A Pirate's Love

Icarus

Jake's POV:

The door of the cell closed shut with a loud screech, piercing my eardrums. It was cold and dark as before, making me crave the warmth I had shared just moments before. A chill ran through my bones, causing my skin to shiver. The hairs on my arms pricked up in response, making my skin feel tight. I sat down in the filthy straw and against the corner of the wall, exhausted from lack of sleep. If only I could dream this nightmare away.

"And so returns our noble Icarus," a derisive voice sounded in the shadows, "who fell into the depths of the sea from flying too close to the blazing sun." The hall was silent after he spoke, except for the faint chittering of rats in the walls. I dwelled on his words, remembering the story well.

"But how could Icarus learn that the sun blazed without taking flight?" I asked rhetorically. "I regret nothing."

"By taking flight she was ruined," Dan Deranged called out. "By his flight, the sun became a fear, a curse, a guilt." I became puzzled at his words, unable to understand his metaphor. He scoffed at my silence, amused at my lack of words. His eyes suddenly appeared from the darkness as the rattle of chains came forward. "You would have had her anyway, given your promotion as Commodore," he explained, "yet you threw your life away, didn't you? Now you're both ruined. You will die a fool, and she will never be accepted by a societal man, given that she has been tainted by the hands and bodies of many men." My stomach churned at his words, making me feel sick. I had never considered the possibilities of what could have been. I had never known her before, but our statuses would have aligned since I had worked closely with her father. The thought of her not being accepted into a good society after all of this was over made my head spin. How could I say I did not regret my choices when they so readily affected her life? "Your sun isn't that innocent either," he continued. "She has killed men like the rest of us. Men you used to know. She has been driven by rage and taken lives." Shocked at his words, I wondered if they were true. My heart ached, both because of what I had caused and what could be.

"Why are you telling me all of this? Why must you pain me further?" I asked, emotion taking over.

"Because we're enemies, Jake," he said straightforwardly. "I want you to know how wretched you truly are. You're oblivious to the depths of your choices."

"We used to be friends," I stated, sounding more wounded than I should have expressed.

"What a pitiful statement that is, isn't it? We used to be friends," he mockingly pondered.

"What more do you want from me, Dan? I have taken accountability. What more do I have to say, that I have failed? What do you want me to do to stop this madness?" I pleaded, still wishing we could reconcile. He stuck his face through the bars with a malicious expression. His eyes peered from under his lids with a coldness that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I want you to suffer," he said behind gritted teeth, "and I will do everything in my power to cause you pain in every way I can. I want you to go as mad as the madness I have been accused of. Have you ever considered that I might have been the sane one after all these years, driven by justified anger? I want you to suffer, and I want you to suffer until you are dead," he finished with a bite, cold as ice. I did not have a response. How could I have a response? We stared at each other without words until I became overcome with exhaustion. I began to weep silently. I could not control my mourning, exhausted both physically and emotionally, knowing this turmoil would never end. He watched me as I wept, smirking wider as every tear fell down my face. He was not only once my friend, but my brother, and now he despised me. "Swallow your pride, Icarus," he whispered. "There is nothing you can do but die." I wished I were dead for him, so that he could be at peace, and that all of this could end.

He watched me until he was satisfied and turned back to the shadows. It was completely night by the time he looked away, allowing me to wipe my face in peace. He would die tomorrow and didn't know it. I didn't want to be the one to tell him. After everything we had been through, was it worth it? A small part of me still hoped there was enough room in him for forgiveness, yet clearly, he would die a bitter man. Crazed, was he crazed? Was he sane like he had said? I couldn't reconcile the words that were screaming through my head. I desperately needed sleep. I carefully closed my irritated eyes, wishing for the only thing that would bring me strength again. My head swirled as colors danced before my closed eyes. Greens, blues, and purples hypnotically moved in steady rhythms. I breathed deeply as a peaceful state flooded over me, hopeful that sleep would come soon. The rats scratched over my legs, but I ignored them, slipping into a deep slumber.

I dreamt in flashes of the sea. The salty wind blew through my hair and cleared my lungs. The moonlight bathed my skin as I pulled ropes from the sail. Somehow I was manning the ship by myself, the stars as my only guides. The waves were choppy as if warning of a storm brewing. I tied a lifeline from the mast to my waist and belt in preparation, and soon the air became wintry. It howled as it blew, making me unbalanced. I braced myself against the deck as the ship rocked and quaked until suddenly it came to a full stop in the water. I raced to the broadside of the ship in confusion and peered wearily over the side. The whole ocean had become mountains of ice. I was trapped, unable to go anywhere, with no relief from the cold.

A sudden sound of breathlessness stirred me out of my twilight, urging me to listen closely. It came from the darkness within Dan's cell, yet I could not see him. Whispers and indecipherable hums were uttered, confusing me as I rubbed the grogginess from my eyes. I tried to bring my arms closer to my body as I shuttered in the cold air, which made my chains clang loudly in the muttering. The clanging stopped once I became comfortable, silence ensued, and then after a few moments, a faint moan vocalized in the blackness. The moans gradually became louder and breathy as they continued. I recoiled at the sound of him pleasuring himself, frustrated that I had been woken up by his obscenity.

"Oh, Elenor," he suddenly breathed out, making my blood run cold. "Elenor, ah, Elenor," he continued moaning, sending a fit of rage through my veins.

"Belay," I hissed, yet he continued louder this time. "Belay that!" I yelled as I stood, throwing my chains against the bars. In my anger, exhaustion, and disgust I became like a wild animal, screaming for him to stop, flailing the chains across the cell erratically. The commotion alerted the guards, and two of them quickly unlocked my cell and grasped me by the shoulders. Another swung across my nose, making it pop. Pain seared through my face, making my eyes water. At the contact, my yelling subsided, and soon my cell was locked once more. I lay in a heap on the filth of the floor, blood seeping from my nostrils. Dan continued his shagging and I fearfully covered my ears with my hands. He began laughing maniacally, satisfied with my sudden burst of madness. I shut my eyes tightly and whispered shanties to myself, desperately trying to drown him out. The torment snapped something out of my mind. I would not be sleeping tonight. I was slipping into madness.