Can't Live My Life in Yesterday

Every day for the next couple weeks, Emeline spent time visiting with Ben in the brig. She felt responsible for him being imprisoned, so she tried to keep his spirits up. Early one morning before the sun had even risen, she stood near the bow of the ship, enjoying the crisp, salty breeze on her face. She looked down at her shoulder, softly touching the healing scar from the bullet. She felt lucky that it had been as minor as it was. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and enjoying the serene peace she felt during those quiet hours.

“Something on yer mind?” came a soft voice from behind. She turned to see the moonlit face of her father walking toward her. She shrugged, turning back to the front of the boat.

“Just feels good to be free,” she said, glancing back at him and rotating her arm to show how well her injury was healing.

“I’m glad to see yer feelin’ better, m’dear,” Ezra replied, walking and resting his hands on the banister of the ship as he followed her gaze. “We’ll be makin’ a landin’ soon.” She glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. He answered before she could even ask. “The island.” There was that mischievous twinkle in his eye, as every time. The island was a haven for pirates and wayward travellers, crawling with scum and women of less than reputable trades. It was where many crews went to relax and spend their loot.

“I could use a break,” she laughed, gazing back out at the horizon. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before turning to walk away, but Emeline grabbed his sleeve. “Father, I’d like to let Ben out today.” He turned and looked at his daughter, eyes clouded. “He’s been in there for weeks and now that I’m healed, I feel guilty being free when he is still locked up.” Ezra frowned, scratching his brow.

“Just keep ‘im with you at all times,” he said, his expression still not happy. He turned and walked back toward his quarters, stopping to talk to the first mate before entering the room. “Jasper,” he whispered, hoping his daughter would not hear. “Keep and eye on her and the prisoner while we’re ashore.” Jasper nodded, a twinkle in his blue eyes that the older man could not detect. Emeline hopped to her feet, feeling in her coat pocket for the keys to the cell as she descended the decks down to the brig. She walked in as if she were right at home.

“Ben!” she called, to no response. She frowned, hitting the metal bars a few times. She grinned when she heard him stir and start grumbling. “Ben, wake up!” Another grumble. “Ben if you don’t get your sorry ass up,” she started again, a little irritated, but was cut off by a deep chuckle. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms as he came out of the shadows, rubbing his eyes. “Really?” she asked, trying to sound irritated rather than entertained. He shrugged, yawning.

“What time is it? I’ve hardly had a sleep,” he mumbled, leaning against the front of the cell. Emeline practically beamed at him. He cocked an eyebrow at her. “What are you so happy about?” She laughed; he clearly wasn’t a morning person. She slipped the key into the lock and the loud click made him jump. He glanced up at her, suddenly wide-awake. She held out her hand, and he took it hesitantly. She pulled him out of the cell, slamming the door shut and dragging him up the decks until they were ascending the last set of steps. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“To see something I think you’ll really appreciate after being cooped up down there for so long,” she answered as she emerged onto the deck. The salty wind whipped around Ben’s face as he followed Emeline onto the top deck; nothing had ever smelled so enticing to him before. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After not tasting freedom for weeks, there was nothing more beautiful than the smell of fresh sea air. “C’mon!” Emeline grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the bow of the ship, one of her favorite spots. As he opened his eyes, he saw the sun beginning to rise over the watery horizon. The bright oranges and yellows of the sun were chasing away the dark black and purple tones of the night and drowning out the last of the distant, twinkling stars. He stood for a few moments, eyes glued on the breath-taking scene before him. He heard a giggle, and turned to see Emeline beaming at him, her face glowing in the light of the new day. He’d never noticed how blue her eyes were in the dark of the brig.

“Well?” she asked, bursting with excitement as his gaze flicked back out to the rising sun. He walked forward, laying his hands on the banister of the ship.

“Absolutely gorgeous,” he said quietly, watching as the sun inch upward over the water line. “Definitely a sight for sore eyes.” Emeline joined him, leaning on the banister with a dreamy expression.

“This is my favorite time of day,” she murmured, lost in thought. “My mother and I used to watch the sun rise every morning...” Her voice trailed off. Her eyes seemed clouded over, as if her mind was in another time. He frowned at her a little.

“I’ve never heard you talk about your mother,” he said, glancing over at her curiously. She shook her head, as if to bring herself back to reality. She seemed much more reserved than before as she turned her back on the horizon.

“There’s not much to tell really,” she mumbled, crossing her arms and looking down. “I don’t remember much about her. She died when I was pretty young. I don’t even know how she and my father met.” Ben reached out to rub her shoulder comfortingly, but the blonde man he detested interrupted.

“Hello, Miss Emeline,” Jasper said with a coy smile. She looked up at him and forced a smile. His gaze drifted to Ben. “Prisoner,” he muttered, and then quickly returned his attention to Emeline. “We’ll probably be landing in the next hour. Allow me to escort you ashore?” She wrinkled her nose a little, but nodded.

“We’ll be going to the tavern if you want to join us,” she said briskly, glancing back at the sun, which had now risen above the horizon. “C’mon, Ben,” she said, grabbing his arm again and dragging him behind her towards the mast. Ben laughed at her enthusiasm to take him everywhere now that he was free. Well, sort of.

“Where are we going now?” his deep chuckle made her even more excited.

“Up there!” she pointed straight up at the crow’s nest, her face glowing from her excited smile. He raised his eyebrows as he leaned backwards to look up.

“That’s a long way,” he said a little hesitantly. It was Emeline’s turn to chuckle.

“Not up for a little challenge?” Her soft lips curled in a smirk. “Stay put, then. I’ll just watch you from up there.” She jumped onto the rope net and began to climb. Ben narrowed his eyes playfully and took her challenge, grabbing onto the other side of the net and climbing faster then her.

“What was that you were saying?” he smirked as she reached the top after him. She huffed a little, sitting outside of the crow’s nest on the horizontal pole. “Sore loser?” Ben chuckled, leaning over the side of the crow’s nest. Emeline turned around to make a snarky remark, but Ben’s face was closer than she thought and his green eyes were staring into hers. She felt like he was staring right through her, and for a second she forgot to breathe. Before she could say anything, there was a loud call from below, waking the sailors to do their morning duties on the ship and the few that had been awake at night trudged sleepily below. They both jumped out of surprise, Emeline almost losing her balance. Ben quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into the crow’s nest. She smiled sheepishly over at him.

“Thanks,” she muttered, cheeks tinged pink. She glanced back out at the horizon, seeing the misty outline of land peeking over the horizon.

“Where are we going, anyways?” Ben asked, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the crow’s nest. Emeline smiled, knowing someone with his upbringing would never have seen a place like their destination before.

“Have you ever heard of a place called ‘the island?’” she asked, smirking as glanced sideways at him. He chuckled, giving her a look of disbelief.

“You mean the place that’s run by pirates? I’ve heard stories. They say it isn’t real.” His green eyes widened when she held the smirk. “You mean it’s a real place? And that’s our destination?” She laughed, leaning up next to him so that their arms almost touched.

“It’s not really magical or mystical. It’s full of chaos and it’s kinda dirty, but it’s free. You’ve just gotta watch where you walk,” she laughed, replaying fond memories of the only piece of land she’d ever felt at home. “Oh, and you might not want to tell anyone who you are. Just stick with me, okay?” She glanced over at Ben, and his face was plastered with that crooked smile. She’d never really noticed his dimples before. “What?” she asked, a little flustered.

“It seems like you really like this place,” he remarked, gazing at her thoughtfully. She couldn’t meet the green eyes that always seemed to look right through her, so she flicked her gaze back to the horizon. The sun was now rising in the sky, and the island was becoming clearer. Benjamin followed her gaze, pointing toward the piece of land.

“Is that it?” he asked, his voice filled with nervousness and excitement. She nodded, pulling out her spyglass and glancing at the beckoning haven.

“Land ho!” she shouted to the deck below, and a buzz of conversation hummed among the pirates as they glanced toward the horizon. “C’mon, let’s go help get the ship ready for docking.” She watched Ben swing over the crow’s nest and began climbing down the rope netting. She swung her legs over the nest, but hesitated before climbing down, looking back at the ever-growing island. Her lips curved upward in a bittersweet smile as she sighed softly. Home sweet home.