Elysian House: Edge of the World (3)

Chapter 19: Fight

Olivia

"Davey Jones!" I sprinted across the deck, hands held over my head to keep the rain from falling into my eyes. I searched the deck for my captain, but found him nowhere in sight. The crew were scrambling to stay on deck, all while fighting against the horrific storm. The sails were tearing apart and the ship rocked back and forth violently. I wasn't so sure we were making it out of this mess alive.

Suddenly, I saw my captain, standing at the helm, both hands secured tightly over the wheel. The Golden Fleece lay delicately over his broad shoulders. His eyes were focused, masked of any kind of fear that he may have felt in that moment.

"Davey Jones," I rushed up the stairs to my captain, and when I was at his side, he turns to me and a smile appears on his face.

"Lass," he says as he reaches his hand out to rest it against my cheek, while his hook stayed around the wheel. "This be a bad storm."

"Davey Jones, we must find shore," I say as the ship rocks violently back and forth in the wind.

"I'm afraid that there may not be any shore for us, lass," he says. "The storm is too strong."

"No way! The Flying Dutchman can withstand anything, can't it? That's what you told me, captain!"

His sigh nearly broke my heart in two. "Lass, you've been a hell of a first mate. You're like one of my own, ya know? Always wanted a kid. Never thought I'd bond much with a daughter, but looks like the fate has proved me wrong. I'm proud of ya, kiddo. This life isn't for you, though, lass. Your heart is much too pure, and your mind is so creative." He reaches up and removes the Golden Fleece from his shoulders and places it into my hands. "This will keep you warm during the storm, lass. Wear it."

I did as he said, and wrapped its warmth around me, and sighed as it kept the goosebumps away, and the rain droplets slowly melted away on my skin. It felt as though I were secured in a cloud.

I peer up at Davey Jones, and my eyes begin to water. "Are we going to die, captain?"

"'Fraid so, lass. It's been a pleasure," he says and tips his hat, with the tip of his hook. And even though he smiled, I could see the pain in his eyes. "I wish we could have lived different lives than this. We would have--"

Whatever he was going to say was cut short when a massive tendril lifted up high out of the sea and slammed down in the center of the ship, cutting it clean in half. I gasped and watched as a large monster came crawling out of the water and up into the surface. 

Davey Jones growls and glares at the beast. "The Kraken."

Another tendril came up high into the sky and I watched in horror as it slammed down again, sending a massive wave of water tilting the remains of the ship over until I felt the cold all around me, and my hearing cut off to nothing but a low hum of the ocean. I opened my eyes and watched the surface slowly drifting away from me, but I didn't let go of the Golden Fleece wrapped tightly around my body.

As I sunk lower into the darkness, along with the rest of my crew, the Fleece began to glow, and sheltered me from the dark. 

But because of that, I saw one huge, watery eye blink open before me and it glared. But then the golden glow of the Fleece seemed to have tamed the beast, for the tendrils stopped whipping and instead, it sat there, staring. One huge, watery eye.

Then an idea popped into my head. Perhaps I could barter with this beast.

Save my crew, and in exchange, I will give you the Fleece.