Whitley
Bluff slowly opens the pantry door, peaking out. My hand is wrapped around his arm which I can feel growing larger. Harder. I watch in awe as he changes into the dark skinned pirate right in front of me.
A shape-shifter. How is this possible?
I feel like I shouldn't touch him anymore. I pull my hand away.
He opens the door all the way and turns to motion me forwards. "Hurry," he whispers.
I follow him out, tip toeing, but my heels make it difficult to be completely silent. We reach a stair case and hide under it. He gives me a stern look. "Take them off."
"What?"
"Your shoes. You can't escape from a gang of pirates with clickity shoes on."
I have a small desire to laugh. Unfortunately, or fortunately, which ever, the feeling of dread is too overwhelming to even break a smile at his endearingly strange comment.
I pull off my shoes, secretly reveling in the freedom it gives my toes.
As I child, I used to love to run around barefoot, but as I got older I was no longer allowed. More and more my father insisted on me behaving "like a lady". At the time, I wanted to be one. To grow up and be beautiful, marry a rich handsome man and live happily ever after. Now I have trouble seeing the point. I find myself wanting to go backwards. Be the girl who played baseball in the muddy streets of New York.
Furious father or not.
Bluff grabs my hand and pulls me through the dark house. We come to a stairwell that leads to a wine cellar but he stops. A creak of wood echoes up at us. Someone is down there.
He looks around then pulls me again, this time towards a staircase up. "Where are you taking me?"
"They're blocking all the exists and you can't stay in here forever. They'll find you eventually." He pulls me faster. "No matter how massive this God damn place is," he says under his breath.
"There isn't a way out up there!" I say as follow him, practically running to keep up.
"There are windows."
My gasp is stifled by him pulling my arm harder, it's all I can do to keep from falling up the steps.
We reach a room, white walls with lace hung around a windowsill. No furniture but I get the feeling this will be a nursery. That thought makes my stomach ache for Mary. In more ways than one.
"They must suspect you could still be inside, so while some of the pirates are searching the town for you, the rest are guarding the exits. The only way out is the only way they won't be expecting."
"But how?"
His lips spread into sly grin. It looks strange on the big pirate he's still wearing.
"Wait here."
He leaves the room and when he returns, as his normal self (or what I assume is his normal self—the cute silver haired guy) he has a long rope in his arms. It's not quite sailor's rope, it's thin, but I'm impressed he even found this.
"How... where..."
"Mr. Weatherby has entertained a pirate or two in his day. It was either this or chains. I'm thinking the rope will be more silent, and much easier to hold."
I shake my head. This place is so strange.
I was much better off staying in New York.
Bluff leans out the window and reaches up to something I can't see. It seems to be a bit too high, he stands on the windowsill all the way on his tippy toes.
"Oh, be careful."
He bends down and looks at me. "Are you worried about me, lassy?"
His smile makes my stomach flip. I don't like that he makes me feel like this.
"You personally? No. But my one and only savior at the present moment? Yes."
His smile broadens, but the light in his eyes dims. I find myself feeling disappointed.
Then he changes again. He turns into a lanky young man with red hair, a long thin nose and legs to match. Then he stands again and seems to reach whatever it is he was straining for on the wall of the house with ease.
Seems his weird little power comes in handy, doesn't it? When he leans back down he is himself again. He throws the rope over the side of the house. Apparently it's now firmly connected to something above the window. At least I hope it's firmly.
"Come along," he says as he easily swings himself down, holding onto the rope, his feet hitting the side of the house every few feet he drops. My guess is, he's done this before.
"You expect me to do that?"
"It's not as hard as it looks."
I cross my arms. He stops, now about ten feet below me.
"Don't make me climb back up there. That part is not easy. Besides, I'm sure those pirates will find you pretty soon."
I look behind me, listening for sounds of someone coming. I don't hear anyone now, but I'm sure he's right. They'll find me soon if I don't go now.
I take a deep breath, and swallow. I wrap the rope around my shaking hand, stand on the sill and turn towards the room. My bum facing out towards the sea. Wind blows through my skirt which feels terrifying, but surprisingly good.
"Nice view," bluff says. I stand back up straight, turn around. No way am I doing this now.
"Aw, come on," he taunts.
"Nope," I say, crossing my arms again.
"Alright, alright," he says with a laugh. "I won't look."
"Yeah right."
"You have to come down. Those pirates will do a lot worse that look at your panties."
I can feel my face growing red.
"Close your eyes," I say with a shaking voice.
He laughs but I watch as he presses his eyes together then descends lower.
Truth is, the old Whitley could do this. I miss that girl. Bold, adventurous. The girl with muddy feet could do this. Except that my father beat that girl out of me with a stick.
But I can still be her, right? She's in here. She'd enjoy this, in fact. I try to remember the feeling I got when I first entered the pirate prison at the fort. The adrenaline. I loved it, even then.
Maybe that girl isn't just in me hiding, maybe she's still here, and I just ignore her all the time.
Now I stand tall, wrap my hand around the rope and I practically jump. At first the rope sticks and squeezes my hand. The pain is intense. I press myself against the wall, using my feet the way Bluff did and unwrap the rope. I'll just have to trust my own hands.
Now I fall easily, my hands burning a little as they slide down the rope but it's only a moment until I'm nearing the ground. Bluff is already there, brushing off his pants. I surprise him as I descend so quickly I nearly land on him.
"Whoa!" he says, half word half grunt. He grabs me just before I hit him, his arms wrapped around my legs, holding me. I let go of the rope. It's only him holding me from the ground. My thick skirt is bunched up around his face, his hands on my bare legs.
He blows out, practically spiting to get my skirt from his face. Then he looks me in the eyes and slowly lets me slide towards the ground, my body pressed against his. His hand softly gliding higher up my legs until my feel hit the ground.
His gaze is intense. No longer is he the jokester. But then he clears his throat and breaks our eye contact, letting go of me so I can straighten out my skirt.
He turns away, pretending the moment hadn't happened, which I guess is best. It's dark out and we're still very close to the pirates.
"The brigades will be coming soon. The pirates will be heading back to their ships empty handed. They'll probably ransack your home first, though. Hopefully your father wouldn't be so stupid as to head back there."
"So what do we do?"
He looks at me. "This town won't be safe for you. Not for a long while."
"I don't understand. Why are they after me? My father, what's he done?"
"Your father is in big with those pirates. He owes them money. Borrowing from a pirate is a fools fare. Not paying them back—that's worse. Then he tries to turn his back on them by siding with the navy...hoping if he can catch them all, he won't have to pay in his debts."
"What a fool," I say. Then take a deep breath. It's the first time I've spoken out against my father in years. There has to be a way out of this. "So what? The pirates will just keep coming back? Won't the army catch and kill them eventually? Besides what do they want with me, what will that accomplish?"
"Pirates are clever folk. Dirty drunks, obsessed with money and treasure, sure, but when you mess with them... they will stop at nothing. They know people. They'll buy people if they have to. If Simon and his crew want you... they'll get you. And as for what they want. Two things. One: a ransom. They'll use you as leverage to get the money they're owed. And two: to hurt him. They'll torture you. Make sure when you do go back to him, you won't ever be the same. "
My stomach falls. I can only imagine the things men like that would do to me.
"But you can stop them?"
He looks around us, out towards the sea.
"There is one place they won't be looking for you."
Then he smiles. His eyes glisten more than I've ever seen them before.
Oh no. "No, you can't take me onto a pirate ship."
"You'd rather stay here and be pillaged? Did Captain Simon Monroe capture your fancy? I hope so, for your sake."
"Ew." My stomach sinks thinking about this. "How long? How long will I have to be away before I can be safe again?"
"Depends on your father. Besides, I can take you someplace else. Another town. You're not exactly pirate material so..."
"New York?"
His eyebrows raise. "I suppose. Hope you know people there though, that's not an easy place to be a vagabond."
"I know people. Or someone, at least."
Bluff's eyes narrow. "Alright, I'm sure we can catch you a ride there, might take a little persuading, however."
I take a deep breath and try to convince myself that this is okay. That I'm not risking a life I've always wanted to be safe. I'm risking a life I never wanted, but might still be able to get.
I look at Bluff, suddenly struggling with what I really want.
I guess whatever my future holds, it's going to start with a pirate ship.
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