Sail Ho! Chapter 7

“Aw,” Dash’s eye turned into a heart. “You’re so kyuut when you do that.”

“Good,” Sonja kicked away a few pieces of glass. “Now step aside,” with that she pushed Dash away and stepped inside the store through the broken window. “Hey ya comin’?” her head popped out of the broken window.

“Coming Sonja-jou!” Dash replied happily then his face became serious. He looked around, he had a bad feeling they were being followed but he shooed that thought away as he stepped inside the gloomy store. It was dusty inside but he didn’t seem to bother, the store was probably closed for some time. “That old creep really needs some help out here,” he dusted some knick-knacks placed neatly on shelves.

“Listen Dash -cough- we’re here to find -cough- damn dust!” Sonja kept on coughing.

“Hm?” Dash asked confused. “Oh well then how many handfuls of this ‘damn dust’ do we need?” he made quote signs in the air when he said damn dust.

“Shithead!” Sonja threw something at him yet Dash dodged it and caught it in midair. “We’re here to find some supplies!” she grabbed Dash by the collar and began to shake him. “Get it through your head!” she noticed the something held in Dash’s hand and let go of him then he sat on the floor. He was staring at the something intensely. It was nothing worth looking at; it was a box made of scrap metal maybe it could be opened. “Yo, you’ve been looking at that piece of crap for a while.”

“It’s not a piece of crap,” Dash looked up and pocketed the box. “It’s something; just scrap metal.”

“I thought so,” Sonja scratched her head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Come on,” Dash stood up. “We do need some supplies I’ll show you around,” Dash extended a hand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Eh, no touchie,” Sonja slapped Dash’s hand away. Dash smiled and led her into another room unlike the first this one was well-kept and full of clothes, jewelry, gunpowder, hats, guns, medical kits, a coffee maker, mattresses, huge backpacks, lamps, two weird-looking Den Den Mushi, arrow heads, timber, nails, hammers, saws, and a cool-looking staff which was made of gold and silver. “It looks like a pirate stock-house,” Sonja takes her check-list and ball pen out of her jacket pocket and reads out loud. “Return fake cannonballs to Crazy Louie,” she taps the end of her ball pen on her chin. “Ya think there’s person who has a name like that?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“You wouldn’t know,” sweat trickles down the side of Dash’s face maybe he knew someone with that name. “You can keep on reading.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Get First Mate back for ‘Drink it, it’s Apple Juice’ prank,” Sonja taps the end of her ball pen on her hips. “I still have my First Mate.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Let’s hope you’ll not leave your friend behind,” Dash crossed his fingers.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Don’t worry I won’t, except maybe you and the boys,” Sonja laughs heartily, in a really weird way.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Is there more?” Dash asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I’ve written over a billion, I guess,” she flips the check-list to a random page. “Wednesday night is pasta night,” puts her check-list and ball pen back into her inner jacket pocket.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I’ll make you pasta every Wednesday!” Dash’s eye turns into a heart. “I’ll help you anyway I can.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“So you’re a cook?” Sonja asks Dash; he nods at Sonja eagerly. “I don’t need one.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“My heart just broke,” Dash clutches the right part of his chest.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Shithead!” Sonja points at the right of Dash’s chest. “You’re heart is on the left side!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Oh sorry,” Dash clutches the left side of his chest. “My heart just broke again.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What kind of man are you?” Sonja asked dumb-founded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“The man of your dreams, that’s who!” he answered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for,” then she looked around and saw a hanged white coat that nearly touched the floor. “Maybe I should at least give those guys some consolation prizes for going through the trouble of destroying my nap.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Hey Sonja,” Dash shoved a red scarf in front of Sonja’s face. “Look I found you a scarf it might not go with your eyes or hair but it looks good on you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Thanks I’ll give this to Felix as for you just take all the kitchenware you need and want,” Sonja snatched the scarf from Dash and started to find some boxes. A while after she returned with a black box and a green one. Inside, presumably, were the coat and scarf respectively. “Here take this,” Sonja threw the boxes at Dash, who caught them easily. “Remember to get the gunpowder, a medical kit, mattresses, a lamp, the two weird-looking Den Den Mushi, arrow heads, timber, nails, hammers, saws, and of course the cool-looking staff which is made of gold and silver.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“How about the gold, guns and clothes?” Dash asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Leave them and stuff everything into one huge backpack, make sure it’s big enough to contain all that,” Sonja started to look for something else.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“We don’t have cannonballs,” Dash reminded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I didn’t see any but if you can bring them too,” she left with that statement.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Right away Sonja-jou!” he started to pack up everything in sight except for the gold and all that wasn’t supposed to be taken. “What a waste we’re bringing some supplies but we’re not bringing any gold with us,” he sighed and saw something glimmer. “What was that?” he walked over to where he saw it sure enough it was a crate full of cannon balls. “If I bring this she’ll probably fall head over heels with me!” Then he started imagining.....

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Sonja-jou I have something for you,” Dash half-skipped, half-walked to where Sonja was; he was bringing a crate.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Yo, Dash-kun whach ish it (what is it)?” Sonja was wearing a violet dress with white heels. “May I say that you so kyuut in that blue suit!” she begins to pinch his cheeks. “Oh yes I remember whach wish (what was) it you wanted to show me?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I brought his for you!” Dash shows the crate of cannon balls to her. “Do you like it?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“They’re so shiny!” looks at them as if it were diamonds and gold. “I have definitely fallen for you!” grabs Dash’s shoulders and pulls him so that his face closes to hers. Their lips inch slowly toward each other 5 centimeters, 4, 3, 2, 1.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">Sadly his day-dreaming was interrupted.....

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Are ya done packin’!?” Sonja rushes into the room and slams the door she used to get in. She was holding a navy blue purse. “We have to go now!” bars the door with some planks.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Let us in!” marines shouted from the other side of the door. “You have offended a-.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Shut up would ya, I’m trying to explain somethin’ over here!” Sonja clutches the purse she returned with.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“We’re very sorry,” the marines started to quiet down for a while.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“These marines just came in from the back door and started chasing me ‘round here,” she explained. “I kept going from room to room it’s like a maze, don’t ya think?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“More importantly should we run for it?” Dash asked calmly; he just finished packing everything needed but the bag didn’t look so huge. The marines on the other side of the door didn’t sound happy they just kept on shouting random words like ‘coward’ and ‘scum’.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Well we don’t have time for losers,” Sonja points at the door which began to shudder a lot more.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“We’re not losers we’re marines!” came the response from the marines.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sonja sits on the floor and rolls her eyes; all of a sudden the door the breaks. “Oops, my bad.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Looks like it’s go time!” Dash wears the backpack and picks up Sonja, who was shocked by the fact that rolling her eyes destroyed the door but that of course was just chance. “Allow me.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Whu?” Sonja clutches her purse as Dash carries her. The marines started shouting something then Dash took off. “When did I let you carry me!?” Sonja asked angrily. “Let me off!” she ordered then Dash stopped and set her down. They ran through alleys and backstreets but the determination of the marines including their stamina was very high.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“You there, stop!” a marine shouted at them they were being chased for an hour, more or less. The people they passed by didn’t seem to bother that much except that once Dash got kicked where it hurt by a little girl when he accidentally bumped her so that her ice cream fell because of that Sonja laughed so hard that she could barely stand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Guys come on we’re sorry but we’re on a strict schedule,” Dash touched his right wrist with his left hand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Do you know the fact that you don’t have a watch?” Sonja tried hard not to laugh.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Enough chit-chat,” the marine sighed exasperated. “First group, charge!” the marines lunged at them; the marines were far away so it would take a longer time for them to actually catch up with the two.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I was serious when I talked to you, I won’t forgive you anymore,” Dash took off the backpack on his back. “Sonjie can you please take this back to the ship for me?” he asked in somewhat half-cute, half-weird voice so that it sounded like ‘Sonjwie can you pweese take ziz back to ze thip fo mwee’.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What did you say?” she asked then Dash pointed the bag. “Oh the bag right,” she picks up the bag and starts to walk then looks back. “But I wanna fight too.” Probably Dash didn’t hear her because he took out his knife using his left hand and started to charge at the marines.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Couteau Etonnant (Surprising Knife)!” Dash started to run faster while jabbing the air; slow at first but gradually gaining speed. The marines, as stupid as they are, just kept on running and running; eventually they got hit and the first group fell. “Voleur Mains (Thief Hands),” Dash pocketed his knife with his left hand he was holding a lot of something in his right hand. “You marines are so cheap,” apparently what he was holding was a lot of wallets. “If this was my weekly pay I would’ve killed my master already.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Oh never mind looks like you can handle yourself,” Sonja walked away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Wait girl, you are the one who has offended a-,” the marine who told them the words ‘chit-chat’ began to talk but Sonja cut him off.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Oh, shut up dude ya got bigger problems than me,” Sonja paused to look back and stick her tongue out at the marine.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Hey you just can’t walk away like that!” Mr. Marine ‘Chit-chat’ said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Yeah you can’t!” more marines joined him, soon they began chanting the words all over and over again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Sure I can,” Sonja smiled at the marines. “Watch this girl walk the walk,” Sonja dropped the bag with their supplies in it and held the blue purse in one hand. Then she put her hands on both hips and started walking to and fro while swaying her hips to some kind of funky rhythm. The marines stared open-mouthed at her. “Well I gotta run, see ya!” she picked up the bag with the supplies in it and ran back to the harbor.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Men after her!” Mr. Marine ‘Chit-chat’ yelled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“You’ll have to go through me first,” Dash stepped in the way of the marines.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Move or we’ll run you over!” the marines shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Just try me,” Dash stood there calmly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Don’t falter charge!” the marines yelled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">Meanwhile earlier with Felix and the others...

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“The rabbit crouches ready to jump,” Sage prepares herself for something. “And she jumps,” Sage hops on one foot then on the other.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What is she doing!?” Jed exclaimed as Sage hopped around him and Felix.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I don’t know but his is fun!” Felix started to hop around Jed while Sage hopped to some stall which was owned by a sleeping fat guy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What are the two of you planning to do now!?” Jed asked worried.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Felix, Jed come over here I wanna show you guys something!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What could it be this time?” Jed asked Felix.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I don’t know,” Felix shrugs. “But I think it’s gonna be fun!” with that remark Felix ran to Sage.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Hey wait for me!” Jed yelled. Jed and Felix ran to where Sage was. There was a sleeping fat guy next to a stall of apples. “What are-“

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Shh!” Sage cut him off. “You might wake him up!” Sage rubbed her arms and flexed her fingers. “Just watch this,” Sage carefully took a red, juicy apple from the stall without the fat sleeping guy noticing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“That is so cool!” Felix exclaimed and accidentally hit Sage’s shoulder in the process. The apple jumped from Sage’s hands and landed on Jed’s head. With a grunt the sleeping guy woke up. “Sorry,” Felix whispered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Felix,” Sage sighed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Hey what ya doing to my apple!?” the fat guy pointed at the apple on Jed’s head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Uhm,” Jed calmly took the apple from his head. “Do you mean this?” he showed the apple to the fat guy.....