For Freedom and Redemption

The wind was howling and the rain was blinding. The waves were shaking the boat that kept cracking under each attack from the mother sea. Leaves and branches were flying around, brought from the mainland by the ongoing storm. The perpetual tempest. 

Seven years she had been looking for this treasure and it was now so close. With time, it had become an obsession. All she did, all she worked for, was this gem, this powerful ruby. Oh that ruby! The legends painted a formidable picture of it. She doubted them for years, even though she searched for it, but the tempest raging around the remote island strengthened her belief that all those legends were true. She needed them to be true.

Alissa’s short curly hairs were dripping on her face. Her manly clothes, used to conceal her real sex, flapped around her legs and arms and hit her skin following the movement of the destructive force of the wind. The woman had to hide the truth from the crew. This meant that to them, she was not Alissa, no! She was Captain Al “the Vicious” Boyd, a man who commanded respect, and who did not tolerate otherwise. More than one crew member had to pay the price for their insolence. Some of their heads were still attached to the bowsprit as a reminder, giving the name of the ship, the Bloody Buccaneer, an all-new significance. The crew knew better than to not obey the orders. 

If they had found out the truth, they probably wouldn't have followed her despite her ferocity and her brutality. She wouldn’t have been appointed captain. They would surely have hidden her away, as per the code. Her days would have been spent in close quarters, not being able to see the sun until the next island. All this supposedly to protect her virtue, a virtue that she lost long ago. Stuck in a man’s world, she had to bury her true nature to play the game and she was good at it. After all, she had played it long enough now, but as the years went by, she grew tired of playing it. This would certainly be over soon. The ruby would give her the power to change everything.

After all, it was her only hope to see him again. It was her only chance to have him back in her life as he was supposed to be. Her poor boy, lost too soon, way too soon. She remembered the look on his face when she found him lifeless on the floor of his room after his  father beat him to death. She remembered the rage she felt, the rage she still felt in her heart after her little man was taken away from her. Now she was on the path to recovering him. She just needed that ruby and she could finally be free to be herself, she could finally let go of the anger and finally atone for not being able to protect her child.

She saw the first mate looking in her direction as he yelled over the howling of the wind, the tapping of the rain and the clapping sound of the sails.

“Capt’n what should we do now?”

She observed the man, he would certainly think that she lost her mind. 

“We gotta locate the rupture point in that cliff and go in.”

The first mate’s eyes got bigger. The captain saw the fear in them. Heading through such a narrow place with the wrath of the sea would be harsh. She knew he’d find her crazy, but she made no case of it. This was her order and the crew had to follow it. If they decided to mutiny, after all she heard talk about it, she’d take a jolly boat and go there by herself. It was too close to give up. She was ready to do anything to get it, even if it meant doing this alone, event if it meant risking her life. 

The waves kept crushing the ship. Alissa had more and more trouble directing the vessel as maneuvers just got harder and harder to realize. After all those years, this was the last test.  This storm, this ongoing storm, was her final challenge. She knew it. This was her lifetime achievement. The ruby was now so close. She looked carefully at the cliff in front of her. She just needed to find the right opening and the right timing. If only the rain could stop for a second, allowing her to see furthermore. The captain finally noticed what she was searching for. Without hesitation, she turned the helm and sailed right into the crevasse. The move was so sudden that the hull struck the rocks portside. The sound that came from the collision left no doubt in the Captain’s mind. The boat was hit, broken even. The Bloody Buccaneer would surely start sinking soon. No time to lose then. 

In the creek, the waves were more treacherous, stone formations would peek over the water line. 

“This is madness! It’s suicide, Capt’n, yelled the first mate. You’ll kill us all!”

Alissa made no case of the comment, she kept going, ordering the sails to be fully open. Her crew looked at her like she was crazy, and maybe she was. As for the first mate, well, he grew furious. Once more she didn’t take into account his opinion or his expertise. He was tired of listening to a captain who didn’t have his people’s safety at heart. If he was going to die, it would be while trying to save his mates. 

The first mate looked at the woman he believed to be a man, and angrily pushed her away. He knew the rest of the crew wouldn’t mind him rejecting the Captain's orders. After all, the mutiny talk happened more and more over the last few weeks. His only regret was that he did not confront the Captain sooner, but as the others, he was scared. But now it was too much. He got his sword and attacked his superior. In one swift motion, “Al” managed to clear herself for the man’s blade and with one flick of the wrist cut the poor boy’s throat. Alissa looked coldly as her former compagnon fell to the ground, forgetting to look where the boat was heading. 

Just as she lifted her head, she saw a rock peak coming out of the water. She tried to avoid it, but it was too late. The hit was so brutal that the bow and bowsprit got destroyed. The rest of the boat was projected up front, throwing at the same time the captain and the crew across the air and into the raging sea. 

Alissa swam to the surface and managed to find a jolly boat. The woman managed to get on it as she felt a stirring pain in her torso. She groaned as she examined her stomach and saw a wooden piece transpiercing her and making her shirt redder by the second. No need to look further, the woman knew what this meant. She pushed the thoughts or future demise away, ignored the ache and took the oars. Her time was counted and she would make the best of it. She looked around, despite the rain and the salt water in her eyes. She finally found the cave entrance. With what strength she had left, she roamed for what seemed like ages. 

She paddled through the obscure tunnel. Here no rain, no wind, just the movement of water and the enveloping darkness. She kept rowing until she saw a light being reflected on thousands of golden pieces. She was finally there, she had made it. Alissa berthed her embarkation and got out with a groan. She felt so weak from all the blood loss. Her legs could barely hold her. She fell to the ground just as she noticed the red gemstone. It was right there in front of her. Just an arm’s length away. She grinned as she moved to claim it. Her fingers touched the smooth surface of the jewel. She closed her grip on it and approached it closer to her face. She admired the one thing that should have brought her freedom, brought her the atonement she needed. 

A red haze appeared around her. She felt as if something was enveloping her, hugging her, keeping her safe. Alissa finally saw the shadow of her boy, the one person she was ready to sacrifice everything for. The kid moved closer, a smile on his face.

“Mummy!”, he called.

She smiled back at him and with her last breath she looked at his face. The shadow faded away as her hand fell to the ground and the gem rolled away. Her strengths had abandoned her. It was over. Her life had come to an end. Maybe that’s what freedom was like for her. Maybe that’s what her atonement would be. 

Freedom and redemption... in death.