Deep within the swamp, Agwé lives a peaceful life among his family and animal friends, with whom he shares a special gift. That is, until his life is torn asunder and he is driven from his home by the voodoo spirits. Lost and alone, he wanders the...
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My feelings for Annie May weren't present at first. Yes, I found her to be beautiful beyond words, but she was my captain. I desired fiercely to protect her, especially after learning of her traumatic childhood. So yes, I cared for her deeply, but never in that way. But time passed on and slowly, without fully realizing, things began to change. To grow. Sharing exhilarating experiences like we did daily often has that effect. At least, that's what I've been told.
But there was more to it than that. She was full of energy and a love for life. Wild and fun. And yet, beneath the mask she wore so well, there was a real softness that came out in those quiet, peaceful moments. Often during those times when she felt most safe, which was usually on our boat when it was just her and me. We came from different worlds. Her, from a traditional Chinese family in the city. Me, from a voodoo village in the bayou. Different upbringings, different skin colors. But despite it all, we seemed to connect on deep, spiritual levels.
These were the first feelings I had ever felt before since becoming a man. Though I couldn't be sure, I suspected she might feel similarly towards me. There was the general warmth and frequent smiles. A soft touch on the arm here, an interrupted stare in my direction there. Or was this me only hoping she reciprocated these feelings? More than anything, I didn't want to ruin what we had going between us. Our working chemistry, yes, but our personal friendship also meant very much to me. What was a fella to do? Eventually, though, the feelings became too strong and I resolved to tell her how I felt that very evening.
We targeted a small vessel that day. The kind that never gave us much trouble before. We weren't expecting any big score, just to get in, grab a few valuables, and get out. Maybe we had been too greedy lately. Hit one too many ships. Made one too many enemies. But one thing is for sure, we were caught entirely unaware by what would come next.
After boarding the ship, Annie May held the small and unarmed crew at gunpoint, while I ventured below deck to check the cabins for any treasures they might contain. It wasn't long before I heard Annie May's panicked shout echoing down to me.
"Agwé, get yourself up here, now! We've got company, and a whole lot of it!"
She wasn't kidding. No question about it, this had been a trap from the start. Navy boats from all directions were closing in around our position. We must have really been making a name for ourselves to receive such a response. There wasn't even a small chance we could fight them all off through gunfight. Our only option was to flee.
Grabbing Annie May by the hand, we leapt into our trusty steamboat and tore off into the water. As always, she insisted on driving, and I was more than happy to oblige. A more skilled captain I wasn't sure existed. As the boats closed in on our location, the bullets began to fly, ricocheting off our hull and splashing in the water around us. With the circle closing fast, our only hope seemed to be a small opening between two of the slower incoming ships in front of us. Despite multiple boats attempting to ram us and block our path, Annie May bobbed and weaved, dodging the first few ships that entered our path.
