Stormy Seas Read Free Page A

you so
much!”
    She felt a strange sense of
gratitude, despite knowing that this man had done little which
warranted it. She stopped suddenly, though, when she saw the look
in his eyes. He seemed to be peeling her out of her worn, tattered
dress. Revulsion coursed through her, and she could hardly speak
but the sound of desperate screams echoed somewhere in her mind.
“ No... !”
Desperation and disbelief overcame her, as she
watched the men moving quickly down the dock to surround her. The
vice grip she felt on her arms was unwavering, and she found
herself being dragged slowly down the dock.
Kira could feel sobs wracking her body, and the wet
patter of her tears soaked her face and dress. Nothing in this
world could horrify her as much as the thought of being alone with
these sailors.
    “ Papa...papa...” She whispered as
loud as she could manage, as the sailors dragged her past her
father's unmoving body. She blinked rapidly, trying to get one last
look at her father, when the lights went out.
     

Rogues
     
    Kira opened her eyes to a
dizzying, empty sensation in her head. She felt as if her whole
body was gently rocking from side to side. As her vision focused,
she felt a jolt of adrenaline and sat upright. Her mind raced as
she searched the tiny room with her eyes. Where was she? Where was her father?
She could see a small desk on the opposite of the
room, and several chests throughout the room. She wiped her hair
out of her eyes, only to wince at a bruising pain over her
cheek.
She remembered it all at once: the girl, the fight,
the pirates. Her father lying motionless on a bloody dock. She
choked back a huge gasp as she recalled her last sight of him. She
didn't even know if he was still alive.
Kira's survival instinct kicked in and she searched
the room for an opening. A small door was hidden by shadows in the
corner. And there was a window at the top of the room over her
bed.
Kira scrambled onto the bed, desperately trying to
steady herself so she could reach the window. Her eyes peered
through the round peep-hole and she gasped. She could see nothing
for miles.
Nothing but ocean. Perfect, serene and terrifying
ocean. Kira's mind raced as she realized that she had truly been
kidnapped. She remembered the leer in the dark pirate's eyes and
panic hit her.
She moved her hands frantically over her body,
searching for any sign that she had been violated. Her clothes were
intact. She wasn't sure what else to look for.
Kira tried to calm herself, but she felt her body
tightening with panic. There was nothing she could do. Her mind
raced and she thought of throwing herself in the ocean. Even then,
that meant certain death. But what did a life as a pirate's
prisoner mean? Much worse, she was certain.
~~~~~~~
Kira lay huddled in the corner of the bed,
delirious. She tried to stay vigilant, to stay awake, but her grief
and emotional exhaustion kept pulling her under. She could feel
tears, even when she had thought she was no longer crying, still
they came.
The darkness that seemed to envelope her was
matched by the shadows of the fading sun, and the room grew dark
and shadowy.
As she moved in and out of a semi-conscious state,
she was suddenly stirred by a noise. The sound of heavy footsteps
was nearing the little door. Kira sat up, pulling her knees to her
chest and leaning as far as she could into the corner.
A few more shuffles sounded, and then came the
scrape of a lock being turned. She drew in a deep breath and found
herself holding it as her fingers grasped the bedding.
A dark figure stood at the end of the bed. Kira
tried to make out his features, but the light continued to wane.
“Did you sleep well, darling?” The menacing tone of his voice could
not be mistaken.
He was cold and smooth in his delivery. Kira
imagined that face, the dark eyes and mocking smile. It became even
more frightening because she couldn't see a thing.
Before she knew it, his hard, sinewy arms had
dragged her from the bed and pulled her