Lovesick [Jelsa] [Paused]

Chapter Three

Sun shone upon the water, making it shimmer like thousands of jewels. Ramian was awake first and shook Jackson awake along with Quinn. "Wake up, boy! What have you seen during the night?" He asked, grinning a almost toothless grin. With a sigh, the boy said, "Just water...a few fish...oh, and mermaids."

This caused Ramian to scowl and snatch him up by the collar. "Don't lie to me, scum! The hell did you see?!" He shouted in his face, his dreadful breath going in Jackson's nose. The man shook him for he had not answered before dropping him. The younger male gasped for air while he crouched on the bottom of the boat.

"J-Just water and fish...s-sir..." He wanted to jump in the water and drown by calling this beast 'sir' which he was of no sort to be known as that. Ramian and Quinn smirked at one another before grabbing some paddles and throwing them to Jackson. "Row." They demanded of him simply. He did as they were told, loathing them more each second he was near them.

It was a few years of this treatment when he finally turned seventeen. By now, his windblown brown hair was slightly overgrown and a bit jagged from cutting it with knifes, but it was suitable for him. While he still wasn't pleased with these men, at least he had someone alongside him. When they arrived at the dock of a village named Taln, they tied down the boat before running into the town.

"Now, boy, see that merchant over there? He has a bunch of jewelry in that basket. Retrieve it for us!" With that, they shoved him out into the busy crowd. Jackson made his way towards the stand, unnoticed by anyone. Once he was near enough, he kicked over the basket. "Oh! I am so sorry, sir!" He said to the man at the stand as he bent down to 'assist in cleaning up the jewels.'

"No, no! It's fine, my dear fellow!" When the man wasn't looking, Jackson quickly scooped some of the jewelry into a leather bag and began to sprint off. "Thief! Thief!" The merchant shouted, running after him. The men laughed as the boy was chased and they snuck off back to the boat. At nightfall, Jackson had made his way back to the boat.

The jewelry clinked as he threw it onto the bottom of the boat. His face was covered in dirt and he looked beaten from running. "There." Jackson murmured bitterly, taking a seat on a small barrel and sighing. Ramian and Quinn shouted in glee while they looked at the jewelry he had stolen. This was never how he had imagined his life would be. Stealing from innocent people who had nothing on him. He was practically a traitor to his family, who always taught him how to be a gentleman.