The Life, Lies and Tragedies of Jack Shipsteel 5

Chapter: 1 | Chapter: 2 | Chapter: 3 | Chapter: 4

My eyes fluttered open to the wide open blue sky. I laid there for a second, just in awe of this majestic sight, when I rose from my position and coughed up a foul mixture of water tinged with blood in it. Somebody heard my gagging and shouted, "OI! Th' kid is wakin' up!"

This voice didn't sound familiar. I raised my gaze and saw that his body wasn't familiar either. He was tall in build, had yellow teeth, and an eye that looked somewhat different than the other. He was a pirate!

I had only a moment to gasp in awe before somebody took a huge wad of my hair and jerked my head upward. I also received a blade to the throat. Looking behind me in this weird position, I saw that he who held me had a stocky stature, a bald head and a mangy beard. He laughed at my torment and the tall man responded, "Careful with th' kid Pintel! I reckon the cap'n would like to see 'im without his neck being broken."

The stocky man, who I presumed to be Pintel, answered, "Shove a cork in it Ragetti! Th' cap'n wouldn't care about this little runt!"

The two men started to argue, so I had time to shoot my eyes towards my left and right. I saw that that we were on the deck of theVictory Explorer. That ship that had rammed our backside was now docked to our starboard, looking more blacker and sinister than at first glance. The Urchins were all lined up in a row on the deck, all with daggers on their throats and their hands tied. Edgar was three away from me on the left, David was on my immediate right.

I turned my attention back to the pirates bickering just in time to hear the tall one say, "Your proabably right. The capt. wouldn't care about 'im."

They started to guffaw and my heartbeat quickened. This would be the end. I prayed to the heavens to be lenient when suddenly, the door to the captain's quarters banged open and a man who emitted with power stepped up onto the deck. "Who in th' blazes dare be thinkin of spillin' blood without my command!"

This man was more regally dressed than his counterparts, with a Black-blue silken coat, hat and pantaloons. He wore a vest underneath the coat and a shirt underneath his best, both of a tan and grey combination. He had brown hair that was complemented by a full grown beard, a black feather in his hat and, remarkably, a monkey on his shoulder. The monkey jumped off his shoulder as he walked to where the tall man, Ragetti, stood.

Ragetti stuttered, "I-Im s-sorry Captain Barbossa, I m-meant no disrespect, I j-just thought since he was a k-kid and all..."

The captain responded, "Aye, he may be just a kid, but he may know the whereabouts of the item we be lookin' for. Now, get to searchin' for our... item."

The tall man nodded at this and ran off to the captain's quarters. Barbossa turned his gaze towards us. He started walking up and down the line of prisoners before saying, "Now gentleman, me and me crew are looking for a particular gold.. coin if you please. We have reasons to believe it be somewhere on this here vessel. Now, if any of ye lads happen to have said coin, and know it does not belong to ye, hand it over.

Nobody moved or uttered anything, until Edgar said, "You filthy pirate, even if one of us happened to have this item you look for, we wouldn't give it to a horrid wretch like you!"

The captain took heed of this, and moved towards Edgar. The man who held Edgar walked backwards and let Barbossa look him over. "What be that ye said?" He asked Edgar.

"I said.. Even if one of us had said item we wouldn't gi-," Edgar commenced to say, before Barbossa drew a pistol from his sash, put it to Edgar's forehead and pulled hard on the trigger. With a great cloud of smoke, Edgar was silenced.

The cruel captain returned his gun to it's sash as Edgar's corpse fell to the deck. I couldn't believe it. Edgar had been like a brother to me. I tried to wake up from this acursed nightmare, but It was real. The stench of these pirates was real. The smoke that had come from Barbossa's gun was real. Edgar's body laying there lifeless on the ground, that was real.

I was about to yell when David whispered, "No! This is not the time for sorrow. After this is over, you may commence grieving."

I didn't want to wait, but I knew he was right. Water came to my eyes, but I shed no tears. The wretched Barbossa then continued to walk down the aisle, smiling as he went. "Alas, I give ye lads nought but the utmost respect I can give to prisoners and this is how ye recompense me? Treating prisoners civilly.. bah! Now, as I said..." He told us.

I listened to him a few more seconds before I turned my ears towards David. He had started to repeat something, a saying that went like this, "Dear heavens forgive me for this sin I will have to do. I have sworn to you that I would not do this again, but in order for my crew to live, I must take this course of action. Dears Heavens forgive me for this sin-"

I was beginning to ask him what he was doing when he took the dagger from his throat and wrenched it from his captor's grasp. He jumped up from his position and cut his hands free, and ran towards Barbossa. He then leaped up and thrust his dagger down, but he met cold steel. Barbossa had managed to take a sword from his sash and put it up just in time to spear David.

David still had life in him however, and with his dying breath, stuck the blade he held into the captain's throat. Barbossa took hold of his vitctim and pushed him off his sword. He then pulled the dagger out of his neck, and threw it to the ground! But, no blood came from his wound. He had just been given a death blow, and he just shrugged it off. "Ha. If this man had tried this 2 years ago, I would be writhing on the floor and die within seconds. Just a few years off," Barbossa laughed.

I could not hold my anguish in. I screamed, " You beast! How could you just kill these men!"

Barbossa turned his head towards me and saw my age. He looked surprised, but still uttered, "These men intruded on me hospitality, just as you are doing now. However, you have not done as much foul deeds as these creatures, so I'll let ye live."

He then laughed and asked his crew, "So, what should we do men? Let this boy serve with us? Or something far more better?"

The crew raised and uproar of responses, but one managed this, "Leave him adrift in the 'eas! It will 'each 'im a lesson about speaking out of turn!"

Barbossa returned his gaze to me and said, "Good idea!"

Barbossa took ahold of me and led me to the side of the ship. He told me, "See that row boat?" he said pointing down the side of thse ship, "That will be your home for the next couple of days!"

I was then turned around with my back facing the rails of the ship, and made to stood there. The pirate crew laughed and laughed to their hearts content, and I just cried. Then, Barbossa took the pistol from his belt and hit me on my head. I fell over the railing and tumbled backwards to the rowboat. I felt a huge blow to my head, and my thoughts were silenced.

To be continued...