A Pirate's Love

Judgment day

*CRASH*

I jolted awake to the loud sound of splintering wood and the smell of smoke filling my room. I sat up immediately in my bed and scanned the room for the source of sudden noise. To my confusion, I could see and hear nothing but the faint crackling of firewood in the fireplace at the foot of my bed. I must have been dreaming. Looking around again before drifting back to sleep, I noticed an orange glow of lights behind the sheer curtains of my window, and faint voices outside. Could it be dawn already? Slipping out of my covers and putting on my robe and slippers, I made my way to open the curtains and peek outside.

Horror flooded my body as my heart sank and the color drained from my face, suddenly making me feel lightheaded. Fire everywhere. Townspeople running. Men with torches and swords, killing and burning without mercy. We were under attack. I stood frozen in shock as I watched three of the men come towards the front doors of our mansion. They were yelling and screaming foul words as they tried to bust down the doors. My heart started beating faster, my lungs starting to hyperventilate in panic.

*BANG*

I jumped at the sound of my bedroom doors flying open and hitting the wall.

"Come on, don't just stand there, we have to get you out of here!" To my relief it was Sam. Though lower in class and one of the servers of the house, he had always been my friend and one to protect me. He motioned for me to hurry as I ran towards him. Taking my hand in his, he ran with me, practically dragging me down the long staircase and into the main hall.

"Who are these men??" I asked in panicked tone.

"Pirates." He stated simply, yet in a raised voice, above all the noise of servants shuffling about and barricading the doors.

"PIRATES!?" My heart started beating faster from fear.

*CRASH*

I screamed and covered my face as a cannonball flew through the doorway, sending splintering wood everywhere.

"COME ON!!" Sam pulled me towards the back of the mansion and into my father's study, closing the door behind us. He walked towards a wall of bookcases and scanned them.

"Sam, now is not a good time to read a book!!" I scolded, confused why we were in here.

He gave me an annoyed glare and put his fingers in between two of the bookcases. He pulled back and pushed open the bookcases to reveal a dark, hidden passageway. My eyes opened wide in shock, as I had never known this passage existed. How he knew it was there, I had no idea either. Sam pushed me into the passage covered in stone, and tried with all his strength to close the bookcases together again. I heard voices coming from the other side of the study door as the doorknob rattled. Now really panicking, I jumped up and down as Sam slowly closed the bookcases together, their weight obviously extreme.

"Sam, hurry!!" I screeched in a shrill whisper.

"I'm trying!!" He bickered behind gritted teeth.

Just as he closed the bookcases together again, enveloping us in darkness, I heard the door to the study being broken off of its hinges. I made a quiet sigh of relief and brushed my hair completely out of my face with my fingers, a reaction I often make under stress. Breathing heavily from exhaustion, Sam grabbed my hand in the darkness and lead me at a fast pace down a hallway of stone. It was cold and dark, but I could now hear Sam breathing at a steady pace, which gave me comfort. His hand warm and firm in mine, signaling safety and protection. Though I was terrified, not knowing where we were or where we were going, I trusted him with my life. He stopped abruptly, our hands still intertwined.

"Where are w–" I was stopped by one of Sam's fingers against my lips, along with his gentle, "shh." He let go of my hand, which caused me to panic shortly, before he suddenly lit a match.

"Hold this quickly, please," He said as he nimbly transferred the match from his fingers to mine. His fingertips were cold and slightly shaking. Through the glow of the match, I could see the slight panic in his eyes as he took short breaths and quickly searched through his pockets, pulling out a small key. We were stopped in front of a small, wooden door at the end of the hallway. He held his index finger against his own lips this time, once again warning me to stay quiet. I nodded my head in agreement, and he turned to a small padlock attached to the door. The flame of the match now closer to my fingertips, I could feel it's heat as Sam unlocked the padlock and carefully cracked open the door. I shook the match to put it out, and he stuck his head outside of the door to look around.

"It's clear." Sam stated, in normal tone. Grabbing my hand again, he lead me across a short beach that was underneath a wooden bridge, and to a narrow boardwalk. There was a small row boat docked along the boardwalk, to which he let go of my hand, climbed in and moved the oars in ready position. "Jump in," he invited.

"Okay, but I may need a little help," I said as I hoisted my nightgown up, making it easier to climb into the boat. I could see Sam rolling his eyes in the moonlight, but he eventually lend his hand as support while I got in. I sat in the boat and looked down at my hands as I fiddled with them nervously. I could hear the faint yelling and terrible screaming of the people and pirates close by. The smell of smoke surrounded us, and black clouds filled the air in the distance.

"Will we make it?" I asked, tears now filling my eyes. Sam pushed us from the dock and began rowing in steady motions.

"I promise you, Elenor, we will make it." I could feel his eyes making contact with mine in the low light of the stars, and I made a brief smile before tears quietly streamed down my face. Never before did I think something like this would happen.