Juliet of Dundee

Dreams and Clues

Juliet of Dundee Chpt. 12

Pater

"Pater, just promise me this," Emmie's voice was sweet as she held her end of the rope. "Don't get eaten alive. We made a deal for a truce, not to commit suicide to avoid each other." A gentle breeze made her gentle curls dance, her eyes seemed to glow in the first mornings' light. Her lips curled up into a teasing smile.

Hey wait - you can't look there! Don't look at her lips! She'll enchant you! Bewitch you! Throw you into the ocean!

I quickly shoved my conscience away. She wasn't like that. My head kept screaming at me, but something in my gut - or maybe even my black heart - told me this was the real her. But could I trust my cold, cruel, selfish heart? Or was this my very first act of selflessness?

You buffoon! You're gonna get yourself killed!

I ignored my conscience once more and snapped my attention back to Emmie. And then, for the first time, I noticed the freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks. And were there freckles in her eyes too? I squinted for a split second. Yup. There they were, staring straight at me; little brown and gold flecks dotting the green in her eyes.

"I promise. Just... Don't let go of the rope..."

"I won't," she grinned. Soon the barrel had been retrieved and we took to the deck once more. We sat in silence for a while deciding whether or not to drink from the barrel.

"I'm sure they won't mind," Emmie laughed as she tried her best to convince us both that a sip was excusable.

"Aye. After all there are fifty more barrels from where that came from, if I'm not mistaken."

"Me apologies, but did ya just say fifty?"

"That would be correct."

"Then let's drink away. We'll just tell yer father that some of it leaked into the ocean whilst we were retrieving it."

The reasoning succeeded and before we knew it we were drinking away...

"Pater! Wake up!" My father's voice awakened me from my dream... at least I thought it was one. I opened my eyes to see my father smiling smugly down at me.

"Ugh... My head..."

"Shh! Don't wake her," my father violently whispered.

"What - what do you mea-" I froze and held my breath. Bewildered I looked down to see locks of red hair on my chest. I turned my head to see the very head it was attacked to.

And there she was. All curled up in the fetal position, her head propped up on my stomach. Her hair was tossed to the side and sat on my upper chest. My eyes nearly exploded at the sight. How was it that we'd hated each other the night before? How was it that we became mates over a silly violin? I nearly laughed when I'd realized my mistake. She would have corrected me on that for sure; it was a fiddle and that was that.

"So would ya like to tell me, boy, why there's a half empty barrel of rum on my deck?"

That's right... After we'd retrieved the rum we'd decided to take a few sips. I don't remember exactly what happened.

Wait. It couldn't be!

"Tell me, Pater... Why," Emmie was cut off by a hiccup. "Why did ya become a pirate? Ya seem far more educated than any other ol' pirate me has come across. "

My head spun from the drink in my hand. I squinted up at the sky and saw the dazzling stars. I searched for a moment or two but found no answer. Emmie laid her head on my stomach and looked up at at the stars too.