The Adventures of Little Cloud

The Captain

    The word wasn't hideous Little Cloud was looking for, but strange. That was it. Strange. He had the face of a man, but it portrayed the slimy quality of a quid and lacked a nose. His beard consisted of squids tentacles. one of his arms was a crabs claw, and his right leg was replaced with a barnacle encrusted peg that thumped ominously on the wood. He also wore an encrusted has and carried a weathered pipe. 

  "Your end is near." He spoke casually, yet never taring his steely gaze from her challenging one.

  "What a wonderful way to start a conversation." One of Little Cloud's tricks was to disarm her enemies with unsettling words. Out of place phrases, so to say. A little chipper in a dire situation can puzzle foes just long enough to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, in this situation, it only seemed to make him mad.

    "Do you know who I am?" Jones stepped closer, so his writhing beard was only inched from her face. "Most would be cowering on their knees."

   "I have a faint idea, but then again, I'm not most people."

   "Tell me." The Captain took a puff of his pipe. "Do you fear death?"

   Despite the simplicity of the question, Little Cloud was speechless for a few seconds. She wanted to die, genuinely, but a small part of her held on to a hope that she could live, could make it through. That part took over the rest.

   "I can offer you an escape." Continued the Captain. He had spotted her faulting and taken advantage of it. He was crafty. "One-hundred years of service upon the Flying Dutchman, to post-pone the terrible judgement that awaits you."

   It was not what lay ahead that Little Cloud was afraid of, but what she would be leaving if she refused. "Ok. I accept. Save your incredibly cliche speech for some other chump seeking motivation. I'll join the crew." 

  The slightest smile crept over the captains face, a creepy sight that made Little Clouds' skin crawl, but she accepted. 

    "What is your name?" Little Cloud asked as they turned to leave.

    "Davy Jones. Captain of the Flying Dutchman."