Illustration by Ali Pilli
Kida and Christopher are captured by the pirates! Find out the truth behind Captain Daniel’s disappearance!
Story by Emma Dennis
I try to force his name out of my throat, but I just end up feeling faint and losing my balance. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the wild locks of Christopher’s hair springing through the crowd towards me, shouting something, but I can’t make it out. Everything is dizzy.
I hear Christopher’s familiar yet harsh voice, yelling at Captain Ky. “What did you do to her? I swear, if you hurt her…”
“Hey!” Captain Ky voiced. But he must’ve been cut off by my actions. I sit up suddenly, my eyes shut tight and my palm pressed to my burning forehead. I rub the heel of my hand into my squinting eyes, hoping it’ll give me a moment to clear my mind and get myself together.
“Kida,” Captain Ky says to me in an eerily kind voice that I used to hate and think was condescending when we were younger. He stares at me for a moment, as if he was examining the situation and deciding what to
do about it. That calculating stare is one of the very few things I remember about my brother.
“C’mon.” Captain Ky moves his hands under my arms, easing me up into a standing position
as if I were a baby learning how to walk. “Let’s get you off the board.”
Chris pushes his way through the pirates to try and save me, but he has been quickly outnumbered and captured. “I suppose he can come along,” Captain Ky says sarcastically, and the pirates laugh with mockery.
Captain Ky barks for them to get out of the way and make a path for us as he guides us to his quarters. After pulling out a jangling ring of keys to unlock the door with, the hinges make a long, unpleasant squeaking noise when Captain Ky pries it open.
There are small lanterns that sway gently from the waves smashing against the side of the boat, incasing dimly lit candles. Captain Ky takes a seat in a nicely furnished chair at the head of the room.
Captain Ky inspects us, and Christopher’s eyes narrow at him. He’s the first to speak, not surprisingly. “So? Why did you bring us in here, Ky?”
There was a glint in Captain Ky’s eye that suggested that Chris was threatening his patience, and I could feel Christopher seething with anger. “What did you do to my father?" Chris demanded.
“Your father?” Captain Ky’s eyebrow knit together in an expression of confusion. “What about your father?”
“You killed him, didn’t you? My father, Daniel,the captain of the Majesty.”
“I think there was some misunderstanding, but I remember him,” Captain Ky continues. “We intercepted his ship while his crew was gone. During our intrusion, we expected gold or other expensive metals, but your captain was on the ship dealing banned materials that had dangerous explosive potential .”
“That’s not true, I think you killed him,” Christopher interrupts.
“He didn’t give us any trouble. We threatened to take him captive unless he let us take what we wanted. He is a smart man; he agreed and we left.” Captain Ky explains.
Christopher denies, “You’re lying. I curse you Ky!”
“That’s not my real name. It’s the name of the Captain that came before me. I adopted it; my name is Samuel.”
“Fine, I curse you Samuel!” Christopher hisses. The way he slowly speaks my sibling’s name sends a shudder shooting up my spine.
Christopher clearly doesn’t take it well.
He stands up briefly, his lips curled back into a snarl. Samuel rises, also mimicking Chris’s actions. A captain will not submit on his own ship. “You’re a liar. It’s your fault he’s gone. You did it.” I’m only able to stare blankly.
“Believe what you want, little boy. Your daddy’s gone and I didn’t have anything to do with it.” Samuel’s brows furrowed, his eyes narrow dangerously at Christopher.
Growling, Chris pushes me aside and grabs Samuel’s collar. I see his hand pull back in a fist.
Suddenly, I find myself in between the two of them, shouting.
“Christopher, don’t! Samuel is my brother!”
Christopher’s expression drops. He looks lost. “W-What?”
I hear Christopher’s familiar yet harsh voice, yelling at Captain Ky. “What did you do to her? I swear, if you hurt her…”
“Hey!” Captain Ky voiced. But he must’ve been cut off by my actions. I sit up suddenly, my eyes shut tight and my palm pressed to my burning forehead. I rub the heel of my hand into my squinting eyes, hoping it’ll give me a moment to clear my mind and get myself together.
“Kida,” Captain Ky says to me in an eerily kind voice that I used to hate and think was condescending when we were younger. He stares at me for a moment, as if he was examining the situation and deciding what to
do about it. That calculating stare is one of the very few things I remember about my brother.
“C’mon.” Captain Ky moves his hands under my arms, easing me up into a standing position
as if I were a baby learning how to walk. “Let’s get you off the board.”
Chris pushes his way through the pirates to try and save me, but he has been quickly outnumbered and captured. “I suppose he can come along,” Captain Ky says sarcastically, and the pirates laugh with mockery.
Captain Ky barks for them to get out of the way and make a path for us as he guides us to his quarters. After pulling out a jangling ring of keys to unlock the door with, the hinges make a long, unpleasant squeaking noise when Captain Ky pries it open.
There are small lanterns that sway gently from the waves smashing against the side of the boat, incasing dimly lit candles. Captain Ky takes a seat in a nicely furnished chair at the head of the room.
Captain Ky inspects us, and Christopher’s eyes narrow at him. He’s the first to speak, not surprisingly. “So? Why did you bring us in here, Ky?”
There was a glint in Captain Ky’s eye that suggested that Chris was threatening his patience, and I could feel Christopher seething with anger. “What did you do to my father?" Chris demanded.
“Your father?” Captain Ky’s eyebrow knit together in an expression of confusion. “What about your father?”
“You killed him, didn’t you? My father, Daniel,the captain of the Majesty.”
“I think there was some misunderstanding, but I remember him,” Captain Ky continues. “We intercepted his ship while his crew was gone. During our intrusion, we expected gold or other expensive metals, but your captain was on the ship dealing banned materials that had dangerous explosive potential .”
“That’s not true, I think you killed him,” Christopher interrupts.
“He didn’t give us any trouble. We threatened to take him captive unless he let us take what we wanted. He is a smart man; he agreed and we left.” Captain Ky explains.
Christopher denies, “You’re lying. I curse you Ky!”
“That’s not my real name. It’s the name of the Captain that came before me. I adopted it; my name is Samuel.”
“Fine, I curse you Samuel!” Christopher hisses. The way he slowly speaks my sibling’s name sends a shudder shooting up my spine.
Christopher clearly doesn’t take it well.
He stands up briefly, his lips curled back into a snarl. Samuel rises, also mimicking Chris’s actions. A captain will not submit on his own ship. “You’re a liar. It’s your fault he’s gone. You did it.” I’m only able to stare blankly.
“Believe what you want, little boy. Your daddy’s gone and I didn’t have anything to do with it.” Samuel’s brows furrowed, his eyes narrow dangerously at Christopher.
Growling, Chris pushes me aside and grabs Samuel’s collar. I see his hand pull back in a fist.
Suddenly, I find myself in between the two of them, shouting.
“Christopher, don’t! Samuel is my brother!”
Christopher’s expression drops. He looks lost. “W-What?”
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