Emerald Seas

Chapter 32

'Why did you bring me here?' Kate's soft uncertain voice almost squeaked as Jack suddenly turned around and took her in between his arms, his hands holding the upper part of her arms while staring into the green of her eyes that once again seemed more faded, the brightness had disappeared.

'We need someone who knows how to solve this, or even how this all started' Jack spoke quickly. It was obvious he tried to hide her from all the guards around. But he was lucky as there were hardly any people at the docks, because of the big wedding that was about to take place within a few minutes.

Her ears recognized the rushing sound of sails. It was a familiar one mixed in with the waves stroking the side of the ship in between quay and the wooden hull of the Wench.

'I will not go with you, Jack. I will not leave Cutler behind, we are to be married.. finally' Kate whispered while she hugged her chest, it was obvious she was freezing, goosebumps spread across her pale mixed in with the purple skin. It wasn't really cold, even though the rain it was still midsummer in the Caribbean. But it showed there was something horribly wrong with her.

'Please Kate, you need help' Jack's begging eyes watched her. Kate started shaking her head sideways, there were tears, mixed in with the raindrops, visible upon her pale cheeks, the rosy color it always carried had vanished like snow before the sun.

'I can't' it was when Kate spoke those few words she started to struggle in between Jack's arms. She didn't mean to, but it was like she couldn't control her body, just as the trembling she had no control, like the anxiety, or curse if it was true what Jack said, took over. A cold feeling crossed her spine until she fell to her knees. Jack just in time caught her before her knees would hit the hard ground. He was holding her, slightly moving her toward the gangway of the ship. Kate kept on shaking her head from side to side. It was then Jack had to hold her from fainting, Kate whispered a last weak 'No' before all went black.

A strong salt smell entered her nostrils and was pricking her closed eyes. Kate awoke and slowly raising her torso she noticed herself to be inside a cabin, the captain's quarters aboard a ship. A breeze mixed in with rain-mist entered the cabin from the open window of the ship's stern and touched the side of her face. Before she could realize and before it all came back to her Kate removed the blanket from her while quickly throwing her legs out of the bed. Wrong decision, she fell to the ground and suddenly remembered that aching pain, a pain like something was entering her body in a slow and painful process. Lifting herself from the ground with the help of leaning onto the bed she strumbled outside to the deck. Kate gasped loudly as she saw the view of the open water. She was in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. Holding onto the balustrade of the ship she kept repeating to herself.

'No.. no' Kate was leaning onto the side where her fingernails buried themselves into the wood of the rail, cause of the pain entering her body but too because her heart broke by the thought of Cutler waiting for her by the aisle, while she would never come. What would he think, what would he feel?

'Kate..' a soft voice asked for her. A voice she didn't need a face for to recognize. It was Jack who had noticed her being awake. She felt his warm hand reach for her shoulder. Kate abruptly turned around and struck away his hand angrily.

'How could you?!' Kate's soft but angered voice was muffled by sound of the rain and waves and she took steps backward as Jack took steps foward, trying to calm her down.

'Jack.. you have to return to Nassau' Kate started commanding with her voice now almost disappearing. It was clear Jack had hidden her from the crew before they left. And for a slight moment, in between her anger, Kate worried whether she should have shown up just like this, almost reaching the main deck. But she was furious at Jack for taking her away from her wedding, just like that.