Hi, everyone! I'm very sorry about not updating for a freakishly long time...but here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Jim closed his eyes and put his arms in front of his face, bracing himself for the fall. He smashed into hard wood. He looked up to see a staircase. At the top was the pirate that just tossed him into the galley. He was holding onto Carolyne.
Jim stood up, feeling the pain from his fall. He ran to the stairs, despite the pain, but the pirate pushed Carolyne, who lost her balance on the stairs. The two collided and fell down the short staircase.
The pirate chuckled, closing the entrance. They heard a lock click and the two knew they were trapped.
"Oh yeah, go back to the ship to warn everyone. Good idea." Carolyne said, sitting up against the wooden wall. "Look at where your good planning got us. On the enemy ship! As prisoners!"
"How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Jim spat.
"I dunno...maybe seeing a pirate ship right beside our ship." Carolyne said, not letting down on the sarcasm.
"I couldn't tell they were touching." Jim said. He saw Carolyne's big mouth about to open for some more insults, but he cut her off. "I screwed up, okay? Will you just shut up about it?"
Jim could remember the last time he really screwed up. He was told he had greatness in him. Where was the greatness now?
"What d'ya mean prisoners?" A gruff voice said from the above deck.
"Cap'n, I-"
"Weren't thinkin' that's what ye was doin'." The captain growled. "Why didn't ya kill 'em like the rest of that crew?"
Jim's heart leaped to his throat. The rest of the crew he was on all were killed? He somehow didn't doubt his greatness. If he had been back on the ship five seconds earlier, he would have probably been killed with the rest of the crew.
Suddenly Jim realized someone wasn't with him- Morph. Morph was still on the ship when Jim and Carolyne left for the longboat. Was he killed too? Could he even die? How would Morph die? He didn't want to think about how the pink blob could die.
Jim felt something move in his pocket, and Morph flew out.
"You're alive!" Jim whispered, not wanting to be heard by the captain. "But how?"
Morph went back to Jim's pocket.
"You were there the whole time?" Jim said, and Morph nodded.
"But cap'n, they're kids!"
"Don't tell me yer goin' soft!" The captain grumbled.
Jim heard their footsteps coming towards the galley.
"Key." The captain ordered.
They heard the lock being fiddled with, then the hatch was opened. They saw a pair of black boots on the first step. The captain was about to take another step down, but he paused, his one boot hovering over the next step.
"Just so ya know, kids, I got me pistol." The captain said, then he continued down the stairs. Sure enough, he had a laser pistol in his right hand. Jim wanted to make a run for it, but he knew better. The captain eyed Jim and then Carolyne.
He reached out his left hand a grabbed Carolyne's arm. She tried to squirm out of his grasp. He laughed and turned to the pirate who told him about the prisoners. "She'll be fun to 'ave around!" He dropped her and she went back to leaning against the wall. Then he turned to Jim. Jim took a step forward. Both the captain and Jim had the same glaring expression.
"A fine young fellow." The captain said. Jim didn't take his eyes off of him. "He'll be fine for some chores around the ship."
With a quick move, Jim knocked the pistol out of the captain's hand. It landed on the floor. Jim lunged and grabbed it, pointing it at the captain.
The captain laughed. "Old Cap'n Max is two steps ahead of ya."
Jim aimed the pistol, then pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
"What?" Jim exclaimed, hitting the barrel against his hand. He tried again with the same result.
"That pistol died years ago in a fight with a cyborg." Max said.
Jim took a better look at the pistol. There was a mark on the cylinder, where it was shot.
"Ye got spirit, kid. Too bad yer a prisoner." Max turned to the stairs. "Levi!"
"Cap'n?" Levi said.
"Flog the spirit out of the boy." Max said.
"Aye, cap'n." Levi said.
"With the cat o' nine tails." Max said darkly.
Levi didn't respond.
"Well? Ya heard me, didn't ye?" Max snapped.
"Aye, cap'n." Levi said.
"Good then." Max grabbed Jim by the arm, then dragged him to the stairs, but stopped. He let Jim go. "Flog the lad in the mornin'. Let him 'ave the night to get excited for his flogging."
"Aye." Levi said, and Max left. The lock made a clicking sound, and Carolyne, Jim and Morph were left.
"Flogging?" Carolyne asked.
"With the stupid cat with the stupid nine tails." Jim said. He had a general idea what flogging was. Silver always muttered something about flogging Jim when Jim tried his patience.
"Why did you take the pistol?" Carolyne asked.
"I don't give up that easily." Jim said. He glanced up at the stairs. "In fact..."
Jim ran up the stairs to where the hatch was. It had metal bars preventing any escape, and it gave an ominous effect. He reached his hand through the bars and felt the lock. The keyhole was tiny. Jim glanced around the galley. It was just a wooden room with Carolyne in it. That's it!
"Carolyne! Your hair!" Jim exclaimed.
"Yes...I have hair...." Carolyne said slowly.
"No! Your hair is up." Jim said. Carolyne still didn't get it. "Don't you have pins holding it up?"
"Yeah, I got a few." Carolyne said.
Jim put out his hand. Carolyne took out a pin. A section of hair fell away from her tight brown bun. She handed him the pin. He examined it. It looked like it was the right size. He tried to put in in the lock, and it fit. He was waiting to hit the right spot in the lock.
He knew he was close, but he felt something heavy on his hand, and crunching sound as the weight got heavier on his fingers. Jim cried out in pain. He looked up through the bars to see Max.
"Think yer clever, eh?" Max asked, stepping down harder on Jim's hand. Max took his foot off of Jim's hand. He let go of the pin and recoiled his hand.
"Success?" Carolyne asked.
"What do you think?" Jim asked, rubbing his hand.