BAILEY
I stood behind the rows of waiting crewmen, eyes wide. They seemed excited, which I found odd as they were ultimately in line to swing to their deaths.
The queue moved slowly, which I didn't mind. While did want to save my family, I wasn't anxious to be pounded into a grease spot on the side of the ship.
I wondered if maybe I could discreetly slip below deck and wait this out. Olivia wouldn't notice, and neither would anyone else. Why not?
I took a deep breath, deciding to do it. I would only be killed on The Encantador. I didn't stand a chance.
The damp night hung around me like a curtain, giving me confidence that I wouldn't be caught. I scampered away from the hoard of pirates, glancing behind me as I went.
In all honesty, I wasn't sure why Olivia wanted me along anyway. I was no good in a fight. Perhaps she wanted a human shield . . . ?
Oh, well. It didn't matter. Liv would be fine. Wouldn't she?
I still felt a little apprehensive for Olivia. If I knew my little sister, she'd throw herself into the middle of the fight without a second thought.
However, Olivia was much better equipped to defend herself than I. I had to keep reminding myself that she was no longer my helpless baby sister.
I looked both ways one more time, about to make a dash for it.
"Go!" The familiar voice resonated through the night. I stopped short. "Bill! Take Bailey."
Damn.
Without thinking about it, I sprinted away. Head down, I wove through the pirates, throwing myself toward the door that led below deck.
The doorknob refused to budge. Why does everything turn against me when I need it most?
"Where be she?"
"Probably trying to escape," Olivia said, loud enough that I heard.
I set my mouth in a hard line and marched back out onto the foredeck. Smartest thing I've ever done, I know. "Why would I be doing that?" I snapped. "That's my family in there."
"Because you've always been known for caring about us so much," She snorted.
The comment stung, but I just took a deep breath and turned to Bill. "So how do we do this?"
He looked me up and down as if calculating my probability of remaining intact. "Well," He began, cocking his head to the side. "Ye have t' hold on t' the rope . . . an' swing."
While I bit back a retort, the line moved on without us so that the hoots and hollers of the enthused pirates punctuated our words.
"And that's it . . . ?"
He nodded. "It ain't that bad, s'long as ye don't fall. An' die."
I peered at him for a second, trying to discern whether or not he was serious. Nope. He was.
"Alright then." I frowned. "Let's do this, I guess."
YOU ARE READING
A Pirate's Life For Me
AdventureWARNING: this story is kind of old and my writing has changed A LOT since I wrote it. You can still read it if you want to, just go easy on me :) ----- The Davis family lives a relatively normal life in Galveston, Texas. At least until Corey goes on...
