Hiraeth

Chapter Seven

I don't know what to feel. Death has said that Port Royal is much more dangerous than here. I imagine it full of savage pirates and wealthy merchants.

“How many days will it take to reach Port Royal?” I ask again. We are still standing while all the pirates around us are busy working.

“Hours.”

My knees almost give out. It's not days but hours! That means I'll be leaving this place in a few hours. What the f*ck!

“Come here.” He reaches for me and places his right arm on my shoulder as if we're so close for him to do this. I nudge him, but he doesn’t budge.

“Get off me!” I order, but he clearly doesn’t take orders from other people. Let alone from me.

“I’ll show ye something,” he whispers instead.

I raise my right eyebrow. “Will that save me?”

“No,” he answers.

“Then I have no time for that.”

“I promise, it’s worth yer time.”

My eyes narrow into a pinprick. “Are you planning to make a move on me?”

His face twists. After a while, he brings his hands together and claps. He is laughing while clapping his hands and bobbing his head.

He draws the attention of every pirate. They stop whatever they’re working on and turn to face Death, confused as to why this young man is acting this way. When they turn their attention to me, it changes to a look of disgust. All I can do is lower my head.

I take a few steps forward, wanting to escape from Death, and the pirates glare immediately, but Death takes hold of my hand, making me stop on my track.

I groan.

“Yer . . . funny,” he says in a long, deep breath. After some time, he regains his composure. And that’s only the time he realizes that everyone’s watching him. He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment before waving at the pirates to go on with their work.

“Let’s go,” he says and drags me to wherever the hell he’s taking me.

I mutter strings of insults under my breath, but he only answers with a laugh. It seems like he also doesn’t take no for an answer, so I allow him to take me to wherever he plans to take me.

“Just make sure that something won’t kill me, or else I will show up on your dreams with blood all over me and mess up your life until you beg me to leave you alone.”

Death stops in front of the mainmast. A silly grin stays on his face. “I’ll like it more if ye show up naked.”

“You’re unbelievable!”

“Kidding,” he says. “Besides, who will want a flat chest?”

“F*ck you!”

“Save yer profanities later, North Star.” He winks.

I can only stare at him in disbelief. My gosh! What did I get myself into? Trouble. Yeah, that’s it. I’m in trouble.

And I will be in much more trouble when I’ve learned what Death plans are.

“Are you kidding me? You want me to climb this high mast?” I ask in extreme disbelief. My eyes are darting at Death’s smug face and up to the mainmast.

“It’s doable.”

“For you, yes!” My voice is hoarse as I shriek in panic. “My gosh, Death! Don’t act if life is all a joke!”

“I didn’t say it was,” he reasons out.

“Then what is this you’re doing? You want to kill me because you enjoy seeing me struggle!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Leave—Ah, sh*t!” I yelp when I take notice of a young man swinging from rope to rope tied at the masts. After a few more swings, he lands on the floor safely. I haven’t been able to look at his face because he immediately leaves.

“See?” Death smiles as if reassuring me that this won’t kill me. “He’s safe.”

“He’s lucky then.”

He shakes his head. “I thought ye were brave.”

What he’s said makes irrational thoughts rush over my mind.

I know what Death is doing. He wants to challenge me and see whether I survive against the odds. It may be his way of determining how long I will leave or how brave or cowardly I am.

My mom didn’t raise me to cower. Besides, I’m here in this new world because I love to take an adventure and to try new things. Well, aside from finding my father.

“Give me a few seconds,” I say and take another long, calculating look at the mast.

There are reliable ropes that will help me reach the crow’s nest. It’s not that scary anyway. If I look below, it will. I just need to focus my attention above, and it’s all good.

I take a long, deep breath. “Okay, you first. I'll follow you.”

Death messes my hair and pushes me closer to the mainmast. I watch him encircle the rope on my waist and tie it skillfully. I almost panic until I realize what he’s doing.

The rope isn’t tied tightly around my waist, but it looks secure. This will somehow prevent me from slipping entirely.

“Ready?” Death says, and I only answer with a nod.

He holds the rope tightly then lifts himself above. His boots stick to the mainmast. After gaining his composure, he sways from rope to rope and stops halfway through the crow’s nest.

Now it’s my turn.

I copy what Death has done. I first lift myself, and when I feel that I’m good to go, I sway my rope and catch another rope.

It’s good for a first-timer.

“You see that?” I ask Death when I reach him. Our bodies are touching, so I can see the drops of my sweat rolling towards his arm. “It’s just my first time, and I am so good.”

Death only laughs before making his way towards the crow’s nest.

I get so flustered that when I take another sway, I almost bump on the wood, making my left hand slip from the rope I'm holding.

“Careful!” Death shouts from above.

“Death!” I shout. “Hey! Can you just pull me?”

I don't think that I can continue. My arms are sore, and I am tired. My body is new to this.

He doesn’t answer, but he quickly starts swaying until I can’t see him anymore on the crow’s nest. After a while, I feel that he’s tugging me already.

I ready my feet to push myself away from the wood if I ever get close to it again. Later on, I reach the crow’s nest. I roll on the floor of the crow’s nest.

When I already take a few seconds of rest, I join Death at the side of the crow’s nest.

My jaw hangs open. The view is breathtaking. So bright. So perfect. I can't seem to be able to look away. I feel as though someone cast a magical spell on me. Magically beautiful.

I want to kill Death when he forces me to go up here, but right now, I think I can hug him with so much happiness. I'm enjoying the view that I almost forgot that I would never come here again because I'm leaving soon. Still, I'm so thankful to Death because he let me see this masterpiece.

“Thank you.” I smile. I hope he feels that I'm thanking him genuinely.

I hate him because he's like a jerk that I forgot that he's also helped me escape and now lets me experience the beauty above ground.

“I'm not a b*stard anymore?” He's also smiling now.

“You still are,” I joke. “So, what's your work here? Everyone seems to have their work.”

The pirates below are working with something. No one stops. They're always on the move. Some carry heavy barrels, and other pirates check what's inside. I also take notice of three pirates cleaning. They are holding a dirty map that seems like they've been using it a thousand times while others check for the rope. I don't know for what reason. Maybe they're checking if it's still okay. And I see the captain in front of the helm; beside him is Storm.

“I oversee the navigation and sailing of the ship,” Death answers.

So, he's a navigator. I know that pirates in this field of work are important in a ship. They are like the eyes of the ship. Without them, pirates might get lost at sea.

So, that explains why some pirates sacrifice their lives to save this man beside me. They can't just lose their navigator.

“Why are you caught by . . . Uhm . . . what are they?”

I know what Bones and his men are, but I need confirmation.

“Royal navy.”

I'm right! They are just like what I have seen in pirates' movies and documentaries.

“I'm not caught. I go there on my own.”

I raise my eyebrow. I don't think he's telling the truth. For sure, the royal navy caught him. He's just embarrassed to admit it. No one can just go there on their own. The royal navy is as dangerous as pirates. They catch pirates and execute them in whatever way they want. I know this because when mom showed interest in pirates, I bought her books and CDs. So, what Death has said is impossible.

“You're talking sh*ts.”

He shakes his head. “I'm telling the truth.”

“It doesn't seem like the truth to me,” I insist. My smile turns into a mocking smile.

“Yer not from here?” He drops the topic and now creates one in which I am the center. He catches me off guard.

I don't know how he knows it. Although it's no surprise that someone knows I'm not from here. By looking at my clothes, they will think I came from another world—a modern one. So, there's no point in denying it.

“I came from the other world,” I admit.

He seems taken aback. His eyebrows cross, and his mouth opens, revealing the ring pierced on his tongue. Not long after, I heard his manly laughter. He clutches his stomach with his left hand and the right hand on his mouth.

“D*mn, North Star!” His breath comes in ragged gasps.

This man thinks I am an entertainment. Whatever I say and do, he'll laugh. This must be what he's meant by me being his plaything. It's not something green. It's a literal thing that can entertain him as he sails.

“Ye have a good sense of humor. I like it,” he says as if it's no big deal.

Where's the humor of it?

Does he—what the f*ck! Maybe I'm wrong for thinking he knows I'm not from his world! That explains why he laughs this hard. Like the people in my world, he doesn't believe there's another world aside from his.

I must mentally note this in my mind. It's a piece of information worth sharing if I come back to my world. I need every bit of information I can get here to support my claims.

“I'm good at jokes.” I raise my chin and force a smile. “If the men below just understand my sense of humor, they won't vote for me out.”

He squints his eyes. “Ye want to stay here?”

“If I see that Port Royal is much more dangerous than here. Of course, I want to stay if the pirates will let me. But I doubt that.”

“They're kind.”

I laugh at what he's said. He says that the pirates below are kind. Maybe. Maybe not. They may be kind because they let me stay with them for a while, even give me food. But then they are also evil because they will take me then leave me alone at that strange place.

“Sometimes,” he continues.

And I agree. Sometimes they are kind. Most of the time, they are cruel.

“But when you say I'm not from here, where do you think I come from?”

He thinks I'm joking when I've told him I am from another world. So, I'm curious why he's said I'm not from here.

“The Forsaken Land,” he answers.

I don't know where Forsaken Land is. I don't even know what kind of people live there. But the name screams adventure. I want to go there.

“It's where the witches live.”

“F*ck you!”

So all this time, he's thinking I'm a witch? Why? Is it because of my wild, curly hair? Illogical! If I'm a witch, I will curse them all—the end of my suffering.

“Why?” His eyes widen. “Yer not a witch?”

“Did you all think I'm a witch?”

He gulps. “Most of us.”

“I'm not a witch!”

“Yer like someone from there.”

I don't care now what Forsaken Land is. I'm taking back my word. I don't want to go to that place anymore.

“That's why I bring ye here.”

My neck snaps when I suddenly turn my neck to look at Death. Ouch!

”What do you mean?”

“I ask ye about the Book of Shadows . . . ” his voice trails off. “Thought yer joking when ye said ye don't know it.”

“What the f*ck is that?” My voice raises higher. I can't contain my annoyance and frustration. “Book that has shadows in it?”

I may sound like an i***t, but that's what I imagine. But is it even possible, though? Well, there's already a thin line between reality and fiction here. It seems like I must also expect unicorns.

“It's a stolen book from the wicked witch.”

“Then why are you searching for it?”

“Ye don't know?”

“If I know, I wouldn't ask.”

Now he's confused. His eyebrows cross, and just like what he always does, he plays with the ring on his tongue.

Does everyone here know why it's a must to search for this book? Am I the only one who doesn’t know? What's so important with that book? Will the witch curse them because someone stole her book, and they will all experience her wickedness? I want to ask these questions.

“She vows to grant a one wish from whoever finds it first.”

My eyes blink. Once. Twice. Thrice. Until it widens.

I have an idea on how I can finally find father and Wade so we can all leave.

This place is, unfortunately, far from what Wade and I imagined. This is not the adventure we want.

But then, what adventure do we want?

I don't know. I just want to be happy.

Maybe I should give up on the idea that there's a place somewhere that's like a home. Perhaps it's best to stay in my world and survive.

So I'm thinking . . . I will find that Book of Shadows. But where do I search for it? And where's the Forsaken Land? I don't know. So how can I bring it back to the witch?

I don't have any idea about this place. I'm behind the game. Death is more likely to find it first. F*ck! I know he will only wish for unlimited riches, fame, or women.

“I'll find it first,” he says in a serious tone. It seems like he reads what's running through my mind. I don't need to ask whether he's angry or not. He is. What I don't know is why is he mad? Is it because I plan to join the game of searching the Book of Shadows? Or because he regrets sharing it with me, and now he's angry at himself?

“I need it the most.” I mirror his seriousness. “I am searching for my father and friend. It's hard to find them in this world. The witch will help me.”

“Ye don't know.” His voice is low and grave. Our eyes meet, but I break it. It's too intense. The once calm and warm gaze turns into something piercing. It's like a sky that can hurt your eyes if you stare at it just for a second.

“What I do not know?” Annoyance creeps into my voice. If Death kills me here, will jumping? But if I do jump and succeed, Death also can. There's not enough time to swim away. “And why are you angry? It's not like I would steal it from you if you found it, duh!”

Is this what he's doing to people who want to find it? Scare them so no one will try to get on his way. I get it. He's scaring me, so I won't try to find it. And then he'll have many chances.

What do I expect with these pirates? They only want riches and are hell-bent on getting it.

This guy will do kind things, and when I feel like I can trust him, he'll be a jerk.

Yes!

A jerk! Because—

What the f*ck!

He's left me here!

Alone!

In just a few swings and tug of ropes, he gracefully steps on the ship's floor. I stay from where I am, watching him make his way to Storm and the captain. The jerk never even looks back!

So that's it? He'll do this to a woman because a poor, lost woman on a ship full of men just happens to want what he wants. It's childish! He'll stoop low to get what he wants even if he knows someone needs it the most.

I fall to my knees.

The guy I thought was kind enough to help me escape and make sure no man touched me doesn't want to help me anymore. He's done when I say I'm serious that I don't know what Book of Shadows is. More done when I admit I will search for it, too.

And I'm done as well.

Since I entered this place, I've depended my life on him.

I can survive on my own.

I don't need Death.

I should have realized this earlier.

His name is already a red flag.