Uncharted Waters

Chapter Two

// Picture above is Gabe. This chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get things going. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming soon! //

"You have two seconds to explain yourself," A voice said. 

The voice was young and sounded as if it belonged to a mere boy. I turned around to see what looked to be a fourteen year old cabin boy. I let out a breath of relief - I probably would've been dead if anyone else found me. 

"Relax will ya?" I said, "I'm just here to be a deck boy no harm intended." 

"Why did you have to sneak onto the ship then?" He growled, trying to sound menacing. 

"I had to run away from home and wasn't sure how to go about this whole...business," I said, gesturing to the ship, "How do meals work on here? Are they a set time? Do we get the same thing each meal?" 

The boy looked confused, "Why the bloody hell would you want to know that?"

I rolled my eyes, "Just answer please."

The boy sighed as if getting bored with the conversation, "Well we get a beer each, some meat and a biscuit." 

"Okay, if I give you my beer every meal, will you keep quiet about me and help me out?" 

The boy's eyes widened, "Every meal! That's two beers every meal!"

I giggled, "Yes, yes it is." 

"Deal," He said and shook my hand. 

"Glad we got that settled. What's your name?" I asked. 

"My names Michael. And you?"

"Lee."

"Welcome aboard, Lee. I'll fill you in on things tomorrow, I'm making my way to bed," Michael said and walked down the stairs. 

I leaned back against the railing and took a few breaths - I made it this far. I was almost shocked. Now that I was safe - er, at least more safe - I looked around the massive ship I was on. I looked up at the sails, at the ropes and the deck... "What the..." I muttered as I gazed at the black sails. I jogged up to the quarter deck by the wheel and ran my fingers over a rough etching in the wood. It was an etching of a skull. My fingers began to shake as I closed my eyes - this was no merchant ship. This was a pirate ship.

***

The morning breeze felt refreshing on my hot, pale skin. I splashed some water on my face in an attempt to make my sweating less visible. I wasn't sweating because I was hot - it was because I was nervous as hell. 

"You okay?" Michael asked as he came up beside me. 

"Uh, yeah. Just hot. Now, fill me in." 

The ship was now full of crew members. To my surprise, they looked similar to merchant sailors but without the uniformed clothing. These guys looked a little more rough. Luckily no one payed any attention to us. I assumed it was because we were cabin boys  - the lowest of the low. For me, it was a blessing in disguise. 

"There's the first mate," Michael said as he pointed at a red haired young man, "He's weirdly happy most of the time. We've just learned to ignore it."

I peered at the handsome first mate, "What's his name?" I asked. 

"That's Gabe. And over there is the quartermaster," He said and continued to point out the rest of the important members, "Here, I'll show you your bunk." 

We made our way down below and came to a room filled with hammocks. I took my shoulder bag off and hid my journal in a crease in the hammock. I did it when no one was noticing, and prayed no one would find it. I had the whole thing basically memorized but didn't want anyone questioning why I had scribblings of Atlantis. They would think I was crazy. 

My Father was a merchant sailor... I assumed. Who knows, maybe he was a pirate. I shivered at the thought. All I knew was that he was a good person. My mother loved him dearly and all he wanted for me was to be happy. He knew I had his adventurous heart, and he wanted the best life for me. We both knew my aunt's full house would would keep me safe and alive, but I would never be truly happy. That's why he left his journal for me. He wanted me to finish what he started. 

"Okay, let's get to work. You start by cleaning the deck, I'll be doing some other errands. Oh, and one more thing. Your on the lowest rung. To avoid any questions about who you are, just do what anyone tells you to do. Got it?" Michael said.

"Got it," I smiled. 

Suddenly a sharp, loud voice rung out and echoed down to where we were standing. It came from above. 

Michael grinned, "That my friend, is our lovely captain."