The Pirate and the Soldier Boy

Chapter 20

 Carmen was marched down the stairs, silent in shock. She had been pirating for a year and a half. She saw people die regularly in battle. Just not friends. Not friends in senseless acts of cruelty. The crack of the whip was still playing on repeat in her brain. The awkward angle of Jenna's legs as the ropes supported her whole weight. The horrible, wrenching scream. The pain Carmen felt. The expression on Jenna's face, devoid of feeling. Life.

Carmen gave no resistance as she was tied to a bedpost. She couldn't avert her eyes as Jenna's limp body was thrown next to her. A guard stood by the door, bored and obviously not seeing Carmen as a threat.

As time wore on something started to bother Carmen. A folded piece of paper was sticking out of Jenna's back pocket as she lay on the floor by Carmen's feet. Blood spotted though it was, it was still in quite good condition. But she couldn't figure out why this should bother her. Until she realized from the center of her befuddled haze, that it should have been confiscated. Why hadn't it been?

With no boots on her feet, Carmen was able to stretch her leg out and grab the paper with her toes. Slowly maneuvering so she wouldn't drop it, she opened the folds to read the paper. Another small scrap fluttered out from the center. Picking it up, she read it first.

"My dearest Carmen,

I'm so sorry. I have nothing else to give you, but I thought you should have this. In case I don't get to give it to you myself. The missing name belongs to Ian. You have his eyes. And his height."

Carmen hurriedly looked at the larger paper. It was a birth certificate, explaining why she was allowed to keep it. Written large in the center was the name "Carmen Whitney". Other categories were listed. "Eyes: Brown; Hair: Blonde; Weight: 2.25 kg; Length: 40.5 cm"

Carmen read the next space with anticipation. "Father: Unknown. Presumed last name Whitney, mother will not provide information."

Her breath hitched and had her hands been free they would have flown to cover her mouth. For the next spaces said simply "Mother: Jenna Hayes; Adoptive father: Gaspard Lefévre, by request of the mother."

Carmen drew her knees to her chest, blonde hair falling from her bandanna and hanging in front of her face. "No." She was mumbling to herself rocking back and forth. "How could I be so blind? My mother was there the whole time and I didn't know."

Her voice had escalated from a mumble to a normal talking voice, and her guard was starting to look alarmed. "No. No no no, why didn't I ask? Why couldn't I see? How was I so blind?"

The guard by the stairs strode over and untied her hands from the bed, starting to drag her toward the far post. As soon as her arms were free, however, Carmen pulled away and knelt at Jenna's side. Her mother's side. She turned her over so she was laying on her back, and closed the staring eyes. Carmen grasped the lifeless hand by her side. "Jenna. Mom. Mom! Why didn't you say anything? You-you must have k-known for weeks, months, but know I only know now that it-it-it's too late."

She was beyond crying. But her breath still heaved and her hands shook with the remorse that she had been unable to feel through her earlier shock. This new shock had reawakened her. Even the guard seemed hesitant to pull her away. But he soon did. Carmen flew into a rage. "No!! No! Don't you see. That's my best friend! My M-other! Lying there dead on the ground and you want t-to drag me away?!"

She flailed her arms and legs, trying to free herself. From this man's grasp, from this moment, from this horrible life, and mostly from the horrible pain of the tall woman lying on the ground, blood soaked into her shirt. Blood that was now on Carmen's hands. She stopped struggling suddenly and went limp once more as the guard tied her hands behind another post facing away from Jenna. "Please. Please. Let me go. Let her go. Fix this. Please..."