Why You?

Chapter: 9

I'm walking to my death and yet, I can't cry. I just feel emotionless. I don't want to die. I know I don't want to die, but at the same time there's nothing left for me. But that's not all that true either. I could find my own adventure. See the world, like I've always wanted to do before. No use in that now though.

The potato sack over my head makes it impossible to see anything. It's very stuffy, making it harder to breath. I'm assuming it's now dark, so even if I didn't have this potato sack on, I wouldn't be able to see that far anyways.

I don't feel a tug on the rope attached to my wrist anymore an assume we are stopping. All around me people are cheering. I can hear everyone calling me a traitor, and yelling rude things. Thankfully they are not throwing anything this time.

At least Eleanor was instructed to give me another gown, which really looks like potato sacks sewn together. It's better than sitting in the tomato stained dress, and she allowed me to keep my book with me. She also gave me a wash cloth to clean myself with, but Im still walking barefoot. I guess that's what I get for kicking my heels off.

I thought Eleanor would help me out, but at the same time I can't exactly blame her. She could get hung for helping a so called 'traitor' out.

A hand grabs my arm making me jump. They pull me up some stairs and onto some sort of platform. I can only assume it's the platform I'll be hung on. I have not choice but to follow.

The platform creaks as I walk across it, and the cheers get even louder. It sounds like the whole town is here to witness my death. How honoring, I sarcastically think.

The person pulling me turns me around to make sure I'm in the right position. They pull the potato sack off, and once again I'm able to see everything around me. That's lit of course. People are carrying torches to lite up the area, and torches are held by a handle on some of the walls to illuminate my hanging. I guessed correct about the platform.

I've always avoided going to the hangings. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know how people and stand here and cheer on someone's death. The hangings always takes place about a mile from the castle. You have to walk up a huge flight of stairs to reach the base floor of where the hanging platform sits. It's very high up, but on the other side is where the ocean is. Lots of rigid rocks are at the bottom. Many prisoners have tired to escape by jumping off of this base and end up crashing to their death by hitting the rocks.

I scan all of the crowds faces and each and every one of them looks at me in disgust. I do not falter by their gaze though. If anything, I stand up taller, and hold my head up high.

A guy in all black, including a black mask puts my head through the rope and tightens it. The rope feels itchy on my throat. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and close my eyes. I imagine reaching out for the stars. Each star shining out brightly, but I look for the brightest one.

I hear the person in black start to pull the lever. I'm now reaching for the star. Almost able to grab it. He pulls the lever all the way back and the board slips from under my feet, while it makes a loud screeching noise. I now grab the star, it shines brightly in my hand, but my thoughts override with me trying to breath.

The rope tightens around my throat and I open my mouth, gasping for air, but I can't seem to breath.

I can't concentrate on anything else. I can't even hear the cheers anymore and a single tear slips down my cheek. Until nothing. I suddenly drop to the ground below the platform, making a big thud. I gasp for air, making my chest rise and fall rapidly and claw at my neck, quickly pulling the rope off from around my throat in shock. I look up confused to see the rope has been cut. But how? Who would do this for me?

I struggle to crawl out from beneath the platform with the shackles on my wrist an ankles. I'm met by William on the other side and he's dragging me out. We reach the outside and he pulls me up from the ground. I watch around me as chaos breaks out. There appears to be more pirates all fending off the soldiers who try to come at us. Most of the people ran but some of the gutsy ones have stayed to fight. All around us swords are clashing. People scream, others grunt.

"Spread your feet and hands apart," William commands.

I do as he says, stretching my feet and hands as far as the shackles will allow them. In one swift slice, William brings down his sword to cut the chains of both shackles from my wrist and ankles in half. I stare back at him in astonishment, but he's more focused on what's going on around us.

A guy try's to creep up behind William, but I call out, "William behind you!"

He quickly turns around to block himself with his sword, right as the other person's sword comes down on his. It makes a clinging noise and William pushes his opponent's sword back, then brings his sword down to plunge it into the guys stomach. The unlucky guy's eyes went wide and he fell backwards while William pulls his sword back.

I gasp and cover my mouth at the sight. Blood runs down Williams sword as well as the wound of his dying opponent. William stares at me and then rushes over to my side, turning my from the vulgar sight.

William takes my hand into his and questions, "Do you trust me?"

I slowly nod unsure of my answer, but it's not like I really have a choice at the moment to not trust him.

He seems satisfied by my reply and looks out to the crowd he cups his hands around his mouth.

"Come on guys we got what we came for it's time to fall back!" William shouts over the crowd.

"Don't let them get away!" I hear one of the soldiers yell.

William grabs one of my hands and we start sprinting. Towards the ocean. I slow down some which William notices.

"Trust me!" He calls out as we continue running.

I don't know what I'm doing, but my feet can't seem to stop. It's like they have a mind of their own and we are heading straight towards the edge. I see other pirates finishing their last blows, then making their way the same direction as us. The soldiers chase after us. I try to focus on the water way out in front of us, ignoring all the blood and the metallic smell that fills the air.

I squeeze William's hand as we reach the edge, and then, I'm flying. For a second everything pauses and regardless the situation, I feel free. I feel alive even. But what feels like flying for a brief second turns into falling and I hear myself scream before crashing into the water.

My whole body feels like I've been put into and ice bath. At some point William's hand fell out of mine and all I can think about is making it back up to the surface to breath. I kick my legs as hard as I can, along with reaching my arms to grasp the top of the surface.

My head breaks through the water into the open air. I heave in the air and look around to see William already there. I can't believe we did not hit any rocks. It's almost as if there's a circle of no rocks that if you jump in that spot, you would be safe. I believe he told me to follow him, but not exactly sure, so I do so anyways as he swims the opposite direction.

My arms burn to stay afloat, but I can see we are almost to our destination. A humongous boat sits out in front of us. On the very top above the sails, a big black flag with a skull on it sits perched. It flaps in the wind while the sails slightly blow. From the side I can see around six huge cannons, and the whole boat itself is a brown wood.

We make it to the boat and a ladder hung from the side. I struggle to climb it feeling weak, but I try my best to hurry with people still waiting in the water behind me. William makes it up the ladder must faster than I do and waits to grab my hand when I reach the top. I take hold of it and allow him to help me.

"Well, welcome aboard," he slyly comments.

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