The Gunner’s Mate

A man on a remote island senses Muriel’s arrival and longs for her love. 

Muriel shares tropical drinks with her friends – fellow New Yorkers Liza and Ashley – and expresses her feeling of connection to the island.  Ashley disparages the place, finding its solitary hotel strange and unsettling. 

The man, a spectral sailor, believes Muriel to be a portent of Captain Morgan’s return.

Back from the beach, Muriel shows off a silver round she uncovered in the sand.

The sailor venerates Muriel, her beauty and her chastity.

Muriel asks the hotel’s manager about the island’s history and learns that a lack of fresh water made it uninhabitable until recently.  One of her friends, Dylan, wonders aloud about deaths on the island, and Muriel peruses a book of old poetry.

A green parrot takes up a perch nearby Muriel.  She greets the bird enthusiastically and offers it food and drink.  At Muriel’s invitation, the parrot clambers up her arm and seats itself on her shoulder.  Alexis and her partner, Kevin, examine Muriel’s parrot. Kevin thinks of pirates and the long lives of birds.

The pirate celebrates Muriel’s enjoyment of his gifts.

Muriel receives a note from her boyfriend, Rick, who sends his regrets for remaining home for his father’s funeral.  

Come morning, Muriel finds her parrot departed.  She encounters Kevin, and the pair sit for coffee.  Kevin asks Muriel about her male companion at the cookout the night before, but she denies being with anyone.  Liza joins Kevin and mentions the deep baritone and striking bandana of Muriel’s company. Unnerved and defensive, Muriel protests.  Dylan joins the group and comments on the stranger’s extensive tattoos and machete.