Every Wednesday I'll share a small portion of my writing. Hope you enjoy what you're reading!
Excerpt (Daxton, Chapter 2)
Traix climbed down a nearby ladder on the opposite side of the ship where no one would see him. When he entered the choppy waters, he could feel a body, mangled beyond recognition, floating near the surface. He gave himself a few moments for his gag reflexes to temper themselves before he grabbed ahold of the body and kicked his feet slowly, trying not to catch the attention of the sharks nearby. Together, Traix and the corpse had the appearance of two dead men floating down the channel. Saltwater mixed with the blood of his fallen brothers, including that of the man whose torso he grabbed, seeped in and out of his mouth. He tried helplessly to keep as much of the rancid water out of his mouth, but he valued breathing more and suffered through it. The body he held tightly began to take on the temperature of the water, cold, and his fingers got slippery. He struggled not to let go.
The Pirates could see body parts on the surface of the water, but the carnage of sharks searching for fresher meat was too much even for them. They avoided looking too closely at the water as much as possible while they boarded the enemy ship. None of them found it odd, or worth investigating, the two bodies, one of which was remarkably intact bobbing in the water, moving against the current. And Traix, member of the Royal Army, was glad of that.
“Where are we, brother?” he asked the corpse. One of its legs was completely ripped away and he did not dare check, but he wagered the arms were missing as well. He pondered why the sharks would leave what he perceived to be the meatiest part of the human body, the torso, behind? But as he could just about make out land not too far from his current destination, he cared very little for their actions and appreciated the opportunity afforded him to escape. However, out the corner of his eye, he saw a ship waving a Pirate flag. They were not headed for him, but their heading would take them dangerously close enough to notice whether what was in the water was dead or alive. He took a deep breath and changed his hold on the floating body from his side to just below, then plunged his head underwater and remained under water, holding the body and his breath for dear life. As luck would have it the ship passed him at a rather quick pace, making it difficult for them to take notice of him or his mangled companion. Not willing to risk getting caught, he held out as long as he possibly could before he opened his eyes underwater and came face to eyeball with the body he continued to use as a decoy. He screamed, letting a rush of water into his mouth. He erupted to the surface, coughing and gagging, frantically looking around but there was no ship or sharks. Nothing but the open water. With newfound vigor, his feet paddled even harder.
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