Deadly Waters

Dead Man Walking

Debt.

It was a dry and warm night, Fredrick Collins had decided to walk home after a poker game with his friends. It wasn't a very far way to walk -less than a mile- and though the night was dark, the dock was lit up with torches of crews getting ready to shove off.

Fredrick was a port master.

He loved the sea. He always wanted to sail the seas ever since he was a little boy and kept that dream alive as he grew up. He'd made his own two daughters appreciate the sea, they would often fantasize about becoming mermaids and owning starfish. But now that they'd grown up and left home, he spent his time at the local bars, winning, and occasionally losing poker games. Fredrick walked quickly to keep warm.

He was only wearing a light cotton and trousers, and even though it was a nice night, his arms and legs were soon covered in goose bumps. He didn't mind. His wife would have a hearty glass of rum and a plate of chicken and mashed-potato's waiting for him when he got home. He'd enjoy them all the more after a good, brisk walk. Trees grew along the edge of the port, making it very dark and hard to see anyone from the east side.

But Fredrick had no fears, on the contrary. He loved the night. He enjoyed listening to the sound of the old boards creek and crunch under his feet and the waves lapping softly against the deserted boats.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

He smiled, when his daughters were young he'd often pretend that there where monsters underneath the boards, lying and waiting to eat them. He'd make scary noises when his daughters weren't looking, sometimes they'd burst into screams and run for home at top speed, and Fredrick would follow after them, laughing.

Crunch. Crunch. Snap.

Fredrick stopped and frowned. It sounded like a board broke, but how could have it been? He would have felt the board go down. And he was walking on new boards. He stood still, waiting and listening for about half a minute, when there where no more sounds, he continued his walk, but this time at a faster pace.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Cru- Snap.

Fredrick stopped again and, for the first time, the fingers of fear began to squeeze around his beating heart. He slowly began walking again, heavily breathing, heart racing, sweat pouring down his brow.

Snap.

Fredrick's eyes shot open, the sound was closer this time, lower down, and suddenly Fredrick couldn't stand it anymore. He broke into a run. Fredrick was a large man, but fit for his age. Still, it had been a long time since he'd run this fast, and after a hundred yards he was out of breath and had a cramp on his side. He slowed to a halt and bent over, gasping for air.

Crunch.

His head shot up. The foot steps were coming toward him!

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Snap. Snap. Snap.

More rapidly now. Then they stopped. As he looked before him he saw a young girl with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, carrying a huge load of something. The girl was very thin, she looked...hungry "are you alright?"

Fredrick asked stepping closer "Can I--"

Snap!

The sound came from directly behind him, loud and menacing. The girl jumped back quickly, out of the way. Fredrick had just enough time to glance back and see a silver sword glimmering in the moon light. Soon, pain ran through his neck. He let out a moan just as his head rolled off his shoulders and his body fell, nothing from the shoulders up....

*"Thank you for helping me, love" Jack said as I came closer, holding a huge bag of gunpowder

"It was nothing but...why did you need to kill him?" I asked, gently kicking the lifeless man's arm.

"Ah, I um, owed some people some money and this is how I'm repaying them" Jack said motioning down to the dead man and taking the heavy sack from me.

"Who was he?" I asked as we walked down the dock, back to the Black Pearl. 

"Fredrick Collins...not much of a talker, but he cheated in every poker game he was ever in" Jack answered, slinging the gun power bag over his shoulders.

"Wait, how much money did you owe the people?" I asked suspiciously.

"Let's just say enough to buy another Black Pearl, love" Jack replied

"oh, Jack..."

"It's alright, love, my debt is paid, let's go celebrate, shall we?" Jack said wiping the blood from his sword and motioning back towards the bar. 

"I think we have to get back to the Black Pearl" I whispered, Jack sighed ruefully.

"oh, yes...that..." he said sadly looking down at the boards of the dock, I slipped my hand into his and smiled at him.

"Its alright, darling, you've got me...and nine barrels of rum" I said happily, Jack smiled.

"Yes, love, and that's all I need" he said putting his arm around me as we walked back to the Black Pearl.

"Jack?" I asked quietly, laying my head on his shoulder.

"Yes, love?" 

 "Do you owe anyone else?"

"No one in...in uh, too particular" Jack said softly, he was using his lying face. Jack's lying face was when he stared at his feet and either gave a small smile, or sighed. I tightened my hand around his and he glanced up to me, a smile on his face. "We can have our own celebration" he whispered, smiling devilishly as the moonlight shone down on him, giving him a ghostly glow.