In the Name of Calypso

Chapter 4 - F(r)iend

“You mean, you have never heard of me?” Lee asked, going over to Gaara and kneeling next to him. 

“No, I don’t think so. What’s your name…?” Gaara asked, not wanting to look at Lee because he thought he’d embarrass himself. 

“I am Captain Rock Lee of the Bourn Lotus!” Lee exclaimed, holding a fist into the air. 

“I’ve heard of your ship… But not you,” Gaara said, going back to picking at the sand. 

    “How did you- Nevermind, please go sit down so I can at least disinfect your wounds,” Lee said, sighing. 

    “No,” Gaara responded, “I said I don’t need your help, okay? Leave me alone.” 

    “That is a little hard to do when we are the only living things on this island,” Lee said.

    “Not true. Talk to the plants,” Gaara said, standing up and walking towards the wrecked rowboat. 

    “No wonder you are stranded here… They probably threw you off the ship on purpose,” Lee mumbled. 

    Gaara turned and looked at Lee, holding a board from the broken boat. 

    “I heard that. If you ever make remarks like that again, I’ll hit you over the head with this board and then I’ll throw you into the sea,” Gaara said, throwing the board towards Lee. 

    Lee sighed and picked up the board, walking over to stand next to Gaara. 

    “I suggest you not throw things at me, ‘kay? It might not end well for you,” Lee said, making a threat towards Gaara. 

    “I suggest you don’t make threats towards me because I have a whole british battalion who will aid me with anything I need,” Gaara said, glaring at Lee. Lee shook his head.

    What did he have against a battalion? The British Empire was bigger than Lee’s crew and Lee’s crew was just a bunch of drunks he found in Tortuga while he was visiting his ‘parents’. Lee then remembered the whole reason he wanted to leave Tortuga anyway; To go to the Locker and find his real parents. 

    Lee’s thoughts were then interrupted by a sharp pain in the back of his head. He started to feel dizzy, the world spinning around in front of him. 

    “Hey, pirate-dude?” Gaara asked, staring at Lee. Lee struggled to stand straight and he looked around, wondering what was happening to his vision. 

    “Gaara? What is happening to…” Lee started to say, passing out right on the spot. 

    “Hey? Hey?? Pirate-dude?? Lee??” Gaara exclaimed, shaking Lee violently. The next thing Gaara knew, there were undead sailors walking out of the water, most likely coming from the depths of the Locker. 

    “Get… Him… The Comm… Commodore…” One of the sailors spoke, muttering under his cold breath. As he spoke, all the sailors pulled swords from sashes on their sides and held a defensive stance. Gaara looked around, trying to find his sword, knowing that he set it down by the rock his coat was laying on. 

    “God… How uneventful,” Gaara muttered, leaving Lee’s limp body next to the rowboat and bolting to the rock to get his sword. 

    The sailors came after him, making sure he didn’t get out of their sights. He grabbed his sword and started swinging it like a madman. At this point in time, he forgot every sword trick his father had taught him and just thought of himself, something most people described him doing more often than he’d like. 

    Gaara turned and ran into the wooded area behind him, trying to escape the multitude of undead sailors chasing him. They looked as if they’d all been drowned. They each had wet clothes, torn to shreds, and they had damp hair with seaweed stuck in it, almost looking as if it was their actual hair. If anything, they were all crew members from The Flying Dutchman. That wasn’t a thought Gaara wanted to think right now, though. Why would Dutchman crew members be chasing Gaara? He was neither dying nor dead, unless his time to die was long past due. 

    He shook his head. Right now he needed to focus on living instead of dying. Although, his attention never fully shifted back to escaping. Now he was thinking about that pirate that was lying next to the broken rowboat unconscious. Was he ever going to wake up? If he didn’t, how would Gaara get off the island? He had no clue how to fix boats. 

    Gaara should’ve been thinking about running, but it was impossible. When had he become so caring about a pirate? A pirate. 

    “Hey!” A voice yelled, catching the undead sailors’ attention and Gaara’s as well. Gaara stopped running and turned to see what the voice was. 

Lee. He was back. Gaara almost smiled but shook his head to bring himself back to reality. 

    “Gaara, run!” Lee shouted, raising his sword and slashing off the rotting flesh of the sailors. Gaara frowned and furrowed his brow, but turned and ran obediently.

    As Gaara ran, he heard the clashing of swords and the sounds of bones cracking behind him. He wanted to turn and help Lee fight off those monsters, but he just felt like he’d betray Lee if he did. Besides, weren’t those things after Gaara anyways? 

    “Got….. you…..” Is all Gaara heard as he blacked out after running past a thick tree. 

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