Chapter 9
I rush up onto the gangway to get onto the ship. My father is likely at the Council's table discussing the future plans with the current leaders of our crew. Ace and my father had been up all night the last couple of nights, discussing the plans for our next voyage. This adventure we are focused and looking for something specific. They have yet to communicate any of the plans with me, which has today feeling even more mysterious than normal. So many secrets are in play.
I step up to the council doors, which is located just down the steps from the main deck. This is the most decorated room on our ship. The door alone is a huge taupe 10 foot combination of wrought iron and cast iron. The center is filled with a fogged glass and gold swivels. I push through the doors and step into the room where my father and his council stand around a huge table that is designed to be the map of the new world. A giant map to plan our every trip of where we’ve been and where we are going. The table is made of polycarbonate material and is also taupe. Each island is in the same gold on the door.
“Abigail, we are in council!” My father glares at me distraught from my unruly entrance. I glance around the room studying the faces of the other members in the room. They all turn to face my father, all equally concerned on why I would interrupt a council meeting.
??“My apologies, Captain but it’s urgent. Ace demands that we leave within the hour, it-it’s The Order.” I say boldly. I am to call my father, Captain, in front of my peers, this has been the rule as long as I remember. I am to always sound confident and accurate when I approach him. So I stand straight and do not break eye contact with my father.
??“Council, alert the men. We are to take off immediately. We have no time to spare!” He commands.
??The men gather themselves and rush out urgently. I stand still just waiting for the final click of the door latching. Now it’s just my father and I.
“Dad, what’s happening? We’ve never left like this..” I want answers. I’m never left in the dark about anything and yet this moment, the urgency of everyone, I feel completely clueless.
??“Honey, there are things at play that you aren’t ready for. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll fill you in on everything. But now, I need you to head to your room and lock the door.” He commands in a soft but stern tone. What is? What could possibly be happening that you would need us to rush off the Island so fast? He can tell I’m weary as he says, “I’ll tell you about The Order once we are far enough away, I promise.” The look on his face is no longer just concern, it's panic. He is doing everything he can to hold it in and stay calm, like a true Captain.
We don’t make many promises to each other. My father has a thing with committing to something he can’t be a hundred percent sure about. When we lost my mother, he had promised her that everything was going to be okay while she was giving birth to me. How was he to know the world was so cruel? That was twenty six years ago, everybody was still figuring out this new way of life. So the fact that he promised, I know to listen. I walk quickly down the hall to my room zoning out everything else around me.
I shut the door, lock myself in and prepare to wait. Why am I down here when I should be upstairs helping? Setting sail is a full crew's job and it's noticeable when someone is missing. To leave this fast, they surely need my help. My mind goes back and forth on doing what I’m told and going up to help them.
I can feel us taking off, as the entire ship starts to sway violently. I hear the ocean waves smacking the sides of the ship. Suddenly there is a large bang.
What the fuck was that? A gun? What is happening!? My hands start to sweat and my heart begins to race.
Is someone trying to hop on the ship? Are they attacking? If we are being attacked I should be up there!
The entire ship begins to sway even more, tossing some of the items sitting on my desk off and on to the floor. There’s another loud bang but this time there’s an echo that follows. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was a gun now. We don’t use our guns unless it’s an emergency. Gun powder is not as easy to come by and truthfully the price is far too high to get it. My heart starts pounding even more. We never rush off an island like this, in fact we tend to stay very under the radar in general. I can feel my fingers tingle as I become light headed. I want to know what’s happening, I hate being down here alone. I can hear the screams of panic upstairs.
Bang. ??Another large bang, this time it is closer. I keep listening to try to piece together what is happening. I hear more yelling and screaming.. Is this from our crew? People from the island?
My heart is now pounding so loud I can’t hear anything else. I can feel each heartbeat in my head and am becoming tingly all over. The migraine I have been fighting off from the boot makers studio consumes my head at full force. The sound and light strikes into the back of my eyes making me nauseous. My lungs feel as if they are filling with air but not releasing. It’s hard to breathe and the room starts to spin. My eyesight disappears to blackness and I collapse onto the bed I was sitting on.