The Fallen Stars

Chapter 32 Ainsley.

"I need to talk to you." Says a voice behind me. I turn to look at Damiao. Well this is going to be interesting. "About?" I ask,then I look back at the town. I'm sitting on a rock on a hill that over looks the town, the pirates are preparing to leave, but they are stocking up first. I'm quite surprised that Damiao and his crew didn't cause any trouble last night at the festival. Everyone slept in, except for me, Damiao, and Esme... those two went to the beach at dawn, I did not follow them though... I'm too scared to know what they spoke about. So I came up here to just enjoy the silence of the town. "I want to go back to Isla Maldita... with Esme." He says lowly. I turn to look at him again, still in last night's clothes, his hair a bit of a mess. "What?" I ask confused and angry. "She's staying on the ship... she will not be discovered by my sister. I promise you... I'll keep her safe." He says sternly. I stand up to be eye-level. "Why on earth does she need to go with you?" I ask angrily. "She is part pirate too... She wants to go." He states. 

I glare at him. "Tell her she is not going!" I demand. He shakes his head. "Ainsley, she is more a pirate than a Chica perdida. She was born for the ocean... not the woods." He says gently. I get closer to him. "You do not decide for her!" I sneer. "Neither do you." He states. "She is not going to fall for your trap" I hiss. "I will not anyone touch a hair on her. She will be protected by myself and my crew." He reassures. "Why must she go with you?" I ask confused.  "Ainsley." A soft voice calls behind Damiao.  I look over his shoulder to see Esme, appearing from behind a bush. 

"I want to see where mother grew up... I want to know more about that side of our family." She explains, she walks towards me and takes both my hands in hers. "Why can't the woods be enough for you?" I ask my voice cracking. Damiao leaves us to be alone. Tears start to appear in her eyes. "I'm sorry Ainsley, but I need to know more about mum. You've shown me dad, but Damiao can show me our mother. And I need to know mum." She says shakily, tears start to fall down her cheeks. "I can't protect you there." I say, holding her hands tighter. She smiles sadly. "Oh, Ainsley, I can protect myself too... and I got the entire crew to look after me there." She says with a soft chuckle. I brush away a few tears away from her cheek. "I know. But what if the others find you?" I ask terrified. "That wont happen, Ain." She reassures. 

I pull her in for a hug. She raps her arms around my waist tightly. She softly sobs into my shoulder. I brush her hair over and over again. My tears falling onto her hair. This reminds me of that day on the school building where she almost took her own life. That was almost two months ago... time flies. And I'm terrified of losing my sister again. I need her in my life, without her I don't know how I can live. We've missed so much time, and we can never make up for it.

After a while we broke the hug and I give her a kiss on the forehead. "Please come back without a scratch." I say sternly. She chuckles. "Alright Cap'n." She teases. Her face goes back to sad but also happy. "See you soon Ain." She gives me a kiss on the cheek. "See you." I whisper. She smiles at me with her red damp cheeks then turns to walk down the hill. Damiao returns. He sighs as he stops in front of me again. "Keep her safe, please." I plea. He nods. "I will." He says softly. He starts to walk away, but then looks back at me. "Please tell Angel that I know who she is, and that I really want to speak with her when we return."  He says, and then leaves.

"Please be safe." I whisper, as I watch the pirates and Esme leaves to go back to their ship. I watch as the sails open and they lift the anchor out of the water... and then they start to move away from Isla Nunca... away from safety... away from me. 

***

"Angel? May I come in?" I say after I knocked on her cottage door. "Come in." She answers. I open the door and was surprised by the new decorations. almost every surface has a clay pot with flowers in it, of all kinds... then the ceiling is adorned with strings with shells, here and there, are a few rocks from the Brillante Bay. Where not just the ocean glows, but also the rocks and the sand... where it feels like you're surrounded by stars. I haven't shown that magical place to Esme yet, when she returns I will show her.