Deep Blue

I stumbled with the sway of the ship into the side of the wooden corridor, scraping the gash in my shoulder. I winced and bit down on my teeth to keep from making a sound.

Before our ship was boarded, Mother told me that pirates just grow meaner when their prisoners express pain. I was only twelve years old, but I could hold my cry down. I desperately hoped we would be able to eat once we arrived where they were taking us.

The giant pirate behind me clamped his hand on my other arm and practically dragged me to the end of the hall. Once there, he unlocked the door and tossed me into the pit of darkness beyond.

I tumbled onto the hard brick flooring, tearing my bright yellow dress even more. I looked up just in time to watch the last bit of light slam away as the pirate locked the door.

I was alone. Now I could cry. I pulled my knees up tight into my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and buried my face into the torn lacing of my dress, letting out my tears. The blood from the gash in my shoulder trickled down my arm.

I really hoped my mother was ok.

I could still hear women crying and men shouting up on deck. Footsteps pounded continuously from above as the fighting continued. Water droplets plinked somewhere in the darkness of my cell, giving a peaceful sound to the din of chaos above my ceiling. The whole room groaned as the boat rocked on the waves of the agitated sea.

I sniffled as my tears subsided, looking up and trying to make out my surroundings. I heard a slight shuffle and a creature's breathing beyond my vision. Fear seeped into my exasperated muscles. I held my breath, trying to make out what was in here with me.

A muscular ape-like creature--well it was just a figure, but I was pretty sure it was ape-like--moved toward me. I scrambled to my feet, eyes wide with ferocity, and put my arm up in front of me.

"Stop!" I shouted, the high pitch of my voice failing to convey the gravity of my resolve.

The beast slowed down but came closer still. It squatted in front of me and a sliver of light from a few cracks in the cell door shone on its face. The light revealed the face of the creature to be that of a man's. A scraggly, scruffy man, who very much could be classified as an ape with the amount of black grime and hair about his body. His skin was crusted with dried salt, from the dripping sea water no doubt, and had many small cuts and openings, especially in his lips.

The man smiled at me kindly. His eyes captivated me, managing to calm me down and help me feel safe. They were a deep blue, like the sea. Most ocean water is green, but I've visited many places in Europe with my father where the water was as blue as blue can be. His eyes were like those places.

The man's dry lips parted to speak, "Why hello there, pretty lady."

My mouth hung open, too shy to speak. Normally, a man's greeting wouldn't even phase me and I'd whip out something witty to greet him in return, but this was different.

"Welcome to my cage," he gestured about at the darkness that surrounded us. His voice was resonate and strong.

It wasn't that the man was handsome, or scary, or even ugly. He was neither of those things. It was the contrast of his disheveled appearance and the kind, calming effect behind his eyes and voice that took me off guard and kept me speechless.

"What's your name?" The man slanted his head to the side.

I furrowed my eyebrows, finally managing something to say, "What's yours?" I smirked, thankful to have my wit back.

The man huffed with a brief chuckle.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps, keys clinking together, and a woman's voice just outside our cell door. I lurched away from it right as it opened. My mother was thrown in seconds after and collided with the floor. She stood up immediately as the door slammed and the lock twisted back into place. She raced to the door and pounded on it frantically.

"PLEASE! My daughter! Tell me where she is!!" She cried and sank to her knees, weeping.

I creeped from the darkness and gently touched her shoulder, "It's ok, mother. I'm here too."

She winced from my touch at first but then embraced me in a tight hug, "Oh thank God!"

I smiled for the first time since our ship's captain spotted and announced the approaching pirate ship on the horizon--the ship we were presently captive on. Our captain was probably dead by now.

My mother and I held each other close till she felt the blood oozing down my arm.

"Sweet heart, you're bleeding?" She stated frantically, touching at my wound.

I pulled my shoulder back from her fingers, "Yes, it hurts, but it's fine, mother."

I noticed my mother's eyes shift from mine to something behind me.

"Who are you!?" She demanded, standing up.

I turned to find the scruffy man squatting a yard away from us. He squinted and raised his hands peacefully, "Have no fear, ma'am. I am a fellow prisoner." He shuffled a bit closer for her to see him.

Mother's eyebrows furrowed with recognition, "Oh my God, you're Jack Holmes."

The man nodded with a bitter expression, "The infamous ocean vigilante, rotting on a pirate ship. Ironic, I know." He frowned as his eyes rested on my shoulder wound. "Your daughter's hurt."

Mother positioned herself between me and Mr. Holmes. "Don't you dare come any closer."

I touched her arm, "Mother, if he wanted to hurt us, he would."

Mother glanced down at me, her eyes wet with fear.

I had not heard many stories about Jack Holmes, but when I had, they were being told by seamen who relayed epic tales about the man's heroism, fending off entire crews of pirates from British ships or innocent merchants. My father usually protested that vigilantes were a threat to the crown and should not be idealized, but that's exactly what English seamen had done with Mr. Holmes--idealized him. He was like an ocean hero, but, I had not noticed this before, reports about him had gradually come to a stop within recent months. The Royal British posters around every port still demanded his arrest.

I think Mother only knew the cynical narrative of British loyalists, so the thought of a vigilante with men's blood on his hands in the same room as us scared her.

I already began to like him from his reputation alone, but I could not help but wonder how Jack came to be held here for so long. Were these pirates really so dangerous and powerful that they were the only ones capable of subduing him? Not even the British military could catch up with him.

Mother's expression softened and she stepped aside, allowing Jack to approach me. He crawled over on all fours and looked me in the eyes, instilling that calming effect in me again. I barely felt his clammy fingers touching at my wound as he plucked out a few of the splinters embedded in it.

"How'd you come by this nasty wound, Miss Sunny?" He smiled, working at my shoulder.

I assumed he was referring to my yellow dress and kept myself from smiling, mostly for my mother's satisfaction, "A sword caught me by accident during the boarding." I paused, "Why did you call me 'Miss Sunny?'"

He glanced from my wound to me, "Well, you refused to give me your name and I can see the bright playful girl you're hiding behind those serious eyes of yours. Is there a name you prefer me to call you?"

I smirked, liking the nickname, and ignored his question, "How does a famed man like you end up caged on a ship of nasty pirates?"

"Well, darling, sometimes a man loses heart. Sometimes the things he was fighting for just don't seem to mean anything anymore."

I grit my teeth as he yanked a final splinter from my shoulder.

"Don't hurt her," Mother shouted, starting for us.

"I'm ok, mother. It's fine."

Mother paused and stepped back reluctantly, "Very well." She squinted threateningly at Mr. Holmes.

I turned back to Mr. Holmes, "I don't think I understand. How can defending innocent ships from whole crews of pirates not mean anything?"

Jack smirked to himself, obviously amused at my question, "If you fought a bully at school and the kids you were defending threw rocks at you after you won, would you want to keep fighting for them?" I noticed him cast a glance at my mother.

I frowned, not liking to be found amusing by anyone, "I'd still do it for the principle of it. No one stronger should be allowed to bully the weak."

Jack nodded, "Then, Miss Sunny, you are much more noble than I, and I applaud you." He cinched a strap across my wound, temporarily patching it up.

"Ok, that's enough. Thank you, Mr. Holmes." Mother moved toward me and shifted me away from Jack.

Jack's smile disappeared and his expression grew more depressed as he stepped back from us. "I'm not a monster, ma'am. I won't hurt you or your daughter."

"Tell that to all the men you've murdered." Mother spit back. "You're an outlaw of England and deserve to be hung with the rest of the pirates up on deck." She looked up as a flurry of footsteps raced across our ceiling.

Jack kept his gaze fixed on the ground, as if what she said hurt him.

"You've saved many men too, Mr. Holmes." I reminded.

He looked up at me dejectedly and the corners of his mouth raised ever so slightly.

We sat in silence, just listening to the waves lapping at the hull of the ship and the cessation of violence on deck. The pirates had won.

I watched Mr. Holmes as he sat in his squatted position at the other side of the door. I felt a sense of pity for him. There was just something so saddening about watching this strong man be so weak and defeated.

"Do you have a family, Mr. Holmes?" I inquired. We would be here till we were freed by a British naval ship, hopefully, so why not make conversation to pass the time? It's not everyday a girl my age gets to meet a legend of the seas.

My mother shot me a disapproving look but I didn't care.

Jack lifted his eyes momentarily and returned to watching the floorboards. "I used to. Had a girl your age."

"Had?"

"They were coming to visit me in London from America but encountered a pirate ship before they reached me. They're at the bottom of the sea now."

"Really?"

Jack nodded solemnly, "The Creed. That was the ship that took them from me."

"I'm so sorry." I said softly. I suppose it explained the purpose of his crusade against pirates.

"It's ok. I've come to realize the sea is death. I'll see them again soon enough."

"By dying?"

Jack nodded.

Suddenly, the clank of keys banging against themselves outside the door interrupted us. The door opened and three men entered, the first holding a lantern. All of them had elements of blood engrained in their clothing and smeared about their skin, fresh from battle.

Jack scurried away from the light to the edge of the cell wall.

Mother leaned over to me, "Honey, we're on The Creed. I saw the title of the ship before I was brought below deck."

I looked up at her and recognized an excitement I had not seen in her before. Maybe she hoped Jack would defeat the pirates since it was apparent he had some sort of personal vendetta with this ship.

Although now I was confused as to why Jack would be so willing to give up his cause while being on the very ship that had taken his family?

One of the men behind the one holding the lantern laughed and moved into the front of the group. He wore a wide-brimmed hat with a giant feather sticking out of it. An expensive-looking sword hung from his hip with his gloved right hand resting against it. He stared down at Jack with a sadistic smile, "Looks like you've finally broke, hey, Jack?"

Jack didn't meet his eyes but nodded. He kept them low and looked into mine. The calming effect wasn't there. All I felt was fear.

The man with the feathered hat kicked him and turned to us. "Welcome to our ship. I am Captain Hellsent, Jack Holmes's captor. Yes, that's my name. Yes, I made it up. Get on your feet and follow me on deck. I've got something for you snobs to see." With that, he exited the room.

The man with the lantern gestured toward Jack. The third, giant pirate, the same one that had brought my mother and I down here, stooped to Jack and grabbed him by the wrists, pulling him up onto his feet. Then he marched Jack out the door to the deck.

The man with the lantern stood at the door and motioned for us to follow, "C'mon, ladies." His voice was raspy and weak, a stark contrast to Mr. Holmes's voice.

We stood and did as we were told, heading up the wooden stairs. I squinted as the bright sun bore down on us from the partly-cloudy sky after we reached the top of the staircase.

I looked over the side of the ship and saw a bunch of bright red uniforms floating around us. Chunks of wood rocked alongside them. I turned my attention back to the center of the deck. Captain Hellsent stood above a metal grate and pointed to it.

"The rest of your ship's defeated crew is here," he kept his gaze on my mother as he spoke. "Today, I want to display my greatest achievement." He extended his hand, signaling the giant man to bring Jack to his side. The captain put his hand on Jack's bare shoulder.

Jack was squinting hard. I bet he hadn't seen the sun in months.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the famed Jack Holmes--pirate killer. He is no longer the man from the myths and legends you British pigs like to tell yourselves. Now he is my pathetic pet, forced to bide by my will." He turned to Jack with a smile, "Isn't that so, Jack?"

Jack winced and nodded.

The Captain grinned and walked over to us, "What do you think? You're both part of the British aristocracy. Tell me, have you heard about Jack's fate before now?"

Mother shook her head, "No, we hadn't heard anything about him for months."

The Captain nodded, glancing back at Jack, "Well, we'll be sure one of you gets back to your country to help spread the news..." he then swung his fist across my mother's face, causing her to fall backwards into the deck. He quickly turned to face Jack, his gloved left hand on his sword.

Jack tensed up but didn't make any signs to move.

My mother lay still on the floor. My stomach sank and a feeling of nausea rose up inside me. This was horrible.

Hellsent's mean expression broke into a laugh, "See? Broken. I am officially the most powerful pirate on these seas." He looked down at me, "You can see that, can't you, little lover?"

I scowled up at him as my resolve returned, undaunted by his show of bravado. I could see through him. He was scared of Jack, otherwise he wouldn't have been ready to draw his sword. "I see a weak, wounded animal."

Hellsent's smile widened with amusement, making me hate him even more, "Are you talking about me, or him?"

I stared back into Jack's defeated eyes, "Your family means something, Jack. They may be at the bottom of the sea, but their memory is worth fighting for, no matter what ridicule you receive from anyone else."

Jack's eyes filled with a kind of purpose and the familiar peace I had come to like so much. He stared at me. I could tell he wasn't looking at me, but was seeing his daughter through me.

Hellsent chuckled, "Oh, children are so naive."

Jack looked at the Captain, "Hurry up and get this over with. Just please send the girl below the deck."

The Captain shook his head, "But who will tell the world this happened today? She's gotta witness this."

Jack's parched lips tightened together, "Take her below deck. I don't wish for her to watch this."

The Captain turned to me, "I made a deal with him that I would kill him over the exact place we sank his family's ship." He turned to look at Jack, "I did not say he could dictate how that death was executed."

I frowned at Mr. Holmes, "Why would you do that!?"

Jack shrugged, "I'm tired--done with vengeance. I just want to see my family again."

The Captain smiled and drew his sword. Jack knelt and closed his eyes, waiting for the strike.

I shook my head, "Don't do this!" Tears welled in my eyes, "If no one else cares for you, I do! I care about all the heroic things you've done!"

Jack's eyes opened, the peace in his eyes now aflame with calm strength, "Don't worry, pretty lady, if we go, we'll go up in flames."

As Captain Hellsent's sword swung down, Jack rose off his knees and stopped him mid-swing. He wrenched the sword from his hand and slashed the blade through his stomach. Hellsent doubled over with an eerie scream of pain and Jack kicked him off the ship, sending him into the ocean.

I flung myself next to my mother to protect her as the entire pirate ship erupted in yells and cries of war. Jack rushed across the ship's deck to meet each assaulting pirate as they came for him and us. I watched with my mouth open in shock as he cut through pirate after pirate.

Every story I had heard could not have even begun to capture the amount of ferocity behind Jack Holmes's talented, unrelentless blade. He dodged every slash, evaded every pistol shot, and attacked with insane precision and skill. It was like watching a dance in slow motion. A rifle shot from an opposite end of the ship sent a bullet through Jack's shoulder, but he kept fighting. Nothing could stop him and the pirates knew it, yet they attacked regardless.

Jack spun and embedded Captain Hellsent's sword into the chest of the last pirate on the ship and left it there as the pirate fell lifeless to the ground, blood oozing from his mouth. Blood coated Jack's already grime-soaked body. He stood there erect and powerful, breathing heavily. He looked over at me and then hurriedly grabbed a cannon ball from a nearby stack, stepping up onto the ship's railing.

"Wait!" I shouted, rising from my mother and hurrying over to him.

He hesitated and rested his weight back onto the deck, turning to me.

I locked eyes with him, feeling that calmness one more time. "What are you doing?"

Jack breathed heavily, the gunshot wound in his shoulder sapping his strength, and stared off at the now-stormy sunset, "I've done what I first set about to do. Now it's time for me to go home."

"So now you're just going to drown yourself?" I folded my arms crossly.

Jack put his left hand on my shoulder, infusing me with peace and dirtying my yellow dress, and smiled, "It's ok. Death is only temporary. I'll wait for you at the bottom."

The steadiness of his voice bothered me. How could he be so calm in so horrible a situation? What source did he derive his peace from? It was extremely infectious and addictive. "The bottom of the sea?"

Jack nodded, "With my family. Then you can meet my daughter. I think you'll really like her. The two of you will get along very nicely."

"But I want to get to know you more. I don't want to wait till I die to see you again. We're friends and besides, you almost died for me."

Jack retracted his hand and grabbed his cannonball, "I still don't know your name, Miss Sunny."

I smiled, "Clair Evergreen."

"Clair Evergreen, thank you. You saved my life from my despair. Risking that life for you was the least I could do. I'll forever be grateful to you." With that, he stepped up and over the railing, disappearing beyond the waves and into the deep blue of the sea.

I watched as the bubbles slowly came to a stop and thought about how this was the last time I would see him. Tears flooded my eyes and I wept.

This song was the inspiration for this story.

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For another story similar to this one, check out my story COLORBLIND. A story about an estranged American citizen who takes matters into his own hands.

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