Scarlett's breathing was rapid, as she ran down the dock and onto hard ground. She had just stabbed two men in the leg, and panic was beginning to overtake her. But she kept running as fast as her weak, starved body could allow.
Glancing behind, she saw the lanterns of the ship glowing and small figures as the crew discovered the two men. It wouldn't be long until they would be after her.
Scarlett breathed even more heavily, her stays constricting her lungs from expanding, and her mind felt foggy.
After sprinting through a small village, she realized homes were becoming farther apart and only moonlight lit her path. Scarlett stopped to catch her breath in the tall grass alongside the road she had traveled along. Crouching in the weeds, she gasped for oxygen but never felt her body start to recover. She knew she had to find food and water, though it was difficult to stand back up.
Still, she pushed herself to her feet and continued her trek. Slowly stammering along the road, she glanced over her shoulder again. The bright village homes she had whizzed past was a small glow now, and the ships at dock were completely out of sight. Now Scarlett's priority was to find shelter before she found herself lost in the wilderness.
Walking only a few minutes longer, she found herself at the doorstep of a small house with its farm and pasture towards the back. There wasn't a flicker of candlelight coming from inside, but Scarlett felt like it called her name. She tapped upon the door and waited, collapsing to her knees from complete exhaustion.
She knocked again, this time louder, and waited. Finally, she heard faint footsteps approaching. The door cracked open and she gazed wearily up at the householder, whose face was dimly illuminated from the candle they held. It was a middle-aged man dressed in his sleepwear.
He stared for a few seconds before he said, "Claire! I think you should come here." Instantly, there was a shuffle of feet when a woman approached. "I think she's lost," the man added.
"She looks starved," Claire said, quickly helping Scarlett up to her feet and bringing her inside. The man and woman sat Scarlett in a chair and quickly brought water for her to drink. This time, the water she drank was cool and refreshing. She gulped down the last drop and begged for more.
"Of course, dear!" Claire said. "You look to be in quite a mess, poor thing!" The woman ran to fetch more as the man, with a puzzled look, questioned Scarlett.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm...my name's Scarlett," she stuttered.
"You're English, aren't you?"
The woman reentered the room with the water, which Scarlett took with gratitude. "Edmund, let the girl rest first! The poor thing looks rather beaten up. She needs food." Claire plopped some stew into a bowl and set it on the table in front of Scarlett. "It's a bit cold now, but you're in such a horrible state at the moment."
"It's alright, thank you," Scarlett said as she dived into the potatoes with her fork. After she had inhaled all of her stew, she began to feel more alert, though slightly nauseated. Despite this, she knew she had to address her situation. "I'm sorry to wake you up like this," she said to the couple.
"No, we are always ready to aid anyone in dire times such as you," Claire replied. "I'm Claire, and this is my husband Edmund. Edmund says your name is Scarlett."
Now capable of listening to her hospitable host, Scarlett noticed a tinge in Claire's accent, and pieced it together with the stew she had just eaten - it was Irish! She paused before she said, "Where am I?"
"Well," Edmund replied, slightly confused. "You're in Greystones."
"Where is Greystones?" she asked further.
"In Ireland, a little below Dublin," he answered. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No, I come from a small town outside of Liverpool," she said, panic creeping into her voice. How had she gotten so far away from home? Scarlett knew the pirate ship had traveled far but she was certain she was still on the English coast.
As if sensing what was rushing through Scarlett's mind, Claire tried to reassure her. "Dear, everything will work out. Maybe we can help you get back home. How did you come to land in Ireland?"
"Mum, what's going on?" a little girl entered the room.
"Bonnie, go back to bed. We'll explain in the morning," Claire replied. Her daughter obeyed and went back to her bedroom, closing her door in the process. Scarlett could see a little boy peeking through at her.
"You have children? Oh, I'm so sorry for waking them!"
"No, you have good reason to," Claire replied, sitting down by her husband as if expecting Scarlett to begin her narrative.
Recalling Claire's previous question, Scarlett started to tell her story. "Well...yes, my name is Scarlett - Scarlett Hamilton. I am here because I was captured by pirates." She paused when she saw terror come over Edmund and Claire's faces. "A few days ago, I was delivering baked goods for my father, who owns a small bakery, to a ship that was unknown. I should have known better than to step onto that ship, but I did it anyway, not realizing the danger I was putting myself in. Before I knew it, these pirates threw me into their Captain's cabin, though I tried to fight. My attempts have all failed though. When we stopped at a port, I tried escaping from a local tavern we went to. But that failed. I was punished and thrown into the prisoner cell for three days, without food or drink. But the kind cabin boy gave me some water and bread and told me his plan of helping me run away. And that is why I am here," panic came over her face once again as she continued, "I'm not out of danger yet. I can't let them find me! I know the Captain found me missing by now, and I need to be hidden. Now that I've escaped a second time, only God knows what they will do to me!"
Claire rushed to Scarlett's side. "It's alright, Scarlett. We will do anything to help you escape these pirates."
Edmund, though, ignored Scarlett's panic and sat up at the mention of "Captain." He said, "Who is this pirate captain?"
"Captain Alexander Jones," she answered. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change in that moment. Once a sanctuary for Scarlett, now it felt vulnerable. The expressions on Edmund and Claire's faces showed terror, panic, and anxiety.
"Scarlett, you need to hide," Claire said, face pale and voice quivering. "The whole town lives in fear of that man. He once threatened to kill my father! I'm sorry to say this, but...it's a wonder you are still alive!"
"Do you know more about him?" Scarlett asked, desperate for answers. "My father would always tell my brothers and I stories about pirates, including him. I assume those were mostly fictional. But he always made it clear to beware of him, and he emphasized on that in regards to Jones more than any other pirate."
"I don't know any details about him. Thankfully, I've never had to meet him, but I do know that something tragic happened in his life. People believe that's why he is so evil. Others believe that he isn't even real." She paused. "I think he's keeping you alive for a reason. Most of his captives don't stay alive for even a day."
"He's never told me why he took me captive. He was incredibly angry after I tried escaping the first time, and only said he was testing who I really was at the tavern and that he was mistaken. I've tried to find out more, but he refuses to tell me!"
"Well let's hope you will never have to ask him again! There is a barn just outside that back door," Claire pointed to a door opposite of the front one, "If you sneak outside and hide yourself in the very back, underneath the hay, you will be safe there. I think you need to stay the night there. They'll come searching for you, and if they approach this front door and you are in the house, they will find you."
"Okay," Scarlett gave a single nod in understanding.
After quickly thanking them for their help and support, she left and snuck out to the barn, only a few meters away from the house. Sneaking through the grass and shadows, she opened the creaky barn door, as quietly as possible. The smell of horses immediately came to Scarlett's nose, and she vaguely saw two inside. She snuck in, trying to not frighten the horses, which might cause a ruckus. Stepping past them, though, they shifted, one throwing its head up and down from the disturbance. Scarlett immediately tried calming the horse down by petting its forehead. It huffed through its nose but stood still. Glancing at the other horse, Scarlett continued towards the back of the barn, and buried herself underneath the hay. Though uncomfortable and fearful, Scarlett tried to rest her tired body. All she could do now was wait.
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Pirates were chasing and shouting after Scarlett as she raced through the grass. They carried their swords in their hands, and threatened to kill her when they caught her. Ahead of the group, the Captain was at her heels, laughing and mocking her. But it was no use - they were quickly gaining on her. Her attempts of escaping had failed, just like before.
She jolted awake, heart beating fast from her horrible nightmare. It was dark and the hay continued to poke Scarlett in the face as she hid for her life. However, there wasn't silence, like before. She heard voices outside, and next she knew, they were men's voices. They sounded close and her instinct told her they were at Edmund and Claire's house, searching through all they could manage. Scarlett tried to calm her breathing, but couldn't.
Suddenly, the pirates' voices seized, and Scarlett ached to listen. Then, a voice split the air. "Check the barn!" She recognized the unmistakable accent as the Captain's. Butterflies shot through her stomach and into her throat, her pulse now beating faster than ever. She covered her mouth with her hand to disguise her anxious breathing.
The door flung open, and the horses stirred at the surprise. She heard a shuffle of feet around the barn, though she could not see. Yet, she laid as still as she could, thanking Edmund and Claire for their abundance of hay. The pirates were silent, searching as they listened for even the tiniest rustle. Finding nothing, Scarlett heard the feet walk away and was sure they had left, though too fearful to move. Proving her guess right, she heard the same voices fade away, on the search to another house. She sat up slowly and peeked to see the doors left open and the barn empty, besides the horses and herself. Then, she plopped back on the hay in relief.
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