When History Meets Infamy. One Shot

This story was based off of a fictional event that I was told to write for in english class last year. Historical Fiction of sorts. The characters are real. Mixed History within it. Captain Morgans treasure = Real. Necklace, no so much.

"As oft as the wind blows, so does the life of a pirate change.."

Anne could feel the change in the warm heavy Caribbean air. There was a calming yet exciting feeling being wrought throughout Anne's lean build. She knew time would come when her young life of 16 years would not satisfy on this or any piece of dirt. Nassau was home to her as of late, but her heart was called to the sea for the first time as she sat under a tree near the, now, barely lit docks.

2 Hours Earlier

"Anne!" the young man called after the fiery redheaded Irish woman as she paced off in a flurry. Her long hair somehow emulating the heat of her characteristic anger behind her.

"Don' be flittin away in m' ear's James! I've eard' tale of ye bein' way wif that harlot Joanna more than once, n' now ye come back wif her stench !" she shook her head in a irratic manner. "Ye know I wouldn' care of usual, but ye married me ye dog!" She said as she pivoted on her heel stressing her strong, yet delicate fingers with the shiny piece of metal that stood out as an adornment among the other faded and dim looking jewels to his face.

"Ye couldn't of waited...not but one week..!" even in the flashing anger of her blazing green eyes, there could be a sadness sensed. Her voice was now hoarse. This had been going for almost an hour.

James Bonny, a man of slightly taller stature, dirty brown hair and brown eyes the color of a light cocoa, stared straight at a stronger woman than he'd ever before encountered. He met the spitfire Irish woman of his, then, dreams back in Charleston 2 years prior. Then drug her to the Caribbean where they would enjoy each others company till he had the poor idea to make "a woman" out of her through marriage.

"Anne, ye be me lass through and through...I jus' feel tha'...well, we may ave' made a mistake." James said in an unusually quiet voice.

Silence rung through the air of the usually livid town.

"Mistake...." she said with all the self control she could muster. "Bloody Mistake...?" She looked up at him. James felt an uneasy sense of foreboding breeching into his heart.

" When ye make a commitment to me, ye know better than to renig on it like a dog wif' yer tail between yer legs yeh bloody pig!" she said,  barely maintaining her clear accent now letting her Irish.start to seep through

James stood infront of her, clearly disheveled, but still bearing the mark of a fresh slap from one Anne Bonny across his face. Completely wordless he stood in front of her with his arms open in a surrender.

"Pirate.." he said simply


Within seconds it all came into her mind.

The constant questions of her families history, the badgers of what she had on her to buy an ale, the missing pouches of money from her hope chest.

He wanted her for Her families money. She knew and fully accepted of her husband being a pirate. She just never guessed she'd be the first one he'd pillage.

She pulled her gun, shooting it just as fast as she cocked it.

He fell to the ground moments later with a look of surprise on his face, the last thing he ever saw being the unsettling blaze in her green eyes.

"Pirate..." she said back to his now immobile corpse in a quiet voice. A small satisfied tug pulled on the corner of her lips..

End Flashback

The satisfaction of coming to terms with herself made Anne smirk once more as she sat in the dark of night. She wasn't a pirate, just associated with the kind. She never denied the want to be one though.

Now's a different time...now's the beginning of something.. she thought to herself quietly. 

Somehow, it ran in her blood. She felt that she'd always been a bit more unruly. Hanging around Charleston port as a lass, she picked up the lingo, started wearing breeches to her mothers aghast.   It was just hard for her to commit to anything that held her down  Mere hours earlier she had been married, at 16 no less. Almost as soon as it began it ended.

Anne was also no stranger to death, nor the act of killing a person. At age 13 she had stabbed a servant girl in the stomach on her fathers plantation for crossing her the wrong way more than occasionally. Anne felt that it was no accident that she killed her now late husband. There had to be a Catalyst in her life to drive her to this point, of succumbing to her fate. Anne had always had the fascination for pirates and pirate legend ever since she was a wee lass. Although she still cursed the day that James Bonny walked into her life.

She was now rid of the blighter, having lived in the pirate town of Nassau for two years she was established, now inherited her late small husbands estate, and had plenty of friends.

She thought for a moment.

"Its not so bad..you got all you've ever wanted..to be free of the bloody "respectability" of high class, to wear whatever ye want and have fun without being looked down upon..come on ol' Annie, is' no' tha' bad..plus...you can go after what you've been dreaming about for years..." she said to herself in mid sentence but stopped as she saw a dark form take shape across the bright moon that was rising against the ocean. That of a ship made itself apparent in Anne's eyesight. She could make out sails, but what caught her eye was the notorious Jolly Roger flying high in the sky, illuminated by the brilliant moonlight.
she smirked, there was only one man that flew that flag.

It was Jack Rackham

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

"Alrigh' Men! Go off n' get the supplies we need, bring em back to the ship and the next day n a half be yours. Be back by noon the day after next" Jack Rackham's voice filled the air and gave the men their shore leave. He appointed 3 men to stay back with his ship to ensure the safety of it.

"I need a drink" he said under his breath as he swaggered off deck and into the increasingly louder town.

From where Anne was sitting, she could see people exiting the boat. Captain Rackham was making his way to the tavern. Needing a boat to get to what she wanted, she knew now where to go.

Inside the tavern " Bustlin Bill's"

As Jack sat himself down in the corner of the tavern, in a rare seclusive mood and ordered an ale, one Anne Bonny walked into the tavern. The sight of a woman in breeches and a shirt was rare in those days, much less a woman with fire for hair and a presence such as hers. She looked around and surveyed the scene knowing who she was looking for in the crowded tavern.

Jack Rackham on the other hand was surveying her surveying the scene. He eyed her curiously. Something intrigued him, although intrigue and unsettling feelings oft' get mixed with one another.

"Oi! Lass" Jack called out to her

Anne, playing the surprised card, pointed at herself in confirmation as to who he was really calling to, and came over when confirmed by a nod of the head.

"Elo', what business ave' you wif me?" she said with a small quirk of the eyebrow and sat herself down at the table. She didn't even have to initiate the conversation. This may be easier than she had previously thought.

"The question isn't what the business of me avn' wif you, the question is what business ave' you bein' here?" he said in a quick turn of questioning. Jack learned early on that you held your information close to your vest to begin with. Then gradually let information seep through in the correct time and place.

 Anne quirked her eyebrow once again as she said "Now Captain, I presume-" she said in note of his attire and characteristic captains hat. She obviously knew who he was, she just didn't want him to get too smug in his notoriety.  "I believe decent introductions are in order before ye go off askin my business like."

He made a smile and said "Aye, m' name be Captain Jack Rackham. Calico Jack to some" he said standing and with a small bow, his feather hat in one hand. He grabbed for her hand to kiss it but she quickly grabbed it back before he could and gave him a curt nod in acknowledgment of his introduction instead.

Jack gave a short chuckle and shrugged sitting back down.

"Now what be your name Missy?" Jack said taking another sip of ale.

"Firstly its not missy, secondly it be Anne Bonny." Anne decided to keep her married name. Cormac never suited her as well. Even if the blighter was no good, she could still keep something.

"Aye, so now what, may I ask, is your business here...miss...Bonny. Now that we've made proper introductions n all."

Anne would've inquired of his interest in her had not she been so desperate for a ship. Coyness  had never been Anne's strong point and now was no time to start. Beating around the bush would not profit her now.

"Captain, I need a ship, and I think I have an offer that I think you may find profitable.."

"Aye, profitable eh?" he said with a glint of interest in his eyes. "Now, just....how...profitable?"
he said leaning forward on the table.

"Beyond your wildest dreams Captain..." she said, the glint now spreading to her eyes as well in excitement.

"Thats a large accusation considering I have been through many an adventure and m' dreams grow wilder by day. Tell me, what makes you think I'd be takin advice from a lass, allbiet an interestin' one at that..what makes you think your worth takin on an adventure with my crew?"

"Jack, I know the folklore, I know the legends. I have studied, I know the maps, I am competent..." she said in a defensive manner towards the end of the sentance, her tone raising a bit. "And I'm the only one that knows how to get there..." she said her voice dropping to just above a whisper as she came eye level with the notorious pirate captain.

"Now where be that?" he said in an equally quiet voice.

"Have you ever heard of Captain Morgan's Treasure Jack?" she said, her voice in still little above a whisper. The question may as well of been a rhetorical. Every person, let alone pirate, had heard of Captain Morgan's Treasure.

He became more skeptical. "Now how exactly do you figure..." he said leaning back in his seat now feeling like he was duped before his eyes went wide as she pulled out a map along with a curious looking pendant.

"Now Captain, ye be takin a risk, but its not like you aven't taken em before, what say you? Does this make your skeptisism fade a bit?" she said determinedly as she let the pendant swing from her hand as it hung from her neck. It was a Jade pendant, but the back of the pendant formed into a pattern of sorts. A key almost..

"Quite a bit to be sure." he said as he eyed the map with his curious eyes still bulging.

"So what say you? Can I join ye crew as second in command? I can hold me own...just ask my...late.. husband." he said to herself with a quick chuckle as he looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Dead as of a few hours ago. Don't worry yeself bout it." he said dismissing his curiosity.

Jack sat back and analyzed the situation that sat before him with a gulp. He exhaled realizing he was holding a breath and then looked back up at Anne.

"Bonny, know that I am not accountable for m' man's actions aboard ship when I'm not round, they aren't the nicest men in the world. They're reliable to be sure, but not the most honorable bunch when ye throw a woman into the mix..if yer willin to take the risk, ye can join m'crew. I'll make ye second in command. Does that suit ye?" he said nodding in her directions as he shook his head in quiet disbelief.

"Aye Captain!" he said standing and pulling him to his feet in a half armed embrace. She folded up the map and stuck it in her shirt. They made to leave the tavern. Anne put the Jade pendant (by now Jack was convinced it was a key disguised as a pendant) back under her shirt.

 "So! Jack, how exactly did you get the name Calico?" Anne said they strolled out of the tavern into the distance.

One looking at this picture of Jack and Anne walking next to each other would think that they were already a tight nit team.

In assuming this, they would be right.
 

Author's Note

for the record, Jack Sparrow of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean is based off of real life Jack Rackham. Although Jack Rackham was one of the worst well known pirates ever. So apparantly, Jack sparrow is loosely based on him. Just a funny fyi. Comment and do what you will with it.

Reviews

[I C S Clark-Hogg]

Being English I find your American language a little difficult to understand at times as your use of words is strange to me. The first section is a little confusing too and I would have prefered that you made the flashback obvious in your dialogue and description rather than stating it.

After saying that, you have a good story line and your characters are beginning to come alive. A little revision and you have the makings of a good story. I want to read more of it.
Irene