In Love with a Pirate

Where it all began

"Kiddie hoosegow."

"The slammo."

"Thank you, officers..." Sarah shot a look at Claire. "...it won't happen again."

"We see her type all the time ma'am...wrong choice-ers."

"Dead enders."

"Losers...you take care now."

"Let's motor."

With those...less than encouraging words, the officers left.

Sarah turned to her daughter, clear frustration in her tired eyes.

"Claire! I. have. had it. Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall? Is that it?"

Claire avoided eye contact with her mother and walked away to start taking care of the dishes on the tables.

"Claire....Claire, look at me. It's been hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you..."

Claire interrupted her. "Mom, it's no big deal...there was a dumb assembly at school and there was nobody around the mine...those cops just won't get off my..."

She stopped when she saw the look that her mom gave her.

"...forget it." She muttered more to herself than anything.

"Oh, Mrs. Hawkins! My JUUIICE!" Ms. Dunwoodie cut in.

"Yes, I'll be right there Ms. Dunwoodie...Claire, I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future."

"Heh, what future?" She said in a defeated tone as she continued to clear the tables.

Later that night, despite the light rain storm, Claire did what she always did when she wanted to be alone...she sat on the roof. As she sat, she could hear her mom and Delbert talking through the window, and she listened as she bounced rocks off the tiles.

"I really don't know how you manage it Sarah...trying to run a business while raising a mess...mess...miss. A miss like Claire."

"Manage? I'm at the end of my rope. Ever since her father left, well...Claire's just never recovered. And you know how smart she is...she built her first solar-surfer when she was eight! And yet, she is failing at school, she is constantly in trouble, and when I talk to her...she's like a stranger to me. I just-I don't know Delbert, I've tried everything..."

Claire was saddened by her mother's words, but her attention was directed elsewhere when she heard the sound of a ship engine sputtering. She looked up to see a one-man spaceship crash land on the port in front of the inn. Concerned, she slid off the roof and ran over to see if whoever was inside was okay.

"Hey! Are-are you alright in there?!"

Claire jumped back when out of nowhere a reptilian-clawed hand smacked up against the window. She watched in anticipation, and the next thing she knew, the mysterious man's fists were wrapped in the collar of her shirt as he pulled her close to his face.

In a raspy voice, the old reptile spoke to her.

"He's a-comin'! Can ya' hear him?"

He got closer.

"Those gears and gyros clickin' and whirrin'...like the devil himself!"

"Hit your head there pretty hard, didn't you?"

The old reptile backed up and picked up a small chest and held it close.

"He's after me chest...that fiendish cyborg and his band of cutthroats. But they'll have to pry it...from old Billy Bones' cold, dead fingers 'afore I--arg!"