Slowly, she crept out of the crate that had become her savior. Drenched in sweat, she gulped in the sea air as soon as the lid was removed. She briefly considered putting her clothes back on, but decided that her undergarments would have to do, for it was difficult to be stealthy in a petticoat.
Crawling up the stairs, she heard the muffles sounds of celebration and laughter. But which side had won? There was only one way to find out. Gently, she lifted the trap door that led to the deck, only to have it smashed down heavily by someone's foot. She waited a minute, holding her breath until the footsteps faded away, and then she tried to open the hatch again.
This time she met no resistance, and dared to peek out of the small space.
The victors were dumping bodies overboard, inspecting cabins and cheering. The pirates had won. Dismay crossed the young girl's face as she saw the captain's corpse fall into the sea, pushed by two ruthless men wearing ripped pantaloons and wide, V necked T shirts. She had never seen pirates before today, and despite her disgust at all that was happening, she was curious of what these people were like. They all dressed alike, wearing bright colors and thick buckled boots. Most of them wore head dressings such as bandannas, though some were bald. Catalina couldn't help but notice that all of these men wore an extensive amount of Jewelry, usually gold bands with a precious gem in the middle. There were also necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, all gold and silver. Catalina could have sworn that she even saw a glimmer of gold in a man's mouth, posing as a tooth!
Her studies were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of two pirates coming from the captains quarters. The first thing that she noticed was that both of these men wore black, although the taller one was distinguished by a typical captain's hat and cape. The next thing that she noticed was that they were heading right for her below deck! In a panic, she dropped the trap door and bolted down the stairs. Leaping over her deserted attire, she clambered back into her original hiding place.
After carefully putting the lid back on the crate, she tried to calm her breathing down in order to hear.
The hatch opened, and she heard a voice say:
"No, Crimby, I want you to see if the ship still has some cargo in it. They might have picked up some merchandise in the last port, unlikely though it may be."
"As you wish, Captain." a deeper voice replied.
She heard one pair of footsteps stomp down the stairs, and then a pause as i reached the bottom.. The silence lasted a full two minutes, and Catalina began to panic. Shifting slightly, she was able to see through a minuscule hole on the side of the crate.
There was one of the darkly dressed men, standing as still as a statue except for his head, which revolved slowly around the room, surveying as if looking for a good hiding place. Catalina could hardly guess his actions until her eyes rested on the floor, where she had left-
Oh gods! The dress!
She must have emitted a small gasp because suddenly the man charged towards the crate, and drew a wicked looking dagger from his belt. He pulled the lid off with little effort, and yanked Catalina out of her sanctuary roughly.
"Please! She screamed. "Please, don't kill me!" But he already had the dagger to her throat, and she feared for the worst.
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