In Her Dreams

comically handsome man with an eye patch, steps up in full pirate regalia. “Your call?”
“Hard to port. Ready the cannons. They’re losing speed, and we’ll soon have them in range.”
Above me, the sun is trying to break through the dark, stormy, ominous clouds, sending silver rays all around as we sail.
I have to catch that ship. My love is on it.
I hear the rumble of the long guns moving up to the side of the ship as we turn horizontally to the ship we are chasing so our guns face them.
“Fire!” I yell, and cannonballs fly out, almost breaching the distance before landing in the ocean, splashing everywhere. “Hold!” I say, grabbing the wheel and pulling it. “Ready the long guns!”
I wait until I hear the signal that they are ready, and then I yell to fire again.
This time, one of the balls flies far enough to breach the hull, and then another hits with the shattering crash of broken wood.
The ship slows and begins to turn around, facing us with guns, ready to fight now that it’s injured.
I stand firm on the prow, legs spread apart, as my first mate comes up beside me.
“They could sink us first.”
“I don’t think so,” I say. I give the command to fire again, and another volley of cannonballs slams into the hull of the other ship right where their cannons would be loading.
Fire breaks out, and screams rend the air, and I’d almost feel bad about this if they weren’t a crew of kidnappers.
My magnificent purple pirate coat whips out around me as I hold the wheel, watching with glee as the other ship’s captain comes into focus. We’re getting closer to them as they try to get us in range.
I give the signal for another volley, and the ship spins as balls crash into its side with a lot of force. It groans and creaks, and I give the command to stow the guns as I turn the wheel to bring us close to the burning ship.
“Lash us together!” I yell, and men throw ropes with hooks tied to them as far as they can, catching them over the railings of the ship we’re attacking.
Then slowly but surely, the crew pulls so that the ships come closer together while I hold the wheel steady.
“We go aboard!” I yell once we’re close enough that gangplanks can be lowered. “Take what you want, but the captain is mine to deal with! And any of her cargo!”
My first mate salutes, and I run across the gangplank ahead of all of them, pulling my sword from my scabbard as I go.
I land on the deck, and a pirate runs toward me, menace in his eyes. I kick him backward because I have no desire to spill excess blood before I get to my target.
My first mate deals with him, and I run forward, kicking or shoving anyone out of my way until I reach the helm.
The captain turns to face me. A tall woman with black hair and pale skin, a wan grin. “I suppose you’ve come for your man?”
I hold out my sword. “I’ll fight you for him.”
“Ah! Help! I’m in trouble!” Reve’s very unenthused voice almost takes me out of the fantasy as I turn to see him lashed to the mainsail, his puffy white shirt torn open and showing his beautiful pecs and abs.
He’s wearing breeches tucked into boots, and his beautiful turquoise hair is whipping in the wind while the rest of his body is tied, rather sexily, I think.
Reve’s teal eyes meet mine, and he smiles apologetically. “Are you sure about this, dream mate? I’m—”
The pirate captain jumps down in front of me and goes over to Reve, putting his gag back in. “You’ll speak when you’re spoken to, wench.” Reve’s eyes meet mine, still silently saying something like, You’re really into this? But I ignore him because I have a fight with a pirate right now.
Reve does look super sexy with his shirt open, tied to that mast, though.
But I need to focus.
“We fight! For the wench!” I say, extending my sword.
“For the wench.” The captain cackles. She pauses, going up to stroke Reve’s cheek as he pulls away. “I’m going to have even more fun with him after I beat you.”
Reve’s eyes go wide, but I just chuckle. I know how this dream will end.
“I’m going to kill you, bitch. And then the wench will be coming back to my cabin instead,” I say.
“Ha!” The captain runs at me, lunging with her cutlass, but I quickly parry her move and thrust forward. She blocks my move, and we circle, crossing swords, dodging in and out.
Around me, the ocean screams and froths with the waves beating the frigate. Sea mist is tossed in the air and wets my face as I fight.
I’ve never felt more alive, and I can feel Reve watching me.
Finally, with one look at him, I lunge forward and catch my enemy in the chest.
She makes some stereotypically dramatic death noises and falls forward, dead on her face.
I can’t really feel bad since she doesn’t actually exist, though.
“Tie the crew but leave them alive!” I yell. “I have defeated their captain. The booty is ours!”
My crew cheers, having mostly dispatched the other pirates anyway. They head downstairs, presumably to search for loot, and I walk over to Reve, who’s glaring at me over his gag, still tied to the mainsail.
I walk over, cocking my head. “Something wrong, wench? My rescue not satisfactory?”
He rolls his eyes and tries to say something, but the gag prevents him, and he looks at me, nonplussed.
“Right,” I say, pulling down the gag.
He spits a couple times because the gag apparently tasted terrible. Then his eyes meet mine. “Wench?”
I laugh. “That’s the part you mind here?”
He looks to the side. “When I started the simulation, I admit I didn’t know I would be the damsel.”
I laugh, using my sword to swiftly cut his ropes. “Does it make you feel better knowing that,