Pirate Playmates
I’ve found myself on a pirate ship, fending off invaders of the uncivilized sort with a saber in hand and a feathered hat upon my head.
“Captain Kleo, we’re taking on water!” I shout, causing the crew to panic.
Kleo raises her own sword to the sky, one eye covered by an eyepatch and tangled hair catching wind. “No matter, I shall call upon the mermaids! They owe me a favor see, said anytime I need them—”
She starts to ramble on with another story that’s almost too good to be true (which is most certainly the case), but First Mate Felix shakes her shoulders as the ship quakes.
Wooden planks creak and the ship wavers much too far to the left, then to the right. The flag rips in the wind and actual mist coats my face. “Kleo, hurry!” Felix cries, launching Kleo into action. She delicately takes off her hat and sets it upon Felix’s head, then runs full speed at the edge of the decking and jumps, swan diving to her death.
This can’t be part of the game.
I gasp and run to the edge, taking hold of the chipped railing with blanched knuckles. But of course, a safety net of magickal vines holds a flailing Kleo, slowly lowering her to the ground before dissipating into a green dust. Arlo peeks around the tree trunk holding up our ship, glitter in his hair and a silken red ‘tail’ trailing the ground behind him.
“Captain Kleo! It’s been so long since we last met, are you alright?” He asks in a high pitched tone, full dramatics in effect.
With the kids, of course. Around them, he’s warm hearted and fun, with the right words always there for curious, vulnerable hearts. Felix is a strong Empath, he wandered in my mind by accident on the way over and I had to raise my defenses. I wonder what the boy sees in me, why he’s so curious. I suppose most people are, but my gut tells me something more is going on.
Dusan watches with a small group of kids that chose to watch our impromptu pirate play rather than participate. All ages are sprawled out in the soft grass a short distance away, shaded by an autumnal blooming cherry tree.
I’m not quite sure how we got here, but I don’t mind one bit.
Kleo holds her nose, making blub blub noises as she ‘treads water’ with her other hand. Arlo waves his hands in the air, causing Kleo to draw in a breath of air. She feels at the imaginary gills that have protruded on her neck. I grin, her acting is superb.
“We need help! My ship, we need patching, could you help me? My crew will die if we don’t save them!” She cries.
On cue, the trunk sways harshly and I’m thrown overboard, along with a small fae boy. I catch him in my arms, but a scream escapes my throat.
Vines are conjured to life once more, gently lowering us to the ground. Cheers erupt from the ship above us. I sheepishly look up to Arlo through the mud sloshed onto my face. He bites his lip, hiding a smile as he takes the boy from my arms and slings him onto his hip like he’s done it a thousand times before.
He helps me up with his other hand, but there’s no time to waste as the ship shudders atop the enchanted trunk. He points at the mud pit surrounding the bottom of the tree, revealing a very obvious hole in the bottom of the pirate ship. (was that there before?)
“Let us borrow the earth, it shall help us.” He says in a serious, wise merwoman voice.
One of my favorite scenes, and I have large prints of it in my bookstore! Art by @gagakumadraws
