Pocket Stories: Discovered at Sea
I started these writing prompt/short stories to help me get into the writing mood. This one kind of took off on me so it is quite a bit longer than my others so far. Enjoy!
I heard the call as I scrubbed the floors below deck. Pirates had been sighted, and laden as we were with so much cargo, outrunning the fleet vessel wasn't likely.
I couldn't afford to abandon my post, the whip marks from the morning still open and tender. I'd only missed one spot in my scrubbing to earn that punishment. Then the captain had poured all waste bins on the floor and made me scrub it clean again. There was still a quarter of the deck left before I could dare to take a break to relieve myself.
The tell-tale crack of a whip made me flinch, even though it wasn't near me, but the sound came through the wooden planks above my head. Captain and the first mate were fond of that whip, and as equally unfond of me. The money I had given them to allow me to board this ship only held their respect and honor for a week. After that it didn't matter that I was a woman, they made me earn my keep and treated me less than the cabin boy.
The noise of crashing waves grew louder. The creak of ropes and the crack of loose sailcloth joined in the sounds of our ship. The pirate vessel was close enough to unleash their grappling hooks. Our ship jerked to the side as those grappling hooks found their purchase. My suds bucket was knocked over and I slid into one of the support poles, the breath leaving me as I cradled my tender ribs.
Boots landed on the deck with heavy thumps, shaking the planks above me. I crawled quickly to the ladder and hid underneath it in the darkness where the lamplight didn't reach. I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my shaking arms around them.
I heard shouting and the awful sound of dying men. It went on for some minutes before the fighting ceased. Three pirates made their way down the ladder. They searched the hold with lanterns in their hands.
"Oi, Jenkins, lookie here. Looks like them stiffs are shippin' metals." The pirate with beads in his braided hair said.
Another pirate, one with a carved up face, replied, "Shut yer gob Micah. Jus' look with yer eyes an' leave th' talkin' to th' cap'n."
Micah opened his mouth to say more, but the third pirate whacked him in the back of the head with the flat of his blade.
"Jenkins said to stow yer mouth, so shut it. Let's head back up and let the cap'n know there's treasure on this deathtrap."
I began to shiver. The pirates made their way back to the ladder, back to me, and with all three of their lanterns shining my way, there was nothing to hide me anymore.
Jenkins stopped short of the ladder and leaned in closer with his lantern. A grim smile appeared on his scarred face. "Take a look lads, seems this ship has more than jus' merchant cargo."
Micah and the third pirate flanked the ladder to block my escape. It wasn't necessary, running only gave men ideas. Jenkins shouldered slowly past the third pirate and reached out a hand to me. I stayed put, my legs unwilling to cooperate.
"Come now darling," Jenkins said with a look at the third pirate, "Tems here won't hurt ya none. We're just going to take you meet our cap'n, that's all."
Silently I placed my hand in his and let him help me stand. My traitorous legs held me up.
Micah went up the ladder first and stood at the opening for me to follow. I was glad that I had chosen to adapt my wardrobe to something more suitable to see life than the gowns I had brought with me. Those had been sold off months ago, and I'd seen nothing of the profits.
I blinked rapidly to try and clear the image of the deck from my mind. Streams of blood snaked along the planks, wounded and dead men lay where they had fallen. My captain and the remaining sailors, roughly fifty or so, stood surrounded by rough looking pirates. Jenkins came up to my side and swept his hand in front of him, letting me know that I was to join my crew. I walked slowly, but surely, keeping my footing on the soiled deck. I found my captain and his first mate and quickly ducked my head, their glares fixed in my direction.
"Whatcha have there Jenkins?" a loud voice cawed. I looked at the source from under my lowered lashes. This must be the pirate captain. He looked like a greasy peacock.
"Found this one below deck Cap'n, she musta been cleanin'." Jenkins answered soberly, all traces of a smile gone.
"Well Captain Armandeaux, your crew is now complete, make your choice." The pirate captain demanded.
I looked around confused, what choice? I saw my captain look at each face in his crew until it landed on mine. His face broke into a sleazy grin, one that had become all to familiar to me.
"Ailyn." Was all my captain said as he pointed to me with a grubby finger.
"The woman?" Jenkins asked incredulously. "Cap'n we can't do this to a woman."
The pirate captain backhanded Jenkins, knocking him down to his knees. Jenkins stood slowly, gingerly rubbing his jaw.
"Stow it Jenkins. The fine Captain here has made his decision. And unless you want to be the one to carry it out, you'll shut your gob." The pirate captain found me on the edge of the group and gestured for Tems to get me. I went willingly. I wasn't going to make things worse by fighting.
Tems delivered me to his captain, who took me gently by the arm. "I've given your captain here an ultimatum, lass. He was to choose a whipping boy or I'd slaughter the whole crew. He made his choice and you'll be the one to live it, or not. One lash for each crew member. You survive the full count, we let everyone on this tub sail away with no further bloodshed. You give out before the count is done, we throw your useless body overboard and kill the ones you didn't atone for. What say you?"
The blood drained from my face, a chill rising in its place. Either my captain believed I'd last and save them all, or he was willing to kill his crew to get rid of me.
I only asked one question, my voice sounding small to my ears, "May I speak to my Captain, sir?"
He waved his hand, silently granting me permission. I stayed where I was. I pushed my shoulder back, the injured skin protesting. I brought my head high and looked directly at the man I was forced to call Captain.
"Captain Armandeaux, I will take this punishment on the behalf of your crew. However, there is a place awaiting you in Hell for the brutality I have suffered at your hand. You best seek forgiveness now, for there will be none awaiting you when I see you again." My voice stayed calm and strong. I would not walk meekly to my death.
My captain's face was red with fury. I had never dared speak to him this way before, I was sure that it had been many years since anyone had.
"Now you listen here you trollop..." a sword tip poking his nose stopped the rest of his tirade. Micah held the sword calmly, lazily almost, as if this was just a mere annoyance instead of a barge-of-a-man.
The pirate captain nodded to himself. "Well said lass. The time for words is past now Captain Armandeaux. Time to see if the lass will save you. Bohling!" he shouted, "Line up this crew. We'll walk them past the lass and have them each watch as she takes their whipping."
My Captain and the first mate tried to elbow their way to the front of the line, their salvation secured.
A giant man covered in sword and knife scabbards punched them both in the nose. Jenkins strode over, grabbed them both by their shirts, and shoved them to the back of the line.
The pirate captain just tisked, "Nuh uh, Captain, that's not how it works. A good Captain goes down with his ship, yes? If the lass makes it through all her whippings then you will be saved, otherwise we will kill you first." The pirate captain stared him down with a look that promise pain and suffering delivered in vile ways.
The giant enforced the will of his captain, lining up my crew mates. Jenkins took me to the mast and tied my arms together so I hugged the wood. I leaned my head against the cool wood, trying to gather my thoughts and my will. As he cut through the back of my shirt I heard a short gasp before I felt his breath near my ear.
"Answer me truthfully lass. Would the good captain be the reason for these lashes on your back?" His voice was low and quick.
I simply nodded, not wanting him to see the humiliation on my face. My wounds were exposed for everyone to see. The old scars, the new ones, the open wounds, nothing was hidden from the eyes of these men.
"I promise you this, one way or another, your captain won't live to see another sunrise, you have my word." All I felt was relief. There was someone in this world to stand for me, even if I could not stand for myself.
"Thank you." I whispered back to him.
I knew not who held the other end of the whip, all I knew was that each of the crew had to tell me their names and then the whip would descend. It was smooth leather, kept well oiled, for which I was grateful. My captain took no such care for his whip and the cracks and ruined pieces had dragged the skin from my body. This whip went quick, and the edges of the leather sliced clean, the pain sharp.
I had bitten through my lip five lashes ago. I lasted until lash ten before I began to scream with each lash. Fifteen lashes, twenty lashes, twenty-five lashes. My bound limbs kept me from sinking to the deck and curling into a ball. Thirty lashes, forty lashes, fifty lashes. I no longer had the energy to scream, I could barely keep conscious. At last I was met with blissful darkness, the pain was gone.
I awoke in the darkness, my body floating, suspended in the ocean. I tried to move and found I could, though the pain that had haunted my last moments was gone. I tried to kick and found my legs would not move right. I felt with my hands. My shirt was gone, my hands only meeting the scarred skin of my abdomen. I slid my hands down farther and was met with scales. I gasped, my mind panicking as the ocean water filled my mouth.
To my surprise I could breathe! I slowly placed my hands on my neck and felt the flaps of skin rise and fall to control the flow of water from my mouth. I kicked as though my legs were tied together and I felt myself propelled through the water.
My head broke through the surface of the sea and the glorious expanse of stars greeted me. I smiled for the first time in months. I used my tail to keep me there as I contemplated my existence. I moved my hands around towards my back with trepidation. Thin scars met my touch. There was no inch of my back that was smooth anymore. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and plunged myself back into the depths of the sea, a place where tears could never fall.
I raced through the water, feeling the power in my new body, enjoying the speed that I could reach. I angled my body up toward the surface and launched myself bodily from the waters, soaring through the air as if I was flying.
In the distance I could see two ships, strung together with ropes. My eyesight was sharp and clear. I had to slow as I got closer, bodies floating in the water blocking my path. Blood pooled on the surface of the water, coating my arms and hair.
I dipped beneath the water and came up close to the hull of the ship, my ship. Looking up at the railing I saw Jenkins. A surprised gasp left my mouth and I covered it quickly with my hands, sinking a bit lower into the water.
Jenkins looked my way, finding my pale skin in the moonlight couldn't have been difficult. A genuine smile lit up his carved face, making his eyes nearly glow in the darkness.
"That you Ailyn?" He called softly.
"Tis me." I called back to him. My voice sounded silky to my ears. The harsh screams from my last moments on board that ship had not broken the voice in this new body.
The tension drained from Jenkins, his shoulders dropped and his hands hung carelessly as he leaned his forearms on the railing.
I saw closer until I was directly underneath him, in a spot mercifully devoid of blood.
"Tell me what happened Jenkins." I asked.
His eyes grew sad. "Ye made it to the last five, darling, before your soul could handle no more." He lifted his face away from her and stared out to see, remembering. "Bohling and Micah dropped you into the sea, and Tems said a prayer for you, from us all. Our Cap'n is a harsh man, but we, as crew, know the strength it took for you to last for people who never did you a lick of good. I watched until you sunk down into the depths. Your cap'n was swearing and wallopin' anyone he could reach. We couldn't have that, and your crew was near about livid. Then your cap'n made the mistake of hitting Bohling. Even our Cap'n gives Bohling space. Bohling didn't take too kindly to gettin' hit so he slit your cap'n from navel to nose with his fish knife."
I let that sink in for a moment, looking at the dead floating nearby. "What about the others? There are more than five men out here in the sea."
"Half your crew and a third of mine. Turns out my Cap'n never meant to keep his word about sparing your crew for the lashes you took. He ordered us all to start the slaughter. Most of us felt he was in the wrong and took the matter into our own hands. Swords made it into the empty hands of your crew and it turned into a bloodbath." His voice didn't even catch as he spoke of the massacre.
"What made it stop?" I wanted to know.
"Bohling. Told ye, never mess with that man. Cap'n had made him deliver each lashing on ya and then he turned on his word. Pirates ain't got much but honor left, so when you give that up the way the Cap'n did, Bohling took care of him. The first pause he found in that battle he hollered in a way I ain't never heard before. He called for a cease-fire and gave the survivors a choice. Stay and serve with him as the new Cap'n, or walk the plank. Everyone left chose to stay."
The story was as cold as the seawater around her. Sharks fins began to appear in the water a short ways off, but they came no closer to her.
Jenkins cocked his head, "How'd you get here Ailyn? You was dead, well and truly, or we'd never have let you into the sea."
I thought it over for a moment before replying, the words striking true in my heart. "I died Jenkins. But the sea protects her own. My sacrifice earned me the rewards only the sea could grant. I've become a mermaid."
I heard the call as I scrubbed the floors below deck. Pirates had been sighted, and laden as we were with so much cargo, outrunning the fleet vessel wasn't likely.
I couldn't afford to abandon my post, the whip marks from the morning still open and tender. I'd only missed one spot in my scrubbing to earn that punishment. Then the captain had poured all waste bins on the floor and made me scrub it clean again. There was still a quarter of the deck left before I could dare to take a break to relieve myself.
The tell-tale crack of a whip made me flinch, even though it wasn't near me, but the sound came through the wooden planks above my head. Captain and the first mate were fond of that whip, and as equally unfond of me. The money I had given them to allow me to board this ship only held their respect and honor for a week. After that it didn't matter that I was a woman, they made me earn my keep and treated me less than the cabin boy.
The noise of crashing waves grew louder. The creak of ropes and the crack of loose sailcloth joined in the sounds of our ship. The pirate vessel was close enough to unleash their grappling hooks. Our ship jerked to the side as those grappling hooks found their purchase. My suds bucket was knocked over and I slid into one of the support poles, the breath leaving me as I cradled my tender ribs.
Boots landed on the deck with heavy thumps, shaking the planks above me. I crawled quickly to the ladder and hid underneath it in the darkness where the lamplight didn't reach. I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my shaking arms around them.
I heard shouting and the awful sound of dying men. It went on for some minutes before the fighting ceased. Three pirates made their way down the ladder. They searched the hold with lanterns in their hands.
"Oi, Jenkins, lookie here. Looks like them stiffs are shippin' metals." The pirate with beads in his braided hair said.
Another pirate, one with a carved up face, replied, "Shut yer gob Micah. Jus' look with yer eyes an' leave th' talkin' to th' cap'n."
Micah opened his mouth to say more, but the third pirate whacked him in the back of the head with the flat of his blade.
"Jenkins said to stow yer mouth, so shut it. Let's head back up and let the cap'n know there's treasure on this deathtrap."
I began to shiver. The pirates made their way back to the ladder, back to me, and with all three of their lanterns shining my way, there was nothing to hide me anymore.
Jenkins stopped short of the ladder and leaned in closer with his lantern. A grim smile appeared on his scarred face. "Take a look lads, seems this ship has more than jus' merchant cargo."
Micah and the third pirate flanked the ladder to block my escape. It wasn't necessary, running only gave men ideas. Jenkins shouldered slowly past the third pirate and reached out a hand to me. I stayed put, my legs unwilling to cooperate.
"Come now darling," Jenkins said with a look at the third pirate, "Tems here won't hurt ya none. We're just going to take you meet our cap'n, that's all."
Silently I placed my hand in his and let him help me stand. My traitorous legs held me up.
Micah went up the ladder first and stood at the opening for me to follow. I was glad that I had chosen to adapt my wardrobe to something more suitable to see life than the gowns I had brought with me. Those had been sold off months ago, and I'd seen nothing of the profits.
I blinked rapidly to try and clear the image of the deck from my mind. Streams of blood snaked along the planks, wounded and dead men lay where they had fallen. My captain and the remaining sailors, roughly fifty or so, stood surrounded by rough looking pirates. Jenkins came up to my side and swept his hand in front of him, letting me know that I was to join my crew. I walked slowly, but surely, keeping my footing on the soiled deck. I found my captain and his first mate and quickly ducked my head, their glares fixed in my direction.
"Whatcha have there Jenkins?" a loud voice cawed. I looked at the source from under my lowered lashes. This must be the pirate captain. He looked like a greasy peacock.
"Found this one below deck Cap'n, she musta been cleanin'." Jenkins answered soberly, all traces of a smile gone.
"Well Captain Armandeaux, your crew is now complete, make your choice." The pirate captain demanded.
I looked around confused, what choice? I saw my captain look at each face in his crew until it landed on mine. His face broke into a sleazy grin, one that had become all to familiar to me.
"Ailyn." Was all my captain said as he pointed to me with a grubby finger.
"The woman?" Jenkins asked incredulously. "Cap'n we can't do this to a woman."
The pirate captain backhanded Jenkins, knocking him down to his knees. Jenkins stood slowly, gingerly rubbing his jaw.
"Stow it Jenkins. The fine Captain here has made his decision. And unless you want to be the one to carry it out, you'll shut your gob." The pirate captain found me on the edge of the group and gestured for Tems to get me. I went willingly. I wasn't going to make things worse by fighting.
Tems delivered me to his captain, who took me gently by the arm. "I've given your captain here an ultimatum, lass. He was to choose a whipping boy or I'd slaughter the whole crew. He made his choice and you'll be the one to live it, or not. One lash for each crew member. You survive the full count, we let everyone on this tub sail away with no further bloodshed. You give out before the count is done, we throw your useless body overboard and kill the ones you didn't atone for. What say you?"
The blood drained from my face, a chill rising in its place. Either my captain believed I'd last and save them all, or he was willing to kill his crew to get rid of me.
I only asked one question, my voice sounding small to my ears, "May I speak to my Captain, sir?"
He waved his hand, silently granting me permission. I stayed where I was. I pushed my shoulder back, the injured skin protesting. I brought my head high and looked directly at the man I was forced to call Captain.
"Captain Armandeaux, I will take this punishment on the behalf of your crew. However, there is a place awaiting you in Hell for the brutality I have suffered at your hand. You best seek forgiveness now, for there will be none awaiting you when I see you again." My voice stayed calm and strong. I would not walk meekly to my death.
My captain's face was red with fury. I had never dared speak to him this way before, I was sure that it had been many years since anyone had.
"Now you listen here you trollop..." a sword tip poking his nose stopped the rest of his tirade. Micah held the sword calmly, lazily almost, as if this was just a mere annoyance instead of a barge-of-a-man.
The pirate captain nodded to himself. "Well said lass. The time for words is past now Captain Armandeaux. Time to see if the lass will save you. Bohling!" he shouted, "Line up this crew. We'll walk them past the lass and have them each watch as she takes their whipping."
My Captain and the first mate tried to elbow their way to the front of the line, their salvation secured.
A giant man covered in sword and knife scabbards punched them both in the nose. Jenkins strode over, grabbed them both by their shirts, and shoved them to the back of the line.
The pirate captain just tisked, "Nuh uh, Captain, that's not how it works. A good Captain goes down with his ship, yes? If the lass makes it through all her whippings then you will be saved, otherwise we will kill you first." The pirate captain stared him down with a look that promise pain and suffering delivered in vile ways.
The giant enforced the will of his captain, lining up my crew mates. Jenkins took me to the mast and tied my arms together so I hugged the wood. I leaned my head against the cool wood, trying to gather my thoughts and my will. As he cut through the back of my shirt I heard a short gasp before I felt his breath near my ear.
"Answer me truthfully lass. Would the good captain be the reason for these lashes on your back?" His voice was low and quick.
I simply nodded, not wanting him to see the humiliation on my face. My wounds were exposed for everyone to see. The old scars, the new ones, the open wounds, nothing was hidden from the eyes of these men.
"I promise you this, one way or another, your captain won't live to see another sunrise, you have my word." All I felt was relief. There was someone in this world to stand for me, even if I could not stand for myself.
"Thank you." I whispered back to him.
I knew not who held the other end of the whip, all I knew was that each of the crew had to tell me their names and then the whip would descend. It was smooth leather, kept well oiled, for which I was grateful. My captain took no such care for his whip and the cracks and ruined pieces had dragged the skin from my body. This whip went quick, and the edges of the leather sliced clean, the pain sharp.
I had bitten through my lip five lashes ago. I lasted until lash ten before I began to scream with each lash. Fifteen lashes, twenty lashes, twenty-five lashes. My bound limbs kept me from sinking to the deck and curling into a ball. Thirty lashes, forty lashes, fifty lashes. I no longer had the energy to scream, I could barely keep conscious. At last I was met with blissful darkness, the pain was gone.
I awoke in the darkness, my body floating, suspended in the ocean. I tried to move and found I could, though the pain that had haunted my last moments was gone. I tried to kick and found my legs would not move right. I felt with my hands. My shirt was gone, my hands only meeting the scarred skin of my abdomen. I slid my hands down farther and was met with scales. I gasped, my mind panicking as the ocean water filled my mouth.
To my surprise I could breathe! I slowly placed my hands on my neck and felt the flaps of skin rise and fall to control the flow of water from my mouth. I kicked as though my legs were tied together and I felt myself propelled through the water.
My head broke through the surface of the sea and the glorious expanse of stars greeted me. I smiled for the first time in months. I used my tail to keep me there as I contemplated my existence. I moved my hands around towards my back with trepidation. Thin scars met my touch. There was no inch of my back that was smooth anymore. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and plunged myself back into the depths of the sea, a place where tears could never fall.
I raced through the water, feeling the power in my new body, enjoying the speed that I could reach. I angled my body up toward the surface and launched myself bodily from the waters, soaring through the air as if I was flying.
In the distance I could see two ships, strung together with ropes. My eyesight was sharp and clear. I had to slow as I got closer, bodies floating in the water blocking my path. Blood pooled on the surface of the water, coating my arms and hair.
I dipped beneath the water and came up close to the hull of the ship, my ship. Looking up at the railing I saw Jenkins. A surprised gasp left my mouth and I covered it quickly with my hands, sinking a bit lower into the water.
Jenkins looked my way, finding my pale skin in the moonlight couldn't have been difficult. A genuine smile lit up his carved face, making his eyes nearly glow in the darkness.
"That you Ailyn?" He called softly.
"Tis me." I called back to him. My voice sounded silky to my ears. The harsh screams from my last moments on board that ship had not broken the voice in this new body.
The tension drained from Jenkins, his shoulders dropped and his hands hung carelessly as he leaned his forearms on the railing.
I saw closer until I was directly underneath him, in a spot mercifully devoid of blood.
"Tell me what happened Jenkins." I asked.
His eyes grew sad. "Ye made it to the last five, darling, before your soul could handle no more." He lifted his face away from her and stared out to see, remembering. "Bohling and Micah dropped you into the sea, and Tems said a prayer for you, from us all. Our Cap'n is a harsh man, but we, as crew, know the strength it took for you to last for people who never did you a lick of good. I watched until you sunk down into the depths. Your cap'n was swearing and wallopin' anyone he could reach. We couldn't have that, and your crew was near about livid. Then your cap'n made the mistake of hitting Bohling. Even our Cap'n gives Bohling space. Bohling didn't take too kindly to gettin' hit so he slit your cap'n from navel to nose with his fish knife."
I let that sink in for a moment, looking at the dead floating nearby. "What about the others? There are more than five men out here in the sea."
"Half your crew and a third of mine. Turns out my Cap'n never meant to keep his word about sparing your crew for the lashes you took. He ordered us all to start the slaughter. Most of us felt he was in the wrong and took the matter into our own hands. Swords made it into the empty hands of your crew and it turned into a bloodbath." His voice didn't even catch as he spoke of the massacre.
"What made it stop?" I wanted to know.
"Bohling. Told ye, never mess with that man. Cap'n had made him deliver each lashing on ya and then he turned on his word. Pirates ain't got much but honor left, so when you give that up the way the Cap'n did, Bohling took care of him. The first pause he found in that battle he hollered in a way I ain't never heard before. He called for a cease-fire and gave the survivors a choice. Stay and serve with him as the new Cap'n, or walk the plank. Everyone left chose to stay."
The story was as cold as the seawater around her. Sharks fins began to appear in the water a short ways off, but they came no closer to her.
Jenkins cocked his head, "How'd you get here Ailyn? You was dead, well and truly, or we'd never have let you into the sea."
I thought it over for a moment before replying, the words striking true in my heart. "I died Jenkins. But the sea protects her own. My sacrifice earned me the rewards only the sea could grant. I've become a mermaid."
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