That evening I was alone in Sally’s old room. The Mayor had taken Benjamin out to show him around the citizens district, (that’s where everyone lives and where you are apparently supposed to go trick-or-treating).
I sat up in my bed flicking though my drawings. And then, I came across a drawing of my father.
I almost started to cry.
However, my emotion of sorrow was distracted when I heard a knock on the door.
‘You may come in.’ I allowed as I looked up from my drawings to see whom had knocked on the door.
I smiled when I saw a friendly face.
‘You’re majesty.’ I got to my feet to great him.
‘Call me “Jack”, Annie.’
‘I apologize, sire.’
‘Not “sire”. “Jack”.’ Jack corrected me again.
I simply laughed with delight.
‘What brings you here, your majesty? I am starting my drawing tomorrow, am I not?’ I believed.
‘I hear you’ve had some trouble, Annie.’
‘“Trouble”, your majesty?’
‘Trouble with nightmares.’
That noun shrunk my smile.
Looked at the drawing in my hand.
‘Emma say’s that she can’t tell me what they are about. But they can’t be that bad.’
‘Your majesty. I’m afraid they are exceedingly painful. The memories in my heart that they awaken are not pleasant ones.’
‘But nightmares are a part of Halloween Town. If a nightmare’s too scary, then what are you going to do on Halloween?’
‘Sire, my nightmares are not scary.’
I wandered over to my bed and sat myself down. ‘They hurt me.’
I looked down to the floor in my sorrow.
Jack sat himself next to me as he noticed I was almost crying.
‘Nightmares can’t hurt you, Annie. They’re just dreams.’
‘They hurt my heart, sire. They are about something that happened in my world. Something that destroyed my life before it even ended.’
I sighed as I looked at my drawing of a ship I sailed on.
‘I know that you know little about life, sire. But you must know how precious life is. And how fragile it is.’
I closed my eyes as I began to cry.
‘Oh, Annie.’ Jack pulled out a tissue from the box next to my bed and passed it to me. ‘What could have happened in your world to make you so upset like this?’
I wiped my eyes with the tissue in my hand.
‘My story is sorrowful, your majesty. Are you sure you wish to hear it?’
‘Try me, Annie.’
‘Alright then. I suppose I should start from the beginning…
-
I was born in Spain, at a costal port known as El Puerto. My mother was a Spanish beauty, however I barely knew her. She died when I was only two years old.
Now my father, his name was Bartholomew Rose. However, he was more commonly known as Captain Bart. A ruthless and merciless pirate Captain idolized by buccaneers and feared by everyone else. Rich with treasure and Captain of a fine ship Grand Maria, which he named after his lost love.
Captain Bartholomew Rose was know for his pillaging and plundering and was considered a merciless man with no room in his heart for anyone but his dear lost wife. However, there were rumours that the union with his dear wife was blessed. It was know to some that Bartholomew Rose had a son. Some pirates whom had crewed aboard his ship clamed to have eye witnessed the child and seen him for their selves.
Those who believed he had a child were right. But those who believed he had a son were wrong. For Bartholomew was know to me by the name of ‘father’. Unknown to the rest of the seas, Captain Bart had a daughter. This ruthless, merciless man, who was though by most to be a scoundrel, to me was a kind and devoted father.
Each year as I grew up, we would always be together. With my father by my side, my life was happy and content. It did not matter to me that my father was a pirate and even a wanted man, he was still my father, and was the only one who loved me dearly.
If my father made port, I would always have to disguise myself as a boy. It was thought by my father that if people knew he had a daughter, it might make me vulnerable. A young lady like myself needed to be protected in waters as dangerous as the Spanish main. You see, girls and women were practically banned from the sea. It was even tough bad luck to have a female aboard a ship, especially if you were a pirate.
But that didn’t stop my father from caring about his child. It did not matter to him whether I was born a boy or girl, I was his child. His only child.
However, the rest of the souls who thought he had a son believed that after Bartholomew was gone, his son would take his place.
This troubled the kings navy officers. The Captains on the other side of this good and evil balance also believed that Captain Bartholomew had a son, and eliminating my father wouldn’t be enough. Unless his son was killed as well, the reign of Captain Bart would continue to rule the Spanish Main…’
-
I flicked though my drawing book until I got to a drawing of a ship. I brought it to life for Jack.
‘This is…Grand Maria?’ He questioned.
‘Yes, but she was more commonly known simply as Maria.’
‘And you’ve drawn this from memory?’
‘I have spent most of my life on her. Since I was four. That’s five years aboard her, sire. I remember that ship well. it was my home.’
Jack then noticed another one of my drawings.
‘And is that your father?’
I passed the book to Jack.
‘I can not bring him to life. I can not bring like into a person or specific character.’
Jack gazed at the drawing.
‘But Annie, if you were so happy, where have the nightmares come from?’
‘That’s the next part of my story, sire. I knew I should have seen this day coming. My father was a wanted man. The king’s navy were willing to just about anything to stop him…
-
It was a cold December night. I had fallen asleep still fully dressed. I had been flicking through my drawings. I had so many.
However elsewhere, the crew above deck had sighted three navy vessels catching up to us on the starboard side.
My father had awakened and the order was given to set full-canvas. My father did not wish to fight, there were three ships. Despite out ship being stronger, my father was not going to risk it, besides, our ship was far faster.
However, as they turned the ship round hard to starboard, more navy vessels appeared on the horizon in front of us.
It was an ambush.
Little did I know that we were getting prepared for an battle.
I was still asleep.
Until the banging of footsteps woke me up.
I was a bit drowsy at first.
I could hear a lot of shouting.
I was sure something was wrong.
I headed for the door when I felt a shudder and heard a bang.
One of the cannons had been fired.
I immediately knew that there was a fight taking place.
Though I did not worry, our ship had been in many fights before. But when I gazed out of my window and saw at least three ships coming into position on the port side, I panicked.
I ran out of my room calling for my father.
Hearing me calling, he ran towards where my voice was coming from.
As he reached me, he advised me, and almost commanded me to hide in the ships hold.
This order was obviously to protect me. So I obeyed.
However, as I hid in the inner of the deepest part of the hull, I began to fear.
My father had never told me to hid before. With this many ships, there must have been something more to fear.
And then, there was a shudder and an explosion. Then more followed.
The battle had begun.
The wind howled. The rain plummeted down.
I could here shouting coming from my father’s crew.
The shouting did not sound like they were wining and having a great old time. They sounded like they were panicking.
And then, I smelt smoke.
You will not get smoke with out a fire.
I was surrounded by gunpowder barrels in the hold, so for my own safety, I ran up deck.
If the battle was this serious, I wanted to make sure my father was alright.
But as I ran up the stairs and saw the sight of the ship once more, I was shocked.
There were men from the navy vessels aboard our ship and gunpowder had been spilt and it had been set alight.
I saw the bodies of cut down crewmen lain lifeless upon the timber boards.
“Anastasia!” Yelled a voice from behind me.
My father was fighting in a swords combat.
He quickly defeated his opponent and ran to protect me.
An enemy was about to strike at me with a sword, but I drew mine in defence.
My father then took over and dispatched the one who threatened his daughter.
My father ordered me to run.
Obeying his protective command, I ran towards the stern. My father followed, protecting me as I went.
However, before we got as far as ten yards, we were surrounded.
I was pulled from behind by soldiers.
I screamed. My father tried to protect me, but he was disarmed as gun barrel ends surrounded the two of us.
Fearing for my life. I dared not struggle.
But the navy were not interested in a little girl. They were interested in Captain Bart.
It was a chaotic moment to which I witnessed, however, I shall never forget how it ended.
One of the navy officers held a pistol up to the head of the great pirate captain.
Then, there was a shocking sound that changed my life forever. That sound was the firing of a pistol…’
-
I began to cry.
‘No one knew the truth about the son of Captain Bartholomew Rose. Until they heard a little girl scream “Father”.’
I tucked my knees close to my chest, laid my head down and cried uncontrollably.
‘Is that what you’ve been having nightmares about?’ Jack assumed correctly.
I looked up from my sobbing and nodded.
‘Oh, Annie. Come here.’ Jack held out his arms.
I threw my arms around him as I continued to cry.
Jack hugged me back and tried to calm me down.
‘I can’t have you having nightmares like that.’ He began. ‘Emma’s right. There must be away to stop it.’
‘But your majesty. That isn’t all in my hurtful dreams. There is more, sire.’
‘More? How can your story get any worse?’
I attempted to wipe the tears from my eyes.
‘Since I was a girl, the officers decided to spare my life. They took me back to my ship. However, there was just one question still dwelling in my mind, what was going to happen to me now?…
-
I was branded upon my left arm. It stung for days after. The brand was the letter P, for pirate. All captured pirate have to have the mark in case they ever escaped.
Exactly what was going to happen to me when the ship reached England, I did not know. Neither did the officers aboard the ship. All I knew was that I would be taken to a prison cell while it was enquired about what was to be done with me.
When the ship made port, I was brought out in irons and chains and escorted to the prisons.
Dwelling in a cold, filthy cell for hours gave me time to think about all that had happened to me. I wanted to believe that this was just a dream and that I would wake up and be back with my father.
I remained crying alone. Facing the truth that what had always been had now gone forever.
However, that night, a crowd gathered outside the prison walls.
I looked through the barred bare window as I heard shouting.
There were peasants and village people with torches.
I thought they were against the idea of letting the child of Bartholomew Rose live and were here to kill me. But I was wrong. Completely wrong.
They had heard the truth about Captain Bart’s son. And had also hear that the Captain of the ship that brought me here had decided that I was to hang at dawn the next day. However, the people of the village had decided that is was not right to let a little girl hang.
They all had come to break me out of my cell and carry me to safety.
Saved I was. But not for long.
The next day, I was found and those who had helped rescue me were sentenced as well.
But more people gathered again to free me from my prison walls a second time.
With so many innocent people against my death sentence, careful consideration took place at the governors house.
After he had heard of what had happened, the governor himself wished to see this little girl in question.
I was brought to his house to meet governor Williams in person.
I was lucky.
Governor Williams took a liking to me. He noticed my sense of propriety, my highly mannered personality, and did not believe me to be anything like my father. He too believed that I did not deserve to hang and even tried to help me.
He sent a letter to the king, informing him about me and that I was the child of Bartholomew Rose and yet a kind young lady. The Governor requested letters of marque from the king that would pardon me from any crimes of which I was accused of and let me live my life a free soul.
We received a letter from the lady in-waiting some days later. She wrote that the king was in doubt and requested to see me in person to judge for himself whether or not I deserved to be condemned.
The next day, I set off with Governor Williams in his carriage and rode off to London.
Our king was unlike you, sire. His name was Henry Tudor. The people of England thought of him as a selfish, greedy man. Some people feared him more than my father. I was afraid of him myself, if he was as selfish as the people said he was. But my life depended on his decision.
When I was brought to the palace, I felt nothing but fear in my heart. Though Governor Williams escorted me the entire journey and even all the way to the king’s throne. I still trembled slightly.
As I was brought to the presents of King Henry himself I fell to my knees in both respect and fear.
I began to plead my case. I told his majesty how I’d never done a thing wrong on my life and I would never do the things my father had done.
I also informed him about the people and their endeavour to rescue me. This meant that the entire village where I dwelled believed my innocence.
But the king saw this information from another angle. He only saw more crime.
If these people had freed or attempted to free a subject condemned to death then they must also be condemned. It was the law.
But the only mercy the king showed was the choice he gave me.
If these people wanted me to live so much as it was more important then their lives, then I would life, and they would hang for freeing my soul.
But there was a chance their crimes would be pardoned, if I was willing to take the punishment for their crimes.
I thought about this hard decision.
Either way, people would die. But there was one way where only one life would be taken.
That was choice I made.
The next day at dawn, I stood upon a barrel with a trapdoor below me and a noose hanging down in front of my face.
The crowd surrounding the platform were shouting as they were against this from the very beginning.
A loud voice called out over the rest, reading out from a scroll and declaring that the child of a most notorious man be on this day hung by the neck until dead, and may god have mercy on my soul.
I felt the rain on the back of my head.
I felt the cold sending a chill down my spine.
And I felt the fear in my heart as the drums began to role.
The black masked executioner looped the noose around my neck and tied it tight.
I trembled.
I silently cried.
I closed my eyes.
And then, the floor disappeared from under me and everywhere snapped to black…
-
In a way I was lucky. The drop broke my neck. I was unconscious as the rope strangled me.’
I paused as I sniffled.
‘I woke up in the IDCG. Then that got destroyed and me and my friends were scattered. And then I woke up here. You know the rest, your majesty.’
‘I do know the rest.’ Jack began. ‘You’re now safe and sound. You can forget about all this and remember where you are now. You’re here with your friends Emma and Benjamin, and your new friends. You’re here with me and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.’
I wish I could say that Jack’s attempts to reassure me were working.
‘I also know now why you insist on calling me “sire” and “Your majesty” but there’s no need. You have to start calling me “Jack”. You’re a friend, not a slave.’
‘But, sire. I…’
‘“Jack”.’ Jack corrected and interrupted.
‘You are a king. I am merely a orphan. I must show respect and a sense of propriety.’
‘Fine then, I guess I’ll use that to my advantage.’
‘What do you mean, sire?’
‘Annie, as King of Halloween Town, I order you to call me “Jack”.’
I felt that there was no way out of this one. Perhaps to address a king by his first name might be the better option. Jack certainly was not anything like the king in my world. He was honourable.
‘So, what are you going to call me, Annie? Let’s get this right.’
I was hesitant at first. If I was to treat this King with respect, addressing him by his first name would be wrong.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me at least once more to address you by the name of which you speak, your majesty. Always at least once more.’
Jack dropped his head into his hand and sighed.
‘However, I must unfortunately remind you of a far greater problem, sire. How are we going to prevent me from having nightmares again? You say that it cannot be stopped as long as I am in this town.’
‘Hmm.’ Jack pondered.
‘Maybe the Doctor might a though of something since Emma told him of these nightmares.’ Jack hopped of the bed where he was sitting and onto his feet.
‘May I go with you, sire? I am curious to know, myself.’
‘Of course, Annie.’ Jack held out his hand.
I took hold as Jack led me to the laboratory where the Doctor actually had been working on an idea that might actually prevent my nightmares.
‘I might know a way, however, I’ve searched the entire lab and I can’t find one.’ The Doctor explained, but did not entirely make his explanation clear.
‘One what, sir?’ I questioned.
‘It’s called a dream catcher.’ The Doctor wheeled over to a book where lain a picture of a dream catcher on the page.
‘It’s supposed to catch nightmares. But I can’t find one anywhere. I doubt we have one anywhere in this town, or else there would be someone somewhere here without nightmares, and that’s never happened before.’
However, I had a marvellous idea that would solve all our problems.
‘I know, sir.’ I began speaking to Doctor Finklestein.
‘I could draw a dream catcher. If it takes me all day to draw it and if it is highly detailed, then it will last all night.’
‘Of course. That’s a perfect idea. Is there anything your drawing’s can’t do?’ Stated Jack and questioned.
‘I have not found a fault yet, sire.’
‘“Jack”.’ Jack corrected.
I simply smiled as I rushed off to the room I sleep and retrieved my drawing book.
I sat upon the bed and immediately began sketching away.
I already knew what a dream catcher looked like, the Native Americans used them. I know this because Ramona had one and she told me all about them.
I already had a design in mind.
I was so excited to draw, however, I knew that I must not rush. I needed to ensure that this drawing would last all night, and catch any nightmares that dared to trouble me.
