Adeline (Watty Awards Finalist 2013)

Jealousy

Siren art to your right (Sarasvati in mermaid form)

Sleeping with Sara was a nightmare. She constantly moved about and got up at odd hours of the night to disappear above deck and then come back down. I was too tired to question her, my body still sore from my near death experience. After hours of dealing with Sara’s odd sleeping habits, I drifted off into my dreams.

Loud yelling and stomping from above roused me out of my precious sleep. I barely had one eye open before Sara was pulling me above deck with her. I didn’t even realize I was up and out of bed walking until the sea breeze hit me in the face, the wind blowing my hair about.

“Get on yer knees ya filthy bastard!” Flynn roared. My drowsiness disappeared in seconds. I stared wide eyed as a member of the crew knelt before Flynn, tears streaming down his filthy face.

“I’m sorry Cap’n, If I had known that he was going to steal it, I’d of never let him take a look at the thing.” The man whined.

But Flynn looked on with disgust, “How the hell are we to sail to our destination when you’ve gone and given the bloody map to him? Answer me!” Flynn yelled.

Now the whole crew was up and about. I saw Loki come into view with a huge yawn. “Cap’n he said he just wanted to take a look because he didn’t believe that we had acquired it.” The doomed man explained.

I had no idea what was happening, but I did feel sorry for the man. This was just a pitiful display. Flynn laughed cruelly.

“Fools like you don’t deserve to live! Of course he would say something like that. He’d know it’d lure a fool like you out to show him so that he may steal it. What are we to do now? Without a map, we are completely at a loss.” Flynn circled the man like a hungry shark. The man still on his knees, trembled in fear.

“Spare me Cap’n. I beg of ya! I’ll get it back I promise. They are to be stopping off to Dominica before they set sail to Bermuda. We just need ta go there and get the blasted thing away from ‘em.” The man babbled. He would say anything to get back in Flynn’s good graces, so would I had I been in his position.

“Dominica you say?” Flynn paused his circling.

“Yes Cap’n I swear it on me own life.” The man cried.

“That is useful information” Flynn said quietly. “Your death shall be swift”

And before the man could even plead for his life again, Argo stepped from behind him with a large knife and slit his throat from ear to ear. I opened my mouth to scream, but Sara beat me to it. Nevertheless, I joined in with her. I scrambled away from the scene before me as the man’s blood leaked over the wooden floor of the deck.

With a quick nod from Flynn, Emil and Argo quickly lifted the body and through it overboard. The men of the crew made the sign of the cross, and went about their business. I on the other hand curled into the corner of the ship watching the blood spread about the floor like a foul disease.

I held my hand in over my mouth as my breathing grew louder. Argo had killed a man at Flynn’s command. Hadn’t the two been at each other’s throats just last night? Did they only come together to take away this man’s life?

I sat pressed against the wall as Sara stood where I left her with a tear streaming down her face. No one attempted to comfort us, not even Loki who just glanced at us ever so often with sympathy. But I understood why. This was normalcy for them.

Men of the crew died all the time around them. I assumed the reason why Loki didn’t comfort me was for fear that he would cripple me and make me weak when it came to the matters of life and death. I was a pirate now. I would have to kill a man sooner or later wouldn’t I?