The Summer Siren

Astrid

As Erik swam through the waters to a little lifeboat that was anchored but a hundred feet away from my boat, I can't help but think about my life with my boat and how I was losing it because a stranger from a different world decided to take me. I had been living on my boat for three years now and the first day I had set sail, I had done so many things backwards or wrong that I ended up crying below decks while I let the waves carry me for an hour. When the hour had ended, I swore to myself that I wouldn't cry about my boat anymore, I would no longer allow myself to break down and be weak. That was the last day I cried, at least until today.

I could feel the tears run down my cheeks before my brain actually registered what they were. I knew I wasn't crying because Erik was taking me captive, but because it felt like a chapter in my life was closing as we got further from my boat. I knew in the back of my head that I wouldn't stop fighting until I was back on my boat and Erik would pay.

The fact that his attack caught me off guard makes me mad because while I was expecting it from Ace, I wasn't expecting it from Erik. Up until this point he had almost seemed sweet, at least sweeter than Ace. When we reach the lifeboat, he starts trying to push me into the boat before him and I start fighting and pushing him into the waves trying to get him to let me go. I had hoped that he would get in the boat first and try to pull me up, giving me time to escape, but he knew better. It must not be his first rodeo when it comes to kidnapping unsuspecting women.

"Damn it woman! Get in the boat so we can go back to my ship!" He screams, water flowing into his mouth as another wave hits him.

"No! You do not own me, and you will never own me!" I continue to push him away from me. "I refuse to be held captive on your ship!"

The moment I feel his grasp loosen on me; I push him one last time to give myself some momentum away from him. With the push and momentum that I managed to get; I was already halfway back to my own ship. When I turn to start swimming with more speed, I see that Ace has thrown my Jacob's ladder down the side of the boat that we're on. It was at this moment that I was thankful that he tried to take my boat over. If he hadn't taken my ship and myself hostage, or at least tried to, then I would have to swim all the way to the other side of the boat to get to the ladder I installed.

I feel like it takes forever to reach Ace and the ladder. My arms are aching by the time I reach it and it's almost impossible for me to lift myself up. My arms feel like they're dead and I only make it up a quarter way before my grip starts to slip. I was literally hanging on with one hand when I felt someone grab my wrist. I look up at Ace and for once I'm thankful that he's here. He tugs me over the side of my boat, making the both of us fall on the deck from the momentum.

Trying to catch my breath I lay there for a minute before I jumped up and ran to the control center to start my boat and get the hell out of dodge. Ace is right behind me, and we both seem to have an understanding that at the moment we will work as a team rather than a prisoner and her guard. It doesn't take me long to get my boat up and running as I had done most of the preparations earlier. I had hoped to get the both of them off my ship before I took off though. "Go pull the Jacob's ladder up so he can't get onto my ship, and then go downstairs and grab me some dry clothes," I order Ace.

He gives me a look that tells me to get fucked, but he goes and does what I say. I know he's probably the captain of his ship and he's not used to taking orders, but this is my ship and I'll be damned if I ain't the captain of this motherfucker. "Ladder is up," Ace yells, passing by the door of the control center to make his way below deck to find my clothes.

It feels like Ace is gone for an eternity, the clothes have started to get uncomfortable and stick to me in places that don't feel great. I've managed to get away from Erik though and as I raced towards the horizon, I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. Looking back, I see Erik's little lifeboat heading towards his own ship, that now that I'm looking at it is absolutely ginormous. It's got a beautiful masthead though and I can't help but admire the detail until Ace pops into my vision shoving clothes into my hand and taking over controls while I change. I step aside and start stripping. I'm thankful that Ace was smart enough to grab a towel and an extra bra. I dry my naked body off, ignoring the fact that Ace is standing right there. It isn't in my cards to get a yeast infection or smelling nasty in a land that I don't know anything about, so I make sure that I'm thorough when I dry my body off.