Chapter 34: Bloody Water

Crystal

I was happy, I could stay, but it had been too easy.

‘Nothing can change my mind, my words are final,’ I frowned at his words, lowering my head.

He said that last night. I know I didn’t say anything to convince him, did the elder say something? I rubbed my hands together and I felt fingers on my shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Max asks. I lifted my gaze and nodded.

“Bayou changed his mind a little too fast, don’t you think? Is he usually this fast about changing his mind?”

“No, when he has his mind set on something, he won’t change at all, something must have happened,” Max explained.

“I knew it. I wonder what. Whatever it is, I should be grateful, I’m staying, but have you spoken to Belle? I saw you last night.” I told him. Max’s expression turned hard, as we stopped in front of the creepy statue.

“I didn’t know her father died. Captain Raymond was one of the best pirates in history. I don’t know what to say to her,” he sighed, shaking his head. I shrugged at him.

“Tell her how you feel, it seems like you care about her. Can’t you just act like her friend and lend her your shoulder to cry on? She still needs to mourn for her father, and she is acting brave because of her sister. No matter how tough women act, in the end, we do reach our breaking point, and we need someone to lean on. It’s a basic human need, like a child needing his or her mother.” I told him. Max was silent, when Belle and Bayou came up to us.

“Why suddenly, so quiet?” she asked, noticing our silence. I smiled and shook my head.

“Just talking about something. So we are heading to the ship?” I asked them. Bayou gave me a strange look, but nodded either way. Belle stared at Max.

“Aye, let’s go.” He moved, I nodded when that eerie sensation ran down my spine. I stopped once again and turned to stare at the statue.

Again, I feel like it’s staring at us. I rubbed my arms, moving closer to the fountain. I glanced down at the green water, only to gasp, jumping backwards.

“Crystal?” I heard Belle call out to me. I moved, feeling a hand on my arm. I looked up to see Max. Bayou rushed toward my side.

“What happened?”

“The water, it changed,” I pointed at the fountain. Bayou walked up to it and looked down. He arched a brow.

“Bloody hell, she’s right, is red, like blood.” I moved up and looked down at it. It was so bloody red you could barely see the bottom.

“What does that mean?” Belle asked, moving closer to Max.

I looked up. The statue’s eyes were still dark, pitch black, but it felt as though she was staring at us.

I frowned, tilting my head to the side.

“The blind person can lead you the way,” I repeated the elder words.

“Wonder if today they will polish the statue?” Bayou added.

“I’m lost, care to explain?” Belle asked.

“Maybe Alden was referring to the statue?” I clapped, looking up at Bayou. He shrugged at me.

“Maybe.” I sighed and frowned.

“Hello, still lost,” Belle waved her hands.

“Sorry, I thought the elder may have been hinting at the statue as a clue for the map. If you look at it, it looks like she is staring at you, but she has no eyes,” Belle and Max glanced at the statue, but shook their head.

“I don’t feel anything, is creepy, yes, but that’s all,” Max said. I shook my head, placing my leg on top of the edge of the fountain.

“Crystal, what are you doing?”

“I need to try something,” I told Max.

“Careful love,” Bayou moved and grasped my hand. I nodded, holding his hand tightly, and I stretched my arm out. Luckily the statue wasn’t too tall for me to not reach. I moved and touched its eyes, and my finger went straight into the hollow. My eyes widened, and I jerked back, only to lose my balance.

“Ahh!” I screamed, falling back. I feel two strong arms around me, I looked up, to see Bayou staring down at me. My chest was heaving hard. I was on top of his leg, and his arms was around me. I looked up with wide eyes.

“T... Thank you,” my voice broke, but he shook his head, and a piercing scream passed his lips.

“Ah, forgot your weight is like a sack of potatoes, my poor wound,” he placed me down gently and grasped his stomach. My eyes widened at his insult.

“Oi, I’m a bit chubby, but I’m not a sack of potatoes,” I said, feeling very insulted, Bayou moved.

“Sorry love, just stating the truth, but, I don’t care about your weight, is that I’m wounded, or not, I wouldn’t mind,” he tried hard to make up, acting like a child, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I fisted my hands.

“You jerk,” I frowned, feeling my self-esteem drop.

Even he, doesn’t find me attractive.

“Just don’t Bayou, just don’t,” Max shook his head, patting his shoulder. Bayou arched a brow, looking straight at him.

“I’m just stating the truth, what did I say to offend her?”

“You are just digging your own grave, drop it,” Max whispered to him. Belle sighed.

“Men! No matter how old they get, they are still children,” She whispered, patting my shoulder. I sighed.

“Is okay, I’m used to it,” I murmured, then my eyes narrowed.

“Has your wound reopened?” I asked, remembering that he screamed in pain. He shook his head.

“No, it just hurts, but why did you jump back?” he asked. Max stepped on the edge, as Bell went to help him. I lowered my head.

“The eye sockets, felt like flesh,” I told him. Max placed his fingers inside and shook his head.

“No, it feels like stone,” he assured me. I shook my head.

“No, it felt like flesh, I’m not making it up,”

“No one is saying you are, love,” He got closer to me.

“Don’t you feel it? Last time you said you did.” Bayou lifted his gaze up and nodded at me.

“Aye, I do, I wonder something, Max, come here and help me,” He asked him. Max stepped down and helped Bayou to stand on the edge of the fountain. Belle came to my side and crossed her arms.

“Strange, why are you and Captain Bayou the only ones to sense it?”

I shrugged at her.

“Don’t know,” I watched Bayou tilt his head down, and place his hand in the statue’s hand, and glance down. His eyes narrowed.

“She feels real, what the hell?” he touched her hand then I moved to his side, almost falling once again, Bayou held my arm and pulled me up.

“Careful,” he murmured I blushed but nodded. Tiptoeing, I looked down, and my eyes widened to see the map she was holding wasn’t a map, but a piece of paper.

“Is that a piece of paper?” I asked him.

“Aye, look it has a writing, saying, Under the Death.” I moved and touched her hand, and Bayou is right, it felt like flesh. I looked up at the woman.

“What does that mean?”

“I wish I knew love,” I sighed, looking down at the bloody water, only to catch something swimming around. Something dark.

“What in the world is going on?”

Then I jumped when a gunshot fired, causing me to slip, falling into the waters, hitting my elbow rather hard against the edge of the fountain.

I hissed in pain, grasping my elbow.

“There they are, give us back the princess!” someone shouted.

I felt sticky, and I lifted my good arm up to see real blood running down my hands.

“This is blood, real blood.” I gasped out, then something took a hold of my leg, a yell pass through my lips.

“Something took a hold of my leg,” I struggled, Bayou jumped inside, and my body suddenly started to be pulled down.

“No!” I yelled out, something wrapped around my waist, pulling me down.

“Hold on!” Bayou grabbed my arm, but it was too late, the next thing I knew, I flipped backward, with arms stretched out, my eyes widened in pure shock. I went down the bloody water, and my breath caught. I looked down, to see the Shadow pulling me. I started to wiggle out from its grasp.

I opened my mouth, only to see red bubbles coming out of my mouth, I looked up to see Bayou swimming toward me, he stretched out his arm, but rapidly the Shadow pulled me harder down, so Bayou couldn’t reach me.

No, no, Bayou! my mind yelled, slowly losing consciousness from the lack of oxygen while we went deeper in.

I don’t want to die, not just yet. I need to help Bayou.

Slowly drifting, I felt an arm wrap around my waist, I dazedly opened my eyes, to see Bayou looking straight at me.

At least we die together, I won’t die alone.

The shadow didn’t let go, but kept on pulling us down, Bayou refused to let me go. I closed my eyes, my arms floated above my head, my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. I felt a hand on my arm pulling each one down, wrapping it around a neck. I loosely open my eyes, and the next thing I knew, warm wet lips pressed against mine, and air passed through my lips. My insides screamed with joy to feel oxygen. My mind became so hazy, losing touch with reality.

It was a strange dream, maybe I was desperate for someone to kiss me? It felt so realistic, but it was not a dream. My own fantasy was that my first kiss would be with my first and only love, even if I didn’t believe in true love.

Without conscious thought, I started to move my lips, making Bayou’s eyes widen. He tightened his hold, and closed his eyes, starting to kiss me back. It was strong and realistic this dream kiss. His arms wrapped around my back, and he tilted his head to the side, to continue kissing me deeply, as though we were one, as though he was desperate. I fist his jacket, kissing him more, ignoring the aching pain in my lungs.

This is a nice dream.

The Shadow pulled us down, disappearing us from the light, and all I could remember was the feel of his soft warm, strong lips claiming mine. Then my world faded into nothingness.