Confessions of a Pirate's Heart

Chapter Twelve

An explosion erupted in Scarlett's ears, jolting her out of a deep sleep. For a moment, she felt disoriented but as the ship shook and moaned violently, she realized it wasn't just a horrible dream. She froze in fear, grasping the blankets around her as she sat up in the Captain's cot. Immediately, shouts could be heard from outside the cabin and boots pounded on the deck. Signs of life awakening on the ship urged Scarlett to jump to her feet as well. She had to find her brother.

Dressed in only her undergarments, she threw open the cabin door. Chaos had ensued on the ship as men scrambled to find their positions, staggering wearily from their drunken slumber though frightened all the same. Scarlett emerged into the crowd, meandering through to find her way underdeck. She reached the hatch and climbed down the stairs. The gun room was busier than above deck, as pirates rushed about to load the cannon balls, pour in the gunpowder and roll the cannons into their positions in the sides of the ship's hull. All they needed was the Quartermaster's command to fire and they waited for their chance with bated breath.

Scarlett pushed past the men and their cannons all the way to the crew's sleeping quarters but they were all abandoned. Panic settled in as she approached each cot and hammock, ducking to check underneath in the darkness of the room.

“William!” she screamed but her voice was no match for the shouting of the men readying the guns. “William!”

Finding her search to be futile, Scarlett ran back the way she had come. Above deck, it had settled down a little as men were preparing themselves for whatever battle they faced. That's when she was able to spot her brother, who had already made his way above deck and stood leaning over the portside bulwark, craning his neck towards the bow. And that's when she saw the damage. The bow had splintered into thousands of tiny pieces, the forecastle deck left with a gaping hole in the floor and the bowsprit hanging loose, held only by the foresails hoisted above.

“Scarlett!” came the Captain’s voice behind her.

She turned around to see him rushing out of the cabin, relief sweeping over his face but only for a second. He ran up to her and William, who had approached as well, and grabbed both of them by the arms.

“You shouldn't be out here,” he said, dragging them roughly to his cabin and throwing them inside. “Find somewhere to hide--the wardrobe, underneath the bed, something!”

“Alex, is it Blackbeard?” Scarlett said, the panic on his face causing her nerves to unravel.

“I'm certain of it. Their ship came out of nowhere and my man in the crow's nest had only seconds to sound the warning before their blow. Now stay here and whatever you do, don't open this door!” Then the Captain hurried out, slamming the door behind him.

William stumbled backwards to the middle of the room, his breath coming out in quick, heavy pants. He wiped the sweat from his brow and spun around, looking for a place to hide. Scarlett, however, stayed by the cabin door as if frozen in place.

“This is madness,” he said. “We are absolutely mad to be here. I knew this was a bad idea!”

“William, hush!”

“Don't hush me. Did you see the bow? One more blow and we are in a dire situation.”

“But why aren't they firing anymore?” Scarlett said, placing her ear against the crack of the doorframe.

William remained silent as he pondered her question. “And why isn't Captain Jones ordering his men to fight?” he added.

“He's trying to avoid it--to talk with the attacker and make amends before any more damage is done.”

“This isn't your first time, is it?” William asked, annoyance in his voice.

Scarlett shook her head, a smirk creeping onto her face. “No, it isn't.”