Chapter 11 “Alice”
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Duncan was sure that the eerie spectacle he witnessed would forever haunt his memory—a strange and dangerous sight against the backdrop of the vast and Boundless Sea. A majestic coffin, bobbing eerily in sync with the wave rhythms, held a Gothic doll seemingly moved by a mysterious, unseen force. This bizarre, animated doll clung to the massive lid of the coffin as it maneuvered through unpredictable gusts of wind and relentless waves.
She looked far from amused.
The scene was chillingly surreal from every angle. For a moment, Duncan was paralyzed, caught between astonishment at seeing the seemingly cursed doll come to life and shock at her incredible determination as she steered the coffin lid through the wild sea. The scene greatly deviated from his expectations. He had imagined many possible scenarios for her return to the ship, but none could have prepared him for this.
In the brief moment of Duncan’s bewilderment, the doll had already skillfully navigated toward the stern of the haunted ship. With uncanny speed and agility, she used the coffin lid as a makeshift paddle, propelling herself through the water with force that belied her small stature. From the safety of the observation window, Duncan cautiously peeked out, watching as the doll nonchalantly tossed the coffin lid back into its place before grabbing onto a piece of wood jutting from the stern. She ascended rapidly, as if an invisible rope were pulling her up. The heavy coffin she had left behind bobbed eerily alongside her as it emerged from the sea.
Startled by this uncanny display, Duncan quickly pulled his head back, hoping to avoid the doll’s gaze. She remained unaware that she had been under the ghost ship captain’s watchful eye all along. With effortless grace, she climbed atop the towering stern of the Vanished, landing lightly on the deck. She gestured in the air with a wave of her finger, and the floating coffin gently descended at her feet. After a quick survey of her surroundings, she straightened her slightly damp dress and began to climb back into the coffin.
However, her actions were abruptly halted by a pirate sword that suddenly crossed her path. The audible click of a flintlock hammer being cocked followed immediately after the sword blocked her way.
The doll froze. As she tried to turn her head, she was confronted by the intimidating sight of a ghost captain bathed in an eerie green flame, staring coldly at her. His voice, echoing from the nether reaches of the spirit world, chilled the bone. “Ah, I’ve caught you, doll.”
The sight of the doll trembling under his gaze stirred something in Duncan. She looked terrified, instinctively trying to dodge, but her movements were clumsy. Her upper body wobbled, and Duncan heard a crisp “click” from the region of her shoulder and neck.
Then, her head separated from her body.
Directly in front of Duncan, the doll’s beautiful head, adorned with silver-white hair flowing with the sea breeze, fell from the body and rolled to his feet. The doll’s body remained frozen in its escape stance next to the coffin, one hand reaching out into thin air. Her disembodied head looked helplessly up at Duncan, its mouth opening and closing in a desperate plea, “He-help… help… help…”
In that exact moment, Duncan felt a chilling sensation seize him, akin to his heart stopping in his chest. He questioned if his heart truly existed while shrouded in ethereal, spectral flames. However, shock overtook him as he watched the doll’s head separate and fall to the ground. The dancing, fiery waves masked his horrified expression and his brief hesitation from overwhelming astonishment. The doll interpreted his temporary inaction as indifference and continued to plead for help in her haunting, repetitive voice, “Help… help… head… fallen…”
Finally, Duncan managed to shake off his shock-induced stupor, calmed his racing, seemingly phantom heart, and strived to assert control over his actions and voice. He quietly observed the doll for a while, coming to an unexpected realization. Despite her unsettling characteristics, the doll appeared to harbor greater fear of him, the so-called “Ghost Captain,” than he did of her.
Realizing this, Duncan understood that he needed to maintain his composed demeanor. His comprehension of this new world was not yet complete, and the cursed doll’s existence was equally perplexing. Until he could gain full control over the strange circumstances surrounding him, the alter-ego of the formidable Duncan, the Captain, was his best guarantee of personal safety.
However, Duncan found that he could not simply ignore the doll before him. Despite the unexpected turn of events straying from his original expectations, the doll had become a sentient being capable of communicating with him.
Reluctantly, he holstered his flintlock pistol, deciding that the limited ammunition and his lack of proficiency with firearms made it a less reliable option in close quarters. He held his sword firmly while using his free hand to pick up the doll’s detached head from the ground.
The sensation was disturbingly peculiar. Duncan knew that the doll was merely a cursed object, yet holding a “head” sent ripples of discomfort through his mind. The faint warmth emanating from the head nearly prompted him to impulsively cast it aside.
Nevertheless, Duncan repressed his disquiet, maintaining a calm demeanor as he met the detached gaze of the head. “Should I help you put it back?”
“Se… s-s-self…”
“Alright, you do it yourself,” Duncan nodded, casually handing the head back to the doll, who seemed to clumsily grasp at thin air.
To his surprise, he watched as the doll’s seemingly clumsy hands deftly caught her own head. She proceeded to straighten the tousled silver hair, adjust the head’s angle, and meticulously place it back onto the neck with a distinct, crisp click. The ball joints came together seamlessly as if this wasn’t the first time such a task had been undertaken.
Following the reattachment, the doll’s previously rigid face rapidly regained its flexibility. She blinked her eyes and let out a relieved sigh, stating, “Phew… I’m back.”
Duncan could only respond with silence as he processed the bizarre spectacle he’d just witnessed.
Despite his urge to voice his thoughts, Duncan remained silent, considering his role as the formidable “Captain Duncan” and the strange circumstances surrounding the doll. In his typically impassive manner, he simply inclined his head and said, “Very well, now come with me. You’ve made a habit of boarding my ship uninvited, and I believe it’s time we had a discussion.”
As he spoke, the spectral flames that enveloped Duncan began to dissipate, gradually revealing his original, mortal form.
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
His ability to transition into this “ethereal form” was a peculiar power he had acquired upon taking command of the ghost ship, the Vanished. However, due to the haste of the encounter in which he gained this ability, he was far from mastering its use. His knowledge of its practical applications was limited, and he had primarily used it for navigation. His earlier manifestation of the ghostly flames had been purely to project an imposing presence in front of the unnerving cursed doll.
But now that he had established his dominance and the doll seemed compliant, there was no need to waste any more energy maintaining the spectral flames.
In response to his command, the cursed doll obediently rose from her position beside the coffin, her eyes widening in surprise as she observed Duncan’s transformation back into human form. Staring at him in disbelief, she asked, “You… you’re not a ghost?”
Duncan cast an indifferent glance at her and replied curtly, “When necessary, I can be.”
She raised a hand to touch her head, seemingly struck by awe.
Although Duncan couldn’t precisely identify what had instilled such awe in her, he noticed that her head was still not securely attached—it seemed that his spectral display had nearly frightened it off again.
With a turn of his heel, he started walking towards his captain’s quarters. His supernatural bond with the Vanished allowed him to sense the doll’s momentary hesitation before she obediently began to follow him.
As anticipated, the elaborate and peculiar “coffin” hovered closely behind her, trailing her as though an inseparable companion.
After traversing the ship for some time, Duncan finally arrived with the cursed doll in the captain’s quarters.
Beneath the eerie gaze of a wooden-carved goat head, the ghost captain and the cursed doll sat facing each other at the navigation table. Duncan settled himself into his imposing, black high-backed chair, while the doll, in a show of grace and dignity, used her wooden coffin as her seat.
Indeed, there was something elegant and regal about her. As she settled down and stayed silent, her silver hair flowing over her shoulders, adorned in a Gothic-style gown, and perched atop the wooden coffin, she resembled a beautiful piece of artwork fit for display in a grand palace under the watchful eyes of vigilant sentinels.
Regrettably, each encounter with the doll provoked within Duncan an inevitable cascade of memories. He couldn’t help but vividly recall the sight of her effortlessly navigating the tumultuous waves and demonstrating a startling level of autonomy. The impression was indelibly etched in his mind.
Exhaling a sigh, he endeavored to recapture his usual frosty, dignified countenance. His piercing gaze locked onto the doll, who now took on a feminine appearance, as he launched into a sequence of questions. “Your name?”
The doll responded in a voice as soft as the whispering wind, “Alice.”
He continued with his interrogation, “Species?”
“Doll,” Alice replied, her voice unchanged.
“And your role or occupation?”
Again, the answer was simple and identical, “Doll… But, why these questions?”
Duncan paused for a moment, musing over Alice’s query before responding. His tone was as cool and measured as ever, “Merely to acquire some fundamental understanding about your existence.”
Thanks for the chapter!
This will be fun. Thanks for the chapter!
I am guessing the next few chapters will be fun.
The occupation got me wheezing!! Lmao imagine if she say prostitute doll
I hope he chucks her out again, except without the coffin this time.
lady did an oopsie, so cute!
Head empty