“What is that?”
Skye held up the necklace so Kate could see that it was a cross. “My best friend gave it to me a couple of years ago. He has one just like it.”
* * *
Will lay awake in his hammock, unable to find sleep. All of his thoughts were on Skye as he stared at the small cross of the necklace he held. So lost in his thoughts of her, he was startled to hear Matthew come below deck to get some rest before relieving John at the helm.
“Where did you get that?” Matthew asked curiously.
Will glanced at him briefly before his eyes went to the cross again. “I made it once when I still worked for you. I made one for Skye too. She always wears it, so she must have it with her.”
Matthew smiled a little. “I’m sure it’s a comfort to her.”
Will nodded and, after a moment, let out a heavy sigh. “I wish it could have been me in Skye’s place. I can’t stand the thought of what might have happened to her, having been in Kelley’s hands all this time.”
Matthew put his hand on Will’s shoulder. “I wish the same thing, but God’s plans are different. Remember, Skye isn’t only in Kelley’s hands, but God’s too.”
* * *
At the dreaded light of dawn, Skye and Kate slowly rose from their beds. Skye pulled on her boots and waistcoat before leaning back against the wall, grasping her necklace. She took a deep breath, asking God to help her face Kelley when the time came.
“Are you ready?” Kate asked.
Skye looked at her and nodded. Opening the door, they reluctantly left the cabin and went about their work on deck. Skye kept a wary eye on the door of Kelley’s cabin, dreading what would come when he woke. All she could do was keep praying and hope that God would again answer her prayers.
* * *
The newly-risen sun shimmered warmly on John’s back as he stood at the ship’s wheel. He glanced over his shoulder to look at it before again staring straight ahead with a sense of foreboding. Dark, angry-looking clouds filled the horizon, and he knew from many long years of experience that this wouldn’t be just any typical storm at sea. This one would be dangerous. Feeling the wind grow slightly stronger, John looped a rope around the wheel to keep it from turning and hurried over to the hatchway that led below.
“Matthew, Will, you two better come on deck!” he called.
A few moments later, Matthew and Will emerged.
“What is it, John?” Matthew asked.
“We’re in for some rough weather,” John said grimly. “And without a crew, it’s gonna take a miracle to keep the Fortune afloat.”
* * *
Dawn aged an hour, though one could barely tell since it was still so dark. Thick, gray clouds filled the sky and everyone knew a storm would erupt very soon. Skye stared up at them and she, like John, knew the storm would be severe.
Her eyes were pulled away from the clouds at the alarming creak of Kelley’s cabin door. Skye’s blood turned to ice as she watched him walk out from her position near the bow. The evil pirate captain scanned the ship. Skye’s heart sank when he called for Kate. Throwing a remorseful glance at Skye, Kate left her work and walked over to him. He ordered her into the cabin and walked in after her, closing the door. A long, agonizing minute passed, and Skye’s heart pounded, her entire body tingling with an innate sense of fear.
Finally, the door burst open with a loud bang, and Kelley stormed out. The whip dangled from his hand. Kate hurried out behind him, pleading for more time, but her words were ignored. Kelley searched the deck, eyes burning with a rage that Skye could see even from where she stood.
“Bring me the girl!” he bellowed.
Not wanting to be dragged over to Kelley by the other pirates, Skye walked toward him, offering up a prayer, begging God to give her the strength she needed.
“I’m right here, Kelley,” she said, halting in front of him and working to suppress her fears.
Looming over her, Kelley demanded, “Where is it?”
Skye glanced at Kate, whose expression was of complete helplessness, before looking up at Kelley and answering with all the confidence she could, “We’ve been through this before, and my answer is no different from what it was then. I will not break my promise to my father.”
Kelley’s face turned red with anger. He grabbed Skye’s arm and dragged her to the mainmast. When they reached it, he took hold of the back of Skye’s waistcoat and ripped it off of her, leaving her wearing only the thin white shirt. In a moment, her hands were tied once again around the mast.
Kelley glared down at her. “I don’t think you even deserve to be given one last chance to tell me what I want to know before I beat it out of you,” he growled.
Skye stared up at him. Though she knew Kelley was likely to be even more cruel than he would have been last time, she found that her fear wasn’t as great.
“Even if you offered it, Kelley, I wouldn’t take it.”
Outrage burned in Kelley’s eyes at the fact that Skye was still so defiant despite what was about to happen to her. In the midst of his anger, his evil mind formed an idea, and he grabbed Skye’s long, braided hair, yanking her head back.
“I imagine you’ve been growin’ this out all your life, haven’t you?”
This time, Skye didn’t speak, sick at the thought of what he was going to do. With her silence, Kelley taunted, “Wouldn’t it be a terrible shame if suddenly it was gone?”
He pulled out a dagger. Its sharp edge scraped against the back of Skye’s neck as Kelley placed it under her hair.
“This is for how long you’ve defied me.”
Kelley put pressure on the dagger, and the sickening sound of her hair being cut filled Skye’s ears. Short pieces fell into her face as he cut the last of it. Tears stung her eyes at the thought of what he had done, but Skye told herself to put that sorrow aside for now because her hair was the least of her worries.
As Skye’s dark braid fell to the deck at Kelley’s feet, he noticed something else. Skye felt him take hold of the cord around her neck, and she realized with horror that he had found her necklace. He yanked it off her and looked at it. When he saw that it was a cross, he laughed cruelly.
“You think your God can save you from this?”
Skye straightened and looked at him, her face set with fierce determination. “He did last time, and if it is His will to do so this time, then no one can stop Him.”
Kelley laughed even louder and tossed Skye’s necklace away. She knew with sorrow that she’d probably never see the treasured gift again.
“I would like to see Him try to stop me,” Kelley declared arrogantly, moving to take a position behind Skye.
He raised the whip, and Skye braced herself. Oh, God, please give me the strength I need . . . A split second later, Skye’s breath was taken by an intense burning unlike any pain she had ever experienced as the whip easily cut through her shirt and into her left shoulder and her back. She fought to stay on her feet and hold back the cry of pain that so desperately wanted to escape from inside of her. She succeeded, but Skye knew that very soon it would not be possible.
Kelley raised the whip again, and Skye struggled to prepare herself while still trying to bear the pain from the first lash. However, before Kelley could bring it down, a bolt of lightning sizzled through the clouds followed by a deafening crack of thunder that seemed nearly loud enough to split the ship. Without warning, the wind picked up, billowing the sails, and great drops of rain pelted the deck. Kelley had no choice but to drop the whip and give his men orders as the storm rapidly intensified. Thick sheets of rain soaked through everything and savage gusts of wind nearly took people off their feet. Lightning flashed and thunder vibrated through the wooden vessel.
The muffled shouting of the men could hardly be heard over the wind, and Skye could barely make out their dark forms. Then a loud crack of wood splintering came from overhead and the mast shuddered. If it fell, she would likely be killed by it. She yanked desperately on the ropes around he
r wrists, but they would not budge. Just as panic took hold, someone grabbed her arm. Relief washed over her when she recognized Kate who pulled out a knife and cut the ropes.
Pulling her up, Kate shouted over the wind, “We have to help keep her afloat or we’ll all end up at the bottom of the ocean!”
Skye followed Kate over to where some rigging was loose and being whipped around by the wind. She reached out to grab one of the ropes and quickly tied it down. Just as she and Kate had tied down the last line, a huge wave crashed over the ship. Skye tried to grab the railing, but it was too late. The wave swept her across the deck, and she slammed into the railing on the other side. As soon as the water receded, she stood up.
“Kate!” she called.
Searching frantically, Skye heard her name from farther down the deck. Turning, she spotted Kate hanging from the side of the ship. Skye ran over to her and took Kate’s arm, pulling with all the strength she had. Kate was nearly to safety when another wave came roaring toward them. She tightened her grip on Kate’s arm and the railing, but both were yanked away from her when the wave crashed down on top of them. Before she knew it, Skye was plunged into the raging sea. She swam for the surface, but she reached it only long enough to take a breath of air before the churning waves forced her back under.
For several minutes, she fought just to stay above water long enough to get the air she needed. When she was able to stay up a little longer, she searched the stormy sea. The Finder was nowhere in sight and neither was Kate. Skye called her name, but she could barely hear her own voice over the sound of the ocean.
Still she kept trying, but it was growing ever harder to stay above water as her strength diminished. An eternity seemed to pass, and Skye knew she could not fight against the sea for much longer. Just as she felt she had nothing left to give, her feet found solid ground, and she pulled herself up onto land. Crawling behind a rock that towered above her and shielded her from the wind, she collapsed in exhaustion as the rain continued to beat down from the sky.
Chapter Ten
At last, Skye woke again, greeted not by the roaring wind or freezing rain, but by the sound of gentle waves and the warmth of the sun shining down upon her. She scanned what little was in her view and started to push herself up but stopped abruptly, clenching her teeth with a groan. Her shoulder burned with an intense pain made many times worse by the salt from the ocean water that had entered the wound. Careful not to use her left arm, she pushed to her feet.
Taking stock of her situation, Skye cast her eyes critically over the area. Directly in front of her stretched out a white sand beach littered with seaweed and other debris from the storm. Several yards ahead stood a thick, palm tree jungle. What lay beyond she could not know. Leaving that mystery for the moment, Skye turned to look out to sea. Raising her good arm to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun, she could see nothing but the white caps of the waves.
She felt very alone and remembering Kate, Skye looked up and down the beach for any sign of her friend.
“Kate!” she called.
Her only answer came from the mournful cries of the gulls circling above her. Knowing Kate could be elsewhere on the island, Skye walked along the beach to see what she could find and prayed that Kate had reached safety. Twenty minutes of searching and calling produced nothing, and Skye feared that Kate had not made it to the island, which meant she had either drowned or somehow made it back to the Finder.
Yet, just when Skye had given up hope, her name came from the trees and Kate emerged from the forest. Skye spoke her name in relief and hurried to meet her.
“I’ve been searchin’ all over for you,” Kate told her. “I was hopin’ maybe you’d taken shelter in the trees.”
Skye shook her head. “I was in some rocks farther down the beach.”
“Are you all right?” Kate asked, looking her over.
“Except for my shoulder, yes, I think I’m fine.”
“Here, come with me,” Kate directed. “Lucky for us, I found some fresh water. We should do what we can to clean your wound before it becomes infected.”
Skye followed Kate into the jungle. Pausing briefly along the way, Kate bent down and picked a few leaves from a small plant.
“What are those for?” Skye asked curiously.
“They’re used for healing,” Kate answered. “They’ll fight against infection.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“One of the crewmen on my ship used to be a native doctor. He taught us what plants can be used for healing and other medical purposes.”
Shortly, they came upon a small, crystal clear spring surrounded by tropical ferns and brightly-colored flowers.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Kate said.
Skye sat at the edge of the spring. The still water was like a perfect mirror, and she stared at her reflection. It was her first look at her hair since Kelley had cut off her braid. Her hair now reached only slightly past her chin.
Kate noticed Skye looking at herself. “It’s not that bad,” she encouraged.
“No, it isn’t,” Skye agreed. “I’m thankful to have escaped before Kelley did any worse.”
With a nod, Kate lifted the back of Skye’s bloodstained shirt, revealing the long, bloody cut that ran from her shoulder to the middle of her back. Her shoulder was also dark with bruises from smashing into the Finder’s railing during the storm.
Tearing a piece of cloth from her waistcoat, Kate dipped it into the spring.
“I’m afraid this’ll hurt,” she warned.
“I know,” Skye said, bracing herself.
Kate cleaned the wound gently, careful not to cause Skye more pain than was necessary. Skye winced and drew in her breath. When finally Kate had finished, Skye’s wound was not nearly so painful now that the salt had been cleaned out of it. Kate pulled open the leaves she had picked and applied the liquid from inside of them to the cut. It stung, but Skye knew she could not risk getting an infection here on this island where no one could help them.
When Kate had finished, they both stood and took in their surroundings.
“We should head back to the beach,” Kate said. “The only way off this island is for someone to find us, and the only way for anyone to know we’re here is to start a signal fire.”
“How are we going to start one?” Skye asked.
A smile came to Kate’s face as she reached into a hidden pocket in one of her boots. Out of it, she pulled a dagger and a piece of flint. “I was always afraid that Kelley would finally get sick of havin’ me around and maroon me on some island, so I made sure I was prepared.”
Skye smiled in return, and they walked away to the beach, gathering whatever dry wood and old palm fronds they could find along the way. It was not long before they had a good-sized fire burning.
“Now all we have to do is hope a ship passes by and sees it,” Kate said, throwing a few more pieces of wood into the flames.
“I have been praying that one will,” Skye told her.
“Well then, let’s hope God answers your prayers.”
“He has so far.” Skye looked at Kate, gauging her reaction. “The storm was one of His answers. He saved both you and me from Kelley just as I asked Him to.”
“He may have saved us from Kelley, but He put us here,” Kate stated dryly.
“He put us here alive and uninjured,” Skye corrected gently. “We could just as easily have drowned. I’d far rather be here than with Kelley, and I believe that God will provide a way off this island.”
“I hope you’re right.” Kate was silent for a moment as she stared at the fire. Finally, she turned back to Skye. “I forgot to give you this earlier.”
Kate pulled an object from her pocket, and Skye’s eyes lit up with a smile of joy as Kate handed it to her. It was the cross necklace Will had made for her.
“I picked it up when the storm hit,” Kate told her. “I knew it meant a lot to you.”
Skye gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Ka
te. It does mean a lot to me, and I didn’t think I’d ever see it again.” She rubbed her fingers tenderly over the cross before tying the ends safely around her neck.
When the fire was big enough to stay burning for a while, Skye and Kate trekked into the jungle to look for food. Coconuts lay everywhere, but to try to open them seemed like more trouble than it was worth since they had fresh water. They were very happy to find several fruit trees hanging with sweet, ripe fruit. Upon seeing them, Skye thanked God for providing them with all the food and water they would need to survive on the island for however long they remained.
Picking what they needed for the day, Skye and Kate returned to the beach and sat under the cool shade of the trees, watching the horizon intently for any sign of ships. For a long time, they sat in a companionable silence while their minds wondered over the events of the last couple of weeks. The unsettling memories Skye carried from being on the Finder would be with her for the rest of her life. No doubt it was one of her most difficult trials, aside from the deaths of her parents, but she was incredibly thankful it had not been worse. Kelley could have done so much more to her than he had, but God had been with her, and she knew His protection had kept her safe.
Finally, when their thoughts turned away from their ordeal, Skye and Kate started to talk. Skye told Kate stories about sailing with her father, and Kate told her briefly of some of the voyages she’d made on the Half Moon. After that, they took turns resting while the other kept a watchful eye on the fire and the ocean.
When the day turned into evening and the sun sank low, painting the sky a brilliant orange and pink, Skye and Kate watched it from their places under the trees. Admiring the beauty of it, she thought of her father and how much he would have loved to be there with her. Watching the sunsets together had been something they had always enjoyed while sailing. Now those times were precious memories.