To Love A Pirate

Chapter 1

“NO!” she screamed as she held out a hand catching him. She was shaking so uncontrollably, she might drop him. Her strawberry-blonde hair was whipping her in the face, making her face sting, and the sapphire necklace that dangled from her neck was slapping her skin. “Pull yourself up! I can’t hold on forever!” Wet drops fell from the sky and pelted them on their backs.

          “Just let me go, Andy,” he replied loosening his grip. She couldn’t see his face, but she knew it was resigned, and ready to die. She stared at the dark mass of hair and shook her head nervously.

          “No I won’t!” the words were forced. She couldn’t let him fall into the eternal abyss of the water below. Andy knew they shouldn’t have been out there during the storm, and especially not in the middle of the night as everyone slumbered!

          “Andy! It’s ok! I’ll be ok!” he tried to reason with her.

          But she wouldn’t listen to reason. Her best friend’s life was on the line, and it was all she could do to hold on to his cold hand. Her wet hair stuck to the sides of her face, and she tried to pull him up. She slipped and in less than a second was over the side of her beloved ship. Her free hand was above her searching for an object to catch. His hand was slipping and she squeezed tighter.

          She was counting the seconds in her head.

          5.

          They were half way there to the swirling abyss.

          4.

          Tears were falling from her already wet cheeks.

          3.

          A man’s voice was muffled by the wind from the deck above.

          2.

          She braced herself for the impact.                                  

          1.

          Something stuck her hand. Hard.

          She looked up to see her hand caught a stray plank. The splinters dug into her hand as she clutched it harder. Blood was dripping from her hand down her arm and onto her cheek. She looked down at him. He was hanging, helpless and worried at the sight of her blood. He always was a baby.

          “Are you ok?” She yelled over the rain still pelting them like stones. She wasn’t even sure he heard her.

          He yelled, “Are you!?” She smiled. Naturally she was all he could think of.

          “Yeah. Just a few scratches! And some splinters.”

          He shook his head. “You’re hopeless! Why didn’t you let go?!”

          The wind picked up swaying them and digging the wood deeper between her fingers. She winced from the pain and looked at it. Bad idea. Nausea swept through her as she stared at the bloody mess. The splinters were sticking out from between her fingers. A wave came up and crashed into their sides. She felt her a sharp pain as she was pushed against the side of the boat. But she wouldn’t let go. She couldn’t. Her lungs felt like they would explode from the pressure of the repeating waves.

          Then a face looked over the ships edge to see them hanging not even two feet above the waves.

          “Andréa?!” her father’s voice called out. She sighed with relief. They were going to be saved. He noticed the other figure. “Is that Ash?”