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My eyes widen

His tell me he’s serious

"I don’t want to stay in here with you, let onna happen"

"I won’t leavehell if you keep me here, take it fro his ar over

"No, pirate It’s a pro to me I won’t let you leave hi to watch me every second of every day then you can’t be sure I won’t do whatever it takes to escape this Including trying to take ed breath "You would really do that to your friend? Kill yourself? Leave him alone on a ship to be killed?"

His words burn "Sometimes, there is no choice"

"I will give you a choice," he says,my stare dead on "You either take it, or you don’t If you stay here, keep yourself safe and don’t atteain…I will continue to feed your friend I will give hio"

My eyes widen He’s offering Eric’s freedo to stay and do as he asks Basically, it’s my friend’s life, ormyself I close my eyes I already know the answer I knew it from the moment I decided I would do whatever I could for Eric I knehen I decidedto shoeakness I have to be the stronger one Eric could never kno close I got to giving up on both of us I open aze "How do I know you’re not lying?"

"Pirates’ code We make the deal in blood I don’t break iven water, and released with no strings He can go back to his life and live it happily if I promise to do as you ask?"

Hendrix nods

I closemy head "It’s a deal"

He steps forward, and I liftout a knife He slices it across his pale, and n my life away It’s the only choice At least with this choice I know Eric goes free I can find a way to escape after I’m sure I can Hendrix reaches down, and he takesit away

"No, I don’t want to blend blood," I cry

"Everything is sealed in blood, pirates’ code You don’t seal it, I don’t promise your friend’s safety I don’t have diseases, so stop your crazy and shake my fuckin’ hand"

He makes a line so fine on my palm I barely feel it Only a tiny drizzle of blood appears He reaches his hand out I hesitate