"Hey hey, wake up Nova!" a strange voice said as I felt something poke the side of my cheek.
"five more minutes" I grumbled while turning the other way - the other way which smelled of another person's ass. the stranger poked me again al beit lingering a lot longer than necessary. her attempts in waking me up seemed to work as my eyes twitched in irritation.
"Artemis," I said, jumping suddenly from my position to grab her arm with a fierce look. She, in return, looked at me with an innocent look that spoke nothing of her actions. I couldn't handle this right now; I was dealing with a dilemma that occupied my entire night, and yet I still had some stuff left aside for today, like where am I or who is she? Basically, questions that were normally left unacknowledged.
"yes Nova?" she repeated, blinking her eyes repeatedly.
"Please stop touching my stomach"
I said as she removed her hands from my shirt.
"Oh,what now? expecting a kiss?" she licked her lips.
"I couldn't quite disagree more on that missy" I looked the other way, turning my attention to the window.
"missy! oh! how gentleman-like" she snuggled my back. I retaliated by prying her hands out of my chest which was locked on to each other like glue.
"Though I would appreciate this if it were another time, I'm still dazed after last night so-" I paused struggling to get her hands away from my shirt. "-Id appreciate it if you mov-"
I didn't finish the sentence as she turned me around and met her lip with mine. she stayed in that position for a while until finally separating. I breathed in shock at what happened, but it was not over. she crawled slowly towards me, and I crawled back nervously until I met a pole. she closely approached my ear, which tickled it with her breath. placing her cheek with mine she whispered:
"your mine now~"
She crawled back from her spot and sang a little toon. she gave me a sideways glance, I shuddered, she smiled.
"Do come around when you feel claustrophobic Artemis, you might need a little effort to free from those chains though, and some payment." She bit her lips and turned away.
Crawling away from our earlier fumble, I came to ask a fellow prisoner about her.
"What's up with her?" I asked.
"Her? she just got 'a lil' wrecked by the pigs on northern...er what's it call?" He scratched his messy beard that was infested with bugs. "Ah, Northern ale was it. Well, anyways, she got hammered by them ugly sluts, don't worry though, tis' pretty common there. It's a savage life, one that pays well, I can't know what got her here in the shells though."
"Ah, that explains her impulsive behavior" I looked at her. She licked her lips as the ships strode her bottom with vigor.
"Say, you sound different not quite the rest of us, mine' telling me your name?"
"Geno-," I stopped. If she was what he said she was, then there's a good chance all the people in here have a more than skeptical background as well, so I can't trust anyone, not at least until I confirm their loyalty.
"Jack and you?"
"Nothing too proud, boy," Murk, Murk Arc, he said, laughing insultingly at his own name.
"and Jack say you?" he pointed his finger "a fine name to have, bet you one of those human pets, leeches that would do nothing to displease them master!" he snarled
"I can't say I am or I'm not, even I don't know who I am"
He looked at me confused. "...Right"
"Well, anyways, ain't none of my ears anyhow. My problems is all the rums gone, what's worst than travelling at sea as captive?" He looked at me, I didn't answer.
"Travelling at sea as captive with no RUM!" He exclaimed, waiving his arms violently.
"Worst already they knocked my fortunes, worst now they taken all the rum as well" He stood up but was reminded by his shackles and stumbled down. "If I had these shackles gone I'd be bulldozing their rum storage over their like a mad dog!" He pointed at the stack of rum pile on to each other in barrels.
"That does sound great"
I tried standing up but forgot about the chains and fell flat faced forward.
I couldn't crawl any further either because of it.
"I gotta get loose of these chains"
The sound of moaning betrayed me and I sighed audibly.
"Say, aren't you a handsome little fella"
She grabbed my collar and dragged me to her face. She looked me up and down while swaying in a weird manner. I scrunched up to her breath and waived my hands to my nose.
"So, by my assessment earlier, I've taken up the hospitality to give you another chance." I said. She chuckled
"Did you now, then obviously you have also assessed the subject of payment"
"Payment?" I rummaged my pockets showing I had nothing "you see darling, I got nothing. What I can offer however is the payment of favor."
"Then payment is payed. you better not forget it" She winked. Reaching in to her pockets, she fished out a poorly made wooden key - it seemed like it was made from a spoon - and grabbed my wrists roughly causing me to flinch.
"Could you go a little easy there?"
She stopped and looked at me with a devilish smile.
"Nevermind, carry on."
I felt the chains click and gave a resounding 'ah' sound.
"Thank you very much Artemis. now if you could excuse me, mr arc. and I have a date of our own."
I moved to stand up but stopped when I felt her grab me by the wrist.
"I will be taking my payment now." she said.
"Now?"
"Yes, now" she smiled.
"What about later?"
"I need the payment now, or else you'll be praying in the gutter" she looked pass over me where the gutter laid.
"Gutter?" I turned around to where she looked and saw the gutter - the gutter as in a tight room with nails on the chair.
"And how do you propose to do just that?"
Just when I said that, two bulky men stood at my back, my shoulder weighing heavily from their hands.
I laughed awkwardly and sat back down with some help from the men.
"Help me save this ship." She declared
I looked at her dumbfounded and picked my ear like I heard it wrong.
"Come again darling, I think I had something stuck in my ear that time."
She rolled her eyes and continued.
"I want you, to help me, save the ship"
She explained slowly, like a teacher with a student. I blinked at her slowly.
"And how do you think I could help in that?" I asked, waving my finger in the air.
"by grabbing the keys of the captain."
Nervous, I stood up abruptly and shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Gah! I don't think I'll be able to do it you know, with my sweaty hands and all that."
"But you will, as per agreement. you have no choice." She smirked
"What If I betrayed per agreement hm? there's nothing stopping me." I smiled smuggly.
"Then I'll take your ribs as debt payed" she snarled.
Her henchmen cracked their knuckles. I gulped and saw it fit to remain quiet.
"And if you snitch, you'll get what's coming" Her henchmen threw me off the other side where murk was watching the whole time.
"Tough one she is." he said.
"I like my women hot with a touch of psycho." I grumbled.
"What are you gonna do now?" Murk asked.
"What else can I do? if I don't steal the keys, I'd be dead. But if they found out I stole the keys, I'll be dead too. Either choices leads to death, a crossroad leading to the same end."
"I give you my best of luck then" He patted my back reassuringly.
A kind person he was, I thought. and I wondered how he ended up here.
I went up the ships deck, crews mopping the deck with a mush that I didn't want to know whats it made off. I crept behind the barrels and waited for them to pass me by and continued to walk casually to the cabin with a hat I saw placed on the barrels.
I went Inside and slumped down, pushing all the air that was trapped in my chest. my legs quivered as I looked around the room for anyone.
"alright, keys keys keys."
I realized too late that I didn't have specications for the key, leaving me dreading on coming back empty handed. what was the key for anyway? why not use the key she made to get me out? unless it's not meant for escape. I rummaged through the drawers quickly before anyone comes and finds me. I found the key, but there was more than just one bundled into one. I heard the door knob rustling and quickly put everything back in a rush.
the door opened and a guy entered, roaming his eyes around in search for something. he left just a minute after.
I also left my hiding place and went back to the den the same way I went out.