Enduring the Storm

Chapter 23 Crow's Nest

Owen's POV

I turn away from her, giving her the space that she has requested. But.. I don't know how to take what she has told me.. How could I ever believe her when this all sounds too insane to even comprehend? How could this have happened? Or how would it even be possible? It doesn't make any sense, but with the pleading in her eyes and the truth in her tone, it pulls at me, making me want to believe her. But if these words are not true, then explain the items on her that she showed us. I can tell that her items are not from here and nothing I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean they are from the future.

She sees the judgement in everyone's eyes as she quickly leaves the area, but I watch as the Captain grabs for her arm looking angry at her. She swipes her arm out of his grip which makes him look livid as she starts to walk away before looking over her shoulder. "I need a breath of fresh air and a moment alone." The Captain looks shocked and almost appalled by her demanding things from him. I don't know if I should stop her or follow after her. I take a step towards her before my arm is grabbed from the side. "Owen, we need to talk.. about her." William says to me as I look from his hand wrapped over my bicep and then to him.

"Ok.. what would this conversation entail?" I ask as he pulls me to his cabin, but since some of the men have followed and looking scared, I think from what Brooke said. He inches closer to me, looking suspicious but wanting to be discrete, since every man that followed us into this room is in shock not knowing what to believe, just like I am.

"We need to talk about what to do with her.. she is clearly delusional.. the men of our crew thought it was a bad idea for me to bring a woman with us out of fear about what luck she would bring us.. But now she seems to be proving their theories right." he says this with worry in his tone as his eyes ping around the room at the men whispeering back and forth.

"She is just lost and alone in a place filled with strangers that she doesn't recognize after being r*ped.. what mental effect did you expect from her? she is not going to be happy about any of that, like a lot of people wouldn't have been.. Yes, the story is a lot to take in but who are we to say that it is not true?" I am him trying to defend her but not knowing if that is really possible.

The Captain's eyes roll back as he leans in closer to spat back, "how am I supposed to explain keeping her here when she is acting this insane.. from the future? where the hell did she get this story? maybe the BuaBua tribe gave her a hallucinagin." I shrug my shoulders as I reply, "Maybe they did give her something.. but who are we to say that this is made up? and the men have no say in who is on this ship.. only you do."

"What do you really believe her?" he snaps this at me with disgust in his tone and the look on his face as I shake my head still not knowing what to believe. "I don't know what I believe, all I do know is that she looked like she believed it and has nowhere else to go right now if it is the truth.. but we have always heard tales about water having magical properties, and she said the water brought her here.. maybe by accident being in the wrong place at the wrong time or possibly for a purpose, but you don't think that story is plausable?" I ask him as he groans out.

"What would you have me do with her? I wanted her as my toy, but she won't let that happen again and now I'm afraid for my safety.. she is delusional and aggressive with her thoughts as well." he spats as I look over at him. "Then let me watch her.. she can do something else." I say to him as he huffs out. "what would that something else be?" I shrug my shoulders, " she told me in her delusions that she had her own boat so she knows somethings about being out here.. so maybe let her try to prove her worth but if it doesn't work we can just throw her into the kitchens." I suggest as he thinks about that for a little bit.

"What about me.. I wanted her to be mine." he spats as I shrug my shoulders again, "She is still yours just like we all are.. but I guess you will have to get your d**k wet elsewhere, unless you want to try to woo her and maybe she would willingly give it to you again." I state as if it should be obvious but maybe those thoughts are not that obvious to all men.

"Too much work.. I don't know.. I did buy her for me, but she is causing more damage than good at this rate.. but I don't want to have wasted my money.. I guess I will try this idea.. but no one but me will touch her, she is still mine and anyone who tries anything with her will have to meet my sword while walking the plank." she snaps out loudly as the men around now looked scared. He made his threat known to everyone around him.

"You hear me.. the girl is not to be touched by anyone but me.. she is mine." he glares out at the men as they vigorously nod before leaving the room. He turns back to me before he states. "But, I swear if she doesn't calm down with all of her future talk, scaring the men more than they need to be, then I will be done with this and throw her off the side letting the gallows have her." I nod at that in understanding while thinking about just that idea which makes me sad, surprisingly enough.

"Or just sell her at the next port, and get your money back." I retrort as he snaps his fingers, then pointing at me. "Yes, if she makes me mad and has no use, then I might just do that, so my money is not wasted." I nod hating my idea, but I don't want him to know I have been curiosly interested in her. I don't want to live in the gallows anytime soon.

"Ok Owen, keep your eyes on her and everyone else.. If you see any men harassing her at all, tell me and I will take care of things.. I don't want her to be harassed by anyone but me.. and believe me she will be harassed by me again if I have anything to say about it." he commands this of me, as I feel myself getting mad that he won't stop with her either.. I thought I almost had convinced him to leave her be, but apparently not.

"Go tell her I want to talk with her and then bring her here." he orders this from me as I quickly nod before turning to leave the room and trying to find out where she has wandered to. I leave the captain's quarters as my eyes bounce around the ship trying to see where she has gone to for this breath of fresh air. I keep looking as I spin around to see that all the men keep staring up at the crow's nest. "Where is she?" I ask them as I watch all of their hands in unison point up at the crow's nest.

I nod as I grab the bottom of the latter, working my way up as I climb each foot into the air until I am able to squeeze through the hole at the bottom of the cup-shaped crow's nest. It's the place where we have someone at all times to watch out for anything that could be detrimental to us and the ship in the water from all around.

I get through the bottom, seeing her crying with her knees clung straight into her chest. I feel bad but I am tired of feeling like this.. I am normally not a man that cares about such things and I don't want to die by the hands of my best friend, so I will keep my distance by putting the wedge between us to prove to her that I am not a good man like she thinks, I am a pirate. That's what I have always been since I can remember and that won't change especially for some stranger.

"Where the hell is my man that was in here?" I snapped out to myself, because we should always have a man up in here but it was left unattended to.. Not ok.. I huff out, looking over the edge to see that the men are still staring up at the nest. "When I got up here, he looked scared and left without me being able to say one word to him." she explained to me in a muffled tone with her face lying on her kneecaps.

"That's because most of the men are scared of you and think that you don't deserve to be here.. it's been known that women bring bad luck to ships." I snap out as she says glares over at me. "Is that what you think?" I shrug my shoulders in response, "It doesnt't matter what I think, why are you up here?" I say coldly as she retorts. "I thought that this place would allow me to be alone to think since I can't leave, but apparently not since you decided to barge up here."

"Well, it's what we call the crow's nest and there is supposed to always be someone up here to watch out for anything around." I explain this with attitude in my tone. "I know that .. I have seen movies." she snaps back making my eyesbrows furrow together, not undertsnading what she is saying. Everything sounds so foreign to me when she talks. "Movies?" I question before she huffs out. "Never mind.. I forgot what time period I was in."

"You need to keep that time traveling talk to a minimum before it lands you at the bottom of the sea." I warned as she looked over at me. "how do you know there is a bottom to the sea, when that's how I had originally got here." she snaps back as I find myself huffing out now.. this girl is stubborn. "well the capatin said no more talking about that because you're sounding delisional and scaring the men even more. They think we should just throw you off the boat, but the captain has other plans." I state before I see her eyes rolling.

"I know what he has planned for me." she says this with so much disgust riddled throughout her words that I can feel it within me. "You might be surprised. " I state as she shakes her head. " I bet I wouldn't." I feel the frustration building with her argumentative tone that won't give up, let alone listen to me or take my advice on what to do before it bites her in the *ss.

I roll my eyes as I huff out while letting my orbs look around at the open sea, making sure I can't see anything. "Well, either way, the Captain wants to talk with you.. now." I make sure she knows what orders I have been given as she scoffs at that. "Well what if I don't feel like wasting my time with such endeavors?" she asks as I spat. "you don't have much of a choice, do you? jump out to the water from here or walk down and talk with the Captain." She stands up quickly as she pushes past me and starts down the ladder as the men below scatter.