How I Met a Pirate

"Carmichael? That name sounds familiar" Jack mused.

"Yes well, Marie Carmichael seemed like a stranger I hadn't met before only for a brief moment, she came to my party and I remembered seeing her a few times when I was younger. It ended up being a sunny day so we had my birthday in the garden..."

"Thank you for coming to my party!" I smiled at Marie.

"It's no trouble dear! I remember seeing you when you were just a little babe in arms. You had big brown eyes and dark hair for a baby" Marie nodded.

I nodded and turned around when one of my friends tapped my shoulder and we hugged and she took my hand and lead me over to the others. they had a blindfold and put it on me. They spun me round twice then ran about. I laughed and chased them, I bumped into a few adults and a table but I didn't mind and ended up catching someone anyway. I took off the blindfold and my mother smiled at me.

"Come on dear, it's time for you to sing a song for the guests" She smiled.

I nodded and went to stand on a box my mother had gotten one of my friends dads to put there for me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Rosalyn would like to sing a song, to thank you all for coming to her birthday and a thank you or all the gifts you have given her" My mother introduced me.

I stood up on the box and smiled. My heart beat faster and I felt nervous, but my mother had made me practice so much and this morning so I knew I shouldn't be nervous. I started to sing a song my grandmother had taught my mother who then taught me. I ruined the start by being nervous but then it got better and I could see smiles on peoples faces. Marie waved her hands at me and grinned. It filled me with confidence. Although out of the corner of my eye I could see my mother and father talking; my father looked angry. My mother saw me looking.

"Keep singing sweetheart" She whispered over.

So I kept singing until the very end. The crowd applauded me and I curtsied getting down from the box. My father was still talking angrily to my mother who shook her head and walked away from him.

"Would you all like to retire to the drawing room for tea and cake?" She asked everyone.

The crowd murmured in approval and they all went into the drawing room. My friends ran over to me and tried to take me in with them but I couldn't look away from my mother and father.

"We'll talk about it later James!" My mother hissed and left the garden and went into the house.

My father stood with his eyebrow twitching. His face was red with anger and I felt scared. He looked at me and crossed his arms; I ran into the house.

Everyone left at seven, Marie was the last to go. My mother and Marie had private words before I went over to bid her goodbye. Marie knelt down to me and took my hand and put a stone in my hand. The stone was different colours it was black and yellow with some brown on it. I had never seen a stone like it before.

"This is a Tiger's Eye Crystal. It will protect you as long as you have it with you at all times" Marie smiled kindly.

"Thank you" I smiled politely.

Marie patted my shoulder and stood up, hugging my mother before leaving. My mother closed and locked the door then looked down to me.

"Would you like me to put the Tiger's Eye on a chain for you?" My mother asked.

"Do you think it works?" I asked my mum.

"Who knows, Marie is a wonderful lady she has a great deal of knowledge"

Heavy footsteps came from behind us. Before we could do anything my father grabbed my mother's arm and pulled her to him and slapped her. My mother gasped and I couldn't help but scream. My father looked down at me and grabbed me by my hair and took me to the bottom of the steps. He pushed me up the first few steps. I tripped on my dress and hit my knee off the step. I bit my lip and tried to cry.

"Go to your room!" He shouted.

"James don't you dare handle her like that! Don't you dare speak to her like that!"

"Quiet you whore!" He shouted and grabbed my mother by the arm.

His face was so scary, he reminded me of a picture of a wolf snarling I found in one of my books in my room.

"What did I just say?! Get to your room!" He screamed at me.

I got up and ran to my room. I hid under my bed. Why was my father acting like this? Would he hurt my mother again?