Midnight Boat to Freedom

Disclaimer - I don't own any of it. Nor do I make any money off it.

Chapter 2


Jack Sparrow turned the wheel with thoughts heavy on his mind. There was another crewmember aboard, and her presence unnerved him to no end. He knew. And he was so inclined to turn the Pearl around, harbor in the daylight, and drop her right back on shore where she belonged. There was nothing in it for him, taking her aboard was a liability for him. Anamarie came to stand beside him and he didn’t spare her a glance.

“What thought steals your words?” She knew what troubled him; she had guessed it the moment she got a good look at Tom’s face.

Jack shook his head. Anamarie would understand, more than any other, she would understand why he had left the girl in there to take the burden of the life they lived.

He was worried. Jack Sparrow would never give the slightest trace of a hint that he was worried, but there it was. It settled in his gut like sour rum and festered. What was her game? Why was she fleeing her life to live a scattered one with them on the sea? There was something in the conviction in her words that told him that if he were to deny her this passage, she would return and catch another boat off the dock. There was no going home once you left. Returning to deal with consequences was a scary prospect for someone so young.

But Tom wasn’t young. In years, aye, but in mind? She spoke with the greatest conviction and when she said she gave her word, he knew he looked at a steel resolve. Nothing was going to change her mind. He looked to Anamarie. There was a clarifying moment. Had Anamarie not run for the same reasons? It was clear to Jack’s perceptive eyes that Tom had been a servant in her life. Small things spoke to him, her skill at mopping, as ridiculous as it was, was unmatched. But the way she spoke to others was the dead giveaway. She averted her eyes and looked to the deck even as she walked. Heavy burdens were nothing to her; she carried bulk right alongside the men. Her strength was another giveaway, no girl of proper breeding could do any of the things that she already had, and they wouldn’t avert their eyes from someone they deemed lower than themselves.

Jack knew that she was running away from a life of servitude and she was right. Some people circumstances never changed.

Will popped into his head. Will was changed, but the governor’s daughter had had a hand in that. She had helped them greatly, and raised the standards of living for apprentices such as Will, orphans sold to tradesmen for cheap labor, under the guise of a proper raising. But Will was a man. And nothing of the sort would ever happen to a servant girl, he knew that Tom had been right when she poke, and he knew that she had poured a lot of thought into the decision that she was making in the quarters now.

The Pirates Brand was a large burden to take. Jack knew that there were still some on his crew that could not bring themselves to do it. He didn’t blame them, but then again, Jack Sparrow had always been the type of man to wear his heart on his sleeve so to speak. And to declare oneself in this manner surely meant death is one was to be caught.

A pirate without this brand was killed. Hung. Quartered. He told Tom all of this when he had explained the code, and she had listened to every word he uttered. She knew that she was facing certain death if she were to be caught with that mark. There was a saying among the educated people of the ports that the only good pirate was a dead one, and they took that axiom to heart. He told her various stories of what they did to captured pirates; the nicest of them was hanging. He hoped to scare her off from wanting this life, but she never wavered. There was nothing he knew that he could say to change her mind, so he left the room and let her to make up her own mind.

Anamarie watched his face as all these thoughts passed his mind. He valued her for her silent understanding. She knew the thoughts of Jack Sparrow better than any other aboard, and she knew the reservations he carried in his heart. And if Jack thought that Tom could pull her weight, she would stand beside him in his decision to keep her onboard.

They both watched as Tom made her way out of the quarters and flinched in the sunlight. When Jack caught her eye, she lifted the sleeve of her shirt just enough for him to see the growing red welt. There was no going back now. Tom was to stay.

The work was hard. Never before had I felt so tired that I could almost hear my bones screaming. But it felt good. I answered to no one but Jack, and he, I soon learned, was as laid back as they come. He never gave an order that he wouldn’t do himself. And as I learned the intricate system of ropes and endless ropes, he was there, always pointing me to the right sail and untangling me. He was funny and I loved hearing about adventures past and longed to go on some of them.

Nights fell and darkness covered the ship. Not a candle was to be lit after the sun started to dim. Most of the crew settled on the deck to talk by the light of the moon and breathe the cool night air. The clank of bottles and muffled laughter carried to my bunk and I started to come out at night for a bit. At first I stayed to the shadows, overhearing conversations, but slowly, as I learned the crew by day, they accepted me into their circles by night. I never really spoke on these nights; I was content to listen to the stories that they passed along with their bottles.

There was always rum. Always. More rum than there was fresh water it seemed, but I didn’t mind. I never took a sip in my life and no one ever offered. I wasn’t offended, knowing that then I would have turned it down.

It was here that I learned that we were to make a stop. I was indefinitely excited; I thought I was ready to go with them. I listened as they spoke of the town that we were to go to. My heart sank as I realized it wasn’t a stop at all. It was a social visit more than anything. Jack was going to shore with a very small crew to call on an old friend. I listened, but half-heartedly after that. I didn’t want to admit to it, ever. My feet longed to set on solid ground, if only for a moment. I wasn’t anxious to be involved in a fight of any sort. But you come to understand that they are quite common when there is a time of day that every crewmember sets aside time to clean their weapons.

As the moon reached its zenith that evening, I knew it was time for me to turn in for the night. I thought nothing but of the land, getting a proper change of clothes and seeing other faces. I liked the crew well enough, but most of them were older and didn’t say much that I could relate to. I tossed and turned and didn’t sleep much at all that night.

By morning, I was awake earlier than most and I helped scrape together something to eat. After that I immediately looked to Jack and started hoisting sails. After we were properly on our way, and everyone had set about their daily tasks, I was pulled aside by Anamarie. I was surprised, I knew that she had kept her eye on me, but she hadn’t said anything to me that didn’t relate to the Pearl since the first night I met her.
She told me that we were going back to Port Royal, and that I was to come to land with her and Jack. My heart leapt into my throat. As much as I wanted the ground beneath my feet and all of that, I remember the terror that I felt knowing that I could come face to face with my former masters, and my time at sea could be abruptly over. I realized with a start that I had been with the crew for weeks, and never had we docked anywhere before, and now we were on our way into Port Royal. I had the brand! They could hang me! I knew that this was what I had agreed to, but I wondered why we would be so foolish as to make land and risk exposing ourselves.

Anamarie laughed as she spied the confusion on my face. I realize now that I must have looked scandalized. She shushed me and pulled me aside.

“What is it ye’ve heard about Port Royal?” Anamarie gave a smug look.

“Nothing, I just wonder why it is that we are going back there.” I didn’t meet her eyes; I was under the impression that she was still fooled by my guise. She wasn’t.

“We are going too see about more suitable clothes for you, and to have a blade forged for you. We, although pirates, are given some leeway in Royal, and Jack has old friends there that we’re to see.” Anamarie stated.

“But I can’t.” I was about to finish, but she had cut me off.

“No one is going to recognize you, I have a feeling you looked a bit different last time you were there.” She looked at me up and down, and I knew she was not fooled. I wondered who else knew.

“Just me and Jack, and we’ll not say a word.” Anamarie walked away chuckling. I wondered how they had found out, and if they knew, why didn’t anyone else? I was comforted by the assurance that no one would recognize me, but I was still apprehensive.