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Chapter 2- Screams

Akria opened her eyes and blinked twice to clear her vision. It was still dark outside and it most likely early morning. She no longer heard rain plummeting onto the roof above her. The flames in the fire place had been reduced down to nothing more than glowing orange coals. The room was rather frigid despite the fire that heated the main room of the small house. Akria laid peacefully for a moment listening to the crack and pop the coals made, suddenly the crashing clatter of pots and pans made her jolt upright. The girl pushed back the heavy blankets that covered her and stepped into her doorway, she noticed her mother franticly pacing around the room gathering items and placing them in a large brown bag she was dragging. Gradually Akria walked to her mother, while she rubbed her arms trying to heat them. She reached out and pulled on Clair’s shirt tale. “Oh, it’s just you love, you startled me!” The woman stuttered.
“What’s going on Mother?” Akria mumbled.
She didn’t answer; instead she pulled several pieces of bread out of a cabinet and put them in the sack. “Mom?”
Clair crouched down to Akria’s eye level and held her by the arms just above her elbows while she spoke, “We need to get off this island, we’re in danger!” Clair whispered.
Akria reached into her pocket and fiddled with the ring, was her stealing the reason they must flee? “Why?” The girl dared to question.
“…There are pirates attacking the town and they are destroying anything they can get their grisly hands on,” The woman explained.
Akria sighed in relief but a new fear filled its spot, “Isn’t me real dad a pirate? He won’t hurt us, will he?” She protested.
“No, no, of coarse not, but these pirates aren’t captained by your father. Who knows what they might do!” She said alarmed.
“So my dad is a pirate!” She said.
Clair gasped, “What I meant to say…um…was,” She stuttered but finally just gave up, “You tricked me!”
“I don’t think that is the biggest concern right now, mother,” Akria said reminding her mother of the crisis taking place.
Clair then continued to pack supplies, when the bag was over stuffed, she helped Akria into more suitable clothes for traveling. Clair helped her put on a cotton pirate shirt, brown cotton vest, black pants and brown boots. Clair then tied back the girl’s thick dark brown hair. Just as finishing Akria’s hair there was a load bang at the door. They both spun around in surprise, Clair rushed her child to the opposite side of the small house to a window. The woman helped Akria out of the window and handed the bag of supplies to her, “Down on the dock is a dinghy it is the only one there! Now go!”
There was a second bang on the door but this time it fell down leaving behind a plume of dust. “Mom, what about you?” Akria asked beginning to walk away.
“I’ll…I’ll catch up,” Clair replied not telling the girl she was going to sacrifice herself so she could get away, “Oh and Akria?”
“Yes, Mother?”
“If I don’t come soon, don’t wait up!”
“I love you, mom,” Akria whispered back as she started running down the hillside and toward the village, she did not wish to go through the town but she had no other way of getting to the docks.
Rain had once more begun to descend from the grey cloudy sky. As she walked down the side of the hill her eyes widened, what had once been a peaceful village was now a swirling valley of fire. Half way down the slope she decided to wait for her mother, to the right was an excellent hiding spot. Hopefully while she anticipated for her mother the fire would die down. She ran to the patch of trees surrounded by bushes then leaped behind it. She got comfortable and waited restlessly as she watched for her mom to walk down the slope. Thunder boomed echoing through the canyon walls not far from her. Akria turned and looked through the leaves on the bushes and witnessed once again the horrific scene of her village turning to ashes. She could see men and women rushing through the streets trying to escape the pirates chasing them with swords and axes. She could hear screams that echoed through the valley in between the booms of thunder. The sky was lit an eerie orange from the flames that consumed the small town. She could hear her heart beat thump from the terrifying sight in front her. Then suddenly there was a sharp sound that came from atop the hill she lived on, it split through the valley making her spine tingle. It was a scream, her mother’s scream. Several pirates in tattered clothes covered in grime then rushed down the slope and down toward the village. Akria’s eyes started to fill with tears as her heart sunk. After hearing the scream she knew there was nothing to wait for, nothing left on this island to live for, and her place wasn’t to be here. “Mom can’t die, she can’t!” The small girl wept.
For a moment Akria rested under the trees and sobbed trying to make her mother come back though she knew it would not help, it then occurred to her that she was not out of danger and she needed to get away before the pirates spotted her. Gradually she stood up and tossed the large bag over her shoulder. The girl then ran down the rest of the incline and into what was left of the village. Quietly she paced through the ally way where she was only hours ago, the only sound was the crackle and snaps the fire made. Her skin turned red from the intense heat that the flames produced. Akria peered around nervously watching for any falling debris and people. She came upon Lorn’s stand, there was nothing left but some hot coals burning what was left of the silky curtain and the sapphire that laid half buried in the ash. She picked up the gem and slipped it into her pocket with the ring. Akria sifted her fingers though the still warm ash looking for anything that might help her while on the boat. But had to cut her search short when she noticed Lorn hobbling toward her, he was holding his side as he walked. “Lorn! I was afraid you…”
“Died? Not yet, I’m not sure if I have much longer,” he moaned.
“What happened-” She paused as she watched a balcony off a building fall, “Are you alright?”
“No, I’m not, but that’s not important, the pirates haven’t seen ye yet, ye need to get away from here!” He then fell to his knees and removed his blood covered hand from his side to break his fall.
Akria then saw the deep gruesome wound on his side that exposed his ribs. “Over here, I think the old man went that way!” A pirate boomed.
“Hide! Get away from here! Just don’t be seen!” He grunted.
“But what about you Lorn, I can’t just leave you!” Akria cried.
“I’ll be fine!” The man responded.
“That’s what me mother said… but it wasn’t, it wasn’t all right!” She cried refusing to leave.
“Just go, and promise me one thing, find yer father, and live the rest of yer life well!” Lorn whispered.
“But I don’t know who he is!” The girl mentioned backing away.
“Captain Sparrow! Now flee!” He yelled.
Akria then ran and hid behind a still standing building and watched as several men stood around Lorn contemplating what they should do to him. At last undecided they dragged him off dragging his heel against the cobblestone. Akria peaked past the wall to see what was happening, she could see Lorn’s worried expressions as the pulled him along. Then one of the pirates at the tail end of the line looked back and noticed her. He stopped then began to stalk towards Akria with his sword drawn. Quickly she swung back behind the house. The pirate then picked up speed as he came to the corner of the building, but no one was there.
She came running out of the burning town and onto the beach, there she stopped and looked for the boat, like her mother had said the vessel was on the dock.
Once in the dinghy she unloaded the bag off her shoulder and reached for a rope, she pulled on it and it released the sails from the rolled up posture. The sails filled with air and the small ship jolted forward. She sailed out of the bay and passed the pirate’s ship safely and to her surprise with great ease. Akria looked back at her town, the flames that consumed it reflected off the now calm ocean. She remembered her few friends and how they would stick by her side, Lorn who always got her in trouble but taught her some very important lessons, and of course, her mother how kind and loving she was. She then peered at the sky and watched as the last of thunder clouds passed by and reveal the shining moon. She then hit her palm against the cool water, and shattered the glassy reflection of the moon, unable to conceal her feelings. Akria was full of hatred and sorrow. “I hate pirates! I hate all of them! They all deserve a spot on the Flying Dutchman, and should have to work an eternity for Davy Jones himself!” Akria cried back to the island.
Tears began to stream down her face, “And the worst part is,” She whispered, “I’m a pirate myself.”