Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine for You

I was officially worried. It had been three days, three excruciating long days since Beckett promised me my death. I didn't know when it was night, I didn't know what it was day. I only knew when I was getting my meal and when I was hungry. I was frustrated, because the suspense was murderous. My plan would have worked a lot better if he didn't leave me time to sweat it out and attempt to make me join him. Psht. As if.

I had tried multiple times to control the water, but it just wasn't happening. I would definitely think about it after Scar and I were out of this hell hole. I felt the boat's momentum slow, and wondered why. For as long as I could remember we were headed full speed in whatever direction. But now we were edging closer to something. What it was, I didn't know.

Footsteps echoed above us, and Scarlett and I exchanged a glance before watching candles being lit. It was the first time I had seen the place in the light. It wasn't that great. Once the guards finished they stood in a line at the foot of the stairs, paving the way for Lord Beckett.

He had a smug smile on his face as usual, carrying a cane in his right hand. It thumped like a third foot as he descended the staircase, leisurely. Like he had all the time in the world. Time. Something I hadn't been too well acquainted with lately. I yearned for sunlight, a view of the ocean. I was tired. And hungry. But all he would see from me was content.

"Open it." He said, eyes boring into mine. He stood before my cell, his expression bland except for his eyes. They held a sick thrill behind them, and they watched me intensely. I was going to stand up, but frowned slightly as the guard walked past my cell and to Scarlett's. I tried not to watch, but it was difficult.

"Get up." The man said harshly to her. Scarlett got up, cool as a cucumber, and followed him out of the cell. With a final smile at me, Beckett turned to her and smashed the can across her face. She did not fall, but a wound had been gouged into her cheek. She applied pressure in order to prevent severe blood loss. My heart had plummeted, ripping inside. She didn't whimper, or scream, or cry. She was used to this kind of treatment.

"Last chance, Calypso." Beckett said calmly. My eyes flew to Scarlett's, and she gave the smallest shake of her head. I didn't know what would happen if I said no, but I did know what would happen if I said yes. I gave a slow and solemn shake of my head. I bit my tongue. I held back tears. He smiled. "Very well."

Again, the cane collided with her skin. It hit her neck, forcing her downwards. A final blow knocked her unconscious. At least, that's what I hoped. Beckett took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood off of his cane. Throwing it onto her body, he cracked his neck once. Going to the stares, he didn't even shoot a glance at me.

"Take them away." He said blankly before going up the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight the other guard came to unlock my cell door. I pushed past him and headed for Scar. She was breathing, her heartbeat was there. But she was hurt badly. The second I sat up from inspecting her, I heard the familiar whooshing sound and was submersed into darkness.



When I awoke, it was bright. Ridiculously bright. Definitely-not-in-the-brig-anymore bright. I opened my eyes only to force them shut again. The air felt dense, and I my breaths were strained. My heartbeat was irregular, and I was quite sure of an oncoming headache. Scratch that, migraine. I heard the distant sounds of people. People I was sure weren't crew on the Endeavor.

When my eyes finally opened again, I wished I could shut them and return to the Endeavor. I was still in a jail cell. Only this one happened to be on land. Land, as in, not the sea. This wasn't good. I groaned, sitting up, and then jumping at the sound of someone's voice.

"You alright, Cat?" Scarlett asked me in a normal voice. I didn't say yes, I didn't say no. Was I alright?

"Um..." My voice came out hoarse. "Kind of." I said, sitting up against the stone wall, one hand clutching my stomach and one hand massaging my temple. Yep, definitely a migraine.

"What's wrong?" She asked, scooting closer. The one good thing about this situation was that we were in the same cell. Whether that meant we would live longer or less was beyond me. Could I die, now that I was out of the water? It seemed more likely.

"There's this thing...This side effect. Whenever I'm away from water I get all woozy." I replied, crunching my knees up against my chest and burying my head. Scarlett got up, and I heard her limp over to me. She slouched down the wall and put an arm around my shoulders.

"You'll be alright. We'll get out of here." She said, and part of me believed she was convincing herself as well.

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"A day." She replied calmly.

"Holy shit." I mumbled, and she laughed lightly. "What's-"

I was stopped by the sound of footsteps. My heart sped up, I wasn't free from harm in this state. I was exhausted, physically sick, and mentally starving for the Pearl. I wanted to go home. My home, the Pearl. I missed Will. I missed Jack. Beckett smiled smugly before us, and I was pretty sure the both of us were glaring at him.

"Charming." He said, and a nearby guard (dressed differently from those on the Endeavor, I noticed) unlocked the cell door. He walked in calmly, wretching me away from Scarlett. I used all of my energy to stand up while she protested.

"Leave her alone!" She cried. His hand tightened around my arm. He glared at her.

"When I first took you in your list of uses were short. Now, there is no list." He hissed at her, and she scowled before turning back to me.

"Burn in hell." I spat, resulting in him slapping me hard across the face. Scarlett got up, and he pushed her away, leading me out of the cell and away from her help. He threw me onto the ground, and I struggled to breathe. I was on all fours, my chest heaving and brain yearning for oxygen.

"Like a fish out of water." He remarked. He took something from the guard and the object collided with my back. My arms gave out, and I flattened against the dirty floor. The searing pain that I hadn't felt in what seemed like a decade overtook me. In each bit of my nerve endings I felt it. A single tear trickled from my eye to the floor, but I refused to whimper. I heard him crouch down beside me.

"Would you like to know what I'm going to do to you, Calypso?" He said quietly. I pushed myself up, weakly attempting to scoot away from him. My back protested, and something scratched against my skin. I remembered the weapon. His eyes looked away from me as he continued, and I slipped the feeble contraption out of the folds in my dress. "You and your abomination here are going to starve for the next two days."

I gripped it in my hand, strongly. One hit to the eyes, that's all I needed. He hadn't locked the cell, Scarlett and I could overpower the single guard. There was a rifle on the ground, I assumed that was what had been used to hit me.

"When you don't eat, the skin become loose. And when you hang from the gallows, it will be those little feet of yours twitching madly. It takes so much longer for you to die with all that loose skin." He said in an amused tone, smiling evilly at Scarlett. I took my chance. Lunging at him, I aimed my hand for his ugly little face. I flew through the air with all the energy I had left. Just a little closer.

But he turned at the last moment, catching my wrist before I toppled onto him. He rolled over swiftly, removing the device from my hand and inspecting it. He kept one hand around my throat as he spoke.

"Hmm, creative." I saw white at the corners of my eyes. I was choking. "I expected something like this a lot sooner, although you did not disappoint." He added, releasing me and shoving my head against the stone ground beneath me. I was sure that I would pass out. Possibly even die. How could I surrender to Beckett?

He picked up my arm, and I had no energy to fight him off. He touched the wire contraption to my skin, applying pressure and dragging it down my forearm. I whimpered as it left claw-like scratches on my skin, blood oozing from the fresh wounds. He smiled, pocketing the device. He grabbed my wrist, and pulled me back into the cell, locking it behind him.

Before he was even gone Scarlett was at my side, ripping some of her clothing and creating a makeshift bandage across the wounds. My world began to spin around me, my eyes going in and out of focus. I was feeling a hundred things at once, this sudden overload of too many things for comfort. My brain felt contained, like there was too much of my mind stuffed into a small space.

I coveted freedom. I wanted the sea. I longed for Jack. I yearned for relief. No, I yearned for sleep. Sleep would shrink my brain down to size. Were Tylenol invented yet? I didn't know. I couldn't even remember where I was. Was it night time? I was ready for a nap. Maybe my mom would wake me up when I needed. Maybe Tia would visit me...



It was dark, someone was crying. Where was I again? A city. A jail in a city away from the ocean. My symptoms remained, along with my pain. I was cold. I felt someone's arms holding me, but I was freezing cold. But I was sweating? None of this made sense, I felt like Alice in fricken wonderland. Just this was no nightmare. My eyes slit open.

"Scar?" My voice was raspy. "What's wrong?"

"Shh, sleep Cat. Rest and get better." She said, smiling from above me. I tried to sit up, but it didn't work so well.

"What's the matter? How long was I out?" I asked.

"I just didn't think it would end this way..." She whispered.

"I left you alone for two whole days?" I breathed, trying once more to sit up. She held me down.

"Don't talk like that girl. You talk in your sleep, I got through." She laughed. "Who's this Jack fella? Tell me about him. Tell me about you."

"Scarlett..."

"Shh. Tell me about Jack. Jack and Will." She said, her eyes glazing over as she stared at a spot on the floor. It broke my heart. As if enough things weren't already wrong with me. I wasn't ready to die. But I would rather die than see Scarlett suffer the same faint. I wanted to fix her, show her the future and show her that things did get better. Tears began to form in my eyes.

But they were drowned out by the oh so familiar sound of footsteps. He was coming for us. I needed to come up with something, and fast. Weapons? Plans? Prayers? Luck? What was there left for me? I sighed in a final tone. There was nothing for me now. Nothing for me or my only friend within a hundred mile radius.

This was the sound, of the footsteps of doom.