Chloe leaned against the railing on the side of the ship. Salty sea
water sprayed her form. It was a rare moment where she was able to
catch a break. Usually, she was being dragged every which way by other
sailors or the captain. People didn’t want her there and they didn’t
bother attempting to hide it. The sentiment rather seemed to be that
if they treated her poorly enough, they might be successful in driving
her away altogether.
Chloe’s short blonde hair was tousled by the wind as she enjoyed the
sensations of freedom carrying her across the waves. The sea didn’t
only have a smell that lingered on Chloe’s clothes, but a briny taste
that toyed with her tongue. But it was a lovely taste, a lovely smell,
a lovely feel. The ocean had beckoned her for years, promising a vast
expanse to sail away from the horrid life she’d been living.
And the pirates intensified that liberty by leaving places behind
after every raid. She only had to linger upon the islands they
frequented as rest stops, drinking and cavorting noisily. Perhaps the
crew didn’t like how in those situations Chloe plastered herself
against the wall instead of joining in the raucous merriment. But she
knew in her heart it wouldn’t matter, she was a woman, and no matter
what she did many would see her as bad luck merely from being on the
boat.
Being an orphan, Chloe had known a long time that life was more
dangerous to girls. But that didn’t stop her from surviving when her
brother was stabbed. Perhaps the constant fear of being attacked had
ironically made her stronger. She’d taken every opportunity to improve
her fighting skills. In fact, Chloe had become so adept at fighting
she’d started taking jobs as an assassin. That was what put her
brother in danger in the first place. It was funny, in a way, how
their supply of money, which was their life source, also became his
untimely demise. The world seemed to enjoy playing cruel jokes on her.
Chloe looked down into the sea amidst her reminiscing, watching the
dark waters churn and curl. Her last paid hit had been a figure too
high in the political scene, and once her brother passed, she had no
reason not to flee. She hadn’t asked permission to be on the pirate
boat, and by the time they found her, they were too far out to sea to
turn back.
She’d known she ran the risk of being tossed into a watery grave once
found, but had nothing to lose. Besides, every day of her life had
been a struggle, what made this time any different?
It was her skills as an assassin that kept her alive. The captain,
seeing how she kept four men at bay, decided she’d make a fine
addition to the crew. Very few agreed with him. That was two years
ago.
Right now, they were headed to a small island within the Bermuda
Triangle, a speck of land with a cave that allowed them to hide their
loot. They’d been in the Triangle multiple times before, finding it a
quiet place to stash goods for later. The spooky ghost stories people
told about the Triangle did their job of keeping most far away from
the hidden treasures.
Chloe couldn’t put her finger on why, but for some reason, this trip
felt different. As if a sense of foreboding wafted on the salty mist.
~G.G. Marshall
Keep Reading!
Part 2 (Avail 11/21/24): The Sea (part 2)
Part 3 (Avail 12/19/24): The Sea (Part 3)
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