The Phoenix

Chapter 1

Miss Serena! Miss Serena! Get up! Please! We need to get you to safety!" My maid servant says gently nudging me awake. "Please miss! They are gonna come for you!" She cries. I furrow my eyebrows and follow her as she drags me out of bed.
"What? What is going on Mildred?" I ask as she helps me throw on my night gown cover up.
"Pirates! They are raiding the town!" She says. That's when I hear a loud cannon go off. I screech and duck down even tho the sound isn't anywhere near us. It's on the beach. My eyes widen as look out my window and I see the town is on fire in different places, the towns people are running in terror, our army is fighting off pirates and men who aren't even in the army are fighting to save their families. I see a group of pirates running toward the front door of the governors mansion, my home.
"Mildred where is my father?!" I ask grabbing her wrist and running out of my room, down the stairs and toward the back door to try and escape.
  "He left earlier to go get the Admiral. To try and figure out what to do and how to fight these pirates off." She says. I nod.
  "At least he's with the army... hopefully he's safe." I say. We get to the back door and Mildred opens the door. She is instantly stabbed through the heart with a Pirates sword. I scream in horror. "NO!!!" I scream as tears instantly start streaming down my cheeks. I turn on my heels as the pirates turn their attention to me. I sprint back through the house and back up to my room slamming the door behind me and locking it. Blocking it with chairs. I look around frantically trying to find an escape. I breathe heavily as panic starts to set in. I run to my window and look to the ground that is two stories down. I gulp and climb out the window. I grab onto the grape vine and start to slide down the building. I get most of the way to the ground before I hear yelling up in my room. My eyes shoot up and I see the pirates looking down at me out my window. They yell some stuff and one guy starts to climb out after me as the others run back into the mansion. I look up at the guy that is climbing down after me and my eyes widen as I lose my footing. I crash down the rest of the way to the ground. I hit the ground hard and the breath gets knocked out of me. I cough up some blood and it drips down my cheek. I groan in pain and tears stream down my cheeks. I force myself to stand up and I start to run down the street. Pain coursing through my body with each step. I hold my side as I run, having landed on a rock or something.
  "Stop her!!!" The pirate that was climbing down the grapevine after me yells. I look back and see a new group of pirates turn and sprint after me. I scream and keep running. Harder than I ever have before. I head toward the beach where my dad will be with the Admiral.  
  "HELP!!! DADDY!!!! ADMIRAL KINGSTON!!!" I scream as loud as I can as the pirates start to catch up with me.
  "No you don't!!!" A pirate yells grabbing a fist full of my hair and ripping me back. I scream in pain and fly backwards. Heads turn toward me and I hear my father and the Admiral scream my name.
"Open fire! Keep them at bay!!" I hear Admiral Kingston yell. "SERENA!!!" He yells. "James stay here! It's safe here! I'll get Serena!" He yells.
"Serena hold on baby!!" My father, governor James yells. I scream as the pirate starts to pull me away by my hair.
  "William!!!" I cry out to admiral Kingston as tears stream down my face.
  "I'm coming Serena!!" He yells.
  "Captain! I got her! We have to go!" The pirate dragging me calls. I kick my feet and scream trying to hardest to get out of the pirates grip.
  "Oh for the love of God cutter pick her up!" A new voice yells. A powerful Scottish accent. Next thing I know I'm being thrown over someone's shoulder and the grip on my hair is released.
  "Sorry Cap..." he says. "Let's get her to the ship. We left the note on her bedroom door. We have to go. The Admiral is coming for her.
  "Put me down!!!" I scream as I kick and punch whatever I can as hard as I can.
  "Serena!! NO!!" Williams voice yells.
  "William help! Please!!!" I cry out. I get thrown into a row boat we instantly start to get rowed away. I gasp and hold my head and side as I try to clear my vision from going black. I look up and my eyes widen as I see the face I have always been told about, The face that has caused so much terror, the face that I have always thought to believe is a myth, just a horror story.
  "If you know what is good for you, you will stay down!" He says. I gulp and let out a short breath.
  "Captain Alexander Nightingale..." I breathe out. He smirks at me.
"Nice to meet your acquaintance. But I really prefer the name Phantom..." he growls a little. His accent thick and smooth. I gulp and turn my head to the side as I hear William call for me again.
"Serena I am coming!! I won't stop till I have you back!!" William yells. I see him running down the dock after us.
"William!!" I scream sitting up and moving to the edge of the boat. I watch as he dives into the water and starts to swim toward us as hard as he can.
"That stupid man..." the Captain says. I see him draw a pistol and aim toward William.
"NO!!" I scream and jump up tackling the captain and both of us going over board. I come back to the surface gasping for air. I look around frantically for William. "Will!!" I scream.
"Sere-" I turn and see William struggling with the captain in the water.
"Stop!!! Leave him alone!!! Don't kill him please!!!" I scream to the Captain as I swim toward them.
"Serena get to the shore! Get to your father!!!" Will yells to me as he fights the Captain. I shake my head and look toward my father who is watching in horror. I see one of the cannons of the ships turning to aim right at my father.
"STOP!!! STOP ILL GO!!! PLEASE!!! CAPTAIN PLEASE!!!" I cry swimming the rest of the way to the captain and William. I tug on the Captains arm and make him look at me. "Please! I'll go! I won't fight! Please! Just let them live! Stop terrorizing my town! Please!! Take no more lives! Please! I'll give mine up for theirs! Please!" I beg him.
"Serena no!" William says as the captain shoves him away. I slide in between them and look at the captain as I breathe heavily.
"No Serena!" My father yells. I put my hand up, making my father and William stop talking.
"Please Captain... I'll go... just... let the rest of my people, my father, and William live... no more blood shed..." I say softly. Captain Alexander looks at me with a raised eyebrow. He holds his hand up causing his crew to stop firing toward my town. To stop fighting. I gulp and search his eyes.
"Fire!" My dad yells.
"NO!! STOP!!! HOLD YOUR FIRE!!! PLEASE!!!" I scream turning toward my town in the water. Everyone looks at me as tears stream down my face. They slowly put their firearms down as my dad nods. I gulp and turn back to the Captain.
"You will come willingly?" He asks me. "You would give up your life... for all these nobody's?" He asks. I gulp and nod a little.
"Yes sir... they are my people... my family... would you not do the same for your crew?" I ask softly. He sighs and looks at me
"You are much braver than I thought you would be..." he says. I bite my lip.
"Thank you Captain..." I whisper. "Do we have a deal?" I ask softly.
"You give me your word on this?" He asks. I gulp and nod.
"Serena!" William says. I throw my hand up again.
"Enough William..." I say. I look back at the Captain and nod. "Yes sir... you have my word." I say. He nods with a smile.
"Then we have a deal my lady." He says holding his hand out to me. I gulp and nod. I look back at William and take a deep breath.
"Take care of daddy, will... please..." I say as tears stream down my cheeks.
"No... Serena no!" He says. I let out a sob and nod.
"William please! You have to! Tell him I love him. More than anything... I-I'm sorry that I can't be here for our wedding... I was looking forward to it... but you will find the perfect girl William... I know you will..." I say. "I have to go... it's the only way to save you... the only way to save my people..." I say.
"I will find you Serena! I will find you!" William says as tears slip down his cheeks. He swims forward and cups my cheek kissing me softly. "I won't give up on you..." he says. I gulp and kiss him back gently.
"This is the way it has to be. I'm strong. I will be fine. Just take care of Daddy. I'm sorry." I say. I gulp and turn to the Captain. I sniffle and force myself to stop crying. I hold my head high and gently take the captains hand. "You have my word, Captain. Let's go." I say. He smiles and nods. He pulls me through the water with him to the side of his ship "The Phoenix". He hoists me up and starts to help me climb up the side of the ship. I get to the top and a few crew members pull me over onto the deck. I groan in pain as I land on my back. I gulp and slowly stand up turning to the Captain as he helps me the rest of the way up. My soaking wet night gown sticks to my body as I turn toward where my father is.
"You have Six Weeks!! Six weeks to complete what I asked of you! If it is not done by then... you can say goodbye to your very very beautiful daughter here." The Captain yells to my dad as he wraps his arm around my waist. I gulp and close my eyes as he pulls me into his side. I see William come up beside my dad looking down at me. I bite my lip.
"If I can't get what you asked?" My father calls. I look down at the deck as Captain Alexander moves my wet hair to the side showing off my neck. I shiver a little as his breath and fingers slide across my skin. I close my eyes. I gulp and I look up to my father and William as the captain lays his chin on my bare shoulder.
"You will never see your precious Serena ever again." The Scottish captain says seductively in my ear.
"You will kill her?!" William asks. The Captain laughs.
"Of course! I need the things I asked for! If I don't get them, someone dies that I care about! If he dies, I will kill your precious Serena for revenge!" He yells. I bite my lip and nod a little. "She seems to have a lot of faith in you two! You better not disappoint her! Or me for that matter! Six weeks! Starts now!" He yells.
"We will find you Serena!" My dad and William yell. I smile the best I can.
"I will be fine! Just worry about what he asked for! I can take care of myself! Your main focus needs to be what he wants! Don't worry about me! Worry about getting those things he asked!" I yell. "I love you!" I yell as the ship starts to sail away.
"She's a smart girl! It would be smart to listen to her! Don't worry! I'll take good care of her! Like she's my very... own... wife." Captain Alexander yells. I gulp and stiffen up a little as he wraps his arms around my body pulling me back into him. His lips sliding over my jaw.
I see my dad and William clench their jaws a little. The captains crew laughs and soon we are out of sight and I can't see my father or William anymore. I sigh and look down at the water as I lean over the railing. Tears slipping down my cheeks. I look down at my blood stained night gown and blood matted hair.
"You aren't going to jump right?" The captains voice says behind me. I straighten up and dry my tears. I side glance at him.
"No... I gave you my word. I'm not gonna escape. I don't ever go back on my word..." I say softly.
"Good. Now let's get you fixed up." He says grabbing my arm and pulling me across the deck and down into the captains quarters. Trip a few times as I try to keep up with him.
"I will come if you just let me go! You have no idea how to treat a woman do you?!" I scold him as he throws me into the side of the bed. I hold my side and groan in pain as I slowly move to correct myself on the bed.
"I will treat you as I wish. You are my prisoner. I am the Captain." He says. I scoff a little.
"I'm not a prisoner if I came here willingly." I slap back. He looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. I lookup at him and raise an eyebrow. "What?" I ask. He blinks a few times and shakes his head.
  "Nothing... people just... no one talks to me like that..." he says. I laugh a little and nod.
  "Yeah well... you might as well get used to it." I say. He narrows his eyes.
  "You are really gonna try my patience these next few weeks aren't you?" He mumbles. I smirk a little.
  "That depends on how you treat me. If you are nice to me. I'll be nice to you. If you are rude and mean to me... just expect me to be rude and mean right back. If you hurt me... I... I won't hurt you tho... I'm not gonna do that." I say. He bites his lip and nods a little.
  "Noted..." he says looking me over. I gulp and look down. "Um... I'll have Harry, my first mate, draw up some warm water so you can bathe... once you are done bathing you can wear this..." he says throwing me a dress. I catch it and smile a little as I feel the silky fabric. I lay it on the bed then look back up at Captain Alexander. "Once you are done bathing... I will come back down with Killian, our medic. We will get you all fixed up and bandaged." He says. I nod a little.
  "Okay... thank you Captain..." I say. He nods a little and looks me over again before clearing his throats and walking out of the cabin. I take a short breath and close my eyes. I run my hands down my face and lay back into the bed.
  "This is gonna be a long six weeks." I groan a little.