Pirates, Kings, and Love. Oh my.

Chapter 14

(AN: sorry guys this one is so short. the second i finished the last chapter i just went to the next page and wrote this. ive been waiting to post it because i felt like i was going to write more, but now i feel like it sounds good the way it is. i might add on in a few days. we'll see. let me know what you think tho: should i add more to the chapter or go on to a new one? the choice is up to you so please read, comment, and vote if you like!!)

The cold of the water made me lose my breath. Suddenly panicked, I tried to swim back up towards the surface. As I kept swimming, instead of getting lighter, the water became darker and darker. Was I going in the opposite direction? I couldn’t be! I had just come from here, I know I had! I flailed around, hoping to find light where the surface would be. When I had turned completely around, I saw gray ahead of me compared to the black water I was in. My lungs began to ache. I kicked as hard as I could, thanking God that I had not been wearing that wretched dress. My pulse quickened as the water turned from gray to blue and I swam faster. A few more pulls and I sucked in air and salt water as my face broke the surface.

What I saw next I almost couldn’t believe. I saw the entire front of the ship, sticking straight up out of the water. I swam towards it and held onto the railing. I felt my weight being pulled out of the water. I looked down and gasped. Under the surface I saw the rest of the ship, vertical as well. I could see Henry and Teddy, looking up at me. I waved. They didn’t. I saw Heath still at the wheel, clutching it so as not to fall like I had. And behind him, the blue sky. I was still being pushed up into the sky and continued to hold on for dear life, though it was getting hard since I was holding the rail with my arms stretched above my head.  A few of the crew popped out of the water, holding to the rail like I was. Then a few more, and a few more; the entire crew was being lifted out of the water as the rest were sinking into it. When Heath popped through the water the forecastle began to descend and the ship righted itself, sitting on top of the ocean under a clear blue sky, like nothing had ever happened.

It was silent for a few moments, then the crew burst out into loud cheers. Someone had grabbed a harmonica and began to play a rambunctious happy tune and all the sailors began to jig. Tuck was standing and whooping along with the rest. Henry was standing up, a bit dazed. I was lucky I even rememberd to breath in and out.

“Tarryn, we made it! We finally made it! Oh I’m so happy! I can see my sisters again, and my mother! Finally, we made it!” Tuck came rushing over to me grabbing my arms that were still coiled around the rail, pulling me to my feet and swinging me all around.

“Where did we make it to?” I gasped between ragged breaths as Tuck continued with his maelstrom of happiness.

Tuck’s face was exuberant with a wide smile revealing all his teeth. He continued to whirl me around, bumping into the other joyful sailors more times than I’d have preferred. He didn’t seem to have heard me so I repeated my question.

“Tuck, where are we!”

He let go of my waist and sent me twirling away from him. The entire crew whizzed past my eyes two or three times, everything blurring together.

“Ooof!” I grunted. I had landed against something rather clumsily that held me steady by the waist. I placed a hand to my forehead and closed my eyes to stop right my brain. When my stomache felt right again I looked up into Heath’s smiling face.

“Welcome to Remagdala.”