by Tracy A. Moore

Created on: August 17, 2010

I had begged the captain for a job for months before he agreed to take me onboard. It was humiliating really, the way he degraded me in front of the others because of my ragged clothes and unkempt appearance. He had taken to calling me bones because I was so thin. Was it my fault that I had fallen on hard times?

Every day on that ship was a nightmare of nonstop work and little sleep, especially for me. After I had been on board for a few months, I finally asked the captain what he had against me. His answer was that I reminded him of someone that he didn't like. Just because I had asked, he increased my workload to the point that tested my sanity.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the captain had his first mate calling me names and berating me around the clock with every insult imaginable. After a few weeks of this, I snapped and beat the guy within an inch of his life. Later that night, they dragged me in front of the captain to hear what my punishment would be. “Tomorrow morning, you shall walk the plank”, was all he said before leaving the room.

His crew took me to a holding cell and slammed the door closed. I waited in that small, dank room for hours. Finally the sun came up and I heard footsteps coming toward the door. Hard cruel hands grabbed me and dragged me up above to the deck. The captain was there waiting with a nasty smirk on his face. He couldn't even be bothered to speak, he simply pointed to the plank.

A shove on my back got me started walking toward my demise. Slowly I crept out to the edge. They were all jeering and screaming at me to jump. None of them saw my face as I jumped. It held a broad grin of triumph. See, two years ago the captain had taken over my ship and robbed me of all my treasures. I had been plotting ever since that day and studying his route. Over the last months I had been retaking what was mine, little by little and sewing it into a pouch inside my clothes. Just around that cove, my old crew awaits my return with casks of rum at the ready for the celebration.

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