An eternity seemed to pass inside the crate. And as the minutes turned to hours, the crew grew restless. Especially Elise who possessed the most overactive imagination of them all. She pulled her ginger curls over her eyes and shivered. "What if they're taking so long to let us out because..."

Tony the Troutface rested beside her violet sundress. "Why'd ya stop pally? Whatcha think they're gonna do?!"

Elise looked down at her fishy friend. The paling veneer on her face made the fish man wiggle nervously. "On second thought, maybe it's not such a good idea to tell me! I have an overactive bladder. I think its from being in water all day."

Sincirce wrinkled her nose. "That's not how gills work, you dimwitted guppy. I think she should tell us. It's not like we have anything else to do in here."

Elise's mouth opened in a timid gap tooth grin. "Oksie, just because you said so. I was thinking. Maybe the mean old ghosts are putting together a feast of rotten eclairs and spider web covered candle lights so they can have a feast!"

"Feast on...w-what speckles?!" Tito asked, trying to lean against the crate in order to look cool.

Elise grimaced. She raised her fist. "Hopefully on you because I hate that nickname! It's like if I called you coconut head because your family lives in a coconut!"

"Whoa..." Tito said. "First of all, speckles, you would have to call me a coconut house! And second...why don't you like the nickname?!"

Elise covered her nose with her bushy orange hair. "Because it's stupid. Like you are."

"Hey hey hey now kiddos," Archibell squawked. "I don't wanna act like your dad here. But maybe we shouldn't make so much noise. Don't wanna make the spirits restless!"

Elise and Tito both pointed their fingers at each other.

"He--"

"She--"

"...started it!"

A gun shot rang out and blew a hole in the crate. Both of the children stood in stupefied silence. "And I..." said a countrified southern sea voice. "will finish it."

Everyone turned to face Sugar, clutching a smoking gun. A sly expression on her face as she sat by the door. "I hope you cowpokes haven't forgotten why y'all are here!"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Oh right," Archibell said with a sigh. "I forgot we are still hostages of my psychotic ex girlfriend!"

"I do declare, Archie!" Sugar said. 'Thats the nice thing y'all ever said to me."

Her face darkened in the spectral glow. "Now remember, eyes on the prize. Y'all will get me that golden piece of the trident even if it means risking yer lives to do so!"

"Yes ma'am!" Elise said immediately, fearing another blast.

"You got it, lady!" Tito said. "You're scarier than my mom!"

"Sure ting!" Tony shouted. "Yer da boss!"

"I agree..." Archie saluted. "I've already been on the receiving end of your cattle prod...and it's a real fun time!"

Everyone turned to him as his words made all of their eyebrows raised. (except for Tony's, for fish were completely devoid of eyebrows)

Archie whispered quietly. "The safe word is: rootin tootin!"

Sincirce guffawed. "Color me impressed, sister. You have all these men, children and fishies groveling at your feet. What I kind of magic do you use?!"

"There is no magic," Sugar smirked. "It's called being a tough woman. A spineless floozy like you could learn a thing or two from me!"

Sincirce turned redder than a coral reef. She raised her fingers ready to scream, "Turn this clod into a frog!"

But before she did, the crate creaked open. A hooded figure stood before them. The figure wore a mask quite similar to the sea reaper--complete with a skull face with swirling eyes. It could have very well have been the sea reaper herself...except for one thing.

"What the shell?!" Elise demanded. "Why are you so short, Miss Reaper."

Suddenly, the figure jumped up and down angrily. "You're one to talk, short stuff! I swear, kids these days. They have no respect!"

Upon hearing the nasally voice, Archibell's eyes widened. "Hold on a minute..." the wily captain said, rubbing his goatee. "That voice sounds mighty familiar."

"Yeh..." Tony the Troutface added. "I tink I recognize dat voice too."

"Er...no it doesn't," the masked man returned. "Anyway, the madam of your doom awaits you! You shouldn't make her mad or..."

"Swabson?" Archie said, his tanned skin paling like he had seen a ghost. "Is that you!"

The short man stomped up and down furiously. "The name is Swanson with an N. Just because I was a swabbie doesn't mean that you can use that as a short hand..."

"Short hand?!" Archibell and Tony started chuckling.

The man paused for a second and shook his head. "Gah...I set myself up for that one."

He removed his mask revealing a pale faced young man with dark green hair like seaweed and a triangular red nose. His eyes refused to make contact with the good captain.

"Why I'll be a starfish in the sky!" Archibell exclaimed. "It is you."

"Yes...ex-captain" Swanson said. "It is me. The same person that our lowlife capm abandoned on the ghost ship to save his own skin..."

Archibell faltered. Elise was amazed. For once he didn't have an answer for everything.

At last, the befuddled captain made an attempt at speaking. "Swab...I mean Swanson...are they here...my other crewmates?!"

Swanson screamed with bloodshot eyes. "Why yes, ex captain. They are. But we have a new allegiance..."

"To who?!"

Swanson's emotional voice seemed to drain itself of all feeling. "To the reaper of the sea herself....

"Now come along..." Archie's ex swabbie said, "she's waiting, but she isn't dying to meet you. She is already dead!"