BEN'S POV:
"You can't be serious." Aiden said to me as we got ready to jump overboard. Aiden was starting to look healthier and was standing up alright. I was glad he was okay, after I go save Jenna I don't know what's going to happen to me.
"Aiden, I have to go, she's over there," I said tightening my belt around my waist. I checked to make sure my knife was still there, hidden in the inside pocket.
"Ben! Think this through." Aiden said, "Why would he take Jenna? Jenna knows absolutely nothing! He did it because she's bait. Bait for you. Ben, you're walking right into a trap."
"Actually, I'm swimming."
"Haha, very funny. I'm worried for you. Even if you are a pain, you are still my brother," Aiden said putting his hand onto my shoulder, holding me back. "Which is why I'm coming with you."
"You're just getting over an almost fatal wound! Aiden, you can't come," I said starring at him.
"You know I do what I want," Aiden said. I knew he won, when Aiden set his mind to something, he would do it no matter what happened.
"Okay fine, maybe with two of us we can manage to save both Jenna and Captain," I answered. Without waiting for a reply, I jumped into the frigid waters below. The cold jolted me awake and only reminded me more of my father. Whenever I was near the sea I thought of him. It was hard not too. I heard a splash next to me, signaling the arrival of my brother. Together we swam to the enemy boat.
JENNA'S POV:
I was still trying to get over the shock of finding out about Ben's father. It was scary to think that the most feared pirate in all the seas, Blackbeard, was the boy she has a crush on's, father!
"You really are quite idiotic," Colby said sneering down at me. "Why would Captain pick up such low lives? Honestly, you're all cast aways, nobodys. I bet I would be doing the world a favor if I just slaughtered you all now."
All the anger, resentment, and fury started to build up in me. It was like a huge wave had crashed over me and I lashed out. I thought of Captain, an innocent man killed, Ben and his father, Aiden and his injury, Sydney who now has no Captain, and the whole crew who will never feel the same again without their loving friend. With all that in my mind I leaped up and tackled Colby to the ground. Surprise has an edge and I managed to wrap my hands around his neck and bring his head to the ground with a startling crash.
Breathing hard, I just realized what I had truly done. Panicking, I checked his pulse: still allive. As much as I hated Colby, I could never kill him. I had already killed someone today, a nameless man who had attacked our ship and I feel stabs of pain and heartache whenever I think about what I did. It was shameful and it was a mistake. One I would never make again.
Before he woke up, I needed to get out of here. I got to my feet and opened the door. Peeking out just the slightest, I looked up and down the small hallway that the bedroom branched into. No one in sight.
Making a quick decision, I tiptoed down the left hallway. It ended in a large room full of maps and compasses. I obviously went the wrong way. Before I could turn around, a hand covered my mouth. I screamed into the hand and bit it trying to get my captor to release it's grip. Cursing, he dropped his hand, and I turned around to be met with the gaze of Aiden.
Holding back a yelp of relief, I gave him a huge hug. "Aiden, he, he killed Captain." I said tearing brimming my eyes. I heard a crash behind me and turned to see none other than Ben.
"What?" Ben whispered softly. I nodded and looked down. Before I could let them think too much on the depressing thought, I said, "Ben, um, Colby is well, he's after you," I felt like there was no good way to say that.
"He needs to get over his scar. Honestly, who searches half the world to find one guy that scarred your face?" Ben said angrily.
"That's not why he's after you," Someone said from the doorway. We all jerked around to see, standing in the doorway, Colby. He was leaning on the door frame like it was the most casual thing in the world.
"Then why did you take years out of your pathetic life to search the world for me?" He said questioningly.
Colby just chuckled and looked at us from raised eyebrows. "Ben, I already told Jenna your secret. It's out. You might as well stop the act." Before Colby could get another word out, the ship started to move.
Colby swore and ran towards the hull, momentarily forgetting about us. Ben and Aiden ran after Colby, and I had no choice but to run as well. The ship didn't seem so big before, but running after in-shape people is very tiring, and I was starting to think this ship went on forever.
Finally, we all reached the main desk and there, steering the ship, standing at the hull was Captain. He saw us starring up at him and winked. I was so confused that I barely had time to react when Colby grabbed me and yanked me to his chest. I felt something cold and hard against my throat and realized he had a knife to my throat.
"Keep driving this ship and the girl gets it," he said sounding like one of those horror movies I never watch.
Captain slowly backed away from the hull and raised his arms in a 'surrendering' gesture. I started breathing heavily after realizing I was in a potentially fatal position right now. I glanced over at Ben and saw anger and panic in his eyes.
"Good, now I want you to come down here and have a nice chat with us." Colby said with an evil smile. Captain walked down the steps to the main desk and grunted when he got to us.
"You can let Jenna go, I'm here," he said looking at me nervously.
"Sorry Captain, but I'm not letting her go until Ben tells me the location of the fountain of youth." Colby said.
Ben looked shocked to say the least, but Aiden looked even more shocked. Ben stepped forward and quickly replied, "I have no idea where the fountain of youth is so just let her go Colby."
"Now, now, Benjamin. We all know that your father has passed down the location to his only son, you." Colby said in an obvious tone.
Ben was starting to look really confused now. "Colby whatever sick, twisted joke this is you can stop. My father--" Before Ben could finish his sentence, Aiden stepped up and said, "I'm Blackbeard's son. I know what you need."
To say I was shocked was an understatement. Aiden? Aiden with his blond hair and green eyes looked nothing like the dark image of the Blackbeard that I was associated with.
Colby's arm went slack with disbelief and I took that moment of weakness to turn, bring my knee up, and hit him where the sun don't shine. His eyes popped out of his head and he collapsed to the ground holding his family jewels.
I felt arms snake around my waist and pull me away from the man withering on the floor. The arms were tan and muscular and I immediately knew they were Ben's by the way I was feeling tingly all over.
I heard him whispering in my ear that it was going to be alright. Yeah right. I just found out that Captain was dead, and he turned out not to be (which was a good thing), that Aiden is actually Blackbeard's son instead of Ben (I don't know what to think), and that knives are very scary when they are being held to your throat (no duh).
It seemed like the boys were taking over because Aiden was starting to tie up Colby, and Captain was at the hull again steering the ship. I turned around and noticed that Colby's crew was working like they never saw this whole exchange. Pirates.
Ten minutes later and Colby was tied up to a chair and Aiden, Ben, and I were standing over him. Who knew that all it took to take out a guy was kick him in the nuts. I wrote that down on my mental notepad to use for later.
Anyway, we are heading back to civilization to get Colby locked up for good. We obviously weren't going to tell the police that we were pirates, it turns out that Colby is on the Most Wanted List in many countries. I guess he wasn't just a bad person on the sea, he was bad on land as well.
Aiden finally spoke up to Colby, "Colby, you have been looking for nothing. There is no fountain of youth. It was a whole myth that my dad made up to make him sound cool. He never found the fountain of youth and he never will. He's still obsessed with finding it and that's why he left me."
I realized that Aiden wasn't just talking to Colby, he was telling me his past. Suddenly Ben spoke up and looked at me, "My father died before I was born and my mother found Blackbeard, that's when this thing was made," Ben pointed to Aiden, who just stuck out his tongue. "Anyway, Blackbeard...h-he killed my mother right in front of me, and then left me to die. That's when I met Captain."
Ben just told me his past. It was definitely not too bright, but if he was willing to share his past with me, then I would have to trust him and tell him mine as well. I walked over to Ben and hugged him.
"I'm sorry." I walked over to Aiden and hugged him saying the same thing. Taking a deep breath I told them everything. That I didn't know my birthday, that I never got a present in my life, the beatings, the bruises, the constant fear. I was crying now and I was starting to chaste myself for being so weak.
The boys came and hugged me, and even after Aiden had stepped away, Ben kept hugging me and it felt nice.
Captain yelled down to us that we were here. "Aiden come with me, Ben you watch the ship..and Jenna," he said winking to me. Great, if Captain knew I liked Ben, then it had to be pretty obvious. I started blushing and looked away, hoping Ben wouldn't notice. No such luck.
"Aw is Jenna blushing?" he teased poking my red cheeks.
"No..." I said slapping his hand away.
Ben then took a deep breath and said that one thing that I secretly dreamed he would always say. "Jenna, I really care for you. This may be weird to ask, and I understand if you say no, but can I kiss you?"
I didn't even give him an answer just wrapped my arms around his neck, and well, kissed him. That's when I knew, I was never letting him get away. No matter where we set sail or what we go through, I was never going to give him up. And when he looked down into my eyes, I could see he was thinking the same thing.
THE END..
Yes this book is short and yes it's not the best book in the world. I wrote this when I was younger and looking back on it now - it is very cringeworthy, but I hoped you all liked my little short story and you will read the other books that I will post. Because I have more coming!
Thank you so much for reading this book and I hope you fan me! I will fan you back!!
(By the way, if anyone is confused, Captain was never dead, Colby was just telling Jenna that to make her upset! Captain did not come back from the dead--although that would be awesome :)
~Christina