Chapter 3
3
T he afternoon with Nele had been fun and relaxing, and once they had strolled through the park and past the anemones without Anna fainting again, she felt calmer. She had never been the fearful type and certainly didn't want to become one.
Anna persuaded her friend to have dinner at the new Italian restaurant around the corner. It was important not to let Nele's obsession with being slim get out of hand, and she was determined to make sure her friend didn't restrict herself too much. Life was for living, not for counting calories!
By the time she opened the door to her apartment, it was already dusk. Nele had come along with her. After they'd spent a lovely afternoon together, she insisted on making sure everything was okay in the apartment.
"Look, the dormer window is closed, so everything is okay."
Relieved, Anna entered the apartment, realizing how worried she had been that she would come back home to find a window open again. Nele, the best friend anyone could ask for, had obviously noticed her distress and had accompanied her home without a moment's hesitation.
"Shall we have another drink?" Anna asked, pointing to a bottle of rosé. It would go wonderfully with the mild temperature.
"Sounds tempting, but I have plans — and since I promised to exempt you from my evening plans for a month, I won't go into details. So, enjoy spending your evening like a senior citizen and your period films. See you Monday."
Anna felt a little guilty about not accompanying her friend, but she was so sleepy that nothing would have come of it anyway. They bid each other a fond farewell. Even though they couldn't have been more different, they were the best of friends.
Tired, Anna closed the apartment door once Nele left, turned the key in the lock twice for security, and dragged herself to the couch. She'd intended to go straight to bed, but the next day was Sunday and Nele's words resonated within her. If she didn't do anything else, she at least wanted to use the evening to watch TV for as long as possible, even if she'd probably fall asleep early.
In a celebratory spirit, she took the thick pillow off the bed, placed it on the couch, and snuggled deep under a blanket. Brrr! Somehow it was too cold to get comfortable. She scurried into the kitchenette and put some water on for lemon balm tea that would warm and soothe her. Hurrying back with the cup, she snuggled back under the blanket. Splendid. She flicked through the channels until she found a historical film. Nele knew her all too well. Rustling dresses, crowns, and princes. Wonderful. Wasn't life fantastic?
The tea was still far too hot, so she placed it on the table, stretched out on the couch, and pulled the blanket up to her chin. It wasn't long before she dozed off. Her dream was filled with bountiful dresses and a prince who bowed to her and asked her to dance in an old-fashioned, formal manner. Heavy footsteps that didn't belong there thundered throughout the dream. A strange smell filled her nose and a harsh, restrained laugh rang out as the prince in the dream grabbed her so tightly that she jumped and opened her eyes. The room was dark and the television off, but she could see that there was a large shape looming before her.
She sat up abruptly and shoved her feet into her canvas shoes in front of the couch. "What in the…? Before she could finish the question, someone put their hand over her mouth and grabbed her around the waist. She was picked up by someone who smelled of salt and rum. Anna tried to pull her arms away from her body, but the shadow held her in an iron grip. She kicked wildly, hitting the teacup that was still on the coffee table. It fell with a thud onto the carpet. No matter how hard Anna struggled, she couldn't get free. The hand over her mouth loosened, but before she could yell for help, a bag was pulled over her head, stifling the scream.
Someone heaved her toward the window and there wasn't anything she could do about it. When she finally found her voice and began to scream, someone pulled the cord attached to the bag around her head, tugging so hard that Anna wheezed. Was it all a bad dream? But why did the bag and the cord cut into her neck so hard?
"If you yell again, I'll tighten the rope around your neck!" threatened a deep voice. Anna nodded frantically. As she tried to breathe more calmly, her captor pushed her out the window. What was going on? Who was it? What was he planning to do with her? Was he going to throw her off the roof?
Apparently, he wasn't alone because someone pulled her from above and before long she was sliding across the tiles of the roof. She couldn't do anything about it and the second person threw her over their shoulder and carried her a few steps. From the sound of it, they were running across the roof before they stopped abruptly. She heard a murmur, but she couldn't understand anything. She was lifted and someone grabbed her, pulling her even higher as if they were larger than life. Before she understood what was happening, she was thrown violently to the ground. If she hadn't tucked in her head, she would have landed hard and cracked her skull. Whoever did it knew no mercy.
She couldn't just let this happen to her. She had to defend herself! Who knew what these bandits were planning to do with her? She inhaled deeply and let out a scream, which was muffled by the bag. A kick to the legs silenced her.
"Quiet or you'll find out what I'm made of!"
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"You can have all my money, but please, let me go."
"Money?" The stranger laughed hideously. "As if that's what we want from you."
Heavy footsteps shook the ground. Countless boot steps. Damn, how many were there? Voices rang out. Her captors were men, at least five of them. If only she could see something! But wait, she wasn't tied up at all. And the bag around her head was loose. Nobody seemed to care about her anymore. Maybe she could still escape.
Cautiously, she sat upright. Nobody reacted. More courageously, she tugged the bag off her head. Her hair fell in waves in front of her face and she pushed it back, looked around, and was about to scream for help again when she froze.
She wasn't on the building's roof, wasn't cowering on the tiles. No — she was on a ship. And it wasn't a small one. It was actually incredibly large. Three masts stretched skyward and the black flags with white skulls fluttering from them left no doubt as into whose clutches she had fallen.
Pirates.
Pirates? She slapped her cheek in disbelief. Wake up! Wake up! But everything around her remained the same. A chill ran up her spine as she studied her abductors. The men, in torn clothing with sabers stuck in their belts, pulled ropes with both hands, causing large sails to billow. Pirates and a ship? But there was no sea. And they were in the middle of a rooftop. In the twenty-first century!
Her hands were sweaty and her knees shook, but she couldn't give up. She had to escape. Now. Before something worse happened. Crouching, she crept to the edge of the deck unnoticed, ready to throw herself over the railing back onto the roof, but when the sails billowed, the ship lurched, and Anna fell on her bottom. Was the ship rising? That could not be!
Panicking, she rushed to the railing. Before she could lift a foot to leap to freedom, she froze, her hands gripping the balustrade. The ship was no longer on the roof of the building — which in itself was crazy. No, it was floating in the air.
The roof of her building grew smaller and smaller as they gained altitude and sailed further into the sky. How was that possible? Her heart was pounding so hard that it wouldn't be long before it broke through her ribs. She turned around, wide-eyed. No wonder the men had stopped guarding her. There was no way for her to escape!
And then it all made sense. All the glitter Anna had spotted must have come from the pirates because the surface of the ship was twinkling as if someone had spread the sparkly dust over it.
What was going on? Her pulse pounded in her ears and her legs threatened to give way as she froze and looked around. Along the sides there were numerous cannons. The deck was raised in the front and back, and the helm was located in the rear. One of the men was standing behind it, though it was so dark that so she could barely make him out. In general, for such a large ship, there seemed to be few men on board. Or were the others below deck? Anna had to escape before the entire crew attacked her.
As the ship gained speed, one of the pirates approached her. He was wearing a red-checkered scarf on his head and when he laughed, he bared two gold teeth that stood out among the rows of other yellowing ones. He was unshaven and his blue eyes shone greedily on his weathered face. Grinning hideously, he wiped his dirty hand on his tattered pants. The smell of rum drifted over to her. Was he the one who had abducted her from her living room?
"Well, doll?"
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"
He laughed loudly. "I'll have time to deal with you later. Until then, I'll take precautions so you can't run off!"
"Run off? How am I supposed to get off a flying ship?"
He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Quiet, otherwise, you'll get the bag over your head." There was a click and before she knew it, a chain attached to the railing tightened around her ankle.
"Hey, what's this? What…" But seeing the pirate's admonishing finger, she pressed her lips together. Better to keep her mouth shut and an eye on the men than to suffocate in the smelly sack.
"It's iron, so don't get your hopes up."
Iron? Weren't all chains iron? Why did he mention this specifically? Did he believe she could break shackles made of a different metal?
With the ugly grin still on his face, the pirate turned and stalked off toward his crew.
Even if Anna didn't know how it would be possible, perhaps there would be a moment when she could escape. But to where? One look over the railing was enough to make her dizzy. Damn it. Her slight fear of heights would make escape difficult. Her heart was pounding at a pace that couldn't possibly be healthy. As she took a few steps back, the chain rattled over the planks and Anna rammed her back against the mainmast. She clung to it as if it gave her security, a certainty that this would all end well. Or that the situation was really just a nightmare. When would she finally wake up? A jolt shook the ship and the back of her head hit the mast. Ouch! You don't feel pain in dreams.
Below her, the city lights had long since disappeared. Nothing but infinite darkness stretched beyond the ship, which sailed through the air as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Was it a flying ship? Some sort of zeppelin? She tilted her head back, but apart from the huge sails billowing in the wind and the tall masts, she could see nothing above her except the twinkling stars and the broad crescent of the moon. How was that possible?
She heard a low voice in her head, whispering one word over and over.
Magic.
Magic? Were these unkempt, bellowing pirates capable of something that special? Or were they using a spell? One they had stolen? An incantation that had to be spoken? Maybe it had something to do with the glitter that was all across the ship.
Had she gone completely mad? Was she losing her mind? When would she finally wake up from this nightmare? She smacked the back of her head against the mast again. Ouch! Why did she feel pain? Did that mean this was truly happening? She had been abducted by pirates? With a flying ship? Panic threatened to overwhelm her. Stay calm. Stay calm. There would come a moment when she could escape — and she'd have to recognize it and take advantage of it. Despite the fact that everything inside her wanted to scream for help, she continued to examine the ship.
Even at her feet, she discovered glitter. She slowly bent down and ran her finger along the plank. A little bit stuck to her fingertip — like it had outside her apartment yesterday.
Had that really been just yesterday? It seemed like such a long time ago when she'd been lounging on the couch, peaceful and protected, watching TV. Then again, she obviously hadn't been protected at that point. The dormer window. These men must have opened it and looked around the apartment. Which had happened yesterday! They'd left the glitter on the doormat in front of the apartment door and on the window frame.
Anna had already had a strange feeling when she entered the apartment. Why hadn't she listened? Why hadn't she gone out with Nele and spent the night with her? Why hadn't any of the neighbors or news channels noticed a huge ship on the roof of the building? Or had the pirates landed later? But they had searched her apartment the day before.
Her thoughts were racing when someone's voice brought her crashing back to the here and now.
"When are we going to get to her?" the fattest of the men shouted. Sweat glistened on his low forehead and his striped shirt stretched across his stomach. It wouldn't have taken much for the fabric to give and roll up.
"As soon as we are in safe territory," replied the one with the checkered scarf who had just spoken to her. He caressed his saber as if it were a beloved pet. "She cannot be allowed to escape us."
All the abductors focused their threatening gazes on Anna, and she involuntarily took two steps back until her back hit the railing. Panicking, she clung to it. Beyond that, there was no means of escape. How was she supposed to defend herself against the scoundrels?
She scanned the area for anything useful, but all she saw was rope and a bucket of coarse brushes. Maybe the bucket would come in handy — it was wood, after all. If one of the men came too close, she could hit him with it. That was definitely better than being defenseless.
The men were once again engrossed in conversation, so Anna hurriedly crept toward the bucket. Damn. The chain around her ankle tightened. She stretched, but the bucket was too far away. She couldn't reach it.
"Want to scrub our deck?" one of the men above her said. It was the one in the striped shirt. His grin was chilling.
Anna's throat tightened as she nodded calmly at the bucket. "Sure, I have to pass the time somehow."
"You think I'm stupid, don't you? I don't know what tricks you've got up your sleeve, but you're not going to get anything from me." Keeping his distance, he grabbed the bucket and stomped away.
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" she shouted after him, but he just gave her a piercing glance over his shoulder by way of an answer. She was surprised by his suspicious expression. And hadn't he turned so he wouldn't have to walk past her? If she didn't know better, she would say he was afraid of her. Did the pirates think Anna knew Taekwondo or some other martial art? Did she look so athletic and capable of defending herself? Hardly, given her slight build.
Briefly, she glanced down at herself. She was wearing her favorite sweater, the white, airy crocheted one, with a light-colored top underneath. The sweater wasn't low-cut, but the collarbone peeked out, revealing very little muscle. Her arms were reasonably covered, but her jeans were snug — there was no doubt that there wasn't any muscle mass to speak of underneath those either. So what made the men believe she could escape or use tricks and become a threat?
She watched her captors warily. The crew — at least the ones she could see — consisted of five men. The one with the red- checked scarf seemed to be the leader, the captain. He shouted out one command after another as the remaining pirates pulled on the ropes. Wait, there were a few men up on the ropes too. And one was even sitting in the crow's nest. Meanwhile, the presumed captain was standing behind the helm, steering the ship through the sky.
"At the second star on the left," someone called out to him.
What kind of directions were those?
As the sails inflated and they picked up speed, Anna slid along the railing, clutching it for dear life. Even though she needed to escape the pirates, she certainly didn't want to fall overboard into the endless depths. Who knew if the wood of the ship wall her shackle was attached to would support her weight. Speaking of what was below — why couldn't she see any lights? They were low enough that at least one or two big cities should have been visible. Yet all she saw was blackness.
They were traveling at breakneck speed, but to where?
Wait, wasn't there movement? As she saw the broad, crescent moon's silvery-yellow reflection on the ground, she heard a faint noise. Were they descending? It was hard to tell without a landmark, but she had a feeling in her stomach that reminded her of being in an elevator and told her they were losing altitude.
Anna stared over the railing. She wanted to know what awaited her down there. Where would they end up? A secret cove? A deserted island? Would they even land on water, given the ship could move without it?
But, yes, water. There were waves beneath them. She heard the roar punctuated by the captain's orders. They were heading toward water, a sea. How could that be? She lived hundreds of miles from the beach. How had the men gotten to the open sea so quickly? As Anna studied the ship, the answer became clear: just as the men had managed to abduct her with a flying ship.
As unbelievable as it sounded, something strange and magical was happening and Anna was right in the middle of it.
There was a faint light up ahead. She turned toward its source. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the railing tightly, trying to see where the pirates were taking her. An icy wind tousled her long strands and tugged at her sweater, but she didn't turn away. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on what appeared to be the landing site. Was there a dock? A small port? It was hard to tell, since there was just the one dim light.
Were the men taking her there? Was there perhaps a way to escape? Her heart pounding, she stepped closer to the railing and the scraping of her anklet returned her attention to the planks. How was she supposed to escape with a metal chain around her ankle?
"Heave-ho, heave-ho!" the pirates' voices echoed through the darkness as they lowered the sails. As they touched down on the sea, there was a loud splash. Fountains of water sprayed up and a stream hit Anna square in the face. Astonished, she wiped the drops from her forehead and cheeks with her hands and pushed the wet strands behind her ears. The glitter on the ship had disappeared as if it had never been there.
The pirates headed straight toward land, in the direction of the dim light coming from an old-fashioned lantern located on a road leading away from the harbor. A few unlit buildings lined the docks, of which there were fewer than ten. Other than that, there was nothing to see, no movement, not a soul to be heard. Not even a cat strayed past the houses.
The ship rocked back and forth until it settled calmly on the water and the captain steered it toward the harbor. As soon as the hull bumped the dock, Anna raised her arms and waved her hands wildly in the air. "Help! Does anyone hear me? I was abducted, I…"
"Quiet, stupid woman!" A sack was placed over her head again. Damn. She fought back with her hands and feet, but the pirate held her in an iron grip.
"I have you now!" a deep voice boomed through the night.
She heard numerous footfalls and sabers being drawn and then everything was quiet. For a moment.
Who was that? She didn't recognize the voice.
"How did you find us?" That was the captain — Anna clearly recognized his voice. But she hadn't heard the other before, had she? She strained to hear even though the bag over her head muffled all sound.
"I have my people everywhere. What were you thinking, stealing my ship?"
Stealing the ship? So, was he the real captain? Then who were the men who abducted her? Would the other men let her go?
"Surrender or walk the plank!"
Anna was released and the footsteps quickly moved away as one of her captors bellowed, "Surrender? Never!"
Blades clashed and a commotion broke out, and Anna swiftly lifted the sack off her head. Four men had come aboard and were fighting the pirates who had abducted her, while at least a dozen men waited on the dock. Their clothes were just as tattered and their bellowing just as frightening. They definitely wouldn't let Anna go. She was going from the frying pan into the fire.
The tallest of them had his back to her. His black cloak fluttered around him as he expertly dodged the captain's attack.
"Surrender or you'll become fish food!"
He was the real captain. It had to be him. She only saw him from behind, but everything about him seemed threatening. His shoulders were broad and his movements resembled those of a big cat. Every step he took with his boots thundered distinctively on the planks. He battled the mutineers mercilessly as if he would gladly accept their deaths.
For heaven's sake, she couldn't fall into the hands of that monster! Goosebumps shot up her arms. She had to get away from the ship quickly before he spotted her. Before she became his prey. She yanked on the chains, but they were firmly anchored to the side of the ship. Damn. She might have been able to bust the wood with an axe, but where would she get one? The pirates hadn't even left her the bucket.
As Anna tugged on the chain, she felt someone watching her. She glanced up and saw one of the pirates on the dock staring at her. The look in his eyes seemed unusually gentle, as if he didn't belong to the crew. However, the saber and knives hanging from his belt and his tattered clothing left no doubt that he was one of them. He glanced at the captain, who was fearlessly fighting the mutineers, and rushed to her.
"What are you doing here?"
Anna's fingers tightened around the chain. She stared at him in disbelief. "You know me?"
"Of course. Quick, leave before the captain sees you!"
He was trying to help her? Anna didn't think for a second about what his motives were or how she might know someone like him. "The chains are iron, the pirate said."
"Luckily, I'm the key master." From under his tattered shirt, he took out a ring with several keys hanging on it. He grabbed one and put it in the lock, which clicked, releasing the metal shackles.
Stunned, Anna stared at him. "Thanks."
"Quickly, don't waste time!" He held out his hand to her. Without hesitation, she grabbed it, climbed over the railing and, as she landed on the dock, she felt another gaze on her. Goosebumps spread all over her body, her heart beat faster, and as soon as she landed on the wooden dock, she froze. She slowly turned her head back to the ship.
It was the captain.
He stared at her in surprise, his dark eyes wide, his mouth gaping in disbelief as a cry escaped his throat that pierced her bones.
"Ani?"
He nearly shouted it, and the unfamiliar nickname echoed loudly through the night. As if time were standing still, he didn't move, and neither did his opponents. Beneath his penetrating gaze, Anna felt as if her knees could no longer support her. She stared transfixed at the strange man who knew her and who had called her name, but whose face was completely unfamiliar to her.
Suddenly, the captain was grabbed from behind and a blade rushed toward him even faster than usual, as if someone had sped up time. He immediately fended off the attack with his saber. The pirate who had helped Anna pulled her by the hand and gave her a strong shove toward the port.
"Run, before he gets his hands on you."
Anna blinked several times, her heart pounding when she finally realized what she needed to do. Escape. As quickly as she could, she ran past the abandoned buildings and into the darkness, away from the pirates… and away from the menacing captain, who was only prevented from following her by her captors. The sound of blades clashing spurred her onward. As long as the men fought, they were distracted, so she needed to put as much distance between herself and the ship as possible.
She ran across a meadow. No settlement, no lights, and no one to help her. Damn it, how was she supposed to get home? Should she wait for the friendly pirate? Maybe he would follow and help her.
She heard the captain shout "Ani" again, the call following her through the dark night as if he were directly behind her. The emotions echoing in the scream caused her to shiver. Without giving it another thought, she hurried from the harbor into the unknown.