The afternoon wandered by like a butterfly floating on a breeze. The general consensus was that everyone was so worn out from the morning festivities that a siesta topped the agenda of priorities during the late afternoon hours. Just about everyone took a couple hours for a power nap. Soon afterwards, it was time for another type of power.
With everyone on island time, meaning no one really knew what time it was, nothing really seemed as it was. The captives kind of floated in and out of consciousness as the shock from earlier wouldn’t shake through their systems quite yet. The pirates all went through their afternoon routines in their village, but the seven who returned to land who were involved in the ship raid were not seen. Most were sleeping. But it was anything but quiet inside the home of Captain Bones and his wife Rusty.
“Alright Bones, what are we gonna do with them?” asked Rusty with concern in her voice.
“I don’t know. Kill them for all I care” answered Bones.
“We ain’t gonna kill another eighteen people. Stop that shit right now.”
“Rusty, what do you wanna do with them? Release them? Just rob them, kill three, and then release them? Hey, they killed Ratface. I mean, we are pirates, right?”
“Honey, we don’t have enough food and water to keep them here for more than a day. What were you thinking? What was the plan? Eighteen hostages? Eighteen prisoners?”
“What do you suggest?” Bones pushed.
“I don’t know…I don’t know. We took on more people than we have in the past. After killing three, we can’t just let them go…but we haven’t killed twenty people before…” answered Rusty.
“Let’s do this” suggested Bones. “Let’s make them survive on their own. Separate them. We’ll take the hurt so they can get better. We’ll keep the men out in the bunk area tied up and we’ll keep them guarded. We’ll take the women and divvy them up between the pirates and make them earn their keep keeping house and doing chores.”
“Interesting Bones…interesting. We’ve never tried this before. But how would they eat? We don’t have that much food around.”
“I’ll tell you what. Make them hunt and get their own food…” replied Bones. “Some can fish in the harbor; some can go collect fruits in the jungle.”
“What’s the long term plan? Spend their lives here?” asked Rusty.
“I don’t know. Give me some time to think. My shoulder and head are still killing me.”
“Well, I don’t wanna push you here, but I think it’s important we figure this stuff out as soon as possible.”
“As soon as possible? What’s the rush? We have control. We have the power. We can intimidate and break them down. After they’ve been broken, we can do anything we want. Their survival depends on them, not us. If they have the will, they will find a way to survive. Then, in the meantime, it gives us time to figure out exactly what to do with them…make them pirates, go after ransom, who knows…”
“Make them pirates? What?”
“How do you think pirates have sustained themselves from generation to generation? Sometimes we need to replenish ourselves with some outsiders that we have broken down and then built back up in our ways…”
“What? When was the last time that ever happen?” laughed Rusty. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Brainwash a prisoner to be a pirate? HA!”
“Just keeping the options open, hun…” he smiled, then winced, through the pain.
“You are insane, do you know that?”
“That’s what keeps me sane! Being insane!” again laughed Bones.
He winced in pain again.
“Alright, you rest. I’ll get the wheels in motion.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rusty went and answered it. It was Briggs.
“Sorry to disturb you.”
“What is it Briggs?”
“They are still demanding water.”
“Demanding?”
“Well, no longer demanding like on the ship. Now it’s more like pleading.”
“Pleading? Like begging?”
“Yeah, I would say so.”
“Briggs, take five people at a time, lead them to the sea. They can have all the water they want. When they are finished, take five more. Do not take five men at the same time. Mix up the people. I don’t want them to overpower you and Ramon.”
“Yes, Rusty.”
“And make sure that at least three others are guarding the rest of them. I want loaded guns and swords on everybody. Got that?”
“Yes, Rusty.”
“And Briggs…stay tough on them. Do not soften up. We are pirates, we have the power, we are in control. Got that?”
“Yes, Rusty.”
“Good. When they are all done with this water business, come back to me and I will tell you how we will separate them.
“Yes, Rusty.”
Briggs left the Bones house and headed back to the prisoner area. On his way, he rounded up Ramon and Silly Willy and headed for where Alan and Summer were…right next to Stowe. R-Tard was guarding the captives along with Razor.
“R-Tard…status report?” asked Briggs.
“All is qw-qwiet wight now. Over half of them awe s-s-sleeping either on the wood or on the floor…” he said in his strongly accented stuttering voice.
Briggs looked over at Razor.
“What did he say?” asked Briggs.
“All is quiet and okay sir” Razor said with a grin.
“Good…and it better stay that way” grinned Briggs. “R-Tard you stay here and guard, Razor, you and Ramon come with me.”
The three pirates shifted their positioning over to where Alan, Jim and Summer were.
“How’s he doing?” asked Briggs to Alan of Jim.
“Weak at best but hanging in there. Do you have an answer on water?” Alan kept his answers brief.
“Water?” repeated Briggs.
“Yeah. Water” Alan replied.
“Yes I do. Get your group together. Put them in groups of five. No more than three men in a group. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Ready? Ready for what?” asked Alan.
“For water.”
Briggs walked away. Alan stood there scratching his head.
“We need groups of five for water?” Alan asked himself loudly.
Summer shrugged her shoulders. Jim just looked off into space. Alan did the same, but he wasn’t in the same universe as Jim. He continued to pace a couple of steps and turn, a couple of steps and turn, over and over. His wheels inside his head were running hard and fast, but were getting nowhere.
Summer broke the trance.
“Shall I bring the others over?” she asked Alan.
Alan snapped out of it.
“Yeah, I guess” he said.
“Okay, be right back.”
Three minutes later, the sixteen others who remained all stood in a semicircle around Alan and Jim.
“What’s the good word?” Hunter James asked. “God knows we need a few of these.”
Alan scanned the group.
“First, let me tell you…” he began. “We all don’t know each other as well as everyone knows Jim. I would suggest that since we have all encountered this adventure together; let’s get to know everyone here that’s left. We all need to band together if we are to get out of wherever we are alive. And whatever it takes to support each other, let’s do. Second, we have seen and lost friends, and brothers, by doing heroic but rash moves. Support each other. But by no means, risk any more life. They have demonstrated to us that they will kill us. So please, whatever we have to do, let’s make sure the eighteen of us leave this place together and alive.”
“Amen brother” Hunter interrupted.
There were echoes of “Amen” and “yes” from the group.
“Finally, we will break into groups of five. They told us that if we want water, they will take us in groups of five. We can’t have more than three guys in a group. I’m not entirely sure how or what they will do to us, but we aren’t in a position to piss them off any more. So, Joe, you and Karen pick three more. Hunter, you and Elaine pick three. Dylan, you and Mandy pick three. If there are any left, which there shouldn’t be, they can be with Jim, Summer and me. I suggest we do this, and everything else, quietly. Do not draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves. They are watching. Any questions?”
Everyone was silent and just shook heads no.
“Okay, then let’s get into groups. If they want us in groups for anything else, stay in these groups.”
There was some milling about, but within sixty seconds, groups were formed.
Alan signaled over to Briggs that they were ready.
Briggs, Ramon and Razor trudged over to the groups and led the first group from the prisoner area.
“Follow me” Briggs told Hunter.
The group followed the pirate down the beach to a special area of the shoreline where the clear warm waters were washing up onto what appeared to be a pristine shore. It was a quiet part of the inlet, undisturbed in beauty.
Hunter’s group looked puzzled. Each were wondering why they were led on some island beauty sightseeing tour when they were under the understanding that they were going for water. Each stood there confused as they looked at Briggs and the other two pirates.
Briggs returned the favor, looking at them strangely as well.
“Well?” Briggs broke the silence.
“Well what?” Hunter replied.
“Water” Briggs pointed down at the obvious water.
“Yes, water. Can we get some?” Elaine jumped into the cryptic conversation.
“Right there” Briggs motioned.
“Right where? You mean here?” Hunter questioned and pointed down.
“Yes.”
“Oh. We were expecting a sink, a faucet…you know…water…” Elaine muttered. “Any cups at all?”
Briggs, Ramon and Razor looked at each other. A few seconds later, they broke into laughter.
“Cups?” Briggs said in laughter.
“They want cups?” Razor laughed even louder.
“Ramon, show them the cups” Briggs said, then erupted in laughter again.
Hunter’s group just stood there watching the humiliating show put on by the pirates. Yes, they all felt stupid, and were getting aggravated the more these three laughed at them. Hunter’s head began to throb as he was witnessing this mockery.
Ramon walked up to Elaine, grabbed both of her hands unexpectedly, and put them together in front of her. He made them for a cup.
Elaine was horrified.
“You want water?” Ramon shouted. “This is how you get water.”
Ramon himself cupped his hands as he knelt on the sand at the waterline. He scooped his hands into the clear water and brought them immediately to his face. He repeated the motion several times, slurping some water as well as smearing his face with quite a bit as well. He looked up at the captives.
“Water. Comprende?”
“But, isn’t this salt water?” Hunter asked Ramon. “We need water, not this.”
Ramon looked at him with lasers protruding from his eyes.
“Look, you want water or not?” he said rather irritated. “This is not your rich America. This is all you got. Drink up or not, I don’t care.”
They all looked at him in disbelief. But they all came to realize quickly that they had no choice. It was all starting to sink in, this whole day that turned over their lives. They had no choice.
Hunter was the first one to drop to his knees and demonstrate what needed to be done. He slurped up a handful of water, like he tasted something for the first time.
“Hmm…this tastes like water, not bad…not bad at all…” he critiqued.
He slurped up quite a bit more. Looking up at Elaine and the others, he grinned.
“This doesn’t have that salty taste at all. Fascinating. It’s hard to believe, but this actually tastes like water.”
Hunter cupped his hands some more and splashed his face and hair, washing some of the perspiration salt from his skin.
“It’s nice and warm, but not to warm. This really feels refreshing. Elaine, trust me, this will make you feel better.”
He then stood and helped each member of his group in kneeling on the sand and watched them get water. Not a word was said by Elaine or the rest of Hunter’s group. They just did it. While they did, Hunter tried to get Ramon to discuss the surprising water taste with him.
“I’m really shocked that this isn’t salt water here. This is part of the inlet, and the inlet is salt water. Ramon, can you explain this?”
Ramon just looked at him in disgust.
“Briggs? I mean, really, I can’t believe this is water…” he went on.
Briggs didn’t offer an explanation as well. Ramon was pissed that Hunter didn’t show the intimidation of being in control of pirates. It was more like he was having a conversation with some friends over a beer or two on Long Island. Briggs also was confused by Hunter’s sociability.
Finally, he just came to a conclusion himself and spoke aloud “must be a natural spring feeding this area…”
When they were finished taking multiple turns, they were led back to their designated area. Then it was the group led by Dylan next. They repeated the process, complete with disbelief and realization.
The Joe Mont group followed. Same drill, same results.
Alan, Summer and Jim slowly made their way over. It was the first steps Jim had taken since his tackle of Captain Bones on the boat. He walked cautiously, still in intense pain and hunched to one side. Summer helped to guide him with Alan.
When all was done and slurped and the groups were back together, Briggs took Alan and Jim aside and laid down a few laws. There was no bathroom, so bathroom breaks were in nature…one at a time with a pirate standing within twenty feet or so. Water breaks came at designated times by the guards. Briggs told them that they were going to be separated the next day into how they were going to live there for the current time, and that they would all sleep together for that night in that little shack with wooden slabs for ten. He also warned them to be careful of the insect life. They were big and they bite painfully hard. He suggested that no one sleep on the floor overnight, as most of these bug creatures hunted their food during the darkness.
Briggs told them that there would be more information tomorrow and he would answer any questions they had now.
Alan, in his usual dry way of speaking, made a couple of points.
“Guess release is out of the question…”
Briggs looked at him and gave back some of Alan’s dry sarcastic wit. He pulled out his sword, showing it off.
“I guess killing you is out of the question…” he said with his gravelly voice “…for now.”
Alan swallowed.
“Briggs, what about food?” Jim asked wincing. “I imagine we are all hungry to a point.”
“We will discuss that tomorrow.”
“But we haven’t eaten today” pounced Jim.
“Tomorrow” Briggs answered sternly.
Jim was visibly shaken by the answer and his position.
“Anything else?” Briggs asked.
“Guess not” Alan replied.
“Good.”
Briggs walked away, taking Razor with him. Ramon stayed with R-Tard and a couple of other pirates, standing guard.
•••
As nightfall dropped on the sleepy little island with the secluded area of life, Jim and Alan spoke about myriad things…brainstorming and analyzing what their position was and what, if anything, that they could do to improve on it.
The sleeping arrangements were made without issue. Fitting eighteen people on ten bunks wasn’t difficult, though it was a bit of a challenge. There was no privacy amongst the prisoners. Yet, they all dealt with their current situation as best as can be expected.
Dreamland was indeed peaceful for the group. Thank goodness.