled.
"Let's get this straight" he hissed, standing from the chair and stepping up to me; his chest a mere centimeter away from my face, my head stopped at his shoulder! "There's only one woman who may boss me around and she is not you; I did not come from your womb, you will not speak against me." He hissed and my rage blew straight through the top of my head.
"So, what? I'm supposed to hail to your feet just because you're the Captain?" I yelled, my cheeks flushing crimson in my anger.
"Well, isn't that what the title 'Captain' is for, you foolish girl? Besides, I don't want you at my feet, I'd much rather you on your knees." He hissed; I turned away from him and nearly screamed in anger.
"Why the hell do you do that?" I shrieked; he sighed and calmed.
"Do what?"
"Act like a perverted twelve year old?" I cried in exasperation; breathing heavily and staring at him, he nodded and turned away, biting his cheek.
"Do you like it upon this boat?" He asked quietly, turning back to me. I paused and thought.
"Sometimes" I replied, calming down, again, he nodded.
"I need a definitive answer; yes or no. 'Sometimes' or 'maybe' won't work." He hissed, his tone drew serious and, to be perfectly frank, it was a strange surprise; I wasn't sure if I liked it. My mind reeled and he became angry. "Answer me!" He yelled; his voice deepened and I jumped back.
"Y-Yes!" I cried, my voice shaking from his sudden change.
"Don't you dare lie to me" he hissed; he ripped off the key necklace and threw open the door, ripping it off its rusted hinges. "Get out" he ordered quietly.
"Wha-"
"Get out!" He yelled; I ran out as fast as I could and he followed behind me; my cheeks heated and, I doubt I had been ever scared more! He chased me out onto the deck and his crew cornered me against the port side of the deck; behind me was nothing but ocean and the privateer's vessel was nowhere to be found. "Get off of my boat" the Captain hissed, his eyes, they were glassy! "There is an island three miles to the north of here, it's inhabited, no doubt your boyfriend will be there, now, get off of my boat before I change my mind" he growled, his voice shaking in some moments.
"Change your-"
"Get off!" He shrieked, and he shrieked so forcefully I literally fell off of the deck and into the cool water; I came to the surface, coughing and hacking to see the boat was already leaving me behind. I floated in the same place, watching as the large vessel passed me by, the Captain glaring at me with tear stricken eyes as the 'Black Pearl' disappeared upon the horizon.
~~ I swam and swam but I didn't know north from east! Tears fell from my eyes as I swam, not just from the salt agitating them, but, I was lost and I really did, at times, like it upon that ship. Hell, I even liked the Captain! I agreed to his little poem, why wouldn't he realize that? The sun was hidden behind the ocean and the sky was navy blue, the only thing serving as a light was the crescent moon the stars which twinkled in the sky.
My heart had to be in my feet from how heavy they were, I felt, in a way, betrayed by the Captain, yet, I know this sounds mental, but, I mourned his loss! I felt incomplete and empty inside, in a way, now that I thought of it, his perverted jeers were...almost endearing. Maybe that's the way he thought of them, as endearment.
~~ My shoulders burnt from overuse and many times I thought of giving up, it wasn't until the sky began to light again that I decided upon stopping and floating upon the waves; as I floated I wondered why I hadn't been touched by anything ( a fish, plant, etc.) and immediately became paranoid, swimming once again and wincing as my arms raised above my head to paddle me along.
I was still surrounded by water that entire day and decided I had gone the wrong way; I was so lost there was no hope of being found, and that's when worse turned to worse.
The sky darkened and the grey, Persian rug was laid down over the powder blue, velvet quilt. Rain pelted down upon the earth, waves grew to monstrous sizes and lighting struck the water, boiling it to temperatures I couldn't even fathom! This was such a wrong time to be floating aimlessly around the ocean without the energy to keep my head above the waves; now, there was only one thing I could do. "Help!" I screamed hopefully above the wind as saltwater invaded my mouth and I was forced under by a wave twice my height.
I tumbled and rolled beneath the water, holding my breath as long as I could before breaking the surface again and gasping; screaming the word 'help' until my lungs shriveled and my voice ran horse.
I sobbed and choked as I bobbed over the wave; praying to a god I always went to on Sundays, that I would be saved, that something, anything, would help me.
I prayed for the storm to stop.
I prayed for the Captain to come back.
