Her boots clattered against the ground beneath as she rushed to the deck of Newboro Islet. The salty smell she associated with most of her childhood permeated her nose. Who’s that woman? That was Molly’s only thought as she stalked the peculiar exchange between the stranger and Isaac. What alarmed Molly was when he pointed his sword at the stranger’s face. Had she provoked him in some way? That man was certainly an impatient one, however, Molly had yet to see him act directly violent with a woman.
Then, as the woman slid her pistol to Isaac, Molly nearly leaped toward Isaac; what stopped her was her own naivety. He had never lost a fight before… and against such a puny woman- Not a chance. Without looking back, Molly left the scene after once again taking in the salty aroma of the ocean.
The next day, she returned to the deck there was Isaac boarding the small boat. He often took morning naps, seeing as he rarely slept much in the night, if at all. For a while, nightmares had plagued him, Molly wondered if he still had them. If he did, he didn’t speak to her about them; a thought which made Molly more agitated than she wanted to admit. If that man ever talked to her, it was about her being a pest or how she is always much too worried- as such, she was used to his attitude. Yet, sometimes she found herself reminiscing about him as a young boy, a boy who never had nightmares.
As Isaac walked into the cabin of the ship, the woman appeared. So he let her live? That was Molly’s only thought. Before she realized, her body led her to the woman of its own accord. There, the woman smiled.
“You came back? Yesterday’s peeping wasn’t enough?”
A coldness overtook her body. Too embarrassed to admit to her spying, she pivoted and asked, “Why are you with Isaac?”
“He’s my crewmate,” the woman said.
“Like he would ever agree to be your crewmate,” Molly scowled.
A tapping noise sounded in Molly’s ear before she noticed the intense clattering of her own foot.
“We made a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes… Isaac’s my friend,” Molly began to fidget.
“Your friend? Oh… do you have a little crush on him?”
Molly couldn’t answer. She instead simply watched the woman crouch down and poke her dress.
“Is this all you wear?”
“Isn’t that what most women wear?”
“I suppose… I guess I haven’t worn a dress in a long time.”
“That so? Well, you are a pirate, aren’t you?”
Joanne looked up from the ground. It was the first time Molly saw her without a smile plastered onto her face.
“You want to see him?” Joanne asked.
“Isaac? Obviously, that’s why I’m here.”
Then, Joanne stood up. For whatever reason, Molly noticed that Joanne was slightly taller than her.
“Just make sure you don’t drag him down, ‘kay?”