Falling Through Portals

Bad to Worse

Chapter 78

Lorem gasped awake.

Most of the drunken feeling of the alcohol seemed to vanish but left her with a raging head ache. Her whole head felt like it had been lit on fire.

She raised a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes tight against the pain.

"Ahhhh," she cried softly.

If the immense pain was any indicator, the alcohol had damaged something. That something was her entire immune system, which was working overtime to try and build up immunities against the alcohol poison.

But it had not been the pain to awaken her. Her whole body had tensed when she felt the change in the atmosphere. It was very distinct. And by the scent in the air, it would not be anything good.

Lorem worked to get into a standing position. The huge dress and its yards of fabric seemed to be endlessly heavy. Forcing her muscles to move, she stumbled to the door.

The door knob turned, mercifully unlocked. She opened the door and a gust of salty wind helped to clear her head. Despite being a rather warm night, there was a chill in the air. Most of the crew were on the deck, conversing amongst themselves. None of them saw Lorem. She quickly closed the door and tried to hide in the shadows.

"Jack," a voice said above her. Lorem froze and leaned against the wall of the cabin as she tried to see who was above her. "You have been directing us for weeks, we are your crew. We deserve to know where we are going."

"You know where we are going," Captain Jack said with slurred speech. Lorem wanted to strangle that man for her raging head ache. "We are going for the treasure."

"But where, Jack?" lorem recognized the voice as Hector.

"To our destiny," Jack said.

"Captain," Hector got very quiet. Lorem strained to hear what he was saying. The wind covered whatever was said. Lorem moved along the wall to try and see them. Hiding beside a wooden ladder, she stared up and was able to see Jack piloting the ship and Hector standing next to him. Jack was staring at his first mate pensively.

"You are right," Jack said, "I will tell you." Lorem strained to hear a set of numbers that she recognized as coordinates.

"Ah," a grin spread on Hector's lips. There was something off about that smile. "I am so glad you told me." Lorem tensed. Something was very wrong.

Hector turned to the deck and let out a long, eerie whistle. All of the crew below turned towards him simultaneously. Lorem's heart rate sky rocketed.

"Boys!" he called out to them, "The ship is ours!"

"What?" a confused Jack asked. But his words were drowned out by the cheer of the crew. Lorem glanced around. Everything in her told her that she needed to hide. Just behind the ladder was a small crate. As quietly as she could, she squeezed herself between the wall of the cabin and the ladder. Raising the lid of the crate, she almost sighed in relief as she realized it was empty. Stepping into the crate she sat inside of it. Having to lay on her side in order to fit, she pulled the lid shut just as Hector's big feet began on the top rung of the ladder.

"Men!" he said, "Take Jack Sparrow below deck and bring me the prisoners."

Lorem couldn't see anything in the dark crate, but all of the fabric of her dress made every possible position uncomfortable. She could hear the pounding of feet and the hollers of the men as they raced up the ladder to get Jack.