Pirates at Heart

Chapter 14: Magic

He was on my mind and I couldn't shake the thought. Opening the door to the dining area, the golden glow of the last chicken leg that was lubricated in a thick layer of grease caught my attention. I discreetly snatched the guilty leg and the two bottle of beer along with it.

Without the guide of the lit candle. My hands felt it's way through the darkness. My lungs were filled with the dark, cool air as soon as I swung the door open with a creek.

"Vex?" My voice was loud in the darkness. I tried to make out certain shapes with my eyes but it was hopeless. That's when I remembered that Bonnie had left her candle down here. I fumbled in the darkness for it on the dusty table. I managed to feel the cold metal on my fingertips so I scooped it up before placing the leg and bottles down with a clink and lit the candle with the matches conveniently stashed in my pocket. A tiny fire was set ablaze on the tip of the candle.

"Hello?" My voice called out, I started to pace around the room, trying to remember where we had tied Vex up. Suddenly, I stopped at a pillar and noticed something pretty odd. Scattered around the floor, several pieces of discarded rope laid without purpose. He had managed to escape.

"Oh fuck." I had already ran so much today and my stamina was close to nothing, nonetheless, my short legs carried me as quick as they could up the flight of stairs and to the top deck of bumblebee. It was close to pitch black apart from the dancing flicker of light emitted from the candle flame and the constellations that shimmered above the navy horizon.

"VEX!" My voice had no dent in the whistle of the aggressive wind that fought againts every movement I made.

"Get back. Or I'll do it. I'll let go." His voice called out and I got a rush of deja vu. The thick gales of the sea were like nettles stinging my bare hands and feet and my thin pajamas was no match for any type of warmth.

"What? Don't be absurd." My voice trailed off as I noticed his hands were clutching the rail of the ship. I looked a little closer and he had something tucked under his arm.

"I'll do it. I mean it. Don't come any closer." I didn't listen. I strode over to him and his face came into view.

His chiselled jaw clenched as he furrowed his thick brows that were perfect arches on his face that displayed his dark brown eyes that shone like a lightning bolt in a dark stormy cloud.

"This feels familiar. Running away again, too scared to fight. Huh?" I folded my arms, I was only a few steps away from him now and he seemed conflicted on what to do.

"I'm not scared. You are a midget. And a GIRL." He looked me up and down as his dark curls were pulled in the direction of the wind.

"You're right about that. I am a midget. But you're wrong. I'm not a girl, I'm a woman." I leapt forward and seized ahold of his arm to prevent him from jumping overboard. He fought and we tussled along the boat deck. We must've been making a racket because someone had lit a candle and I could perfectly see his face, his brown eyes filled with tears as he fought my pulling.

"Just stop!" He screamed, pulling me a little too hard. We were close to the rail and he had sent me toppling overboard. My hands grasped for anything to save me from plunging into the Atlantic Ocean and I managed to grasp onto the railing.

"HELP! PLEASE!" My legs kicked furiously as they tried to latch onto the side of the boat. I could feel my bare toes scraping against the rough exterior of the boat as I fought to stay alive.