The Black Plague

Cap'n Raphael--

I rocked Caralina gently back and forth as she fell asleep.

Once I was sure she was asleep, I allowed myself to do the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isabella--

"Wait a minute," I said, pointing. There was a tunnel, which seemed ot be a way out.

"What about the man above?"

"Either they go back to the boat, or jump down," another man answered, walking a little way toward the tunnel.

"I think that's our best bet," I added.

Caralina----

Caralina woke up the next morning curled up next to Cap'n. She took a deep breath and sighed, She looked over at him and his eyes fluttered open. "Morning." She smiled. She could drown in his light brown eyes, but she didn't. Her eyes wandered to his right hand and noticed the missing fingers. She clapsed her hand over his and looked back up into his eyes. "What happened to your fingers?" She asked letting her pointer finger trace over where the fingers used to be.

*Tears, don't let this die*

**...I'm missing a finger?!?! O.O when did that happen?! I totally forgot about that...**

Captain Raphael --

"Ah, that," I sighed, looking down at my hand. "Well..." I shifted, suddenly feeling very much uncomfortable.

"You don't have to tell me," she said, smiling up at me comfortingly.

"No, it's not that. I'm just trying to figure out how to say it."


**TN, if you want to put in how his fingers got...lost...go ahead. I didn't even remember saying that **

***it's on your profile. If you want me to take that away I will. but it was on the profile. :'(***

Caralina----

Caralina smiled. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have said anything." She sat up and looked around the room. "So, Cap'n, what do I need to do today." She smiled. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable or anything. She just wanted him happy. He didn't say anythign for a few minutes so she laid back down next to him looking him in the eyes memorizing every detail about his face. She hadn't known she could fall so hard for someone she barely knew.

[Dierik]

Dierik nodded, "I agree, let's see where it goes."

Some of the crew looked nervous as they stepped into the stale, damp darkness. Dierik could hear his heart pounding, down here was a lot different from the many weeks they had spent at sea. He glanced around at the others and then continued onward. As they stepped farther into the small tunnel, Dierik heard a sound like shifting rocks behind them.

He looked back quickly, his eyes darting to loose rocks at the entrance and then to the crew member beneath them.

"Look out!"

*bwah! No! This cannot die!! Not yet!*

Garin

Garin started forward, then cursed as the stones blocked the tunnel. He stumbled backwards against the wall to avoid getting crushed, fell, and jarred his ankle. He winced in pain.

Biting back a gasp, Garin pulled himself to his feet and carefully pressed an ear against a stone. "Oi, mate?" he called softly. "You okay?"

There was no answer. Garin went cold.

"Mate?"

"I-I'm here," the sailor called, a little shakily.

Garin sighed with relief. "You in one piece? We don't want to take you back to the ship in two trips."

The sailor said nothing.

"Mate?" Garin asked again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm..." the sailor drew a shaky breath. "I don't know..."

"You don't know?!" Garin gave an exasperated sigh. "Listen, mate, we've got to get out of here. You either hurt or you don't. Now, are you okay?"

"I...guess..."

That was good enough for him. "Good," said Garin. "Listen, we can't dig you out, or it might dislodge some more rocks. We're lucky enough nobody got hurt. We need to find a way out of this tunnel. We'll come back for you, I promise."

Isabella --

"This is just bloody brillant," I cursed loudly, pacing up and down what space we had in the tunnel. "How are we supposed to get out now?!"

"Calm down dear," Thorn said from where he sat, his head in his hands.

"You expect me to be calm right now?!" I exclaimed, spinning around to face him.


Cap'n Raphael --

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest," I replied, kissing her lightly before climbing out of the bed. "I suppose we oughta get above deck, and work it out from there."

"All right," Caralina agreed, getting to her feet as well.

Garin

"Well," Garin said, looking down the dark tunnel. "There's only one place to go. Anyone have a torch?"


*sorry... short...>.<*

[Dierik]

Dierik rolled his eyes, though no one could see him down here, "I didn't really think we'd need one."

It was silent for a moment, no one had brought one either

"Well then I guess it's off into the dark, mysterious, potentially unstable tunnel," Dierik murmured sarcastically and started forward. The tunnel was dark and narrow, so they all placed a hand on the person in front of them. Garin was ahead of Dierik and Dierik could feel his back sweating. It was clammy and cold in the tunnel, but creepy. Every once in a while, water would drop onto the floor and echo throughout the chamber.

Dierik stumbled over a rock, throwing his hand against the cave wall to balance. It felt like sinking his hand into cold, stinging pudding.

"Ugh! Don't touch the walls guys," Dierik warned, shaking his hand in disgust.

"Hey," Garin shouted, "It smells like some sort of gas down here, we should cover our mouths."

Immediately, Dierik tried to switch his hand off of Garin's back to cover his mouth.

"I don't want cave muck on my back!" Garin protested, and shrugged away.

"Yeah okay then," Dierik snapped, slightly annoyed, "I'll just slap it all over my mouth!" Without thinking, that's exactly what he did.

I am the stupidest person I know... he thought, but didn't move his hand from where the eerie slime was beginning to creep into his lips.

**I have plans for the muck, so just keep that in mind and don't skip to Toribrio's. It's going to be funny. I don't have time for it now though...**

Garin

Garin glanced back in the general direction that Dierik's voice had come from. "Did something just hit you?"

Dierik grunted, "No."

"You sure? I would've sworn I heard--"

"Just keep going and don't trip," he said. It sounded as though he was wiping something off.

"Alright, then," said Garin, and for a while they navigated the dark silently. Then, trying to lighten the mood, he mumbled through his fingers, "It really is a shame you didn't bring a torch. I honestly have no clue what you were thinking when you forgot it."

[Dierik]

Dierik screwed up his face when some of the slimy stuff got into his mouth. He heard Garin start to joke around, and thought his voice sounded odd and echo-like. In fact, everything was starting to feel...

"Neither do I," he replied, grinning stupidly, "I think I was busy with the squinchy-winchy bugs."

Garin stopped abruptly, "What?"

Dierik laughed, his voice oddly high-pitched, "You haven't met the rope president? Hmm you must not have been mentioned in the will. He's great... Get it?! Great!" He collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter.

**We are all together right, so I can react to Deirek's being completely loopy?**

**yes, please do **

Garin

Garin didn't know how to react. His companion was on the ground, giggling hysterically like a child. He knelt down and shook him hard. "Dierik! Get ahold of yourself! You're disillusional!"

But he only laughed harder.

Garin slapped him across the face. "Don't do that!" he yelled. "It's scary!"

*Haha don't know what to write....this better not die though lol*

**thanks, that was perfect!**
[Dierik]

Dierik rubbed his face where Garin had slapped him, only paying half attention, "Scary, hairy, I'm a fairy, peas and carr.. y? Will you share-y?"

Garin slapped him again, a little harder this time. Dierik started laughing, but stood up and proclaimed, "Follow me fearless sunflowers! We WILL defeat the rabbit king, with toes and rings!"

**you can just decide to ignore him if you want. the cave slime was slightly toxic but it will wear off**