Under Murky Waters

EIGHT YEARS AFTER Cordelia’s father first showed her the plans for his new ship, the young maiden finally saw it with her own eyes. The wood of the ship practically glistened, the gloss shining under the glimmering sunlight. Its sails soared in the wind, the cloth flapping into the skies, scouring for adventure. There was a carving of a mermaid at the front of the ship, her hand reaching out into beyond as if eternally stretching for the horizon.

Throngs of men were all moving up cargo onboard the ship, each of them shouting orders and agreements but Cordelia barely cared about a single word they said. Instead, she dusted specks of imaginary dirt off of her pale yellow satin dress, parasol in hand and a smile on her pink lips.

“It is as beautiful as you said it would be, papa.” Cordelia beamed, speaking to her father with great pride before she turned to face him. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

“It is, but of course, modeled after my gorgeous daughter,” the older man mused, placing a hand on her shoulder affectionately. “It is only second to you.”

“Where are we headed to, papa?”

“A nearby town. I have arranged a meeting with a friend of mine. I think you might come to like his son quite a bit.”

Cordelia wrinkled her nose, distaste lacing the action.

“Papa, you are not arranging my marriage, are you?” There was humor in her voice but accusation was the source of her words. She thought that her father would have known better than to arrange something without her prior consent. Then again, thoughts are just assumptions until proven fact.

Just as he was about to reply, a voice interrupted their conversation, piercing through the air.

“We are ready to set sail, sir!” The captain yelled from onboard the ship, waving his hat maniacally to gather the attention of father and daughter.

While Cordelia’s father captained his ships on his journeys across the seven seas, this time, he wanted to take the back seat to enjoy his time with his daughter. He had hired another man, a dear friend of his to man the Cordelia for this journey across the sea.

The man nodded in acknowledgement, holding out an arm for Cordelia to take before the both of them carefully boarded the new ship.

By the time they were out at sea, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. It was half submerged, the full circle becoming semi as golden yellow mixed with the darkening blues of the waves. A brilliant mix of reds and oranges blended into the azure of the sky, turning it into a purplish tinted canvas that looked straight out of a fairytale.

Cordelia was at awe, her lips parting to make way for a sigh as she rested her elbows on the wood of the ship. She stood on deck, her canary yellow dress and midnight black hair caught in the wind gracefully.

She had only rested her eyes for a quarter of a second before she heard yells. The hair on her arms stood to their edges in attention, her body immediately sensing a danger that she could not even see. Immediately, Cordelia’s eyes were opened as she glanced at her surroundings. Men had abandoned their stations, all pointing at a figure a distance away.

Cast against the background of the setting sun, the shadow was in the shape of another ship. It was still far away but not far enough once whispers and rumors started to spread among the workers.

“We are doomed!” one cried, his fingernails to his teeth.

“Quick! Bring the captain,” said another.

“What is going on?” Cordelia recognized his father’s authoritative voice immediately as he came over, the captain by his side.

“A ship, sire!” The first man pointed at the growing figure in the distance. It seemed to be headed straight for them.

Cordelia’s breath was lodged in her throat as she watched the other ship get closer and closer to the one she was aboard. Chaos and panic overwhelmed the crew. The men had all abandoned their posts, scrambling to the side of the ship to witness the tragedy that was about to happen.

Even though they did not speak the word, all of them knew what was going on. They were all experienced sailors, sleeping on the rocking waves of the sea more often than in their beds with their arms around the person they loved. The salt of the ocean breeze was a scent they wore, the taste they had grown accustomed to.

Cordelia, on the other hand, who had not sailed before this very day was not in the know. She had no idea of what was to happen yet she knew it could not be good news if this was the way the men around her were reacting. The waves were not familiar friends, only ever a mutual that she had watched from a safe distance.

However, with the stories of her father’s voyages echoing in her mind and the stories of fictional tales resonating in her head, she more or less guessed her fate.

In a distance, edging closer and closer by the second, was a ship so ghastly that it was a wonder how it still stayed afloat. The wood that made up the body was already chipping, barnacles dotting it like stars in a night sky. The sails were black and torn, bellowing menacingly in the wind.

But, there was one strip of fabric that stood out.

As dark as the night and as eerie as the witching hour, a flag was raised to the very top, an image of a skull and crossbones painted over the cloth.

Cordelia felt a shiver down her spine because she knew that there was nowhere for her to run or to hide. On her maiden voyage, they were fated to cross paths with the antagonist of most of her father’s stories.

Pirates.