The resounding sound of the docking ship halted all of us, as I glanced at Tatiana. The tears she had sworn not to cry were finally there, filling her blue eyes.
We had journeyed long and far but we were finally here. The air below deck was now foul and bitter, showing how long we had been captured.
It stung my eyes at first and had made me gag, but now that we had arrived, I felt like I would give anything to stay here.
We all sat eery silence, as I looked around at the ones that were left and had made it. Some met my eyes, row after row of cramped occupied seats with men, women and children and but every now and then, the occasional vacant seat.
Those who had resisted.
I closed my eyes, as the screaming started in my mind yet again.
"Kat," Tatiana whispered.
She took my hands in her shaking ones, with a shaky smile to match. "Remember what we said. We stay close no matter what alright? Everyone knows the plan: we remain small and do not draw attention to ourselves at first. We do not put up a fight, until we think of a plan."
Marcel had done exactly the opposite, and the empty space next to me haunted me.
The silence broke with the creaking footsteps above deck, slow and deliberate. People around me looked up.
Any second now. Any second the heavy latch would be lifted.
The tears that had long dried up sprung to my eyes, as I finally resigned to cry for the final time.
But the tears were for my friends, the ones I had lost that awful night and the ones I had lost on our way here. But tears for my mama too.
I'd let them all down.
Each of my supposed clever escape plans had come to nothing.
And now I could hear the dead from beyond the waters.
"I fear I am not strong enough Tat," I voiced my fears for the first time. "That I will not be able to bear what is to come."
"You must be strong for me. We all need our clever sage to think us out of this situation."
"That's just it," I whispered. "I'm all out of ideas."
The door lifted, and the light flooded in.
***
Whatcha' think of this new chapter? I love the fresh direction and new perspective. I loved writing it. I will use my "note" chapter to separate my old and new work, to keep things from getting confusing.
I hope you enjoyed this, and that it served as a welcome distraction from everything going on in the world right now. Let me know of your thoughts.
As always,
Happy reading!
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
The Black Kiss
Romance"Who is she?" he demanded in an authoritative voice. There she stood at the centre of the ballroom, her dark tresses caressing the small of her back whilst her burgundy gown was wrapped tightly around her small frame. The wine tainted her lips a si...
