Written by Angel E. Wright
"Seriously, Zay, where are we going?"
I've been sitting in his car blindfolded for what has to be an hour now. My sense of direction is shit on a good day, so right now we could be somewhere out of town or he could've been driving in circles and we're only three blocks from home.
"Jade, would I have blindfolded you if I wanted you to know?" He laughs at my exaggerated sigh before taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. "Just relax and trust me."
It's ironic that he says this, knowing this trip is partially inspired by the fact that I'm actively working on trusting him again. We've always had a great relationship—the kind people are jealous of—but a few months ago, Isaiah started getting friendly and flirty with his hot new co-worker, going so far as to kiss her at a staff work party while heavily intoxicated. He immediately regretted it, coming clean the second he returned home, and assured me it would never happen again. After cutting off all communication with her, he requested a transfer to a different branch in an attempt to win me back and regain my trust.
It hasn't been easy; we've had many hard and painful discussions, shining a spotlight on our not-so-picture-perfect relationship and exposing the cracks in what I thought was our rock-solid foundation. Months of couple's therapy, weeks of separation, and days of flip flopping about the status of our relationship have all led to this moment—the celebration of our 5th anniversary.
Isaiah insisted on planning it, saying he wanted to "do something very special" as a sign of his love for me and his sheer gratitude that I was willing to give him—give us—another chance. He's been so tight-lipped about it, going so far as to swear his sister, my best friend, to secrecy. Everything within me thinks he's finally going to propose, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.
"Okay, we're finally here," he says, as the car rolls to a stop.
"Can I take my blindfold off now?"
"No, not yet. Don't worry, I'll guide you and keep you safe."
"Keep me safe?! Isaiah, where the hell are we?"
He opens his door, chuckling softly. "You'll see in literally two minutes."
The smell of pine, earth, and moss wafts through the car. Well, we're definitely not in the city anymore. It's incredible how much my other senses have heightened in the short space of time I've been blindfolded. I can hear as Isaiah walks around the car, the crunching of the autumn leaves under his Chelsea boots getting louder with each step. My door opens and he takes my hand, guiding my blinded self out of the car with compassionate precision.
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he leans his chin on my shoulder and kisses the crook of my neck. "Damn, baby, the things I want to do to you right now with you blindfolded and at my mercy."
"Did you just drive me out to the woods to have sex in nature? We could've done that in our backyard, you know."
"Where's the fun in that?" he murmurs, kissing my neck again. "But to answer your question, no, I didn't... unless you want to."
"I want to know where we are before the mosquitos suck all the blood out of my veins."
Isaiah laughs as he releases his hold on me and takes my hands to walk us toward our destination. "Fine, fine, let's get this trip started."
Thankfully, we only walk for a few seconds before he stops and removes my blindfold. "Here we are! Our home away from home for the next few days."
"An abandoned ship in the middle of nowhere?"
"Not just any ship, an infamous pirate ship! Isn't this cool?!"
I stare at the monstrosity in front of me. It looks like something you'd find in a museum. The wood is rotted, with tufts of trees and bushes growing between the cracks. The few sails that are still up are torn, and all the metal has rusted.
"Am I missing something? Or have you gotten sick of me after five years and are you planning to kill me and hide my body?"
"You're always jumping to the most extreme conclusions," Isaiah says, rolling his eyes.
"That's what years of watching true crime shows will do for you."
"For your information, this is a newly renovated Airbnb. I know the outside doesn't look like much, but I promise the inside makes up for it." He gives me a sweet kiss on the lips before tugging my hand as he rushes to the gangway to board the ship.
Stepping onto the deck, I'm hit with an unexpected wave of nostalgia and stumble backwards. Isaiah catches me before I can fall.
"Easy there, sailor. We're not on water. You don't actually need sea legs."
Now it's my turn to roll my eyes, before taking another look around the ship. I know for a fact I've never been here before—hell, I don't even know where here is—but there's something so familiar about this place. Whoever converted this ship into an Airbnb restored, rather than altered, the deck, leaving me skeptical about the conditions of the interior. To my knowledge, Isaiah has never been into pirates, ships, or even history, so I'm crossing my fingers and toes that inside is more of a romantic getaway than outside.
As if reading my thoughts, he smiles at me and says, "I promise the inside makes up for it."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Isaiah laughs again and opens a door which takes us into a spacious interior cabin. It looks like a modern, open-concept apartment; there's a newly renovated kitchen and dining area as we walk in, leading to a family room with a 65-inch television. Walking down the hall, I spot a bathroom with a giant clawfoot tub shower, double vanity, and small sauna. Next to the bathroom is the bedroom. Complete with a king-size canopy bed, portholes, and wallpaper with navigation print, it's the only room in this guest house that still holds some of the pirate aesthetic.
"The front half of the hull has been completely gutted and renovated into this guest house. Isn't it perfect?" Isaiah asks, coming up behind me and embracing me again.
"You've outdone yourself," I answer, staring at the red and pink petals spread leading up to the bed, the bouquets of roses throughout the room, and the chocolate and champagne resting on an ornate tray.
"You settle in and feel free to look around. I'm going to bring our bags in from the car." He kisses the top of my head before spinning me in for a deeper kiss.
"I think the bags can wait, don't you?" I wink at him as I drop to my knees and get to work removing his belt and unzipping his jeans.
Isaiah's handsome face breaks into a grin as his cock breaks free from the restraint of his underwear. "You know I can never say no to you."
Opening my mouth, I work my magic on him, teasing the underside of his cock with my tongue, fondling his sack, and taking him in as far as he can go so the back of my throat repeatedly gets pummelled from his thrusts. With his head thrown back and a strong grip on my head, he reaches his climax, spilling his seed in my mouth. Not typically a fan of swallowing, I run to the bathroom to spit out his cum and rinse my mouth.
Wench.
"Zay," I call out, "did you say something?"
"Nah, babe. Still trying to come down from that mind-blowing head you just gave me."
That's weird. I'm sure I heard something...
Right as I'm about to turn off the faucet, a shadow moves past my peripheral. I spin around and walk to the doorway to peek down the hall for Isaiah, but he's still standing in the room, clutching one of the posts on the bed as he catches his breath. A pair of sinister eyes stare at me when I turn back toward the vanity.
"Oh shit!" I shake my head, as if that will somehow make the image go away. Sure enough, when I look again, the eyes are still there, narrowed and angry. "Zay! Get in here NOW!"
"What's wrong, babe?" Isaiah asks as he rushes into the bathroom.
I run into the safety of his arms and stammer out, "Th-th-the mirror. Th-there's s-s-someone inside."
"Inside the mirror?" He releases me to go and inspect it further. "There's nothing here, Jade. I don't see anything."
Turning around, I glance back at the mirror. All I see are our reflections staring back at us—my eyes wide with fright, and Isaiah looking at me with a worried expression.
"Zay, I'm not lying. There was someone watching me."
"Babe, that's not possible. See?" He pulls on the mirror, and it springs open, revealing a nearly empty medicine cabinet. "Nothing here but some first aid kit supplies."
"I know what I saw!"
"Seriously, Jade, you need to lay off those true crime shows. There's no one here but us."
Huffing in frustration, I inspect the mirror myself, looking to see if there could be any way it's a two-way mirror. "I know what I saw," I mumble, dragging my fingers along the edges of the reflective glass.
Isaiah places his hands on my shoulders, putting himself between me and the mirror. "How about you go back to the bedroom while I grab the rest of our things. Then I'll get the barbeque going and we can have dinner. I'm sure you're starving."
I want to protest, but the earnest look in his eyes makes me pause. "Yeah, okay," I say, nodding, "that sounds like a good idea."
We walk out of the bathroom and part ways, but rather than head to the bedroom, I feel a strange compulsion to explore the rest of the ship. Exiting through a side door in the living room, I take a stroll up to the quarterdeck, admiring the detail of the helm as I rotate it, pretending to steer the ship.
After a few moments, I spot a door which looks like it leads to the back half of the hull. A small beam of light flickers through the small window before it moves out of my line of sight. My rational brain tells me to ignore it, or at the very least, get Isaiah to come investigate with me, but it's as if my feet have a mind of their own. Before I know it, I'm opening the door and following the light as it moves through the dark, cold space.
"Hello? Is anybody down here?"
I grab my cell phone from my back pocket and turn on the flashlight. As the room illuminates, I see what I'd expect to see in an abandoned ship—rows of barrels, a couple wooden chests, and a few tankards strewn about.
The light shines again, flashing intensely in the corner of the room. As I get closer, I spot what looks like a picture frame lying on the ground. I bend down and pick it up, gasping at the sight before me. There, standing beside a ruggedly handsome looking pirate, is a woman who looks like she could be my twin sister. Dressed in black trousers, a white flowing top, tall brown boots, and a red sash around her head, she's the quintessential image of a pirate. It's clear from the picture that they're romantically involved, maybe even married, as he has his arm around her waist and she's leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Well, shit! She looks just like you!"
Startled, I scream and release the frame, shrieking again when it hits the ground and the glass shatters. "Zay! You can't just sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry, babe, I didn't mean to scare you." He bends down to pick up the photo and studies it closely. "Not gunna lie, this is kind of trippy."
"Why do I get the feeling you set this up to make me think this place is haunted?"
"What? Why would I do that? This is supposed to be a romantic getaway. The last thing I'd want are ghosts and goblins raining on my love parade."
"You're such a geek."
"What are you doing down here anyway?"
I hesitate, not wanting him to think this place is making me crazy. "I...uh...I just wanted to see the rest of this ship."
"I don't think we're supposed to be down here. In fact, I was told these doors would be locked. Let's head back up."
Isaiah takes my hand and guides us through the dark, narrow passageway and back up onto the deck. Without warning, the sky goes pitch black and the ground becomes unsteady as waves rock this giant vessel. Men in all shapes and sizes run back and forth across the deck, easing and trimming the different sails, securing the lines, and sweeping the deck. Strong arms wrap around my waist, accompanied by the undeniable scent of rum. They move lazily up my body, caressing my curves and breasts until they stop at my throat and squeeze tight.
I know what ye have been doing, Abigail...
My hands clutch at those on my throat, desperate to get them to release me as my airflow is restricted and I start feeling lightheaded.
There are consequences for your actions.
"Let...me...go...," I croak out as darkness clouds my eyes and my consciousness slips away.
"Babe? Why are you still standing there?"
I open my eyes and see that everything is back to normal. The sky is still blue, the ship is still on land, and Isaiah is standing a few feet away with a look of confusion on his face.
"You didn't see that?"
"See what?"
I bring my hands to my throat again, the sensation of the strangulation still with me. Snap out of it, Jade. You're letting your mind play tricks on you.
"It's nothing. Never mind."
Isaiah narrows his eyes, knowing damn well I'm not being truthful, but he just sighs and shrugs. "Okay, if you say so. Let's make dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening."
~~~
I wake up in the morning, still naked from our night of non-stop sex, but now blindfolded.
"Oh good, you're awake," Isaiah whispers in my ear.
"I see you wanted to get extra use out of this blindfold," I say, my lips curving into a smirk.
He replies with a soft "mmhmm" then trails one of the roses along my leg, over my core, and back down the other leg. I shiver from the sensuality of this moment. This is so unlike Zay, who's never really been one for foreplay, and I could definitely get used to this.
The flower moves further up, circling my breasts as my nipples harden. He thumbs one of them, flicking the tip back and forth before giving it a hard pinch.
"Oh yeah, just like that."
Continuing its journey, the rose draws small patterns on my face. My lips part as the petals brush against them and I sigh with pleasure. I reach for his head so I can pull him in for a kiss, but he moves to my lower half, burying himself between my legs and stroking my sex with his tongue. He laps at my core like a man who's found an oasis in the desert, circling his tongue around my clit as he plunges his fingers inside.
I cry out at the force and speed in which he moves, which again, is so unlike him. He's stroking places he's never stroked, teasing and tormenting my nerve endings until I have no choice but to release like a dam all over his face as the most intense orgasm I've ever had rips through me.
He gives me a long, soft kiss, marking my lips with the evidence of my arousal the way a criminal leaves behind a calling card. I remove my blindfold, but he's already left the room. Taking a few moments to clean up, I throw on an oversized t-shirt and head to the kitchen.
"Jeez, after last night, I thought you wanted a break. If I'd have known you were still feeling horny, I wouldn't have left the bed."
"What are you talking about?"
"I heard you moaning during your little solo session. It almost hurt my ego that you preferred yourself over me, but honestly, the sounds you were making were so hot, I can't even be mad."
"Zay, stop messing around. The blindfold was a nice touch, but I know it was you this morning."
"Blindfold? I don't think so. I was out here making breakfast, babe."
Panic seeps in like a hazardous material being absorbed through each and every one of my pores. "Are you honestly telling me you didn't go down on me this morning?"
"Fuck, I wish. Unfortunately, after all our fun last night, my body was craving real food this morning." He picks up a piece of bacon and pops it in his mouth for added effect.
I fold my arms over my chest and look around the suite, suddenly feeling violated and very self-conscious. "I think someone else is here, Zay."
"I think the more reasonable explanation is that you were dreaming. And it sounds like it was quite the dream." He chuckles, scooping some scrambled eggs onto my plate.
"It wasn't a dream, Zay," I say, rolling my eyes. "I know the difference between a dream and reality."
Isaiah sets our food down at the table and motions for me to join him. "Perhaps coming here wasn't the best idea. This was supposed to be a romantic anniversary getaway, not some erotic haunted house."
I sit down at the table, pushing my food around because I'm in no mood to eat. "Someone is in here. I know it. If not that, then this is one of those creepy rental places where the owner has cameras set up and is watching our every move. First the bathroom, then that weird light in the back half of the hull and that woman who looks like me in the photo, and now this?"
Reaching across the table, Isaiah grabs my hand. "Okay, okay. If it will put your mind at ease, I'll walk around the house and check for hidden cameras or signs of anything suspicious."
"Thank you, Zay. That's all I ask for."
~~~
The rest of the day went smoothly. True to his word, Isaiah checked every nook and cranny of the ship and couldn't find anything suspicious. While I couldn't put my mind completely at ease, I convinced myself that my mind was playing tricks on me so that I could enjoy my time away.
"Dinner's almost ready, babe," Isaiah calls out from the kitchen.
"I'll be right there!"
I'm putting the finishing touches on my outfit for tonight. I was right, he's planning to propose. He accidentally dropped the ring box as he was trying to put it into his pocket. I pretended I didn't notice, but internally I was screaming! I will finally become Mrs. Jade Gibson and I can't think of anything that could make me happier right now.
As I step out into the hall, I'm surrounded by lit candles, more rose petals, and soft romantic music. Isaiah's kneeling at the opposite end, holding an open blue velvet ring box. With tears already streaming down my face, I walk toward him until I'm standing right in front of him, my hands covering my mouth.
"I was planning to wait until after dinner, but I can't wait another second. Jade, ever since I've met you, I've known you were my person, my soulmate, my better half. You're my biggest cheerleader, my greatest inspiration, and the most exceptional source of unconditional love. I know I've made my share of mistakes, and I've put strain on our unbreakable bond. Your forgiveness means the world to me and if you'll have me, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you and keeping you happy. I love you more than words can say. Jade Williams, will you marry me?"
"Yes! Yes! Of course, I will! Yes!"
He slides a beautiful pear-shaped diamond ring onto the third finger of my outstretched hand. A rush of wind blows through the guest house, nearly extinguishing all the candles.
"I guess someone's not too happy about our engagement," he says, laughing as he stands up. "But I'm thrilled you said yes. I can't wait to marry the shit outta you."
"Ditto," I say through my giggles.
Isaiah pulls me into him, and we kiss with a new-found passion, as though our new seal of commitment has changed us both in some way. Without breaking the kiss, he picks me up bridal style and walks me to the bedroom, laying me on the bed gently.
"Forget the food. All I want to do is make love to my beautiful fiancée."
I watch as he undresses, not the slightest bit disappointed that all my effort into getting dressed up is about to be ruined. Sitting up, I unzip my dress and wait for Isaiah to pull it down from my shoulders. He lives up to my expectations, kissing every inch of skin as he slowly peels my dress away. When he reaches my core, he licks it a few times before positioning himself between my legs and entering me.
A dark shadow moves behind him, shocking me and taking me out of the experience for a second, but I shake my head to erase my paranoid thoughts as Isaiah pushes in deeper and deeper.
"Oh, baby, you feel so good wrapped around my cock like that."
You cheating wench.
"Did you hear that?" I ask, placing my hand on Isaiah's chest to stop him.
He leans over and kisses my lips before trailing kisses along my cheekbone until he reaches my ear. "Babe, all I wanna hear right now is you screaming my name over and over." He sits back up, spreads my legs, and starts thrusting again. It feels so good, I squeeze my eyes shut as pleasure overtakes me.
Actions have consequences.
My eyes snap open and I see a pair of eyes glowing behind Isaiah's head. "Zay, wait! There's someone in here with us!"
"Jade, not this aga—" His eyes widen as he starts gagging. Dropping my legs, his hands fly to his throat, clutching and grasping at the invisible force strangling him. "Help...me..."
Before I can even move, Isaiah's neck snaps to the side at lightning speed, and he falls on top of me.
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!"
My screams fill the air as I remain frozen, paralyzed by fear and Isaiah's dead weight on top of me. I don't know what to say, I don't know how to feel, I don't know what to think.
No one touches what's mine.
The voice breaks me out of my shock, reminding me that invisible, evil forces are at work in this place and I'm not safe here. With much effort, I slide out from underneath the love of my life, devastated that I can't give him the proper send-off he deserves, and run out the room.
The atmosphere is eerily quiet. Most of the candles have blown out and it sounds like a storm is brewing outside. I look around for a weapon, or for keys, or for anything that can help me in this freakish situation.
Why're you running, me love?
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight as the voice whispers in my ear. I don't bother to turn and look, opting instead to run into the bathroom and lock the door while I come up with a plan. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I do know I need to get out of here.
The light flickers on and I scream. The reflection staring back at me through the mirror is me, but a bloated, beaten version of me, almost as though I've been trapped underwater for days or weeks. Like the picture, I'm dressed in pirate attire. I reach up to touch my face but freeze when I see a figure come up behind me. He is the spitting image of the pirate in the picture. Together in the mirror, the two of us look like that couple.
Was it worth it? Was it worth betraying yer captain?
His hands wrap around my neck as he smiles menacingly through the mirror. I reach up and smash the mirror, grabbing a piece of fragmented glass and turning around to take a swipe at him, but it goes right through him. He laughs, a deep, sinister laugh that fills my body with dread, and I use this moment to run past him.
Ye can run, wench, but ye can't hide.
As naked as I was when I left my mother's womb, I run out the door of the guest house onto the deck, where I'm once again transported to a different time and space. I'm back in the pirate outfit and there's rain pouring all around me, as lightning streaks across the sky and thunder roars and rumbles deep in my bones. The ship rocks hard back and forth, as the waves toss it around like two men playing ping-pong. This time, there are no men rushing around the deck, it's just me, isolated and alone.
It's time to face your consequences of your betrayal, Abigail.
"Leave me alone! I'm not Abigail!" I shout into the wind. Everything is so loud, I can barely hear myself, so I'm not even sure how I'm hearing him.
I run for shelter, bounding down the stairs that will take me into the back half of the hull. Retracing my steps from yesterday, I walk over to a large chest and hide inside.
Please, oh please, don't let him find me.
Crouched into a ball, I let the tears flow down my face while trying to keep my cries and sniffles to a minimum. Ten minutes later, the door creaks open and I hear footsteps.
"Jade? Jade, are you here?"
Isaiah? He survived?
"Please, Jade, if you're here, answer me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." His voice sounds strained, overcome with emotion and damaged by the strangulation.
I'm hesitant to leave the safety of this chest, but if Isaiah's alive, then we need to get out of here so he can receive some medical attention.
I open the lid of the chest a crack and peer out. Sure enough, Isaiah is standing a few feet away from me, looking around the room. Throwing it wide open, I climb out and run toward him, stopping when his head turns 180 degrees like an owl, and I see blood pouring out of his eyes.
"Y-you-you're not Isaiah," I stammer, as bile rises in my throat at the grotesque sight before me.
"I told you, you can run, but you can't hide."
I turn to run, but he turns around fully and trips me, grabbing me by my feet and dragging me back up to the deck.
"Who are you?! Why are you doing this to me?"
"Oh, me love. Me sweet, sweet love. How can ye forget yer husband so quickly?"
He props me up against the side of the ship and leans in, stroking my face. I turn my head to avoid his touch, but he takes advantage of that and kisses my neck.
"Get away from me! And get out of Isaiah's body!"
"I'm not going anywhere, Abigail. It's time ye face the consequences of yer actions."
"Please, let me go. I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know who Abigail is. I don't know what she's done."
"How soon ye forget? Well, me sweet wife, let's refresh yer memory, shall we? Does sleeping with me First Mate ring any bells?!" he yells, spitting in my face as his anger explodes. "After everything I did for ye! Saving ye from yer bastard husband and that shit ye called a marriage. This is how ye repay me?!" He takes a deep breath, crosses one arm over his chest, and rests his other arm on it while he leans against his finger and thinks. "For that, ye must walk the plank."
"Over my dead body!" I scream, grabbing a handful of sand from beside me and throwing it in his eyes.
He screams and falls back, giving me time to get up and run toward the gangway to escape this wretched ship.
With the rain pouring around me and the wind whipping at my body, I lose my sense of direction and opt to hide behind some barrels until it's safe to run again. I sit as still as possible, trying to calm my thundering heart as he walks the deck searching for me. Peeking out from behind the barrels, I spot Isaiah's frame in the distance and decide to make a run for it. He must have spotted me, because the next thing I see is the boom swinging toward me before my world goes black.
When I come to, I'm tied up and lying on a plank, with the ghost pirate standing over me. He forces me to my feet to stand up and pokes me with his saber until I'm at the end of the plank.
"What did I tell ye, Abigail? Traitors don't get second chances. Now do the honourable thing and walk."
For a moment, the scene returns to normal. The sky is clear, the sun is setting, and we're back on land again. I look down from the plank and see a mound of skeleton remains underneath the plank.
The scene returns to the past as a rush of memories flood my mind and I see the pirate in his original uniform. Glancing down at myself, I see my own pirate attire and notice another man lying dead at the pirate's feet.
Killian, her one true love...and her husband's First Mate.
"Abigail, what say ye?"
"I am sorry for betraying you," I say, tears filling my eyes as I gaze at Isaiah's doppelgänger. "But I will never apologize for loving him."
The pirate's face falls as my words cut straight to his heart and I can only imagine how devastated he must've felt to find out his wife was cheating on him. However, in an instant, it changes, filling with anger and rage.
"Arr, then ye made yer choice."
And with a swift motion, he plunges his saber into my stomach, the pain excruciating and unlike any I've ever felt. I stare at it in disbelief before taking one last look at Isaiah, the man I love lying dead on the ground.
Goodbye, my love. I'll see you again soon.
With the same swiftness, Pirate pulls the saber out and kicks me off the plank.