I raised a gun on an innocent man- innocent except by the law, though, my slate isn’t clean either- and waited for the other members of our pirate gang to run past me carrying gun powder, rum, and a few bags of gold. I took it as a signal to leave, and followed them back onto our own ship. We smiled at each other, and at our bags of treasure. They handed me a bottle of rum , that had touched the lips of many scurvy-tainted lips, but it didn’t bother me, and I took a heavy gulp. It took away some of my motion sickness, because after two years of being a pirate, I still got motion sick. I was fifteen, but the crew members would be celebrating my 18th birthday tomorrow. I hadn’t lied about my birthday, only my age, because if I had told them I was too young, they might have thought me useless, and thrown me overboard tied to iron. Tomorrow, I would marry the captain.
How did I get here?
When I was fourteen, I was on a house boat, at a party. I was dancing with an older boy, who I think was named Thomas, watching my sapphire blue, silk, dancing shoes move in rhythm, moving my hips so my light blue, silk, dress would flair out as we danced. I was wearing plenty of jewelry, gold and diamonds, on my wrists, in my hair, which had been secured in a tight bun at the top of my head, and around my neck. At one moment, Thomas had gone to get us more wine, and the next, my whole life came crashing down. I saw a boat coming from the distance, and then, its riders boarded our ship and began stealing gold right off of people. I stood at the back, unseen, until one pirate went at my mother, and I ran to her and slapped the pirate. He, in return, punched me in the chest, knocking me into the back rail. He began tearing silk right off of my dress, stole gold from my arms, hair, and neck. He clenched his dirty fingers around my neck, and lifted. With the last breath I could manage, I kicked him in the stomach, and he threw me off of the boat, following with throwing a life ring into the water as something that wasn’t a friendly gesture.
I couldn’t see, I was too dizzy, too drunk, and the saltwater had blurred my vision. Even though I didn’t want to, I used the life ring, pulled my head and arms over it. I didn’t think about any of it, I just kept kicking my legs, until I was more machine than human, kicking for hours on end in the empty ocean.
When the sun began poking it’s nose out over the water, I saw a small dot. It was like I had woken up, and thought about what had happened to me. I was the last person alive on the boat, I knew that much, and I was lost in the ocean. As I thought, the dot turned into a boat, and before I knew it, I was close enough to grab onto the ladder that was built into the side of the boat. I could see onto the boat, it was full of pirates, and I ducked down when they looked my way. Then I looked up on the deck again, and hid once more when they looked. We repeated this process, until one man saw me, and dragged me on deck. He squeezed my arm tight in his grip, and pushed me to the floor in the only room on the boat. In front of me, was a man, dressed semi extravagantly, about 18 years old.
“What is this?” He asked the crew members
“We found her lost on the ocean.”
“Leave. What is your name girl?” He said bending down to look me in the eyes.
“Elizabeth Smith.” I said rising.
“Smith? You’re an aristocrat?”
“Was.”
“Elizabeth, I am going to take you aboard my ship, if you prove useful, I won’t sell you to a slave trader, how old are you?”
My heart race quickened, and I was sure he could hear it. “Sixteen,” I answered un-truthfully.
He seemed to accept it.
“Well, when we get aboard my ship I will find you some clothes, but I require that you give me your shoes, earrings, hair clips, and the rest of your dress.”
I looked at my dress for the first time, it was in scraps, and barely covered my black under dress. My earrings and hair clips had stayed in place, and my shoes were still on my feet.
“Yes sir.”
“Are you cold, tired, hungry?”
“All of those.” I answered, saying no more than what was needed. He pulled his coat off of his shoulders, and draped it over me. It wasn’t very warm, but I appreciated the gesture and nodded as he did.
“As for being hungry, I had some bread and apple butter if you would like.” I nodded again and he pulled a brown slice of bread from his desk, then a jar filled with a light pink butter. As soon as it was handed to me, I swallowed it almost whole. He took a bottle from his desk and handed it to me. I took a sip. Rum, I had drank way too much liquor last night and couldn’t take much more.
The smell of it sent knots and pains to my stomach, and I fell to my knees, clenching my stomach. It was a mix from the lack of water, food, and the fact that I had drank way to much last night, plus, I got seasick.
“Are- Are you ok?” He asked after I started whining from the pain.
I shook my head no, before my world went black.
How did I get here?
When I was fourteen, I was on a house boat, at a party. I was dancing with an older boy, who I think was named Thomas, watching my sapphire blue, silk, dancing shoes move in rhythm, moving my hips so my light blue, silk, dress would flair out as we danced. I was wearing plenty of jewelry, gold and diamonds, on my wrists, in my hair, which had been secured in a tight bun at the top of my head, and around my neck. At one moment, Thomas had gone to get us more wine, and the next, my whole life came crashing down. I saw a boat coming from the distance, and then, its riders boarded our ship and began stealing gold right off of people. I stood at the back, unseen, until one pirate went at my mother, and I ran to her and slapped the pirate. He, in return, punched me in the chest, knocking me into the back rail. He began tearing silk right off of my dress, stole gold from my arms, hair, and neck. He clenched his dirty fingers around my neck, and lifted. With the last breath I could manage, I kicked him in the stomach, and he threw me off of the boat, following with throwing a life ring into the water as something that wasn’t a friendly gesture.
I couldn’t see, I was too dizzy, too drunk, and the saltwater had blurred my vision. Even though I didn’t want to, I used the life ring, pulled my head and arms over it. I didn’t think about any of it, I just kept kicking my legs, until I was more machine than human, kicking for hours on end in the empty ocean.
When the sun began poking it’s nose out over the water, I saw a small dot. It was like I had woken up, and thought about what had happened to me. I was the last person alive on the boat, I knew that much, and I was lost in the ocean. As I thought, the dot turned into a boat, and before I knew it, I was close enough to grab onto the ladder that was built into the side of the boat. I could see onto the boat, it was full of pirates, and I ducked down when they looked my way. Then I looked up on the deck again, and hid once more when they looked. We repeated this process, until one man saw me, and dragged me on deck. He squeezed my arm tight in his grip, and pushed me to the floor in the only room on the boat. In front of me, was a man, dressed semi extravagantly, about 18 years old.
“What is this?” He asked the crew members
“We found her lost on the ocean.”
“Leave. What is your name girl?” He said bending down to look me in the eyes.
“Elizabeth Smith.” I said rising.
“Smith? You’re an aristocrat?”
“Was.”
“Elizabeth, I am going to take you aboard my ship, if you prove useful, I won’t sell you to a slave trader, how old are you?”
My heart race quickened, and I was sure he could hear it. “Sixteen,” I answered un-truthfully.
He seemed to accept it.
“Well, when we get aboard my ship I will find you some clothes, but I require that you give me your shoes, earrings, hair clips, and the rest of your dress.”
I looked at my dress for the first time, it was in scraps, and barely covered my black under dress. My earrings and hair clips had stayed in place, and my shoes were still on my feet.
“Yes sir.”
“Are you cold, tired, hungry?”
“All of those.” I answered, saying no more than what was needed. He pulled his coat off of his shoulders, and draped it over me. It wasn’t very warm, but I appreciated the gesture and nodded as he did.
“As for being hungry, I had some bread and apple butter if you would like.” I nodded again and he pulled a brown slice of bread from his desk, then a jar filled with a light pink butter. As soon as it was handed to me, I swallowed it almost whole. He took a bottle from his desk and handed it to me. I took a sip. Rum, I had drank way too much liquor last night and couldn’t take much more.
The smell of it sent knots and pains to my stomach, and I fell to my knees, clenching my stomach. It was a mix from the lack of water, food, and the fact that I had drank way to much last night, plus, I got seasick.
“Are- Are you ok?” He asked after I started whining from the pain.
I shook my head no, before my world went black.
