The Ill-mannered Door (humorous sci-fi)

42.3: On the Run

"Come on!" Isabella yelled, grabbing my left hand and starting to run. I was quite thankful for that since the back of my right still stung terribly.

We left Derek there, still firing at the House Werrick soldiers, and I hoped he wouldn't decide to shoot us in the back as we ran. Given what I had seen him to be capable of, it was a real possibility, but something told me he wouldn't.

The Bounty, now loosed and her sails unfurled, began to move forward, scraping along the side of the Esmerelda as she pulled away.

We ran then just as fast as we could, Isabella and I, hand in hand toward the front of the Esmerelda, trying desperately to catch up with the departing Bounty.

We were rapidly running out of deck, and the Bounty continued to pick up speed as she moved to pull away. We had to cross to her soon or she would be gone for good.

I looked at Isabella one last time as we ran.

"Jump, Thomas, we can make it!" Isabella shouted beside me and we leapt together off the Esmerelda toward the deck of the departing ship.

Isabella had jumped just a hair before I did, and because she held my hand, our arms pulled taught just as I jumped. My legs simply didn't have the spring in them that they used to. At that moment, I experienced the crushing realization that I had held her back, and doomed us both.

I saw the whole moment play out in slow motion. I had always thought that bit to be very unrealistic in films, but then it happened to me.

I saw the gap between the two ships widen, and Derek's bat tumbling away toward the ground far below. We flew through the air toward the Bounty, and we almost made it too. Almost.

Just before we could grab hold of the gunwale, which is why I had to let go of the bat, the Bounty turned ever so slightly away and moved forward just a hair too much. Isabella's hand brushed the side of the captain's cabin, but there was nothing for her to grab on to.

I even saw the king and queen slowly embrace in the cabin through one of the windows, and then the moment was gone and we were falling.