The arm cinched around my waist released and moved to my face, where it met its partner and tied a red cloth over my eyes, obscuring my vision. Great, I thought, This is going perfectly. I was led by the arms for what seemed like hours but what was probably closer to 5 minutes.
"Stay put" grumbled the voice.
I heard the man knocking on something, a door, then creaking of the door opening in front of me. The arms forced me forward and light washed over my covered eyes. I was made to sit down on a hard, straight-backed chair. I heard footsteps toward the door, which closed, and a small clinking noise.
Suddenly, warm hands were on my face, caressing my cheek, gently releasing my curly hair from its bun, running through its length. The hands found their way to back of my head where my blindfold was securely tied. With a quick motion, the knot was untied and I was looking directly into the handsome face…
Of Captain Jack Sparrow!
"Hullo luv" he purred into my ear.
A small shiver went down my spine.
"H-Hello" I managed to stutter. My God…I can practically hear my ovaries exploding!
He smiled in a devilish way as if he could read my thoughts. I blushed.
I took a moment to look around the room I was now in. It featured a large desk covered in trinkets and bobbles plus several maps and quills with ink. In the far corner, there was a four poster bed with red sheets. Various maps of the world and a few pictures hung on the walls. But the kicker was the hundreds of gold items that lay scattered on the floor, under the bed, around the desk, everywhere. I looked back to face him and found his eyes wandering over me, like the man did earlier but in his eyes there was…possession and…desire. He took his sweet time, drinking in my vulnerable form.
I cleared my throat to distract him from his gaze.
"Ugh, Jack-" I started.
"That's Captain Jack to you. Never forget that." He said dramatically.
"Right, Captain. What am I doing here? How did I get here?"
"All in good time, luv, all in good time. I want to know about you first." He took another chair, spun it around, and sat down with a flourish while shooting me a glance.
But how am I here if he doesn't already know about me? Confusing! I decided to humor him.
"My name is Azure Springlight. I'm 18 years old and have one older brother, Cameron. Both of my parents died in a boating accident so I live with my brother in Boston. I have a cat named Skylar and a goldfish named Gregory."
He seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying, but also slightly hurt.
"So you remember nothing?" he asked.
What! "What do you mean?!" I asked, confusion rising in my voice.
"Maybe this will help you remember."
Without so much as a warning, he sprang from his chair and his velvety lips were locked on mine in a passionate frenzied kiss. It was like I was traversing galaxies in seconds, exploring new corners of the world I had never known. The moment ended far too quickly.
He pulled back and his chocolate brown eyes met mine. "Anything?" he whispered.
My mind was still spinning from the kiss, the reason being that it was the only time in my recollection of ever being kissed. (I am still a virgin.)
"Nothing." I manage to whisper, my breath still coming to me.
"Dammit," he spun around and began pacing near the desk. "You don't remember any of the past two days?" He looked very upset and disappointed.
"Well, maybe I'll remember if you tell me what happened." I suggested.
He sat down again in the chair.
"I was searching for the legendary Water Nymphs of Virgin Gorda when I stopped one night to take shelter in a cave. I was sleepin' away when I awoke to sound of a lass singin'. I followed the sound 'till I reached a pool of water." He seemed hesitant whether to continue. "I looked into the water to see…a face. Of a beautiful woman. She called to me, begging me to come closer. I came closer and closer to the water when I was pulled under." He turned to face away from me. "All I remember is blackness but then light….And your face." He spun sharply around to face me. "Your face. You. You caring for me. Bathing my wounds. Leading me back to my men two days ago." He stopped, as if he couldn't continue.
He kneeled down on one knee at my feet and took my hands in his. I looked at them; his seemed to be perfectly made to fit mine in them. Slowly, images danced across my mind: looking up through the water, pulling a handsome man out of the spring.
"You brought me back to your ship, clothed me, fed me…" I said quietly. His eyes lit up. "But how am I in these clothes? And how do I remember being Azure?"
"That's because you are Azure. It's your legend. You're a Water Nymph." He responded.
That doesn't seem possible. "I'm far from being a nymph! Nymphs are beautiful and intelligent and –"
"You are all these things! The Water Nymphs of Virgin Gorda have a special power. Their spirit can inhabit one human body and one nymph body." He insisted.
Some of it started to come back now. How I lived with my sister nymphs but also with my human family. Singing while I combed my hair on a sun-warmed rock. But I could also remember going through human aspects like going to school, learning to ride a bike, eating ice cream on a hot day in August. The last thing was…saving Jack from the water harpies that prey on men.
"I remember my human and nymph life, but I still don't remember what happened yesterday or why I'm wearing these clothes!" I exclaimed.
"I'm pretty sure the clothes were the last thing that your human form was wearing. As for what happened yesterday, we can save that for tomorrow. You should get some sleep now." He pointed to the four poster bed in the corner.
Sleep sounds GREAT! "Where are you going to sleep?" I asked tentatively.
"In the bed too, luv. Is there a problem?" He asked mischievously.
"No…just promise me you'll be a gentleman." I demanded.
"A pirate doesn't make promises he can't keep. Savvy?" He smiled that amazing half-smile as he walked over to the bed and got in. "Come on then."
I debated whether or not to get in the bed but then my sleepy brain won out.
He blew out the candle. "Goodnight, luv." He was snoring within seconds
"Goodnight, Captain." I sighed as I let the gentle rocking of the ship lull me to sleep.