Illiana swam as hard as she could. The fire behind her was getting hotter and she had to get back to land. She silently cried to herself, she had dropped the lantern into a crate of the captain whiskey. It was her fault the ship had caught fire.
’Oi, Illy! Bring me the lantern; I can’t see a damned thing!’ Jeremy called across the store room. ‘I need to get these new ropes up ‘afore the storm hits!’ Illiana ran across the room, and her own foolishness and lack of grace caused her to fall flat on her face, the lantern flying from her hands and crashing to the floor. ‘Shit! Illy, run!’ He screamed as the spilled oil caught fire and spread towards the crates of whisky. Illiana ran up the stares to deck ad screamed that the ship was on fire, and was knocked off her feet as the flames shot from the doors behind her. She looked at the fire and cried out into the night, ‘No, Jeremy, NO!’
That ship had been her only happiness in almost 3 years and she had lost it all on a stupid mistake. She collapsed onto the sand and climbed up into the street. She forced her feet to move, to get away from the hell she had left behind her; as she prayed thy had made it out. Before she knew where her feet had taken her she was back at the tavern.
She slowly pushed the door open, fear clear on her, now clear of bruises face. She managed to get back behind the bar and had her hand on the store room door, with every intention of hiding until day when she could get out, before she heard Jack bellow and his hands tightened in a bone crushing grip on her shoulder.
“You no good wench!” He called taking her and spinning her around with a hand on her throat and pinning her to the door. “Yeh think yeh can run from me and get away with it?” He slammed her into the door, “Do yeh?!” He flung her to the floor. His eyes were alight with fury and scorn, his very breath was full of as much hatred as his gaze.
“I’m sorry!” Illiana managed to choke before his think hands closed on her once again, this time he had her by her hair.
“I’s gonna show yeh sorry yeh dirty tramp!” He said dragging her into his room off the tavern, he bound her hands to the bedpost and pulled his whip from a drawer. With a growl he drew his muscled arm back “We’ll see iffen yer sorry now!” and brought the leather forward with a deafening crack.
Illiana screamed as the leather bit into her flesh again and again. This was far worse than any other punishment she had every received. And by the end of the night, any will to live, and any thought of freedom we’re gone from her mind.
►▼◄
Illiana sat in the back or the tavern, she was still scared from the beating the night she had returned and was hoping to avoid the notice of any of the customers. Sadly her luck didn’t hold and an old man who stank of stale whisky and tobacco walked to her side and picked her up by the waist, “Oi!” he called to Jack, “How much?”
The landlord glowered at her, he had yet to orgive her, and was like not to. “That little tramp? Yeh can ‘ave ‘er fer a shilin” He growled walking over to them, with a pleased expression ion his wrinkled face the old one gave him his money and took Illiana by the arm She wrenched her arm away from him with all her might, she wouldn’t let this happen again. She couldn’t.
Jack grabbed her as did the old man, and, though she made a valiant effort, kicking scratching and biting at the pair of men, weeks without food had left her weak and between the two of them they managed to control her. The owner slapped her across the face sending her head spinning as she tasted blood. Jack spit across the floor and asked the man if he wanted her still. “After all,” he mumbled, “We gots plany ‘o others”
“I likes ‘em feisty” the old man said, planting a kiss on Illliana’s lips while holding her face in his hands. With one last desperate attempt to get away Illiana planted her elbow firm in he mans gut with a grunt. He fell to the floor and Illiana spit and wiped her hand across her lips. jack moved to slap her when his hand was suddenly caught and twisted around in the grip of a distinctly female hand.