The Ship

Chapter 11

Penny and I did not talk for several hours after, she left my arms in the cabin. I didn’t know what to say

or what to think about it all. We was approaching the island where the treasure was supposed to be. The crew

shouted in excitement, despite the tension from earlier events.

“Penny we here, come, come off the ship for a bit, but stay close by.”

“No.” she said.


“You sure?” I asked her.

She didn’t respond, she just walked away. I took the answer as a yes, but I had wished she’d join me on

such an exciting island. Perhaps it ain’t exciting to her. She jumped ship, so something about a pirate ship had

to excite her. Perhaps her mind was too full of thoughts to bother.

The crew and I left ship, leaving Penny to her chosen solitude, and made our way to search for treasure. I

had hoped that Penny would at least say something to me when we returned. I took on glance back at the ship and

saw Penny lookin’ out into the horizon, god I hoped she ain’t decide to leave the ship.

We spent a good many hours on that island before we found a sign of anything. Unfortunately it was more

than we bargained for. “Pirates!” yelled one of the crew men. Suddenly we had a good fifteen other pirates, not

my crew charging at us attempting to scare us off the island. I stayed behind the crew as they fought

relentlessly with them pirates. My mind was on treasure, but more on my concern for Penny, alone on that ship. I

rushed back to the ship, in hope that nobody followed.

“Penny! Penny!” I shouted as I came aboard ship. No answer. “Penny! Where the hell are ya!” Goddamn it she

couldn’t of gone anywhere there ain’t no life boats for her to use. Shit! There was one, one that none of us

took, we ain’t need it so we left it with the ship. I had to find Penny, I couldn’t let her out on the sea with

nothing more than a lifeboat, why couldn’t she stay on the ship! I went to look around the rest of the ship to

see if I could find her anywhere. I looked in every corner possible, down in the barracks, not that I had any

idea why she’d want to be there, looked in the crews’ quarters, my cabin, everywhere I could think. “PENNY!”

Nothing, she wasn’t anywhere aboard that ship. I went to see if the lifeboat was still there, wishin’ just

hadn’t found her and she was ignoring me. But all there was left was the one I came back on. Fuck! How could

I be so stupid to leave her with a lifeboat? I called for her overboard, tried to get a glimpse of anyone in the

water, nothing.

I had to get back to the crew I couldn’t just abandon them. Luckily we wasn’t far off the island and I had

found a quick way to and from the ship to the island. It took us hours to find it but it turned out it was real

close. Now I never allowed weapons around on board, but when we was out treasure hunting on an island all the

crew was supplied with a weapon, that was normally locked up. So the crew was clashing swords by time I go

there. I’d hoped that Penny was somewhere on the island, but I couldn’t just go look for her just yet.

I came up against a large man, with long hair and an unshaven face. He was bigger than most the crew but he

wasn’t much bigger than myself.

“Well, well if it ain’t Captain Mitchell, that is what ya be callin’ yerself these days, yah?”

“It ain’t no matter to you, Marks!” I snapped back. Marks and I was rivals since we both started sailing the

seas at a young age. No we was more than rivals, we was enemies! Marks ain’t ever make captain when we was

around at the same time, and he hated me even more when I did.

“Its Captain, Captain Marks to you!” he snapped.

“Ah so ya finally make Captain, I see. I’m sure ya torture yer crew till they half dead.”

“Only when necessary!”

“Necessary? Big word for ya Marks.” I could see his face reddening. “ Anyway I think we’ve had but enough

chit chat, ya stealin my treasure!”

“I believe I made it here before you and yer skanky crew!”

“Let’s battle it out Marks, like we pirates are supposed to do!” I said.

“It be Captain Marks!” he said as he swung his sword against mine. Our swords clashed back and forth. My

crew was up against Marks’ crew and seemed to be losing.

Marks was my only concern at the time. We’d had far too much history to negotiate. While the crew was

having a tough time, Marks and I were in a full blown battle. I was parrying his every movement. Suddenly at

the corner of my eye I saw a thin figure with long dark hair beginning to fight off some men. “Penny!” I shouted

right as Marks stabbed me in the arm. I saw a demonic smile spread across Marks’s face. I saw Penny turn

quickly but turn back again as she fended the pirates off. It looked as if she’d found a sword but I ain’t sure

how well she was doing. The new gash in my arm was deep and painful but I ain’t let that stop me. I fought back,

despite the gash was in the arm I was holding the sword with.

“Feel like negotiating, James?” he said sarcastically.

“Never in yer life Mitchell!”

“So who be the little wench ya just shouted to?”

“No one of yer concern!” I shouted as we continued to fight.

Before he responded I stabbed him in his arm. Lousy aiming on my part. Damn!

“Men! He shouted to his crew, end yer fightin’!”

I ain’t no idea how his crew heard him, but they all stopped. Right as he halted them I stopped my crew who

were in the process of stabbing backs. I stayed armed and ready for another attack against him. He and I were

circling, but he was talking to his crew, making sure never to leave my eye contact.

“Men there be a wench around here, I think we can use her as some ransom!” Penny I could just barely see, was

sneaking off as Marks’s crew was staring at Marks and my crew was mostly on the ground injured. “Find the

wench!” he shouted at his crew. Part of his crew was now holding the remains of my crew hostage with blades at

their throats. Marks and I were still staring at each other with blades in hand.

“So ya think taking the wench hostage is gona win ya treasure?” I said.

“Oh yes, yes I do. Ya must have some care for the wench, otherwise ya wouldn’t of called for her.” He

replied. Just as he said that I felt a blade behind my back pointed and ready to stab.

“Oh and I think it be best ya drop yer sword,” he said. I felt the blade just break the skin and dropped my

sword in hope to rescue Penny, for I was now surrounded, blades all pointing at me, waitin’ for any movement. I

knew he’d try to kill her or abuse her and then kill her if I didn’t oblige. It had been too many years knowing

the wrath of this horrible man to doubt it.

Several minutes later I could hear Penny fighting her way off a man’s shoulder,

Agh let me go, put me down!” The pirate then threw her to the ground. “Asshole!” she shouted. I couldn’t even

turn to look at her. “Ha ha captain I like this one, can I have her?” asked one of Marks’s men. I ain’t sure if

he was talkin’ to me or to Marks’s at this point.

“Penny, this ain’t no time to be fightin!” I commanded her. Penny kept throwing off insults and trying to get

up, before I heard the sound of a blade being taken out of his sheath. My heart dropped a beat. How I wanted to

look at her, take her away from those men.

“If it ain’t yer stupid idea to come here, we wouldn’t be in this position!” Penny snapped. I got a corner

glimpse of her at this point, just to see a blade beginning to break the skin on her neck. “Penny listen to me!”

I demanded. I was so worried that them pirates would give no mercy and kill her on the spot.

“Ah how sweet, seems they got a bit of a relation, ha ha ha!” laughed Marks.

“You hurt her I’ll kill you!” I said. He looked at me with a smirk. I just glared at his eyes. The only thing

I cared about at the time was Penny’s safety.

“Ah ya tell me where the treasure be and I ain’t cause no harm to the little bitch,” said Marks.

“I ain’t know where the fucking treasure be! Why the hell do ya think we haven’t found it yet!”

“Men bring her here!” he demanded. Within seconds Penny was by my side, again enclosed by a circle of blades

and looking at Marks opposite of me. She still had a dagger at her throat, and I was being held my two other

men. The rest of my crew was still being held in the same position

“Now where is my treasure!” Marks shouted.

“Ain’t no treasure here for the likes of you bastard!” Penny snapped.

Oh how I wished she would just keep her mouth shut. “Penny shut your mouth” I snapped in a half whisper. She

ignored me.

“Little wench ya best listen to yer Captain there, he snapped.”

“I ain’t a wench!” she retorted. “Penny, enough!” I demanded. Being called a wench ain’t a way to get her to

shut up, it took me long enough to know it, wish Marks would fucking figure it out.

“Ya speak outta turn woman!” he shouted getting close to her face. Oh this ain’t no way to make things

change. Penny is just gona get angrier.

“Fuck you!” she shouted and spit in his face. That had to be the last straw for Marks. No matter how much I

told her to stop she ignored every word I said.

“Wench, I think I ought to teach you how to respect me! Ain’t nobody talk to me like that.

“Fuck you!” she yelled again. Shit Marks had more a temper than I had, more temper than anyone I’d ever

known before.

“Oh a lesson is indeed what ya need bitch!” he said as he grabbed her by the hair. “A good beatin’ ought to

do the trick! Now where can we string ya up?”

“NO!” I shouted.

“No?” replied Marks.

“I’ll do it, just let her into my hands. Let me do it and then I’ll show ya the treasure. There ain’t nothing

better than what I got on my ship to do the beatin’ with. Ya can come with me if ya wish!” I said quickly.

“And how do I know ya ain’t trying to trick me?” he said.

“I just said I’d show ya the treasure. But we ain’t gona get nowhere like this. I ensure ya that this wench

will get a beatin’ she ain’t ever gona be able to forget!” I said as angrily as I could.

“Ya best not be pullin’ nothing Mitchell, or ya gona find yer crew and the wench dead.”

“I ain’t pulling nothin’ Captain.” I said.

“I suppose since ya be in charge of the wench, ya can do the job.” Marks replied.

“May I?” I asked.

“Free him!” ordered Marks. I pushed the men’s arms off me the rest of the way and grabbed Penny by the hair

and arm.

“Ya should’ve listened to me Penny!” I said angrily dragging here with me as she fought me.

Penny and I walked ahead followed by the Captain and three of his men. We was ahead enough that I could

whisper enough for Penny to just barely hear me.

“Now Penny, I ain’t fallin from my promise, I doin this to save yer life. I ain’t really gona hurt ya.” I

said loosening my grip from her hair and arm, so it looked like I was still pulling at it when I was really just

gently holding it. “I want ya to play along ya understand? I gotta make it like I really beating ya, I promise

only a few hard strikes, just to make it show ok. Ya can yell at me later. But ya gotta play along, make it like

ya really in pain, understand?”

Penny nodded in agreement but not at all thrilled with getting struck more. “Five, seven, twelve and twenty

five will be hardest, ya gona count, and ya can be prepared. What ya want me to use?” Penny looked at me in

disgust. “Nevermind, I’ll figure it out.” After we got out of this mess, it wasn’t gona be pretty with Penny,

but at least she would be from serious arm at Marks’s hand or his crews’.

“I hate you!” Penny yelled loud enough for all to hear. “You bastard, you fucking bastard!” She struggled. She

struggled and tried to hit until I hauled her over my shoulder. Penny was playing the part very well. “Wench ya

best shut yer mouth or ya gona get it worse!” I shouted back, giving her a light swat on her ass, but made it

sound really loud. Penny continued playing along and shouted it out in pain. She still fought. “Let me go, let

me go!” she shouted as she pounded somewhat lightly. “Bitch shut up!” I yelled back at her. This time she hit

really hard on my back, about five times in a row. I suppose that was her way of getting out some of her anger,

and well I deserved it, making her go through all that was going on. “Bastard!” she yelled again. Unfortunately,

I was sure that not all of her insults and comments were entirely acting. This time we had finally made it to

the ship and just to continue sounding convincing I grabbed her off my shoulder and slapped her on her face

lightly. But I ain’t really slap her hard, she made a clapping noise loud enough to sound like slap on the face,

right as my hand made contact with her face. I then grabbed her arms and dragged her into my cabin, leaving the

door open so that Marks ain’t suspect anything fishy.

“What ya gona do with the wench Mitchell?” Marks asked.

“Give her a canning she never gona forget!” I said again angerly, still holding onto Penny.

I grabbed some rope handed Penny to Marks. “Hold onto her for a moment! But ya ain’t to touch her, I want the

honors!” I said to him. Marks didn’t touch her more than just holding onto her. Marks seemed entirely too

excited to witness such a beating. I was gona have to make this real convincing, and make sure I don’t injure

Penny, and not disappoint Marks.

I tied part of the rope to the bed post, the one I had broken a few weeks ago, now replaced, and left the

other end to tie Penny up with. As I was doing so Penny kept up her insults, both to me and to Marks. She

struggled some until Marks took a tighter grip on her.

“Bring her here Captain Marks!” I said. He brought her over. “Now Captain Marks, this be a lot easier if you

held her down while I tied her up. She loves to fight, and personally I like it best if my personal jewels stay

intact.” Marks laughed and did just that, he held her down on her stomach while I tied her hands to the post.

Then I tied her legs. Finally she was unable to struggle. I knew Penny hated me more than ever at this point,

but I decided to stall a little to let her get prepared before I began. “Captain Marks, ya say ya want

treasure, well this map I got here, it claims to have it marked on here, and well we was on our way to find it,

but maybe ya have better luck in decipherin’ it.” I said as I handed him the map. I knew he wouldn’t go lookin

for treasure before he witnessed Penny getting what she deserved so it was safe to give him the map. I then

walked over to one side of the cabin and found the cane. Penny was still throwing off insults but they were

rather repetitive and I wasn’t really listening.

“Captain Marks ya got something to shut the mouth of the little bitch?” I asked him. He pulled out a rag of

sorts out of his pocket and handed it to me. He was too involved looking at the map to say anything.

“Wench I really am tired of yer mouth, this ought to fix that!” I said as I gagged her. I circled around the

bed tapping the cane in various places, making it as if I were building up the tension in Penny. I stalled as

long as I could.

“Mitchell what ya waitin’ for, the bitch needs some beatin’! Do it now or I will!” He ordered as he was about

to take the cane from my hand. Marks was much to close right now with his crew right behind him for me to signal

to Penny that I was about to begin.

“Alright already, I am. Wench ya best count now, and if ya miss a count ya get more!” I hoped that Penny did

not forget a single count. It made me ask myself why I even mentioned more, because if she forgot, I was going

to have to give her more or Marks would do it for me. My goal was to keep his wrath off and away from Penny to

the best of my ability. During the time I was stalling I expected my crew was fighting off the rest of Marks’s

crew and would be up here in several minutes.

I pulled off Penny’s breeches to her ankles and laid the first strike. I ain’t do it too hard, but Penny made

it as if I were just as I told her. She counted each strike and prepared herself for the numbers that were to

be the hardest. When I reached five and seven she gave out such a horrifying scream that I almost stopped and

wondered if it was really harder than intended. God she was good at convincing. She did the same for the other

strikes that I told her would be hard. By twenty two she was in tears and balling, and by twenty five she gave

out an even louder scream. I even saw Marks stiffen. Finally I heard the crew board the ship and start

attacking Marks’s men.

“You! You lied to me Mitchell!” shouted Marks once he heard the noise. He tried to grab the cane from me but

instead I struck him between his legs causing him to fall to the floor of the cabin.

“Nope I ain’t lie bout nothing, ya saw what ya wanted and ya got the map!” I said as I dragged him with all my

strength out of my cabin. My crew had taken out all six of Marks’s men. And took him beat him up a little and

threw him overboard. He came gasping out of the water, yelling. “I’ll get you Mitchell!” All of my crew had

returned and the quartermaster was stabbing the hands of any men who tried to get back on board, since Marks’s

men had not all been taken out, some had come over from the island. Now if I had my way and could actually

successfully fight against seven men much larger than myself I would have done that long before. But I ain’t

strong enough nor big enough to do such a thing even if Penny had helped.