A Pirate's Life For Me

Alex Stowe

The feeling of the world swaying beneath her. And blackness.

That was what Sky woke up to the first time around. She could hardly keep her eyes open, struggling to stay conscious. All she could sense was the movement of her body as it swayed with the world. She struggled to move, to breathe, to even think. She felt someone's hair tickle her face and a hand touch her forehead, and a strange creaking noise from above.

And then, worst of all, was the burning. It was like she'd been set on fire, only, there were no flames. No brightness. Only the sensation of heat dancing across her skin, like the sun had planted itself directly in front of her. She was fire. Never to venture into the water, never to rescue her family from that rowboat, never to . . .

"Wake up."

In her mind, Sky heard a voice. She strained her ears to listen, but it sounded thousands of miles away. She didn't have the ability to concentrate or understand what they were saying.

"You need to wake up," the voice said again, clearer this time. Clear enough that Sky could faintly tell it was a boy saying those words. He sounded . . . nice. The words washed over her like water, slightly dousing the fire that consumed her. But the relief didn't last for long, and Sky felt herself slipping away further. She was heating up again. Becoming the sun and fire and everything hot in the world.

"She has a fever-" another voice started to say, but Sky heard nothing more after that. She was yanked from the world again, plummeting into dreams and despair, filled with screams she wanted to forget and faces she couldn't place. The only thing she knew was they were calling her name, over and over like a wave endlessly touching the shore.

"Sky!"

Sky blinked. She was standing on the shore of a burning town, chaos around her. Behind her was the nonstop clashing of swords. She heard someone scream her name again, their voice hoarse. As she turned, her body felt like it was doused in honey. That voice seemed so important, more important than anything. But who's was it?

"Sky!" a boy's voice called. She peered into the dark water, lit up by the light of the fire. She could hardly make out their faces, but there they were. Her mother and Crow, sailing away with a band of pirates.

"Not this again," Sky muttered weakly. She ran to them, every step feeling like she was walking on lava. Wrenching hot sparks burst from the ocean's edge, showering her. Not only was the town on fire, but so was the water, it seemed.

"Hold on!" Sky yelled across the burning flames, the heat only getting more intense with every second. She couldn't tell if her family heard her or not.

She ran to the waters edge and - unlike what she'd do in real life - she jumped. Without warning, her two foot jump turned into a plunge from a high cliff, leading to the treacherous water down below. Although she didn't scream, Sky started to panic, her arms flailing around her. Despite everything, she could still see her mother and Crow's little boat from where she was falling. But of course, dreams never went how you expected.

An explosion sounded behind her, and suddenly everything became impossibly bright. The force of it sent Sky flying backwards. She heard nothing but the roaring wind all around her, and the flames were larger than ever. They tickled her skin and burned through her eyelids. She spun in the air, hitting the ocean with a crash! The heat from her body abruptly faded, replaced by a numb coldness.

The last thing she remembered was sinking in a burning sea, knowing her family was gone forever, and wishing she would just drown already.

"Look, I told you! She's starting to wake up!"

"She is?" A hopeful tone.

"Yes, you dolt. Her fever's finally broken. I'm guessing she won't stay awake long, but it should be long enough."