Pirate's Life For Me....

Anne Bonny

    It was near sunrise when I woke to start cooking breakfast. The ship was quiet save for the creaking of wood as the boat went over the rolling waves. It was still dark, so I had to rely on the fire of candles until the sun would rise over the horizon and light up the galley. I could hear clucking from the chickens as they were scratching at the bottom of their cage, and I calmly worked while prepping the large meal.

  When I heard slow and steady creaks from the wood as boots came carefully walking up from behind me, I clenched my jaw as my grip tightened on the knife in my hand. Hoping the quiet footsteps would veer off and not enter the galley, I was disappointed when they seemed to continue closer towards me. Thinking it was some crew member hoping to snag some food while everyone was still asleep, I reacted like I normally would when the steps got close enough.

  "I said to stay out of my fucking kitchen!" I shouted while snarling and throwing the knife in my hand without thinking. Freezing as I saw who stood in the opening of the galley, I was internally screeching curses that would make a sailor weep. "Oh, fuck...." Mumbling as the pirate was glancing at the knife embedded into the wooden beam, narrowly missing his cheek as it was pinning one of his braids down.

  He jerked his head to the side, cutting his hair as the braid still dangled from the knife. Slowly turning to look at me, he smirked while resting one hand on the handle of his sword. The way the firelight flickered and cast shadows across his face made him look like a devil coming to take my soul with the way his eyes glittered like daggers.

  "You're a cook." He stated, having a deep voice as he spoke low and eyed the food being prepared on the counter and in the pot over the fire. "I wouldn't do that." The pirate quickly said, seeing my hand reaching for another knife as I was glaring. Freezing with my fingers inches from the blade, the man tilted his head while looking at me again. "You're a woman?" The man then chuckled. "Oh, I've got the perfect playmate for you."

  When he took a step forward, I snatched up the knife and ran for it. Placing the blade between my teeth as I shoved open a window, I crawled through while grabbing the wooden carvings on the side of the boat.

  "Get back here!" I heard his gravelly voice shout after me as I climbed up the side of the boat with ease. The waters were fairly calm at the moment, so the splashes of the waves we hit didn't have the sides soaked and slippery. Grunting as I grabbed the edge and hauled myself over, I rolled to where my feet landed on deck. Hearing scuffling and muffled grunts, I furrowed my brows while trying to see in the dark.

  As the sun was finally peeking over the horizon, it was at that moment that I felt my blood run cold. The top deck was filled with pirates, dragging the crew to the center around the main mast as they were bound and gagged. Feeling my heart pounding faster than before, I began to back towards the longboats to try and escape unnoticed. The last port we docked at was but a day's journey, so it wouldn't take long to get back and alert the authorities about the Petrel being attacked.

  "You're a fast one." I heard a low voice chuckle as a person came skidding to a halt after running onto the deck. Looking from the crowd of pirates to see the man I had thrown a knife at, I swallowed the spit in my mouth. He stalked towards me with the eyes of a predator, and I grabbed the knife in my mouth. As I locked eyes with him, he smirked and drew his sword, bringing attention to the both of us. The crew struggled in their restraints as the pirates began to laugh at the small figure they saw facing their brethren.

  "I guess pirates will go to any low to catch a prize." I snarled. "Attacking a ship as its crew sleeps? How honorable."

  "How tactical, you mean." He corrected while steadily holding his blade.