Juliet of Dundee

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Juliet of Dundee Chpt. 2

Juliet

I tilted me sailors hat down to shade me eyes. It was going to take a lot of stealth to get out of here alive. I bent down to check under the counter where Margaret had kept a knife in case there was a threat, but found nothing. Me hit me fist on the table in frustration and breathed out a long sigh. Why must everything be so difficult?

When I stood up I nearly jumped. A man who seemed to be me age stood studying me. I froze and studied him back, one hand on the counter, the pommel on the pommel of me cutlass. Me found he was quite handsome with his dirty-brown hair and sea-blue eyes looking at me like that.

"Haven't you heard?" he asked. "There's a she-pirate on the loose," he smirked, leaning on the counter, his sea-blue eyes peering into me bright green ones. His voice sounded warm, his English accent wringing clear. But I chose to try and ignore these facts and focus on the task at hand.

"Really?" I smirked. "Best keep looking then. Don't want her blowin' anyone else over do we?" The man chuckled.

"Aye." Suddenly an entire group of men emerged from the shadows. I took a step back. How had I been so blind? I gripped me cutlass tighter. "We don't," he added. That was when I noticed his attire; he was some type of sailor - that's for sure. Sea-stained shirt and vest, sea-leather boots and a sailor's cap to tie it all off. He had a few weapons on him; a pistol, dagger, and a cutlass. A pirate?

"I-I. . ."

"You're trapped," he finished for me.

"No' quite ye'!" I dashed back through the back room and out into the alley. I sped down the cobblestone street, me boots hitting the ground hard.

"Get 'er!" I heard someone cry.

Run.

"But. . . where. . .?" I panted.

The port.

"But why would I-"

Just go!

Me rolled me eyes at me conscience and obeyed.

"There!" Another cry. Me breathing became heavy and I tried to calm meself. I looked around, a desperate attempt to find another escape. Almost immediately me eye caught on a small house right off the cobblestone street. A ladder laid propped up against the home leading to the roof. I smiled to meself and ran to it. I shimmied up it fast as I could and planted meself on the roof.

"Where'd she go again?"

"She's like a ghost!"

"Witchcraft I tell ya! She's a witch!"

"She is most certainly not witch," Blue-eyes yelled.

I didn't wait any longer. I took off jumping from roof to roof. A few minutes later I smelled the salty air and I stopped. It had been so long that I smelled anything other than the smell of men, blood, and rum. This was amazin'. I was brought back to me senses by the sound of loud voices catching up to me once more.

They just don't give up, do they?

I rolled me eyes and looked down at the edge of the roof. I made an quick estimate of how far the cobblestone was, then flipped off the roof, landing on my feet. I smiled and took off again towards the first ship I saw by the docks. Triple-masted, perfect rigging, - besides a slight tear in the mainsail - and big beyond all means; ideal for hiding. I raced to it and searched for something to climb. Almost immediately I saw a rope hanging down the side and gripped it firmly. Guessing by the rope, the crew wasn't planning on staying in the port for very long. I looked around in case anyone was watching and shimmied up it. As soon as I boarded the deck I took a look around.

There were a few crates scattered here and there and the ship looked mostly abandoned except for a small candle lit inside the captain's cabin. Not good. Voices getting louder. The beats of feet hitting the dock.

"Where'd she go?" someone thought aloud again. I got chills down me spine as I looked for the hatch.

No. Emmie Monroe doesn't hide. She fights!

Somewhat more satisfied by this answer instead, I pulled out me cutlass. But something stronger inside meself told me to run.

The hatch! I must find the hatch! I must find the hatch!

Giving in, I finally found it lying in front of the mainmast. I slowly opened it, trying to prevent it from creeking and jumped down. When I landed below deck I searched for somewhere, anywhere to hide. Me eyes set on a closet a few feet from the hatch. I crept to it and snuck inside. As the darkness of the closet took me in I peeked out the key hole in the door; a good view of the hatch. I breathed a sigh of relief and sunk to the floor. Maybe I would escape after all. I clenched me right hand on the small vial on the chain around me neck.