The Bastard Girl (The Bastard Girl Series, Book #1)

Chapter 13~ The Boot

Chapter 13~ The Boot

When the sun rose yet again the next morning, I got just what I expected. Tew found me huddled in the corner of my room. The sight of him wasn't welcoming in the least. All through the night, I had imagined how this scene would play out. First, he'd drag me up by my collar and hurl me across the room like some mangy mutt. Next would come the screaming and shouting. He'd have an hour or two of pain and suffering planned out. And above deck, the crew would undoubtedly get a kick out of hearing my pleas and cries. No need for a new shanty, I suppose...

But, none of it happened the way I'd thought. No, Tew stalked close and just watched me tremble underneath his shadow. I came to realize that the devil wasn't a blood-red, gnarled creature half-hidden in darkness but a man not much different than the ones you'd meet any day. He was calm and focused but had a burning heart of decay and bane. His face was strong and stiff like stone—hardened from a lifetime of hatred. And his eyes—black like the soul he once had. And, on some occasions, the devil wasn't even a man.

Tew needed not a description of his cold fury. And I needn't waste my energy lamenting the aghast alarm I'd felt when the captain finally did take action. Tew slowly knelt. He took my face between one enormous, heavy hand and hissed, "No one is waiting for you out there in this world. Only a fool like you would believe in anything anymore. I have saved you."

"Funny," I groaned, a line of saliva dripping down my lip, "A lot of people have been telling me that lately."

"Don't you understand, you insolent girl?! Your father will never come for you! You are completely alone!"

I had understood this—for longer than I cared to admit. But, only when Tew said it did I finally accept it to be true. My father had moved on with his life. And there was no one to blame. No one to dream about. No one to picture when watching the horizon.

The captain's face was so near me that I could smell his heavy, rancid breath and see the wild look in his eyes. It was time to stop kidding myself.

"I know."

Then, something in the air changed. Tew stopped short. A prideful smile crept onto his face. His entire demeanor screamed of his newfound and worked-for success. And the tension relaxed drastically. But, Tew wasted no more time.

"Then, this should be simple for the both of us. You tell me what I want to know and perhaps you'll make it out of here alive, lass."

However, I shook my head slightly in response. "That doesn't mean you're getting anything out of me, Tew. I may not believe in my fate anymore, but my father still has a life to live. I'm not betraying him for anything."

The temperature dropped unexpectedly all around us as did Tew's amusement. The world was once again cold and unforgiving. He raised a swift hand and dealt my face a blow. Outraged, the captain climbed back to his feet and paced the room.

"You bitch! You must think yourself so miserable, huh?! You know no terror nor suffering!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Tew halted and faced some of the other crew in the room. He then muttered in his deepest, most booming voice, "Bring the boot."

The boot was composed of two, thick iron slabs held together with large screws. It was an old, bulky invention, to say the least. The inside of the iron slabs was lined with small spikes stained in a dark brown. Crew members carried this monstrosity forward. As the realization finally came to me, I threw myself back onto the wall behind me and prayed I might sink into it. Fear swam in my eyes and overcame my entire body until I was paralyzed. Cries and sobs continued to fall out of my mouth.