A Pirate's Soul (Book 2 in A Pirate's Heart Trilogy)

5:: Smells of Decay and Cherry Blossoms. A Message from One Too Many

~Rhythm~

Hands brushed the sides of my jean, sliding softly over the rough fabric. Nimble finger looped around my belt while another caressed the small of my back. Gentle digits stroked the under-side of my ass and between my thighs.

They were cold hands. Cold, dead hands of ghostly smoke.

They felt real, oh so real, but I knew they were just an illusion.

The cold ocean wind brushed through my hair and tugged my clothes as a half-moon shined down from above. It was the early morning, hours before the sun would rise.

I woke up two days ago officially. I talked with the crew and caught up completely with them, answered questions about my job and just hung out together. It was nice. After Impel Down, being babysat by Garp sounded like Heaven.

“That was a terrible thing to do, Miss Rhythm,” a soft, melodic voice said next to me. I didn’t move from the railing I leaned against, looking out over the ocean. The cold hands disappeared the moment she showed up.

“Chi,” I said softly. “I wasn’t going to rot away in a prison cell when I have a little brother to help.”

“Protect more like,” Chi said.

“No, he can do that by himself. I’m just here to help him up if he falls down to hard.”

The soft scent of roses invaded my nostrils, coming from the source of the beautiful voice.

“You’re a strange one. Why not help yourself with your own dream?”

“What dream?” I turned and faced her.

Chi was perched on the railing next to me. She was a beautiful woman with a timeless glow; skin smooth and flawless, glowing in the moonlight. The hair on her head was a gorgeous stark contrast to her luminescent body, black with straight-slash bangs and shoulder length. Her eyes were like those little marbles kids played with, pitch black and hard. Her face had a regal, Egyptian, Chinese empress kind of look too it, calm power one might say. She had a slim, lithe form with graceful limbs under a silk, Chinese-styled deep green dress with silver finishing, slitting down from her upper thigh and the water-like fabric cascading down her slim legs, past her dangling feet, and swayed in the cold wind. If she was standing, the skirt would drag across the ground at least a couple feet behind her. Her feet had silver and black gladiator sandals and her wrists had silver wristbands. One of the more stunning features was the huge lashes around her eyes, too big almost. At the bottom corner tip of one lash on each side, was a small crystal.

In her elegant hands, was a delicate crimson rose that she plucked the petals off, one by one.

“Everyone has a dream. This is a ship of dreams,” she said, “And even if you don’t have one, then why would you be here.”

“I told you too-“

She cut me off with a wave of her hand, “Na-san sent me here to tell you he’ll always be with you.”

“I’m aware of that fact, “I said sourly.

“And that you can’t hide,” the flower had only a few meager petals left. “He’s upset that you left him like that, very upset.  He also wanted me to check to see if you were alright.”

“He’s a strange man,” I shook my head, “First threatening me and now babying me.”

“Technically, yes. He is worried about you, though he won’t admit it.”

“Still wants to kill me?”

“I’m afraid so, Miss Rhythm.”

“Not until I finish with what I started,” I turned back to stare at the silvery horizon.