“
Now, take a good look, boys,” he
started. “The brave princess of the docks is here to grace us with
her presence.” He threw a slight smile in her direction, as if he
thought he might affect her with his roguish attempt at
charm.
He stepped towards her and slid his rough hand
gently down her face, letting his eyes fall artlessly to the collar
of her dress. “You think you're strong, darling?,” he whispered
into her ear. “Let me show you what real power looks like.” A
chorus of guffaws followed as the crew cheered him on.
His hands slid down her torso, gripping her hips as
he pulled her towards himself. Kira screamed, trying desperately to
rip his iron grip from her body. She wrestled against his powerful
grip but could not escape.
Her arms flew in all directions but they seemed to
have no effect at all. The other shipmates seemed delighted at this
development, shouting and making indecent suggestions.
The pirate continued to wrestle her until she was
pinned to the floor of the ship. She could feel her shoulder blades
bruising on the hard wood and the weight of his powerful body
holding her down. Kira screamed once more, turning her head to
escape the sight of his covetous eyes staring through her.
Suddenly, one of the ship hands shouted violently.
“Ship! Starboard side!” In a flash, the menacing captain released
her and raced to the side of the ship.
Kira could hardly move, her sides bruised from his
punishing hands and her heart racing in fear. She could hear the
murmurs of the crew, a nervous energy moving across the bow of the
ship. Still, this temporary respite did little to relieve her
terror.
Kira managed to lift herself up enough to look out
at the ship that the pirates were fixed on. A commanding vessel
floated in the water just yards away. Kira searched the deck of the
new arrival, hoping for a glimpse of something, anything to give
her hope.
Her heart continued to pound. She could not decide
if this was cause for hope or more alarm. Should she scream and
risk inflaming the pirates' ire? Worse yet, who would come for her
if she did?
The crew mumbled amongst themselves while the
brutish captain shouted a few commands here and there. The men
seemed to be arming themselves in a frenzy. “The girl, Captain!?,”
a sailor shouted, and all eyes were on her once again.
Kira suddenly noticed one of the sailors barreling
towards her. He grabbed her and pulled her into the stairway,
closing the door and leaving her in darkness. She settled on a step
by the door, wishing she could see what was happening.
Sounds of boisterous shouting seemed to come from
the other ship, then she heard the Captain's arrogant voice ring
back. Kira pushed her head against the door, longing to make out
the words exchanged but she could not.
A slight glint of light under the door gave Kira an
idea. She put her eye up to the crack, flattening herself to the
floor to see the exchange. The boat rocked and the sound of voices
grew closer and closer.
The sound of scuffling feet and low voices seemed
to indicate someone had arrived. Were they here? Did they know that
she was?
A masculine voice rang out, a voice she didn't
recognize. She could see the pirate's large black boots and another
man's brown, weathered boots. “Where's the girl?,” she could hear
the stranger say. The menacing sound of the pirate's laughter
floated under the door.
“
There is no girl.”
A long silence followed then Kira could hear the
pirate attempt to make a joke to convince the stranger. “Do you
think if there were a girl here, I'd be up here with them?”
Some more muffled noise came through, bits of
conversation that she couldn't make out. Kira felt hope rise
slightly in her chest. Maybe they were here to save her. Maybe it
would be alright.
The voices seemed to grow louder, and Kira could
feel the tension. She could tell a heated discussion was taking
place. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she waited
with baited breath. This was her only hope.
She wondered how many men had come from the other
ship. She wondered what kind of men they were. Her mind raced with
a million dizzying possibilities, trying to find some sort of
solace in her imaginations.
Kira strained against the door to hear more. The
murmuring continued when at last, a gruff, insistent voice growled,
“Give me the girl.”
Kira's heart leapt. Should she scream? Should she
try to bang down the door? Kira tried not to panic at the thought
that maybe this stranger would never find her. Or maybe the pirates
would kill him and then she'd be left on her own, once again. Kira
felt certain everything could be alright, if only he knew she was
here. Right behind the door. As this hope battled her fear, a
deafening sound came through.
“
I want to buy her.”
Too Many Hands
Kira's hope was snuffed out like a light. She felt
the deepest heaviness resting on her heart, pulling her weight into
the floor. It was too late for her. Clearly, there was nothing to
be done. And everything she had believed about men seemed to be
proven to her once again.
After those words came, piercing her and
extinguishing any last shred of hope she had of saving herself,
Kira slumped against the wall. The noises of conversation outside
no longer seemed to touch her.
She was in a haze of heartbreak and denial, trying
to find a way to accept the unacceptable without losing her
mind.
She was going to be sold. Like a piece of meat.
Like a shoe. Or a saddle. Or those little wilted flowers that the
peddler had offered to her yesterday. Was that yesterday? She
didn't know anymore.
The whole experience felt like a nightmare that
would not end. There was no waking up. In fact, the only thing that
brought her any comfort was the idea that she might escape it in
sleep.
Her mind raced, deliriously. Wild scenarios played
out in her head. Her very near future with this man, this animal
that could deem it acceptable to buy another human being. Kira
squeezed her eyes tight, trying to shut out the horrifying visions,
those possibilities that seemed like absolute certainties in the
moment.
Kira grasped at one last respite,
envisioning the beautiful Nordic sailor that had released her arms
in the street. His playful stare. The glint of light in his eyes.
Even if she did want that, whatever
that
was, she could never have it
now. She would be nothing. Nothing at all.
A tear slipped gracefully down her cheek as she
imagined what it would be like to see his glorious face once more.
Then the door swung open, and she did.
The Other Side of the Door
He was rough. And silent. His green eyes showed a
moment of shock before he heaved her over his shoulder and carried
her across the deck. Kira felt her face tingling.
The pirate stood to the side, running his hands
through a clanging bag of coins. “Hope you enjoyed it as much as I
did, love,” he threw the words at her with a careless, distracted
smile as he looked over the money.
Before she knew it, Kira had been hoisted into a
small boat at the side of the ship. Two other men sat at the bow,
and began rowing the boat across. The Nordic sailor took her by the
shoulders, his touch firm. “Did they hurt you?”
His deep voice lingered in her ears, terrifying in
its deceptive gentleness. Kira could not look up. What a ridiculous
question. Does it even matter what they did, she thought, if you
intend to do worse? She wondered if this man believed he was some
sort of Saviour. As if any women should be elated to be in his
presence, even if by force.
She could feel his eyes on her, but she pulled
herself tight and stared at the bottom of the boat. She couldn't
feel his lust, but she knew it must be there. With men, it was
always there. Wearily, Kira laughed at herself for her ridiculous
daydream. He was no knight in shining armor.
The little boat eased its way towards its mother
ship. The men remained silent but she could feel their attention
remaining on the pirate ship. He remained close, holding her arm.
Did he think she would jump? She could hear the cadence of the
water and feel the lightness of his breath rustling her hair. Kira
kept her eyes on the bottom of the boat, afraid that looking into
his eyes would unveil her helplessness.
As the men reached the ship, they climbed deftly up
over the side. She suddenly found herself thrown over the sailor's
shoulder, again, like a sack of potatoes. Kira did her best to take
in her surroundings from upside down, catching a glimpse of a
curious crew standing on the deck but little else.
The sailor kept walking, holding Kira tight. She
braced herself for something unthinkable. The adrenaline had never
left, never abated since the pirate held her pinned to the deck
floor.
She could feel the bruises forming in her side and
she wondered what other injuries this night would bring. When the
sailor carried her below deck and laid her in a simple bunk bed,
she braced herself, curling her feet up in front of her.
She could feel her whole body trembling. Even if
she wanted to scream, this little room below deck was tucked away.
There was no use. And to think she had thought of him in her
moments of terror, wishing that she could see him again. Little did
she know.
Kira looked up, bracing herself to meet his green
eyes. She saw his gaze look her over, searchingly. The glint from
the day before had disappeared and now all she saw was a
scrutinizing intensity.
He stood, mouth gaping open and
stared at her. Kira could not stand the waiting, the anticipation.
She felt electricity jolt up her spine, waiting for him to pounce.
Every inch of her body was soaked in fear and adrenaline. But she
couldn't cry.
No
,
she wouldn't do it.
He seemed to notice her anxiety,
and a confused look flashed into his eyes. He leaned over her,
touching her arm with his large hand. “
Oh
God
,” Kira murmured, wishing there was a
way out. When she opened her eyes, the sailor was standing straight
as a rail, a look of horror on his face.
The dread etched into her face must have given him
pause, because he turned bright red and promptly went above deck.
“Go to sleep,” he shouted roughly, then slammed the door.
Kira lie awake for hours, waiting for his return.
Every little creak of the boat, every hint of movement above deck
had her ready for a fight. Yet, her body ached from the bruises and
the tension in her limbs. The pain in her body barely touched the
intensity of the anxiety leaving her reeling inside.
One thing was certain, everything she knew about
life had changed. Those moments of peace she had taken for granted
in her little hut were long gone. She could not relax for the
longest time, until finally her exhaustion won.
~~~~~~~~~
Days seemed to pass fluidly, and she could hardly
tell them apart. She awoke to find food in her cabin, but no sign
of any human beings. She dared not venture out of her room.
Her hope was that perhaps, hidden away, she could
avoid any of the negative attention she so feared. Still, her
anxiety lingered. Not knowing was tearing her up inside, waiting
for the inevitable, but then beginning to question whether it would
indeed come.
She spent countless hours going over the room's
structure, the built-in shelves and desk across from her bunk.
One day, when the afternoon sun had begun to fade,
Kira heard voices outside the door. Deep voices that she didn't
recognize seemed to be discussing her. “The girl...” they said.
Kira listened intently, desperate to know what fate they were
planning for her.
From what she could gather, several of them were
curious about the existence of a woman on their ship. Kira
shivered. She could not lock the door from the inside. She was
defenseless.
The conversation grew more raucous and she could
hear someone start to speak to her through the door. “Come out,
sugar. You're the first woman companion we've ever had on
board.”
Boisterous laughter followed and
then complete silence. She wondered what had startled them, then
heard
him
. “On
deck...NOW!” And then a scrambling followed.
Kira sat upright. She felt a jolt
of electricity sizzle up her spine, and she realized she was
running her hands through her matted hair to smooth it out. Kira
shook herself out of it. Whoever this man was, he had
purchased
her. There was
no way around that. Whether it happened now, or later, there was
only one way for this to end.
Still, a blush covered her cheeks and she prayed to
God he didn't walk through that door.
Another Surprise
He swung the door open forcefully. His masculine
frame filled the doorway and Kira felt her whole body tense up.
That rugged, hairy chest that had seemed so intimidating in the
street, now seemed threatening and dangerously powerful.
He squinted his eyes at her. His hair was light
blonde and the thickness of it seemed to shine in the light from
the porthole. Kira tried not to stare, but her terror mingled with
awe and she could not help herself. He had full lips, a
distinguished nose and eyes that seemed to glow as he looked at
her.
They both seemed to realize they were staring and
awkwardly broke eye contact. Kira remembered her fear, and inched
closer to the back of the bed. “You'll have to earn your keep if
you're to stay here. That's my bed you're in.”