Jungle Lovers

Chapter One

Gunfire rang through the air jolting me awake.

"What the hell?"

Panic surged through me as I sprang out of bed like an arrow that had been pulled taut against the string of it's bow. Frantic shouts began to fill the the darkness up on deck, along with more gunshots and small explosions. Stumbling in the pitch black of the cabin I felt my way around the room searching for any kind of weapon I could use, and, at the very least, a pair of jeans to slip on beneath my nightgown.

A strong hand covered my mouth and muffled my startled scream as a familiar voice whispered comforting words in my ear.

"Sh, Pumpkin, it's just me."

"Daddy? What is happening?" I asked once he released his hand from my mouth.

"Pirates!" was the only response he gave as he hugged me tight for a moment before releasing me. And that one word 'pirates' was filled with both fear and resolve.

He moved quickly about the cabin tossing things into a duffel, "Get dressed Janie," he whispered to me frantically as he tossed me a pair of jeans and one of his old eighties rock band tees.

There was no moment of incoherent panic you often see portrayed in bad Lifetime movies. No hesitation in my movements at all, adrenaline was pumping through my veins like wildfire, controlling my brain and limbs. Within seconds I was completely dressed and awaiting his instructions.

He spoke in a rushed whisper as we crept out the door and made our way towards the starboard side of the ship, "Janie, I need you to do as I say and stick as close to me as possible. If we run into pirates you are to hide until it's clear for you to escape in the life boat, Do you understand me? No matter what happens you are to get off this boat," he paused, turned towards me, tucked me into his warm embrace once again and kissed my temple.

My heart constricted in that moment, understanding flooding me with misery. 'No matter what happens' is always code for 'When the shit hits the fan, run and don't look back, don't wait for me or come back for me.' it's not what anyone wants to hear or face.

Most of the commotion seemed to be coming from the port side of the ship so my father quickened his pace causing me to jog along behind him.

We rounded the final corner and crept up to the door pausing to listen for signs of the struggle having made it to this side of the research vessel. Only silence greeted our ears and my father gave me a tentative smile as he pushed open the door.

What was waiting on the other side of the door was definitely not a Lifetime movie, more like an amped up war drama with a side of horror. Thick plumes of black smoke filled the sky, the heavy smell of chemicals wafting through the air making my throat and lungs burn with every intake of breath. My eyes widened at the sight before me, blood dripped from the railings, bodies were strewn here and there and a fire was blazing on the deck inching ever closer to the air tanks stored topside for easy access.

I think shock was beginning to set in, my limbs refused to move and I could only stand frozen in what my mind registered as an apocalyptic nightmare. A calloused hand tugged at me dragging me forward, urgently yanking on my arm if I hesitated even the fraction of a second.

Once we reached the railing my father's grip loosened.

"Here, hold this," he shoved the duffel into my arms as he began to lower one of the dinghies into the ocean below. Grabbing tight to the rope he tied to the railing with one hand he reached back and pulled me forward.

"It's okay Janie, you can use the rope to help you repel down. We don't know what is waiting in the water so best not to draw attention to our exit. Go, I'll be right behind you."

I stared into the warm brown eyes of my father, the man who has always been there for me, the man who took on the dual role of parenting, alone, after my mother passed away when I was twelve. For ten years it has just been the two of us and the sea.

I hesitated when I flipped one leg over to straddle the railing, rope in hand, it was a decent drop into inky black water if I slipped. Looking back over my shoulder I found my father staring at me, eyes filled with unconditional love and... pride? He leaned in and planted a tender kiss on my forehead and whispered six words that made my heart both swell and falter. "I will love you always, Janie."

I stared at him hoping that would not be the last time those words would reach my ears, "I love you too Daddy, always."

Silently I repelled down the side of the ship dropping with a thud into the small craft. I began untying the lines holding the dinghy steady in the water as I waited for my father to make his way down. A shot echoed through the night and I watched as my father fell over the railing splashing hard in the water.

Instinct took over and I dove into the icy waters praying I would find him quickly. My arms flailed about frantically while I bobbed around trying to feel some part of him to latch onto.

Just when I was about to give up and descend into an abyss of never ending despair, I bumped something solid.

Desperation to find my father overruled the fear of what might be bumping me in the darkness of the deep. I lurched below the surface one last time and thanked the heavens above when I grasped the fabric of my father's shirt.

It was a struggle to hold him above the waters surface as I feverishly kicked my legs to propel us towards our only refuge in this expansive watery grave. Once I finally reached the dinghy, I loosened one of the ropes and tied it securely around my father's unconscious form so I could attempt to haul myself into the craft.

It took several attempts to make it back into the small boat, and a whole lot of swearing, like a sailor on leave I might add, I finally slipped over the edge quickly scrambling to pull my father in with me, not an easy task with a man being essentially two hundred pounds of slippery dead weight.

His unconscious state frightened me beyond anything else I had experienced that night, but the gunshot wound thankfully looked like it was a graze instead of a direct hit.

"Please, Daddy...wake up...don't you leave me too, don't you dare leave me!" I begged him between heavy sobs and CPR breaths and compressions.

After what felt like hours he began to sputter and cough, expelling the salt water from his lungs. Exhausted, I sank down next to him sobbing like a baby as he took deep breaths on his own.

We laid there for hours, the sound of his raspy breaths both concerning and comforting. I knew there was nothing much I could do for him, adrift on the ocean, other than pray we were rescued swiftly.

The endless gentle rocking of the dinghy was slowly lulling me to sleep beneath a beautiful ebony sky. I fought against sleep, fearful I would wake next to my father's lifeless body. I needed something to pass the time and force myself to stay awake.

Stars twinkled in the velvety blackness, like diamonds and eased the horrors from my mind as I focused on playing a childish game of connect the dots, the night sky becoming my own personal LiteBrite.

The shapes of bunnies, puppies and horses appeared amongst the heavenly constellations and my lips twitched into a small smile, but once the ship appeared in the stars the smile vanished instantly and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, the sights and sounds of the fallen vessel and crew still quite prominent in my mind.

My eyes slowly became leaden and soon I could take their weight no more as I drifted off into the all consuming darkness.