Pirate Captive

Drowned at Sea

Massive shout out to @Shadow_Ace for asking me to do this. Well, they just asked for a next part but I thought this would be better so hope you enjoy! And thanks again Shadow_Ace. Without you, I probably never would have made this!

"Preston!" I yelled as our ship exchanged cannonball fire with the navy officers fifty yards away. "We need to retreat! We're almost out of ammo!"

"But Captain Nathan defeated three navy ships this month! If we sink this one, it'll be our second! We can't retreat now!"

"If we don't, we'll be sleeping with the fishes. We retreat now!" I barked as Chase turned the wheel away from the navy ship.

"Why did we retreat?" Scott asked, storming up to me. Honestly a bold move on his part.

"Did you want to end up in prison? Or would you rather be dead because that's what would have happened if we lost. You wouldn't get to see your wife anymore. She would probably be jailed while you hang for your crimes. Is that what you want Scott? For all I care, you can go back and fight them by yourself. Go. Have fun. Don't come crying to me when you're in jail and you need me to break you out."

I walked off, my boots clacking on the wooden boards of the deck. I went straight to my cabin and looked at the route maps I have gotten from the merchants I forced into an exchange with my crew. My agreements with the merchants allowed them safe passage through my waters at any time, for a fee of course. They owed me 30% of their goods for their safe passage. I spent years creating this giant trading empire. It was my life's work.

Later that day I stood at the wheel of my mighty ship, enjoying the feeling of being free on the open ocean. A ship sailed a ways off. Even if I used my spyglass, I knew I wouldn't be able to see it properly. As I was contemplating the ship on the horizon, Preston came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder.

"What's the problem, Pres?

"Captain, there's an unruly crew mate in the galley."

"Why don't you take care of it?"

"No one can even get close. They'll just get a plate smashed over their head. Two people are knocked out already."

"I'll take a look into it."

I walked down from the wheel in the direction of the galley. I heard the sounds of plates smashing and loud yelling coming from the direction I was walking. The hallway got darker the further we walked, which set me on edge. It's never this dark down here.

"Preston, what's going on?"

"Sorry about this (Y/n). But this ship is mine now."

Just as Preston finished his statement, someone slammed a hard object into the back of my head. I crumpled to the floor, blackness swallowing me before I hit the ground.

I woke up with a throbbing pain in my head. When I went to move my arms to rub the aching spot on my head, my arms didn't move far. They were chained to a wall. My first mate committed mutiny against me, taking the crew with him. I sat on the hard wooden floors, my back pressed against a wall, hands chained above my head, and a small square of light creating a square on the floor.

I stayed in the cell for maybe two days before Preston came back for me. No one gave me any food or water. No one came near me. For two days I stayed by myself in the cell. Then Preston came.

"Well (Y/n), have you been enjoying your stay?"

"Let me see. My first mate betrayed me, I'm chained up in my own brig, and I haven't had anything to eat or drink in the past 48 hours." Sarcasm easily dripped from my words. "I'm feeling great."

"That's captain to you now."

"What did you do?"

"I stole your title."

"The crew won't stand for this."

"(Y/n), they helped plan this."

My eyes widened in shock. I mean, I knew my favor with the crew was less than it was. There was a time when they would follow my orders without question. Little things that have been happening over the past several months made so much more sense. From Preston's attitude when I gave him orders to Scott and I arguing after the navy battle. Everything fell into place.

"Yeah (Y/n). How does it feel, knowing that everyone doesn't love you? While you were busy neglecting your crew for securing trading routes and other "goods", I was getting closer with them, building their trust in me. Though, those trade routes were well planned out by you. I'll be sure to keep those open."

"They'll never trust a usurper like you."

"Oh, they will when I tell them about the tragic story of how you drowned in the middle of a terrible storm, leaving me in charge."

Horror slowly crept over me. He was planning on drowning me.

"The look on your face speaks volumes, Captain. You know what's going to happen tomorrow. You're going to walk the plank."

After Preston's startling revelation, he walked out of the brig, leaving me to contemplate my death. And contemplate I did. My mind ran wild, dreaming up ways water would fill my lungs, a shark would tear me to shreds, how my body would sink to the depths of the ocean never to be seen again. All night long horrific thoughts of what could happen to me tomorrow plagued me.

The sun rose in the sky, immediately putting an end to my thoughts. Today was the day I die.

Preston walked into the cell, two men following him.

"Chase. Scott. Fancy seeing you here."

They just stood there staring blankly ahead. That's when I noticed the rope they held in their hands.

"You ready Captain?"

I leveled my gaze with Preston's. "I was born ready."

Chase and Scott tied my hands behind my back and my ankles somewhat together, barely allowing me to take a normal step. They led me up to the deck of the ship and out to the plank. My crew was all on deck, watching their old captain be walked to her death off the plank. Brianna, my treacherous ex-first mate's wife stood off to the side, standing with her husband. Keeley, his sister, stood off to to the side, waiting for her husband Scott to join her. They made me walk to the end of the plank, wobbling with every step we took. When I was out there, both walked back, making me fear that I'd fall off on accident, just like Preston planned on telling the people who I had set up trading routes with.

Standing at the end of the plank, the view was breathtaking. The sky looked an amazing cerulean blue with barely a cloud in it. The ocean sparkled blue and green, small curls of white on the tops of the waves breaking against the sides of the ship. The relative smoothness of the ocean only being marred by the gray fins of sharks circling the ship. The view wold have been amazing from my cabin, or even in my jail cell.

I must have gotten lost in my thoughts because I didn't even notice Preston had walked up behind me.

"Remember (Y/n), trust your fire."

That was the last thing I heard before I was kicked in the back of the knees, sending me tumbling into the water below me.

I hit the water and all the air was knocked out of my lungs. I opened my eyes in the salty water and saw the blurry shapes of sharks circling around me. One swam past my arm, scraping my arm against its roughly textured skin. I shrieked with my mouth closed, which sounded like i had a gag keeping me from talking. Blood slowly seeped from the scrape, making me more scared. The scrape was deeper than I originally thought, and the blood could put the sharks into a feeding frenzy. Slowly my brain was blinking in and out of reality. My lungs were screaming for oxygen, but I was unable to give them any. Finally I gave in to the cold clutches of the water. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, letting my breath escape in a path of bubbles. I was fully prepared to meet my end and die a sailor's death.