A promise is a promise, right?
Well, that's what you thought, at least. So when Antonio came into your bedroom that night, telling you vividly about how now was the time to leave, you didn't hesitate. Antonio had decided to leave a bit before you, saying that you should have around ten minutes to pack all of your things. Growing up without a good supply of money, your parents didn't have the time nor the money to buy you everything that you wanted. At most, you would get a hand-me-down dress from one of the neighbor's daughters, same goes with the shoes. The only real thing that you had to claim for yourself was a sword that your father had given to you when he left the military.
With him being such a low-ranking officer, he only left with his military uniform and his sword. Not that he taught you to do anything with it, really. Just handed you the thing one day and then left to go to some bar down the street. But now that it was time for you to pack all of your things, you didn't deem it special enough to take it with you. Instead, you packed up all of the things that were handed to you without a second thought; a few dresses and things of that nature, a hair brush, a book- the things that an eight year old thought would be needed on the road.
Quickly and quietly, you began to make your departure out of your house. It was such an easy task that you thought to yourself, why hadn't you left with Antonio earlier? Your mother was almost always gone with her job at the bar and your father would always be there with her, wasting all the money that she had put forth work for.
The slight crunch of pebble underneath your feet distracted you from all of the drunken words thrown at people, along with fists to faces and the metallic cling of swords hitting each other. You hated those sounds so much; they only reminded you of the way things were back at your house. For now, and for the future, all you wanted to do was think of your new life with Antonio. You knew he would protect you from anything, and he would provide for you and all the nice things like that.
You would get a new chance to have a family with him. You smiled at that thought. Now, nothing icky like the things you heard your mother and father do, but the stuff like you read about in books. You and Antonio would go on adventures and provide each other with love. A true family, you thought, would do that and keep their promises.
Within a few minutes, you arrived at the beach. The dim light from the moon was the only thing that lead you through the debris that had washed up on the beach. But as the soft sand squished between your toes in a way that made you laugh a bit, you couldn't find Antonio anywhere, and since you were nearing the hill that you held special, you began to worry.
What if it was all a game for him? You figured that wouldn't be it- he wanted to get out of El Puerto de Santa María as bad you did, maybe even more than you did. "Annie?" You called out, holding your 'bag' that was made of your bed sheets to your chest. "You here?" But the only thing that greeted your ears was the crashing sound of the ocean, which you had learned to dim out of your ears when you didn't want to hear it. Right now, all you wanted to hear was the sound of Antonio's voice.
Walking a few more feet forward, you continued to call out his name, though each time you got a bit more louder. Eventually you reached the hill. Placing your things at the bank of it, you started to climb it, your slender fingers grasping the soft grass between your fingers. In the familiar light of the moon, you could easily make out the track that you both had placed in the grass whenever you would lay or run up there.
Finally, you reached the top. You stood up and stretched, wiggling your toes in the grass to try to remove the sand particles that had stuck there on your venture over here. Disappointment began to flood your heart as you looked around - well, that is, until you finally saw him. "Annie-!" you let out, though your thought process was cut a bit short.
Well, Antonio did make it... and so did a few others. You squinted in the darkness, trying to make out the other figures that loomed under the moonlight. From the distance, you could easily tell that they were older, much older. You could also tell that they were wearing tattered clothing, much worse than whatever you had gotten from your neighbors.
At the sight, your jaw dropped a bit, the words that you wanted to scream out stuck in your throat. You stepped forward, now wishing that you had indeed brought your father's sword along with you. But since you hadn't, what could a girl of your stature do with no weapon against pirates? Yes, even in the dim light of the waning moon, you could easily tell the pirates apart from the people of your town. No, you thought harshly, your heart sinking as time passed on. Please, not him!
You wanted to step forward and take action, you really did. But with absolutely nothing to use against them, all you could do was stand there and watch Antonio struggle against them. And for a moment, you thought he could actually get out of their grip; you knew he had some training with the local blacksmith in fighting and with the swords that he produced, but as the seconds ticked by slowly, you knew the fight was useless.
Before your very own eyes, you saw your best friend and your only hope for a way out of poverty and depression taken by pirates.