The Jungle Princess…Part 4

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at Captain John. “Well, I am alive, as you can see, and I’m not going anywhere!” She pulled the net off her prisoner. “But you, on the other hand, are. Now get off my island.” Captain John held out his pistol in a threatening gesture, and laughed.

“You really thought that I’d surrender without a fight? Because, I’d never do a stupid thing like that.” And with a chuckle, he disappeared into the jungle.

Isabelle despised The Skulls even more.

Reluctantly, she trudged along the spongy jungle floor to her tree house, where Elizabeth lay propped up by two pillows. She looked up at Isabelle and smiled the best she could. “You-you saved me!” she said weakly.

“I’ve never had a friend like you,” Isabelle answered. There was a moment of peaceful silence before Isabelle said, “Now, you got wounded pretty bad. I’m going to try to bandage your cut with this rag.” Elizabeth swallowed, and nodded as Isabelle wrapped the rag around her wound.

“By the way, uh-“ Elizabeth paused to wince at the pain. “I’m interested in your past. You know, what your life was like before you were here. You mentioned pirates…” she prompted. Isabelle smiled, and stood up to stretch her back. Rain gently drummed on the top of the tree house.

“Alright,” Isabelle replied. “I’ll tell you-but please remember, this is hard for me.”

Elizabeth sat up straight and nodded eagerly. “Oh I understand!” she agreed. Isabelle sighed, and then began.

“It all started one beautiful spring morning. My mother and father were sailing from Europe to Asia, and my mother soon became pregnant.”

“You mean, while she was on the boat?” Elizabeth interrupted.

“Yes. Now stop interrupting. Anyway, there was no doctor or anything, and eventually my mom was ready to give birth. My father searched everywhere on the boat, and found a young women who was training as a nurse.” Elizabeth was fascinated. “So, my dad begged for her help, and the lady agreed. And I was born. Healthy, and pretty…or at least that’s what my parents said,” she added quickly, seeing the suspicious look on Elizabeth’s face.

“I was raised on the ship. When we finally reached Asia, though, my family realized that we were actually not in Asia. So we got onto another ship. But, when I was seven, the boat was attacked by The Skulls.”

“Who’s that?” Elizabeth whispered.

“Just listen. They killed my parents, but captured me. I was so young, but so angry. The crew forced me to work as a servant, a cabin girl, a cook. Whatever job they didn’t want to do was given to me.”

As if in reply, the thunder cracked outside.

“Life was awful. I slept in a musty, dirty cabin served-well, let’s just say, living animals.” Elizabeth shuddered. “Mice in broth, was the usual. Anyway, The Skulls, who, to answer you’re question, were murderous pirates, decided they didn’t need me anymore. So, they docked at the nearest island, and marooned me there. And that’s pretty much it. I mean, I survived here for three years.”

“That’s awful, Isabelle,” Elizabeth said.

To be continued…

Advertisement