Pairing: Young Will Turner, Bootstrap Bill, and various scoundrels
Word Count: 529
Prompt: Kidnap
A/N: William Turner runs into the crew of the Black Pearl on the crossing to England.

Savior

~o~

The moment the burlap sack dropped over the young boy's head, his entire world literally turned dark and upside down, for in that instant the pirate who had approached him had transformed from friend to menace. As if the world going dark wasn't enough, he felt himself being picked up and flung over the man's shoulder, knocking all the air out of him. Just as suddenly, he felt the world spin; the man was running, because the boy could feel his ribs bouncing up and down, rising and falling on the main's shoulder as he bounded up the companionway steps.

As loud as he could, he began to call for his father to come and help him, and a few times he thought he heard his father yelling back.

After what seemed like an eternity, the boy sensed something different. It was the sound of the man's boots; he had stopped running. The captive wondered where in the world they could be taking him. Maybe they were going to throw him in the water. The thought terrified him, for he was not a strong swimmer.

He felt himself being clutched out of the air and slammed onto a hard wooden surface. Once again, pain beyond description shot through every fiber of his body. The boy began to crawl, only to be kicked in the stomach with incredible force. "Easy there, you're not worth anythin' to us if you're dead!" The pirates dissolved into fits of laughter.

Then again he tried to rise, but there was someone above him. He felt a hand upon his head that pressed him down to the ground. "Stay still, you idiot!" the man snapped.

Behind him, he heard a burst of gunfire...not one gun but several. Bullets rang out from some dark place, and the boy felt something wet trickle down his neck and arms.

The man above him fell to the floor with a commanding thud.

The next few moments felt like an eternity, when the young boy again felt himself being manhandled. No matter, his ribs had already taken a pounding, and the misery of his pain was almost becoming numbing. Someone grabbed him from the floor, and lifted him by his armpits, hoisting him the final distance to the deck. The boy let out a scream, but a familiar voice heeded him, "Your Dad's got you now, William. Don't you fret, I will find you, son."

Father?

All of a sudden, he was airborne, and in those fleeting seconds, he thought his life was sure to end in a watery grave. He had already seen the bloated bodies of people who had drowned and washed ashore, and the thought of being like them was almost more than he could ever bear.

He crashed into the water headfirst; feeling like someone had just hit him over the top of the head with a board. His arms felt like they'd been torn off. And he had forgotten to take a breath before he hit. His prized gold medallion floated out from within his shirt as he sank.

He felt pain at first.

His heart pounded within him.

Then, he felt nothing at all.