Here you go
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Chapter three - You shall no longer call me your Father.
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As the morning rays hit the little cottage, the smell of burnt grass was in the air. Anne opened the door slowly, stepping softly through it. As she put her burnt finger into the wash bucket, James stirred in his sleep. She withdrew it immediately, creeping back into bed next to him. The day had only just begun.
Anne woke again slowly, yawning and stretching. As she came to, she recognised her Father’s voice, mixed with her fiancés.
“I know it was you James, don’t you dare take it upon yourself to lie to me!” William said ferociously.
“Sir, I would not-“
“First, I hire you to make yourself a living. I give you good pay, and a chance for your future. Then, then young man, you proceed to steal my daughter away? Bribe her with maddening necessities? And if that was not enough to send an old man to his grave, you think it wise to set my entire stock, my fields, my living on fire? Is it so that I am now in the same place as you? And do not think that I can see through your childish plans with my daughter. She still is a child, man, how can you fail to see that!?” William said, gasping for breath.
“My choice to be with him is my own.” Anne replied, getting out of bed to join James at the door. She saw her Father’s heart break through his eyes.
“Anne, stay out of this.” James shot at her. Already, she could feel her untamed rage becoming apparent.
“I demand to know what is going on.” She said to her Father, whom failed to look at her.
“Somebody..,” He said, “Has thought it wise to burn my plantations.”
“Is that so?” She asked, knowing full well who had done such a thing. She couldn’t help but let herself smile.
“Father, perhaps it is a sign. You have done something wrong, to which now has been repaid to you. Perhaps that is it? Perhaps, father, you should of though twice before you said no.” She nudged unsubtly.
“Anne.. You wouldn’t. You, you couldn’t!” He spat in denial. James looked from Anne to the smoke, from the smoke to Anne’s burnt finger (which she made no effort to hide), dropping his jaw in shock.
“I already have, Father. Now if you would be as so kind to remove yourself, James and I have business that needs attending. Today is that day of our wedding, and we would quite like to proceed. Farewell.” Anne said stubbornly, trying to shut the door. Her father threw his hand against it.
“I took you from Ireland, so you would not have been looked down upon. I gave up food, your Mother gave up water, so you would be well fed. She sewed garments for you, I grew tobacco so I could provide for you, so I could put a roof over your head. And yet this, this statement from you is what I gather in return? 16 years of sacrifices which I believe to have been worth it, have mislead me to this? Anne Cormac… After this day, you shall no longer call me your Father. With these words to you, I take any connection, any ties to you away. The only thing we will share is our blood, to which I wish will one day lead you to your senses. After this day, you will be Anne Bonny. And after this day, you will not call me your father. Good day to you both.” He cried, his voice shaking with each breath he took. He let go of the door, allowing it to shut on it’s own. Anne stood in silence, listening to his horses hooves fade into the distance. She could not of had words to say if she tried. James made the first move, sitting down on the bed. He lay his heads in his hands.
“Look what you did.” He said, that coat of anger coming back to him.
Anne said nothing in reply. The pair said nothing, until James proceeded to put Anne’s evening attire into a sack, along with his.
“What are you doing? The priest will be here in a moment to marry us.” She said honestly, watching him.
“You’re mad, girl. We cannot marry here. It is a cursed place, the very ground you stand on has now been cursed. Gather your belongings, I shall gather mine. Then, we shall go.” With that, he went out the door, with a sack of all the gold he could find in his hand.
Anne had no choice but to listen, as she knew she now had no one else to provide for her. Knowing that, however, she also knew that the love between herself and James was slipping through her fingertips, minute by minute.
She walked around the little cottage, throwing her belongings into the brown sack, and throwing James’s into a pile on his bed.
As the sun set, Anne saw James walking up their pathway, clutching two pieces of paper where the gold once was. Anne rushed out the door, joining him.
He handed her the papers, which she squinted to read in the fading light.
‘Anne Bonny, age sixteen (one six), at the fare of three pounds, on Her Majesty’s ship as a C (child), departing at 7 o’clock on January the twelfth. Destination: New Providence, Bahamas. Reporting time shall be half an hour before that of the departure.’
Anne read it again, to make sure.
“New Providence?” She asked.
James nodded.
“We leave now. Gather your sack Anne, and let me fill mine. Then… We leave, and say goodbye to this place as it stands.” James said, putting the papers into his pocket.
Anne nodded, not sure what to make of the situation. She went into the cottage, picked up her sack and waited for James to finish his. Together, they walked out of the cottage, down the pathway and towards the docks. As the ship’s mast came into view, Anne knew that she was preparing to say goodbye to everything she knew.
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Eep! YAY I get to start writing Pirate bits soon =p. Keep tuned!!