Present Drifter

Chapter 13

The fence in my backyard has become wooden poles connected by rope surrounding a wooden dock. A vast body of water ripples through my vision as I look far in front of me. I turn my head to find small wooden buildings crammed together, the space speckled with wooden booths that people gather around. It seems to be an old fashioned market.

People hustle past me, failing to acknowledge me as they brush against my arms. Everyone in this time is dressed simply. Most of the guys wear white or beige button ups, most of their shirts only half tucked into distressed pants. The women are in short dresses with strips of fabric tied around their waist. The attire reminds me of Cinderella prior to her fairy godmother.

The ground below me shudders as waves crash below. The whole marketplace seems to have been placed on a dock. Small slits in between wood planks reveal the vibrant blue flowing over a rocky beach.

As I look down, I find my hand interlocked with another half the size of my own. A small boy looks up at me and smiles. Kenneth looks so odd in his apparel. I choke back a cry as I look at someone familiar.

His shirt is buttoned incorrectly so his collar sits funny as it rests on his shoulders and it's half untucked just like most of the boys around. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and he has small leather sandals on. Kenneth squeezes my hand as he looks up at me and I squeeze back.

"Could we go look at fish?" He asks. His attention is pulled slightly in front of me as he says this. He leans forward to look at someone on my other side. I turn to find Alice to my left. The girl who was Ryder and I's mischief mate. A smile teases at my lips as I stare at her. She smiles down at Kenneth.

"I don't mind," she responds, turning to look back at me. I smile and look back at my brother.

"Ma?" He questions. I feel my eyebrows shoot up in shock as he stares up at me with glee. Ma? As in mom?

"I- uhm, sure," I stumble. As soon as I finish he drops my hand and rushes forward through the crowd towards the edge of the dock. Luckily for me, Alice rushes after him as I remain frozen in my spot in shock.

I stumble forward slowly, cautiously entering the crowd in front of me. It takes me a couple minutes to catch up with Alice and Kenneth. I break through the crowd to find Kenneth holding on tightly to the rope around the edge of the dock and Alice with her hand on her back to keep him sturdy.

As I look at them I find myself coming to a halt again. Alice turns around to look at me and her eyebrows furrow slightly. She looks at Kenneth one more time before walking over to stand next to me.

"Is everything alright Emberly?" She asks as she approaches. "Oliver won't fall in. He's a smart kid."

"Oh," I start. "No, I'm not worried about that."

"Then what's on your mind?" She questions. I stare at Kenneth, or here I guess he must be Oliver, as he sways back and forth with his hands wrapped around the loose rope, a large smile on his face.

"Is he always this happy?" I ask, turning to look at Alice again. One of her eyebrows raises as a confused grin forms on her face.

"Uhm, yea." She says. "You've done a good job raising him. You guys are perfect for each other."

"Huh?" I question, confused about her last comment.

"I just mean you're one orphan raising another. Nothing is more wholesome than that she explains." Alice explains. I smile at her as she finishes and she returns the gesture, turning back to look at Oliver as he stares at the water.

I guess in this time I took over caring for Kenneth because my mom wasn't her to do it herself. That's quite the responsibility I've put on myself. At least he looks happy here.

Oliver turns quickly to look at us and then begins to run in our direction.

"Jane, Jane, Jane," he yells in excitement as he approaches. "Come, you have to see the fish."

Oliver aggressively grabs Alice/Jane's hand and pulls her towards the water. She looks at me with widened eyes as her body is lurched forwards. I laugh as she's dragged towards the rope Oliver had just been standing next to. He points into the water and she nods her head. I laugh as I watch her stumble to a stop.

The chatter of the people around me slowly falls to a faint murmur as a large grin takes over my face. My chest falls and rises peacefully as I stare at my friend and in this life, my kid. Not an ounce of anxiety courses through my body as I stare at them watching the water. It's peaceful.

It barely lasts.

My vision goes completely black as a cloth is pulled tightly against my eyes. An arm quickly wraps itself around my waist as another comes tightly over my mouth, the tips of their fingers digging into my cheek. I'm violently pulled backwards, my feet coming completely off the ground.

It only takes a moment before we stop, my attacker lets out a grunt as his back slams against a wall. His grip around me loosens slightly as his chest heaves below me. I struggle in his grasp, trying to escape, but it only makes him re-tighten his grip around me.

His hand falls from my mouth and I open it to scream but suddenly cold metal is pressed against my neck. I tense up as the sharp edge is gently pressed into my skin. My breathing completely stops as I realize what's happening.

"You are going to act completely normal or I will use this," a man hisses into my ear. I squeeze my eyes shut as I fall still in his grasp.

His grip around my waist loosens as he gently places my feet back on the ground. The knife stays connected with my neck as the blindfold is loosened from my eyes and falls to the ground.

I'm greeted by shadows of two buildings blocking the sun. I've been taken into an alleyway. People briefly pass but no one looks into the darkness I'm trapped in.

The man aggressively wraps his hand around my hip as he takes the knife away from my skin. He trails the weapon across my shoulder and down my arm until it rests, pointed into the small of my back. His hand then moves and is wrapped around my shoulder as if he admires me.

Gently, he pushes me forward back into the daylight, the knife hidden in between our bodies. I breathe quickly as I search the crowd for Oliver and Jane. I'm not given much time to look though before he harshly forces me to turn in the opposite direction of where I'd last seen them.

I stumble as he redirects me. His hand tightly grasps onto my shoulder, holding me up steady. The knife is pressed harder into my back. Okay. No mistakes.

My eyes continue to search the crows as I'm forced to walk farther and farther away from where I started. The crowd slowly begins to thin out as we move past the last booth in the marketplace. I try to swallow down my fear as we begin to approach a dock that is accompanied by a large ship swaying back and forth in the waves.

It feels like my heart shivers in my chest as I'm forced up a ramp onto a ship. The deck is empty of people except for me and my attacker. He yanks my shoulder back, forcing me to stop moving as we come to the middle of the ship's open deck.

"Stay here," he commands. I close my eyes, shivering as his grasp leaves my shoulder. I shudder as I hear the ramp we walked up on being pulled onto the ship, a gate locking after it. I'm now trapped on this ship.

A door opens somewhere to my left. I keep my eyes closed as I hear a set of footsteps move in my direction.

"Hoist the anchor Julian." Comes a new voice. "Piers, take the wheel."

"Yes Captain," two voices say in sync.

My body shudders again as I hear two men hustle off towards opposite ends of the ship and one slowly begin to approach me.

"You can open your eyes dear," says the Captain as he comes to stand in front of me. I slowly open my eyes.

I feel my eyebrows twitch as Daxon stares down at me with a mischievous grin. My gaze quickly falls into a glare.

"Welcome aboard my ship, princess," he mocks as the boat shutters into movement.