The Village in the Sea

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"How about instead of sitting around you two go start your books?" said Mrs. Locke. She sounded more like she was giving a command rather than asking a question, so Victoria got up and grabbed the beaten book from the table. Jess did the same, but with more angry mumbling. Victoria would have shown her discontent, if she had felt like her relationship with Mrs. Locke was better. But, she didn't think so, and without protest she sat back down with the book in hand.

The front page didn't have typed words of what the title was like Victoria was expecting. Instead, there was cursive handwriting that read:

12 August 1892- 4 June 1904

Raul Casales

She realized that this wasn't a book, it was someone's journal. This sparked her curiosity even more so she turned to the next page.

12 August 1892

Mark Remington arrived, says boat sunk. There might be more survivors, considering it was not bad wreck. I hope there more because farms need more people. Also, it's always nice to have new people, they are interesting to talk to.

Me and Mark talked when he first came. He is from New York, which is in the United States. I said I never went to the United States and told him where I was from. Mark seems very kind, he complemented my English. He says he could not even tell it wasn't my first language. I showed him to our newest house, and he said he was a reporter. Not sure what a reporter is, but I hope he will be useful around the village.

That was the end of the first entry, and Victoria hesitated before she went to the next. She didn't know who Raul Casales was, but it still felt like she was reading something she shouldn't. However, her interest overcame her unease and she continued.

15 August 1892

Thankfully, more people arrived. Rosa Szoke, Tristan Lloyd and Seamus Franks. I only got to meet Rosa, Tristan is very young and Seamus is injured. She was nice, scared but never rude to me. I couldn't help but notice she was very beautiful, her hair was the lightest blonde I had ever seen, and although it was wet and knotted it still fell around her shoulders in beautiful waves, her eyes were the color of the ocean. She and Mark are sharing a house until we can build more. I offered her the guest room in my house, but she said I had been too kind already.

I was surprised her refusal slightly hurt, considering we had just met, but I didn't say anything. Hopefully my smile and farewell to her was enough to let us have another conversation.

"Are you actually reading?" sneered Jess. Victoria looked up and saw her walking into the room, she hadn't even noticed Jess leave or come back.

"Well, you-"

"I've been sitting in my room, thinking of how we can get out of here. Mum is in a horrible mood, maybe we could suck up to her."

Before Jess could continue, Victoria took the short pause to speak up.

"Read this." She held the journal out towards Jess, who looked at it as if it was a joke.

"What?"

"Just read it." Victoria wasn't sure how Jess reading the journal would help her, but she still felt like she should share it with her.

Jess slowly reached out and grabbed the book. She stared at Victoria questioningly then opened the front cover. It was several seconds before Jess's face turned from confused to one of awe. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew almost twice their normal size.

"How did you get this?" she asked.

Victoria shrugged, "I just picked it up after Luka set it down."