Pinterest 'Story Idea' excerpts

The Captain

"You disobeyed me."

"I had to-"

"-You deliberately disobeyed me."

"I saved them!"

"But you could have gotten everyone killed! You think your crew members can trust you if you go off doing your own thing and not taking orders? You were completely unaccounted for!"

The Captains breathing came in hard angry gulps.

Their eyes were locked together, the captain held his sword with a white-knuckled hand.

Peter jutted his chin up, he clenched his fists at his sides.

"Twenty lashes," The captain said softly, "One for every man you could have killed for the sake of those three."

"You...You can't be serious." Peter felt his gusto melt, his courage draining away.

The captain pivoted on his heel and stalked up the stairs to the forecastle.

"Neb." The captain said the deckhand name getting his attention.

"Yes, captain?"

The other crew members tried to look like they weren't listening, though everyone went silent and still when he called on Neb.

"You know the drill."

Peter glanced around the deck, if he could make it to the other side of the ship he could climb the Rat Ropes and Neb wouldn't be able to follow him, hopefully after some time the captain would reconsider, but this all hinged on him getting away.

Neb stalked down the stairs cracking his knuckles, "You know the drill Peter, take the shirt off."

Peter bent his knees slightly, he'd have more chance if Neb was closed in by the mast.

He glanced to the right, there was a clear shot to the Rat Ropes.

"Not today." Peter smirked before dashing to the side, neb called out in surprise as the boy rushed for the Rat Ropes but nobody responded in time to catch him.

Peter reached up to the fifth step up and hoisted himself onto the ropes, he started to scramble up them, home free.

In the middle of his right hand reaching up for a new hold something grabbed his ankle and yanked him down, his left hand gave out and his left foot slid through the ropes searing the inside of his thigh. He yelled as he started falling upside down and backward down the Rat Ropes, the open sea below him.

Before he fell past the railing he was yanked inward towards the boat and slammed down onto the main deck with a heavy thud.

"Ow..." He wheezed, the breath nearly knocked out of him.

"Not this time." He heard Ned say.

Ned and a few other crew members hoisted Peter up and deflated at his failed escape. He was now trying to mentally prepare himself for the pain.

They tied him to the mast on his knees and began immediately, the fast they started the faster it was over.

The whip was simple leather, no shards or rock in it, the captain was being generous.

Peter held to the mast with a strangling grasp, around the fifteen lash his arms were shaking from holding so tight.

He tasted blood in his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek.

The new cuts overlayed the older already healed stripes he had, Ned accidentally aimed too high and hit him across the side of the face, nicking his ear painfully.

When Ned was done he immediately untied Peter whispered a sorry to him.

Peter didn't move a muscle in acknowledgment.

It seemed as if he was glued to the mast, if he moved even a little bit pain would flare up tenfold.

Hands grabbed his arms and tried to help him up but he lashed out at them.

"Leave me alone!" He collapsed from the outburst and the people came back helping him to his feet.

They poured salt water down his back to clean the cuts then they dressed them and gave his shirt back.

Kili rushed up and helped him put it on before going about his own business.

Peter tried to get about his work but after almost passing out three times he was told to go down deck.

He slept the rest of the day.