Malcolm woke up in his normal shackles to the side of the ship, the rain pouring on his brown, bald head. The moon as full as can be shining on his face. Slowly as he regained consciousness, he looked to his right to find his best friend dead with bullets in his chest. He scooted away from him, breathing intensely. The tears fell down his face. 

“Caleb,” he muttered. Hoping it would wake him up but he was long gone with holes in his melanin skin.

The storm around him raged on and he stared into the scenery of dead men piled on one another all with gunshot wounds. He looked to the opposing ship and the same image of dead white men shot and killed.  The blood on his ship was mixing with the rain splashing against him.

There were about ten men on both sides of these fancy yet old pirate-like ships. Shooting each other with their rifles. The bullets grazed his dark brown skin. He thought about how he was right next to his best friend yet no fatal shot has hit him yet. His optimism got the best of him and taking this all in he decided to try to get himself loose yanking his hands off the ship walls which he was tied to. 

He didn’t know where he was; they never told him, nor did he want to go wherever they were taking him. All he knew was that he wanted to be free. He yanked against the metal he was connected to. He was noticed by one of the white men in suits in his ship. Malcom froze, staring at him, shaking of what was going to happen.  

“What you doing there boi?” The man said.

Malcolm didn’t speak, he knew it wasn’t worth answering.

“You wanna be free?” The man said, the cockiness can be heard through his laugh. “Alrighty, be free!” and he shot the chain from its root leaving him still shackled but not connected to the wall.

The man dragged Malcolm by his neck for he didn’t have a shirt or hair to pull on and he pushed him into the crossfire using him as a distraction, as he hid behind a wall snickering “A boy like you could never be free.”

Malcolm was of mid height, dark skinned muscular 17 year old boy. He was only wearing khaki like pants. The bullets still only grazed him missing him instead it hit the other people on his ship. 

With all the bullets flying he still wasn’t hit once. He ran to take cover behind a brown chest box. He thought again of how blessed he was that he still wasn’t hit. 

There were only 2 men on both sides.

The man chased after him through the crossfire and in that split second the man was shot. He fell right by Malcom’s feet, blood leaking out of his head onto Malcolms toes. Malcolm kicked him out the way in disgust. The other man on his ship saw what Malcolm did.

Malcom carefully took cover hoping that the last person on the other ship would win. He removed the chains from himself but kept them in his hands. 

The last guy on his ship took out the other two and he looked around him. He smiled for his victory but his smile slowly faded.

 He paced around the ship. “What will I tell the king?” He recalled seeing Malcom so he thought he could trade Malcolm in and blame it all on him. “They wouldn’t mind taking his life,” he said nervously. He began searching for him. Malcolm stayed hidden behind barrels and other objects on the ship. 

Malcolm was getting closer and closer to him then finally he got behind him, put the chain around his neck and pulled him to the ground, choking him. Malcolm closed his eyes hoping it would be over quick but the struggles continued through the storm and lightning. The guy tried head butting him but Malcolm moved out the way.

Malcolm gritted his teeth “Just die.. Die already.” Slowly the fighting stopped, the kicking stopped. He heard the man choke but tuned it out with the rain.

Then finally it ended. Although he didn’t stop choking him. The rain was the only sound he could hear. He choked him until he lost his strength and then he let go.

He took in the scenery around him and saw his slave buddies dead.

“Wow.” He said, shaking his head wiping his tears, almost desensitized to the whole thing .He sat against the ship’s sail which was the middle of it all. 

He began to cry again.. He was in the middle of the ocean and his ship was in alright condition. There was nothing around him but just pain. He began hitting the back of his head against the sail. Until it began to bleed. He kept banging his head and crying even louder. The only thing on his mind was WHY? Why him? 

Malcolm asked for freedom since he could remember but he never knew this is what it was like and that it was so expensive.

 PART 2

In the middle of his turmoil. He heard muffled screams coming from the other ship. He ignored it because he couldn't care about the lives of greedy men. Then as the screams continued he realized it was a woman. “Anyone, somebody, help!” the voice yelled through the heavy rain.

Still Malcolm sat and contemplated if he should help. He could hear her voice cracking through the screams. He shook his head. Why should I help her?

The more he sat the heavier his chest got. He shook his head in frustration. He recalled how he was the one always at someone else’s mercy, he thought how could I be the same as my oppressors?

The ships were near each other. Malcom doubted his swimming skills so he took a couple steps back then dashed, jumped to the next ship. As soon as he landed he noticed water was filling the ship, the water was at his ankles. The ship was going to sink soon.

The voice continued with pleas for help. There was no one on the ship. “I must be going crazy!” he said, pacing somewhat, laughing at himself for the situation he was in.

“Down here!” the voice said then he looked below. He saw a little spot that could open. Blended in with the ship's wood. 

Within he saw a girl dressed in all white with gold around her body. She had large diamond and gold hairpins in her head and a tiara to match. She wore a white veil but was in a cage. 

The water level was to her shoulders. “You ok?” Malcolm asked, astonished seeing a girl like her this way. 

The two made eye contact. Her pale face turned red and her eyes fixated on him and his scars from the whips, the blood across his head and his bullet grazed body.

 Malcolm turned angry and shouted “Even when you're this close to death you and your people can’t acknowledge me.”

“What do you mean?” she said in her british accent. 

“I saw it in your eyes. That degrading look.” He stepped away from the hole she was in.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just couldn’t help but see what- I mean who you are.” 

“A slave!” Malcom added on.

“Yes.. but you're more than that, I'm sure.”

He stared at her long and hard and she stared back through the veil intensely with her green eyes. 

No words were exchanged as the water level slowly rose to her neck but she didn’t say anything at this point still. Malcolm took this as her demanding to be saved. He wasn’t taking this treatment anymore especially in the middle of the ocean. I don’t owe her or anyone anything.

“Are you not going to beg?!” Malcolm asked.

“I wasn’t raised that way. Never begged and won’t beg now.”

“Then die!” Malcolm's eyes twitched from anger and he looked away, rejecting her completely, walking away. 

“Don’t look away, be a man watch me drown.” 

Malcolm watched as the water level went to her mouth and her eyes fixated on him determined not to beg… 

Malcolm couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t let her die while knowing he could save her. He grabbed the cage and dragged it out onto the water coated ship floor.

He sat in front of the cage from a distance breathing heavily from the weight of the cage, regaining his energy.

 “You're quite strong.” the girl said softly after thanking him. 

Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“When someone gives you a compliment you say thank you.” She said sort of schooling him. Which only made Malcolm even angrier.

She continued small talk anyway. “What’s your story?” she asked.

Malcolm, totally disengaged with the conversation, staring off into the sea simply muttered “slave boy being sold across the seas… You should know all about that.” He added slickly.

The girl noticed the zero effort, the little eye contact and his body language. “Do all slaves not have manners?!”

Malcom was then fully engaged and clenched his fist. “You don’t know what you're talking about!”

“Well I was never allowed to go near the slaves, so yeah I wouldn’t know.”

“Annoying,” Malcolm said, shaking his head.

“So are you!” The girl continued telling Malcolm about her life. She said that she just turned 18 and her dad was trying to marry her off to some old king and that is why she was in the cage. She tried to run away multiple times but could never escape. “We're all slaves to something” she said, sighing. 

Malcolm just looked at her; he could only see a slight image of her face such as her green eyes, reddish, brown hair and white skin. 

She continued “While I was in that cage down below, I just thought it wouldn’t end this way no way. Look now, freedom. Freedom for us both! Right.” She said, extremely enthusiastic with her hands around the cage.

Malcolm smiled from the corner of his mouth “Freedom” he whispered.” Finally Malcolm approached the cage and began yanking at the lock.

“Do you know where the key is?” he asked.

“I don’t, I’m sorry!”

The ship got hit by something and the cage slid towards Malcolm. 

The impact knocked the veil and tiara off of her face and to his surprise she was very beautiful and had freckles to top off her appearance. He slid all the way to the other end of the ship and the princess braced herself hanging on to the bars in front of her. 

The two were close inches apart.. but quickly Malcolm focused. The water was rising faster and they were sinking faster. Malcolm began to breath heavily and the water was to his knees.

A loud sound of thunder rang then a shower quickly poured after. It was getting hard to see.

He began punching the lock repeatedly hoping it would pop off. His knuckles began to bleed.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Let me see your hairpin.” he said.

“No.” she replied.

“I can get you out if you give me it, I promise.”

“But I love thi-”

And a huge wave covered soared above them.

Malcolm held on to the cage underwater still yanking the lock hoping it’ll break free. He saw something in the distance of the water that shocked him and he was so taken back he yanked the lock off.

 The princess swimmed out and began swimming to the surface, her white dress gliding through the water, the hairpins keeping her red hair in place. She swam without looking back at Malcolm who was reaching out his hand for help. When she reached the water surface she looked underwater and saw Malcolm slowly coming up so she climbed aboard the other ship.

Malcolm reached the surface moments later but he let out a scream of pain.

“What happened!” The princess shouted as she dropped a rope to him. 

Malcolm grabbed on to it and she tried her best to drag him back up and she pulled him up using all her strength but he was missing his left leg. Malcolm had to do a lot of climbing up the rope. 

He sat himself down against the ship wall. 

“Why didn’t you swim faster!” She was confused about what to do, her eyes tearing up.

“They don’t teach my kind how to swim.” He said grunting exhaustedly. “Just go get the bandages in the room.” He pointed to his right.

She did just that and then she asked “What’s next?”

“You really don’t know?” He shook his head. “Tie it around my leg, stop the blood.”

She began doing that with the heavy medical bandages. Covering it all and even adding a knot like Malcolm told her to. Malcolm began crying.

“Does it hurt? Should I stop?” She asked.

He continued whimpering thinking about his life up until now. “All this… Is this really the price of freedom?” Then he fainted.

PART 3

While he was in and out of consciousness the princess also bandaged his bloody hand and head. She cleaned him up with a cloth deeply looking into his scars and she couldn’t help but feel bad. While doing this she talked and talked about herself. About her life and her parents. 

Malcolm slept as she tossed the dead bodies out the ship.

Occasionally Malcolm would talk in his sleep and have nightmares mentioning his best friend Caleb, sometimes he would even shake having panic attacks. She would try and comfort him, laying the blanket over him and rubbing his shoulder to sleep. When Malcolm was awake he kept begging for water.

The princess looked in the storage room and all food and water was very limited. 

“Sabrina!” Malcolm groaned “Please water!” This continued for three days. Sabrina was hesitant but yet gave him all the water he asked for and she force fed him so he could regain energy.

Malcolm was back on his one leg on the fourth day and he thanked her for the hospitality. Malcolm walked with a pair of crutches Sabrina found in the rooms. The two looked into the blue now calm ocean surrounding them. The sun beaming, making the water sparkle.

“This is nice!” Malcolm said, smiling dazed into the distance.

“It is!” Sabrina said, giving a sigh of delight.

3 weeks later 

They still wore the clothes that they had on from three weeks ago. Malcolm argued that he wouldn’t wear his oppressor clothing while she wouldn’t wear the clothes of a man both guarding some sense of dignity.

“I win!” Malcolm shouted coming out of the water after Sabrina. “I can hold my breath longer.”

“But can you beat me back to the ship?” Sabrina replied, swimming towards the ship while underwater.

Malcolm followed behind her and quickly caught up; they ended up touching the ship at the same time. 

“Tie!” Malcolm shouted. “I guess the student always surprasses his teacher.”

“Don’t be too happy.” Sabrina replied. She climbed up the rope to get back on to the ship. When she was aboard she pulled the rope up along with her.

“Hey, what about me?” Malcolm yelled.

“You finish patching up the ship while I cook.” 

“Burnt fish again?” Malcolm said, shaking his head, laughing.

“Excuse me?” Sabrina said, throwing him down his tools and wood. “It's just well done.” She said, flipping her reddish-brown hair back in an elegant manner.

Later that night they ate the well done fish and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were in the distance.

Malcolm sighed as the rain began to drizzle. “A huge storm is coming. If we don’t find land soon we’re done.”

“Shh, Everythings going to work out just like it did before. Although we don’t have much drinking water left.” said Sabrina.

Later into the night around midnight a heavy storm kicked in. They both couldn’t sleep seeing the impending danger. They sat along the ship wall together, rain drenching them counting the seconds between each thunderbolt.  “We’re going to get through it together.” They both told each other affirming it with their eyes a handspan away from each other.

“CRASHH!” lightning hit the sail making it fall and crush the ship down the middle with the water supply on the opposite side of them.

“The water!” Sabrina shouted. 

“It’s alright, don’t worry, hang on to me.” Malcolm said, extending his arm towards her. This ship was sinking quickly. The rain only fell harder.

She grabbed on and he brought her close tightly to his broad chest. “Let’s just worry about making it through the storm together.” he added.

She silently nodded and agreed, slightly suffocated by his chest. Together they slowly sank into the wavy sea. The blue ocean now dark and gloomy, violent in motion.

The waves became stronger. With every wave his grip on Sabrina became loose. “Hang on, we can’t be separated,” he said.

Malcolm prepared for every wave holding his breath for each one. It was dark and the lightning bolts were their only source of light. The ship was completely gone. 

A huge wave came and tossed the two about in the sea. Malcolm continued holding on to her there were a few seconds before the next big wave.

Through the intense storm he felt a warm droplet of water on his chest despite all the cold water around him. To his surprise she was smiling bright enough for him to see “This must’ve been better than what was to come, for us both.” she said.

A huge wave came again and their bodies were dipped into the water head to toe deep into the water. Malcolm swam them back up. “How I wish I could’ve married you instead.” She said, breathing heavily, still smiling.

Malcolm looked at her confused. No way she was thinking of something like that right now. He didn’t know if she was genuine or not but a part of him loved that idea of marrying her. She has been true and honest ever since they’ve met so Malcolm took that statement as truth as well, what harm could it bring? If we are both about to die, it’s still ok to dream.

This girl's responses to situations always shook his heart; he couldn't help but smile. “You’re a special one” Malcolm replied. “Let’s make it happen.”

A huge wave formed in front of the two so huge it covered the full moon. “Time to hold our breaths for real this time.” Malcolm said. Then that’s what they did as the massive wave that covered the horizon poured over top of them.

Malcolm sank deep into the ocean still conscious but he lost hold and sight of Sabrina. His leg bandages loosened and the wound reopened but out of panic he didn’t notice and he swam to the surface noticing the storm had died down just a bit. “Sabrina!” he shouted repeatedly. “No,no,no! this can’t be it.” He looked north, west, east, south but he didn’t know where to swim. Where to look. 

The tears wouldn’t stay in his eyes anymore. He began hyperventilating thinking “No way! She can’t be gone.”

  He questioned himself and just why this had to happen. 

The ocean waters were now completely calm as it reached 1 am. Dark gray clouds filled the sky and barely any stars were visible. The moon was covered. He smacked the water throwing a tantrum in the middle of the deep quiet ocean. I just don’t understand.. What great wrong did I do?

He let out a scream.

“Malcolm,” he heard. 

“I must be going crazy.” he thought once again.

“Malcolm.” the voice said again.

He looked to his right. It was Sabrina who was smiling, her green eyes shining to him more than the stars. His heart rested but his body could now feel the immense cold, hunger, thirst and especially the pain in his leg. Everything was wrong but he felt okay seeing her.

He could tell she was experiencing the same pains which broke him deeply inside and he swam as fast as he could to her.

She looked different, her face was more pale and she wasn’t moving towards him. “What’s wrong!?” he shouted as she was a distance away he continued swimming towards her. As he got closer he noticed her hairpins weren't in her hair which she treasured, holding on to them even through the storms. “What happened to your hairpins?” He asked her.

“Stop,” she said as he came close. She smiled softly and sighed. “I feel like I'm always giving you a reason to hate me?”

Malcolm smiled back nervously “What are you talking about? I don’t hate you.” He saw the blood coming from around her.

She sighed again, reminiscing “Imagine.. We met somewhere else, somewhere different. Somewh-” 

And from below her feet a great white shark bit her waist. She flinched and squeaked and her tears were rolled down onto the shark. She didn’t try to struggle, she accepted her end. 

Malcolm noticed the fresh blood leaking from both her arms like it’s been ripped open;  the wound was the same size as the end of her hairpins.

He thought “Why in the world would she do this to herself.” Then he shouted “Why! Sabrina?”

She spit out blood and tried to smile once again and she told him. “I knew if you knew about the shark, you would have sacrificed yourself. Call me selfish but I rather go first. So enjoy your freedom a little longer. You deserve it way more than me.”

Lights were visible in the distance, Sabrina looked closely; and she smiled wide “Look at the lights, hopefully a new beginning for My Malcolm.”

Malcolm's eyes were red from his tears. “What is my freedom without you? Huh!” he yelled. Then the shark dragged her and her elegant smile into the ocean. The ocean became completely quiet again. “You were the only good thing I had left, Sabrina.”

He looked around him, seeing the light come closer flickering at him. With his wet eyes he gazed at the gray sky and dark ocean. His tears poured silently into the water as the cold wind reminded him of how lonely he was. 

“You really left me here all alone,” he said, chuckling and the chuckle slowly turned to whimpers. “What is it for me to live now? Without anything to come back to outside this water. Still a part of him thought maybe just maybe… he was kept alive for a reason until now.

 His body couldn’t keep up with the freezing temperature of the ocean. He felt light headed from the blood loss in his leg. He just hoped the boat would come and save him, that’s what kept him afloat. He waited silently, wiping his tears away. Finally when the small boat got close his body felt like it was saved and he began to sink. The white men on the ship looked inside the water and when they saw what it was.

One said “It's just another one of those…” 

The other replied. “Finish him off”

He somehow heard the convo and watched and heard the pistol be dipped into the water aiming at his head and he was about to raise his hands to beg them not to shoot but he recalled and heard in his head. 

“Never begged and won’t beg now.” He loved this source of power she displayed and the dignity it came with. He admired it all and he smiled and he fully embraced the fact that he maybe loved her. He never was able to think that far.

Below him was the great white shark again the same one that bit his leg and killed Sabrina, the blood was still on the shark's teeth.

I guess even during death there is no peace for a boy like me… But at least I can die with some dignity and love within my heart… I chuckled because  who am I kidding? I haven’t had any dignity or love my entire life. I'm supposed to feel good that I got it seconds before my death?

At least  I’ll be joining her soon, her and Caleb and everyone else I lost from this earth. Even if it’s from a bullet to the head and through the mouth of a shark.

 Me and her were equal in this ocean. But within the eyes of these men that want to put me down, I am still barely human. Seconds from death I am still degraded and looked down upon. I find peace in my ending knowing that my blood will be mixed with the woman that I admire. Maybe the shark was doing me a favor. 

Just like what Sabrina said “This outcome is probably better than what was to come.” 

 I truly believe this is how great my life was going to be. It was foolish of me to think or hope for better but can you blame me? My tears held weight. I could see them flowing through the water like shooting stars in the sky.

I heard the gunshot and the fire and smoke quickly followed after. 

The bullet seemed to take its time swimming towards him. His life did NOT flash before his eyes, for there was almost nothing he wanted to recall or worthy of recalling. Instead before him flickered a future, one he would never have. One with him and Sabrina happily ever after. 

He wondered what dreaming would do for him now in this second. How dare he dream, he thought. Why should I be ridiculed in my dying moments? He was mad at everything that all this took so long. He wished the bullet would hurry. 

The whispers of freedom from Sabrina’s voice lingered in his head. Freedom,freedom was rushing through his brain, that was all he ever wanted. Then it clicked… 

He looked at the bullet coming towards him and the large sharp teeth surrounding him and he accepted his outcome. For some reason he smiled as she did. The bullet entered his head and he fell completely into the shark's mouth and watched its teeth close afterward. Finally he thought I am free… free from the shackles of life.