Cheslie’s head bobbed limply with the ship’s progress, her platinum hair, damp from the ocean spray, stuck to her forehead and temples. Her wrists ached, the flesh raw as the rope bounds cut into her skin. With a soft groan, she lifted her head weakly and opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light of the coming sunset, bright colors covering the sky. She would have admired it if she were in another position. She listened to the thudding of boots against the boards on deck and the shouting of orders as she ran her tongue along her parched lips. For days, she had been tied to this pole, sitting with her wrists bound behind her and a small meal with little water a day. They had only given her a couple minutes of freedom from the bounds to do her business, but other than that, her whole body ached to move. She knew that the men that had kidnapped her wanted ransom, but little did they know that her uncle would care less what happened to her. He would never pay pirates for her for return, especially when he was getting rid of another mouth to feed.

Pirates.

Bile rose in her throat just thinking of them. Whenever the one known as Drake drew near, her stomach turned painfully at the very smell of him. His breath reeked with decay and spirits. Though the captain ordered for no one to touch her, that didn’t stop the few that did plenty of fondling. She would always catch them staring at her as they passed to do their work, or simply just standing there for a break. The look in their eyes frightened her.

The ship rocked violently to the side. Chelsie felt the nausea rise. She craned her head around as much as she could stand, looking at the dark clouds coming in. A frown settled upon her lips. She really didn’t want to be forced to go down below like when she first was set upon the ship. Or perhaps, they’d make her stay on deck though the storm, she thought hopefully.

"Well, gorgeous, look like we be gettin’ some rough waters."

Chelsie turned her head keeping her face void of emotion as she recognized the captain’s first mate voice, the one she detested more than the rest.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to get a response from her, his face scrunched up into a dark scowl as he stepped forward, taking a fist full of her hair with a mighty jerk. "If da captain had not ordered none to touch ye, I’d be between yer creamy thighs right now." To prove his point, he tossed up her torn skirt and brutally squeezed her thigh causing a muffled cry to pass her lips.

"Ye like that, don’t ye?" A cruel grin crossed his cracked lips as he began to slide his large callused hand higher up her inner thigh.

Chelsie turned away from him, her slender eyebrows drawn as she bit the inside of her cheek. She felt disgusted, yet so vulnerable to be able to do nothing about what he was doing to her. She knew if she tried to fight him, she’d only end up getting beaten even if the captain had ordered no one to touch her.

"Drake!"

The first mate quickly pulled his hand back and jumped to his feet at his captains voice. He turned back to Chelsie and spat. "I will finish with ye later, whore, then ye be knowing how rough I can be. Ye’ll enjoy it, of that, I will make sure."

Relief washed over her as listened to the sound of his boots against the floorboards as he hurried off to do his bidding. She couldn’t take his threat idly, she knew he meant it, she just hoped that the captain kept him busy or that she would die of thirst. She tilted her head back, resting it against the pole as her eyes drifted shut. Sleep seemed to pass more time.

*****

A loud snap awoke Chelsie from her dreamless slumber just in time to see the rope from the sail plunder to the ground. Wind howled and rain fell, pelting Cheslie’s face, stinging her flesh. She turned her head away from the rain the best she could but her eyes widened seeing a large wave heading their way. Frantically, she tried to work at the rope, trying desperately to free her hands as she had done for so many hours throughout the day when no one was looking. She no longer felt the nausea deep in her stomach but a sense of panic as the ship rocked and dipped. She could barely hear the shouts of the men over the sound of the raging water.

The wave struck the ship, filling the deck with chilling water. Chelsie’s wrists burned as the salt from the water touched the tender flesh. Suddenly, a deafening crack filled the air as the sky lit up brightly, lightning striking one of the sails. Flames immediately flared, spreading quickly

Tears streamed down her face mixed with the rain as her heart pounded in her aching chest. Her temples throbbed with each beat. She jerked her arms, trying to free her hands from the bindings, but the rope cut even deeper. Just then, another large wave slammed into the ship, breaking through the side. The jolt caused Chelsie’s head to rear back against the pole. Pain exploded through her as her vision blurred. Soon, she drifted off into unconsciousness.

It wasn’t long before the ship began to sink, water covering the deck as one side tilted upward and into the air, sinking further and further until the ship was entirely under water, taking Chelsie into its freezing depths.

Dark hands wrapped around Chelsie’s, frantically trying to freeing them from the rope which had finally loosened. The figure pulled her limp body from the current of the sinking ship and toward the surface, pushing her head out of the water. Looking around, there was no sign of any other life anywhere, none of the pirates he had been watching for days. He turned back to the unconscious woman in his arms and brushed away the wet hair from her face, moving his head near her lips and feeling for breath. Sure that there was, he began to swim toward the shore, his arm locked securely around Chelsie’s waist, keeping her head above water.