A Pirate's Life for Mei

Jaguar

Mei

Pruned feet and a tiny crab trying to make a home in her raven hair. That's how she woke up.

It took a moment to realize where she was, blinking in tropical sunlight that was already well over the horizon. Then she went a bit crazy trying to get the pink crab out of her hair. It flew through the air and landed with a splash in the clear blue water next to her.

Mei hadn't known where to sleep the night before. Afraid that the large feline predator living somewhere nearby would see her as easy prey, she'd been too scared to stay the night in the ruined village or even to make an absurd attempt at climbing a tree. After all, she had already seen for herself that the big cat was capable of the same.

With few options, she'd crawled over the dark rocks forming one edge of the little bay, going out into the ocean. Careful not to cut herself on barnacles and mussels, she'd crawled to a spot as far out as she could go, gentle waves all around her. Water protected her on three sides. Putting her back to the last rock, she'd sat and faced the island, sword across her legs and a pistol in each hand. She'd waited for hours, watching to see if the jaguar would come for her. She'd fallen asleep at some point. Likely due to exhaustion. She was still recovering from her ordeal.

At least the cat seemed to have left her alone. That was good. Except that she found her feet had fallen into a puddle of water in the rocks during the night, and having been there so long, they were far too sore to move and impossible to walk on. She had to dry them in the sun for over an hour and gently massage them before she could move on them.

It had not been a comfortable place to sleep. Her body was sore; her back hurt. Hungry, she picked some more fruit from the trees she'd come across. That alone was not enough to quench a rising thirst though. Glancing inland, she knew that she had to go back for fresh water. It was too bad that she had no container to hold it with so as to avoid returning to the spot in the future. Then again, she really couldn't afford to stay around here any longer. She needed to get moving. Marines or soldiers would be hunting her. She wasn't sure how big the island was, but surely it wouldn't take them too long to come across her.

Pistols in the deep pockets of her jacket, rapier in hand, she picked her way through the grasses and trees towards the pond. While she paid some attention to the ground in front of her, being in bare feet and all, she kept her wary eyes on the land around her. Because she might not be alone.

That heightened awareness might have explained the way her mood lifted. To her surprise, walking along in the Caribbean wilds, she felt...good. Up at dawn, or not too long after. Tramping through the brush. Preparing to drink water from a pond. It was like camping. If one forgot about the prison and guards and all that.

Breathing deep, a smile took over her features. She was not used to air this clean. That thought made her laugh out loud. She was used to living in a city where the smog got so bad you could routinely see the filth in the air. People often wore masks. Sometimes you couldn't even go outside. A lot of people die every year from the pollution produced from forest fires, crop burning, car exhaust, factory smoke, and other sources.

But now? Another inhalation and it felt deliciously illicit to be breathing such good, clean air, like a drug. It gave her energy and hope.

There was something primal about being here. The plentiful plants all around, the beautiful and untouched scenery, the pure air—it felt so natural, so right to be here. There was something intrinsically missing from a life lived only in the city, the way an animal lives in a concrete zoo. Despite all the comforts offered by city life, a part of her felt like she belonged in the wild too.

She also felt like working toilets belonged here. Discretely, of course. Because, suddenly feeling the urge to do her morning business, squatting in the open bush was an experience that could be improved upon.