literature

Jacq the Lad/Jacquotte the Lady

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Literature Text

At least she wouldn't to sink this time.  Storms were worse at sea.  However, when her hat blew away and revealed her trademark red hair, she knew she had to get undercover.

There was wind, rain and a bar.  In the bar were a bartender, and a woman at a corner table who hadn't touched her wine.

'Raining, is it?' said the bartender.

'Oui,' said Jacq, then realised he had spoken English.  'Rum, please.'

'Do me a favour,' said the bartender.  'Speak to her.  She's been through something, I can tell.'

One look, and Jacq knew he was right.  She took her rum to the woman's table.

'Bonjour.'

No response.

'Hello.'

The woman looked up.  Jacq saw the pain in her eyes.  She sat down, remembering how she had wanted to be spoken to when she was hurting.

'I need a new hat,' she said conversationally.  'I must be a man, for I am hiding.'

The woman looked at her, and Jacq understood.

'You hide too?  It is hard, non?  Since my father died, I hide from almost everyone.  Everyone, except a teenage boy.  My poor brother.'

Jacq looked down, twisted a ring on her right forefinger, then pulled it off and put it on the table.

'A family heirloom,' she said, 'that I cannot give to him.  I had to be a pirate for him to have enough to live, and now I am dead to him.  Please have the ring.  You will remember to be strong, and you will remember me.  See, my name is there.'

The woman picked up the ring and peered at the inscription: Jacquotte Delahaye.  Her eyes went wide, and she mouthed, 'Back from the Dead Red...'

'Pardon?' said Jacq.

The bartender appeared behind her.  'Glasses ready?'

Jacq said, 'My friend has not...'

But the woman, the wine glass and the ring had vanished.

'She knew you,' the bartender said.  'Your gift will help see her right, I reckon.'

'How can it be?' said Jacq, staring at the suddenly empty seat.  'Can a ghost come from the future?  Or... was I the ghost?'

'Who knows?' said the bartender.  'So.  Is it time to come back from the dead, Red?'
FFM day 11.

Tough challenge today. Complicated. Here's what I have done.

1. The challenge criteria FieryDownpour479 chose for herself on day 7.
:bulletblack: A wine glass.
:bulletblack: 365 words.
:bulletblack: Ghost story.
:bulletblack: Retired pirate.
:bulletblack: Extreme weather.
Here is her story.

2. A response to Rieal-Dragonsbane's story of the same day, which is here.

3. A character from each: 1) the bartender (whom I have developed into a bartender who knows more than he lets on) and 2) Mia (here unnamed).

4. A quote from story 1, used in a different context: 'Everyone, but a teenage boy.' I am chuffed to bits with my different context, and rightly so!

I knew I wanted to respond to Amala's character Mia, and empower her somewhat after what happened when we last saw her. I chose Lilly-Rose's criteria because I thought I could make them work. I wanted to write about an actual female pirate from history, who could help Mia, and I found out about Jacquotte 'Back from the Dead Red' Delahaye just today. Here she's not back yet; she faked her own death, but she's actually only retired (see?). I thought most empowering of all would be if Mia could help Jacq decide to come out of retirement, which she did before gaining notoriety.

Word count: 365
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