I watched, analyzing the natives that were preparing the fire. There were plenty of men and women but hardly any children. I assumed they killed the most unnecessary members first. Which started with the kids.
I found that horribly unfair. They were innocent. They didn't deserve that.
I felt a small tap on my arm making my 'guards' stand in front of me. I hissed at them in a 'back off' way and the quickly did. I looked down seeing a little boy looking up at me shyly.
I smiled warmly at the child no older than six , kneeling down to his height.
The child looked incredibly nervous and scared and having no words to speak to him I put a hand on his cheek.
The child them handed a thornless rose to me with blushing cheeks. I grinned at the kid kissing his cheek, putting the rose in my hair. But where did the thorns go?
I gently took his hands in mine looking at the damage. They were bleeding badly. I held out his hands to the tribe who was watching and they nodded. However, a woman had held a knife to the kids wrists making the child cry.
I gasped yanking the kid away and in my arms. I hissed and shouted at the tribe making them step back in fright.
The woman made eating gestures to the kid and I growled warningly to the her. And though the tribe all looked similar, I noticed how the woman and the kid looked really similar.
That had to be his mother. Which was even more disgusting.
I picked the child up leaning him on my hip as he clutched to me for dear life.
"I didn't know you were so good with kids." Jack noted as I softly ran my hand down his back. I snorted,
"Yeah okay. Don't expect me to be wiping a kids arse anytime soon."
"What are you planning to do with him?" Jack asked. "He's to young. We can't keep him."
I sighed nodding. "But we can keep him safe for now. At least."
"Sounds like a future plan...but until then, we need more time." Jack told me before speaking to the tribe. I saw swinging gestures from his arms as well making the kid an I laugh at my idiotic brother.
I figured out that Jack was telling them 'More fire' and they all quickly scurried off to find wood. "Time to run?" I asked my grip tightening on the child.
Jack nodded,"Time to run."
We sprinted away the kid making ridiculous, adorable noises as he bounced on my side, giggling. We made our way across the bridge and stopped at a group of small huts.
Tired, I hid the child behind a few boxes successfully telling him to stay hidden and he nodded sticking a thumb in his mouth.
"Look for rope. Preferably long rope." Jack told me rummaging through the boxes in a hurried manner. I searched with him him freezing as I heard the sound of a sword being drawn.
Jack and I slowly turned around seeing the warrior cannibal. Jack ended up throwing spices on himself telling the Native it would taste good.
•••
And now we were tied to poles, passing the humongous table for a feast and getting set above the fire. Well, Jack was. I was next.
Drums pounded louder and louder as my nervousness grew. For Jack, the crew, me and even Will.
And it felt horrible. Throughout all the emotional pain Will put me through, as much as I tried to hate him, I could not. I didn't have it in me. I still loved him.
The pounding ceased, making me turn my head in confusion. The crowd parted revealing a runner who was screeching and pointing. It was clear enough, the prisoners had escaped.
I breathed a sigh of relief and Jack chose to use this to our advantage. With a series of clicks and grunts he told the Tribe to run after them.
As everyone ran, the runner dropped the torch setting the pile of wood beneath him ablaze. My eyes widened and I tried to wiggle out of my restraints to no avail.
Jack tried to blow it out but only succeeded in lighting it even more. Jack started to bounce up and down repeatedly and bounced off the pit rolling away.
He crouched turning to me, as I was tied to a tree, hands bound. "The boy! I'll get the boy!" He said leaving me.
I froze. No he can't leave me alone out here! "Jack! Please come back!" I shouted at my running brother. He still had the pole on his back as well.
Jack appeared minutes later with a knife and began to saw away at my restraints. With the last cut, the knife broke. Of course.
I smiled apologetically at Jack and we made our way to the huts which were the quickest way out.
Except of course, two natives were here. A woman and a man. They glanced at us curiously. Jack sprinted to the side impaling a coconut and swinging it at the native.
The native man grabbed it before it could his his face and brought it down with an angry look.
Great.
This started a fruit war with them. And the natives swung at my poor brother and he twisted and turned in attempt to ward then off but only succeeded in impaling the fruits on each side of the pole.
I watched this in amusement until I decided we needed to leave. "STOP IT!" I shouted and the natives paused their assault. They looked at Jack and back at me.
I made my way to grab the child I had left behind the crates who was patiently waiting. "Jack!" I shouted securing the kid on my back tightly with rope. "Make your way down to the plains. I don't care how, just do it."
"One step ahead of you, Lotte!" I distantly heard as I grabbed a long, flexible stick. I peered over the edge of the cliff seeing my brother about to fall from the extra weight of the fruits. I smiled at his current situation.
"Yes you are! See you down there." I laughed. I quickly jumped, flipping on the pole, successfully landing on the other side. Just as my brother fell.
Ah I'll meet him there.
The kid on my back giggled clapping his hands and I smiled warmly at him before sprinting off into the jungle making my way down.
•••••
I panted kneeling over my brother. "You okay?" I asked helping him up.
He replied with a groan and it wasn't in pain. It was hearing the whoops and hollers of the cannibals chasing us.
"Give us a break." I groaned with him shifting the child securely around me. I gave him a thumbs up and he did the same back.
I shrieked as an arrow whizzed past me. Narrowly missing my head. Jack and I took it as our cue to run.
We made it to the shore and the tribe followed angrily behind is shouting in disagreement as they chased us viciously.
We rounded the rocky cliff and I let out a breath of relief seeing the Black Pearl.and once the crew got sight of us they let go of the restraints against the ship and we made our way into the water.
I went first gasping for breath letting the kid from my back kneeling over for breath and wringing my hair out from the water. I smiled to myself seeing the rose still in my hair.
I heard Jack at the bottom getting cut off by a wave and mumbling some words a few moments later before coming aboard.
The crew bombarded him with suggestions and questions that I ignored. I felt a tugging on my pinkie finger looking down seeing the boy.
I kneeled down again smiling at him. I noticed the tears in his eyes as he held up his hands that were red. The salt water must've stung them.
I nodded kissing both of the boys hands gently bringing him to the steps of the ship.
"Charlotte! Jack! Elizabeth and you are in danger!" Will said.
I rolled my eyes, "Who isn't in danger these days William. Have you considered locking her in a cell or something?"
"She is in one! And you will be too! You will both be in a prison cell bound to hang for helping your brother!" He snapped and I dismissively rolled my eyes ignoring the leap of my heart with the sound of his voice.
I searched for the small first aid stuff we had with no avail to finding them.
I gave the child a shake of my head and he looked down in understanding a pout on his face.
I tickled his stomach to see him smile again and scooped him up in my arms, following Jack and Will once more. Now they were looking at the cloth on of the key.
"Jack!" I called gaining my brothers attention for a slight moment. "Where's the medical stuff?" I asked.
"On the other side of the ship." He replied before speaking with Will once more. I growled stomping to the other end.
I had sat the boy on the cleared steps and he watched curiously as I opened up the crate.
"We need a name for you don't we?" I asked dabbing the moist rag on his hands. He seemed like he was trying to understand me and I think he did for the most part.
"Ben?" I asked and he shook his head. I laughed, "yeah I didn't like it that much either. How about Peter." He hissed at me.
"Alright! Alright! Um Eli. You look like an Eli." I said and he took a moment before nodding.
"Well Eli, I," I pointed to myself. "Charlie." He pointed to me,
"Char-lay?" He sounded out in his native accent. I beamed at him nodding.
"Yes, Charlie." I went back to nursing his small hands humming a lullaby.
"You are quite good with kids." Will approached me as I finished trying the cloth around his hands, kissing them. I scuffled his hair and he took that as his chance to run off.
"What do you want William." I harshly said doing whatever I could to keep my eyes from looking to his.
"It's Will!" He protested. "You've always called me Will. Charlie please-"
"It's Charlotte." I dryly corrected.
"Did I cause this?" He sounded so upset and helpless. "You look lifeless. It this my fault?"
I kept my back to him knowing if I looked, I'd give in. "Ask the crew. I'm sure you'd find out quickly."
"Please Charlie. Don't be angry with me."
"I'm not angry with you." And it was true. I just didn't trust him as much as I did. My heart yearned for him, his touch, his words. But my logic got in my hearts way.
He made my damaged cracks deeper. He took my heart and he still had it.
"I just- I hate this so much." I spoke my safest reply.
"What do you mean? I need to fix this. I know I hurt you. I missed you so much. When I watched you sail away, I knew I had made the wrong decision."
"William. I understand completely." That was a lie. I still didn't understand. "I hope you found happiness. I hope you know who you are." I didn't even know what words I was spewing out. They held no feeling. I wanted to cry and scream and for him to hold me all at the same time.
"I know where I belong Charlie! I belong here with you. I love you." He grabbed my hands that I quickly snatched away.
"Stop it! Don't say that! You have no idea! How it feels to see the first man I love leave! Like that! I felt as if I did something wrong!" I outburst from my logical restraint. "Like if I had been better, if I had said something, you would've stayed! You ruined me! I let you ruin me!" I was angry with myself and him now. "I let you take my heart and keep it! After months of no connection, you still have it! And it's horrible! You have it in the palm of your hand! Like its a toy. Will, I have been through many bad things in my life, but you by far were the worst." I said about to stomp away until he harshly grabbed my wrist spinning me back to him.
My breathing hitched as I felt his warm breath on my neck and his heartbeat beating the same rate as mine.
"I know you feel this. You know how much I love you. You know I never meant to hurt you." He whispered. I did know but, that didn't make it hurt any less.
I turned myself around him to the tables were turned. I threaded my arms around his chest, one slipping under his shirt trailing my hands up his toned chest. I smiled listening to his erratic breath and feeling his speeding heartbeat.
"You know what I know, I know you hurt me every time you say that you love me." I purred. "You damage me far worse than I could imagine. However I still love it." I felt him wince at my words.
"But let me tell you something Mr.Turner damaged people are dangerous, because they know how to survive." I pulled him sharply against me leaving no space between.
"Tell me Mr.Turner are you damaged?" And with that I left the room.