Racing The Night [Calico Jack]

The sun is steadily climbing, marking the early morning hours as the pirates slowly stir into wakefulness. Calico Jack has always been an early raiser so he is among the first to hit the black sands of the familiar beach. Long, gangly legs trot along the familiar stretch of sand as he ponders what to do today. Now that booze was readily available, it has been tempting to drink himself silly whenever he gets bored. But today, he stirs clear of the alcohol in favor of a clear head. Thoughts turn lazily through his mind when, suddenly, a group of seagulls ahead of him squawk angrily and scatter.

Pulling to a stop, he eyes the birds with confusion. They act like someone ran by them but there is no one else on the patch of beach besides him and he is a good distance off still. Brows knit together when a gust of cold air touches his side and sends shivers racing along his spine. Instinctively, Jack shies away from the icy touch and his gaze snaps to the area where it originates from. For a brief moment, a figure shimmers into existence before winking out again. The boy’s jaw unhinges and hangs open as he recognizes the wolf who had appeared.

Tail wags and his paws dance as he turns to face ghost, shouting, “Pyrlis? You’re… here!” He had almost said, ‘alive’ but that was far from the truth. A soft shimmering aura distorts the sand and the woman’s figure pulsates from within. The image starts out weak and falters often, sometimes showing the dead wolf as whole and health while others times showing bloody wounds that gape at him and drip. But Calico Jack doesn’t care about any of that because she is here. With a happy bark, he says, “Pyr! I have missed you!” It is true and he isn’t the only one that has. Since she died, it has felt as if the glue that held the pirates together had left them too.


"Calico Jack"