Page 24 of Found at Sea

However, Everton was not as welcoming as I’d hoped.

Thieving was something I wasn’t proud of, but I’d done it to survive. Not only did I steal food. I also stole trinkets and jewels from the wealthy to sell for coin to buy food.

When I was ten years of age, a ship with black sails entered the harbor. The townsfolk watched in awe as it approached, and the ones who weren’t in awe stared in fear. Whoever these men were, I knew they were not to be confronted.

I hid behind a large crate by the water and watched as men left the ship.

Most of them looked unkempt, in dire need of a good washing. But the man at the forefront appeared regal and strong, wearing a black tricorn hat and a long black coat that touched his knees. A dark beard covered his jaw and cheeks, but it was cut short, and his brown hair was pulled back. Although he was intimidating, he was fetching.

I remained quiet as they passed, and only when they were gone did I move from my spot.

That day changed everything for me.

Later that evening, I saw a man in the tavern, slouching in his seat as the many mugs of ale he’d downed took effect. Noiselessly, I approached him…and more importantly, approached the bag of coin jutting out from his pocket. With ease, I wiggled it loose, and once the bag was in my clutches, I fled.

Sometimes thieving was just a little too easy. I was small—mainly because I didn’t eat enough to grow strong—and I was quick.

Outside the tavern, not even the stars were shining due to the cloudy night. The smell of rain lingered in the air, as if the sky was going to open and pour any moment. I was making my way to my hiding place behind the bakery when a hand reached out and gripped my arm.

That’s when I came face to face with the man from the ship with the black sails.

“Where ya off to, lad?” he asked in a deep, rough voice. Before I could stop him, he snatched the bag of coin from my hand. “And what do ya have ‘ere?”

“Release me, you swine!” I spat at him before lunging for the bag. He held it above my head, and I slapped at his arm. “That’s my coin!”

The man leaned down and his face spread into a chilling smile. “You have spirit, lad. I’ll give ya that. But if you ever lay a hand on me again I’ll chop it off.”

Oddly enough, he returned the bag to me. I hurriedly shoved it in my pocket and was about to run away, when his heavy hand slapped down on my shoulder.

“I have a proposition for ya, lad,” he said. “You’re small and fast. Can weasel yer way into tight areas and ya know how to pickpocket. Join my crew. Steal for me and I’ll make sure yer treated well.”

I’d learned not to trust anyone, so I narrowed my eyes. “How do I know you aren’t tricking me?”

“Any trick is better than how yer livin’ now, lad,” the man said, motioning to my ragged clothes and the dirt upon my cheeks. “What do ya say? Do we have an accord?”

“Aye.” Even though I was unsure of his true intentions, I smiled up at him. Something told me to trust him. So I did.

Soon, I’d discovered that the men were pirates, and he was their captain. Captain Flynn. I started work as a swab, but then he made me his cabin boy. I’d run errands for him, steal when we made port in the various towns along the coast, and as the years passed, I began to view him more as a father.

I was reborn the day I became a pirate. For the first time in my life, I’d found a purpose. A home.