Goin Down Part One

Goin' Down


by Autumn Trenton

Part One: I should have taken time to think . . . And now I see the life I led


          August 7, 1965
                    Autumn
          "Uh oh. I don't think I have $10. How about me for an hour instead?"

          August 8, 1965
                    Micky
          " . . . Her offer is enough of an invitation."

          August 13, 1965
                    Autumn
          "No, let's not count this as our hour."

          February 13, 1966
                    Autumn and Peter
          "Can I ask a huge favor of you?"
          "Sure."
          "First off, how long has it been since we started dating?"
          "Um . . . six months."
          "Okay, now for the big favor—and you don't have to do it if you don't want to, of course."
          "Well, what is it?"
          "If it's not too much trouble, I mean."
          "Autumn, are you going to ask me or not?"
          "Peter, would you please . . . kiss me?"
          "You thought you had to ask?"
          Peter kissed her.
          "Happy birthday, Peter."

          April 2, 1966
                    Peter
          "Happy birthday, honey."
                    Autumn
          "Help."

          February 14, 1967
                    Autumn
          "We can't see each other anymore."

          February 17, 1967
                    Autumn
          "I'm sorry."

          May 3, 1967
                    Peter and Autumn
          "I love you."
          "Oh. . . . Thank you."

          June 8, 1967
                    Peter and Autumn
          "Autumn, if I asked you to marry me right now, what would you say?"
          "No."
          "You would?"
          "Yeah."
          "Why?"
          "Well, I'm too young. . . . Peter, I love you."
          "Why did you say that?"
          "Because I . . . I do. Why did you ask me that? You can't do that to me after I've said that. You aren't allowed to say anything, you just have to smile and kiss me."
          "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."
          "Do it now," she demanded.
          "Uh uh. You have to say it." A long silence settled over them. "I'll get you started," Peter offered. "Autumn, I love you."
          "I love you, too, Peter."
          Peter smiled and kissed her.
          "You have been taught well."

          July 17, 1967
                    Autumn
          "I think that the accidents over the past months have been a lot more than a coincidence. I . . . I think someone's trying to kill me."

          January 2, 1968
                    Peter
          "It's a letter . . . from . . . Autumn, you'll have to go home."

          January 3, 1968
                    Peter
          "You want us to do what?"
                    Peter
          "Well, can we bring someone?"
                    Micky and Sgt. Lipker
          "We can? That's great! Could I bring a girl named Rachel?"
          "Uh, Rachel?"
          "Yeah, Rachel Carroll."
          "Rachel Thalia Carroll?"
          "Yeah, how did you know off the top of your head?"
          "She's one of our best."
                    Peter
          "She's a spy?!"

          January 13, 1998
                    Sgt. Lipker
          "You leave on the twenty-first. You three must be conditioned for this first."

          January 18, 1998
                    Autumn and Peter
          "I cannot do this anymore."
          "I'm sorry . . . how are you feeling?"
          "Hm . . . I'm cold, tired, wet, hungry, far from home, sick to my stomach, cut, bruised, aching and I spend my days isolated. Aside from that, I'm just fine."
          "Great."

          January 21, 1998
                    Four days ago
          "Welcome aboard the Maude Star."
          "Maude Star?" Kattina whispered. Mike shushed her.
          "I'm more worried about the crew," Autumn replied. "Mike, can I have your sunglasses?"
          "I guess so." Mike took them off and handed them to Autumn.
          "Here, Peter," she said, handing them to Peter. "Put these on."
          "Why?"
          "You'll see . . . but let me do the talking, Captain." She saluted Peter.
          "Here's the bosun," Mike announced.
          "Cap'in," the bosun nodded.
          The man speaking was the embodiment of every stereotype of pirates. Eye patch, one earring, bandana tied on his head, dirty, smelly, five o'clock shadow, missing teeth—well, to look on the bright side, at least his clothes weren't antiquated. Jeans and a t-shirt, though both old, dirty and torn, lended him at least a little modernity. Not much.
          "Mister—"
          "Solpyn. Bosun, usually. Most call me Killin' Kelly."
          "Yes, Bosun. This is the new first mate, Merciless Mike—Nesmith for short." Mike stepped forward. "And this is the new advisor to the cap'in, Menacing Mick—commonly Dolenz." Micky stepped forward.
          "So which one of the other two's the cap'in?"
          "Wait, I need to introduce the good luck omen. This is Davy Jones." Davy stepped forward.
          "The Davy Jones?"
          "A Davy Jones. Now, for the cap'in." Autumn raised her voice. "Crew, this is your new cap'in, No-Eyes Pete."
          "That explains the four men, but what about the rest of you?"
          Autumn glanced back at Rachel, Kattina, and Davy's new girlfriend, Coralia.
          "We're . . . their . . . wenches, of course."
          "Oh, really?"
          "Yes, personal wenches. This here is Tally, Mick's Safety Wench. This is Nicky, Mike's Mercy Wench. This is Zacha, our bad luck talisman. And I'm Pete's Seeing-Eye Wench."
          "Have a name?"
          "Leiah."
          "Welcome aboard, one and all. When do we set sail, cap'in?"


on to Goin' Down Part Two

back to Goin' Down The Song


FanFic | FanFiction by Autumn Trenton