"I will warm your cot at night
And mop your cabiin floors.
Scold me, hold me
I'll be yours to keep."
- "In All My Dreams I Drown"- Devil's Carnival
You hear them through the door, bits and pieces of sentences that make your heart pound.
Stowaway.
Throw him overboard.
Doesn't belong on the seas.
You tug at the ropes around your wrists desperately, frantic and fearful for your life. Maybe you can escape...
But then what? You're out to sea, nothing but water as far as the eye can see. Even if you run, it's a long swim back to land, and you know you will never make it.
Defeated, you stop struggling, slumping to floor and listening. You've lost track of their conversation now.
The cabin door opens and a young man steps out, the wind whipping his dark hair across his face. He doesn't look as worn out as some of the older pirates do- all limbs are acounted for, both eyes are intact, and he doesn't have the same tired movements of the veteran pirates.
"So," he says, kneeling beside you, the blade of his dagger pressed against your throat. "You fancy yourself a pirate, eh?"
"Quit toying with him, Regulus," a female says, scowling. "We have no place for stowaways."
"See, our first mate reckons we should slit your throat and feed you to the fish," Regulus explains with a laugh. "And with Captain Tom off doing other things, we're supposed to listen to her."
Captain Tom? Your stomach grows acidic. You've landed yourself among the Death Eaters, most ruthless set of pirates the world has ever known. "Please," you whisper. "Please, I just wanted to get out of that place. I- I didn't know I was boarding a pirate ship! I swear it!"
"Finish him, Regulus."
The blade presses more firmly against your throat, and you mentally recite all the prayers your father has taught you. "Please! I can be useful! I'll do anything!"
Regulus pulls his dagger back, brows raising. The first mate groans. "You never could resist a pretty face, could you, Regulus?" she sighs.
"Might be useful. What's your name?"
"Crouch! Barty Crouch."
He looks at the first mate. "Son of the bastard who keeps trying to send us to the gallows," he says. "Too dangerous."
The first mate laughs, leaning down, her dark, wild curls tickling your face. "No. It's perfect. Keep the brat. Worst case scenario, he'll make a fine hostage."
..
Your body aches, fingers stiff and back strained from all the chores they've given you. You don't want to be a pirate. You only want to escape that hell that you've called home. Now you wonder if it would have been wiser to stay behind and suffer.
"Not gonna make it if you don't shape up," Regulus says as you enter the cabin you share with him. "We'll be throwing your lifeless body overboard if you aren't careful."
Your cheeks heat with color as you slump into your cot.
"You scream in your sleep," Regulus says. "Did you know?"
"I hate the water. I dream I'm drowning."
"Then why did you run away on a ship? Seems like going by foot is better suited for you."
"Ships will take you farther," you sigh.
..
You're drowning, waves breaking the ship apart and filling your lungs. Your arms are useless, and you're torn from your cabin, the current pulling you farther and farther from safety.
You scream yourself awake, but when your eyes open, you realize you are not alone. Regulus is beside you, akwardly curled into the cramped space of the cot.
"You were screaming again," he says. "I- I felt sorry for you."
A hint of a smile forms on your lips. "Thank you."
His arms wrap around you. It's the first time you've felt safe since you've left the shore. Slowly, your eyes grow heavy again, and you know that if you drown, you won't be alone.
"'I'm begging you please wake me up.
In all my dreams I-"