Shards of my Home

Chapter 1

It occurred so often, that I had gotten used to the rocking. I virtually ceased to feel it. I lost count of the days after twenty-two. What was the purpose of counting if the only reason to stop was death? I would meet my end very soon, I knew it.

“Did you hear that?” the startled voice of Alice, a woman whom I have become acquainted with on this morbid journey, snapped me out of my daze.

“Hear what?” I sat up straight. It was relatively dark in the prison hulk as usual. I could hardly see. That was what made it so difficult to count the days. Alice did not answer my inquiry. “Alice? Hear what?”

“Shh,” she hushed and remained silent. She was waiting for the sound to come again. “There was a rumbling noise.”

I rolled my eyes and slumped over, “It's probably thunder.”

Everyone in the cabin had gone to sleep and the ones who remained conscious kept quiet. Drowsiness was engulfing me and I had no reason to avoid it.

“Eden, are you awake?” Alice whispered into the darkness. “Eden.”

I groaned, “I am now. Seriously, Alice, it's just the thunder. Now please just let me sleep.”

I internally scolded myself for being so curt. I feel remorseful enough to apologize, however. And unlike the past few nights, sleep consumed me whole.

Heavy breathing and troubled whimpers disturbed my slumber. I blinked rapidly into the blackness until my eyes were accustomed to it.

I could mildly see my surroundings—the ones I was tired of viewing. The cries became clearer.

“Alice?” I spoke out. “Alice, are you alright?”

She grunted, “I-I don't know. It's my stomach.”

My eyes travelled down to her round belly, the one that was carrying an unborn child.

“Oh my—do you think you're giving birth?” I whispered frantically.

She smacked me arm to show the frustration that her mouth couldn't. “I'm only three months,” she uttered through her pain. “I can't gi—“

She was interrupted by a sudden crash above us. It was followed by infuriated but muffled shouts. Conflict was occurring somewhere on the deck.

My focus was switched back to Alice when a loud yelp escaped her. A few other prisoners were startled by her wails.

“What's going on here?” I recognized Leonardo's voice.“Is Alice okay?”

“I don't know,” I replied, squeezing Alice's hand.“She says her stomach hurts.”

Leonardo reflected on my words for a moment, “She's definitely not giving birth. We need a medic or someone who knows what to do.”

I stood up, “Are there any medics in here?”

A woman took a few steps towards me. I could see through the darkness that I recognized her face. “I'm a nurse, what is wrong with her?”

I took a step aside to let her see, if she even could. She kneeled down beside Alice.

“I need a candle—anything to help me see what's happening.” I knew that voice. It was Katarina, the middle-aged woman who smiled at me when I was first thrown in here. “Does anyone have any candles in their possession?”

A few ‘no's’ were uttered around the prison cell. The ship was rocking and that made the situation even more difficult.

“Fine," she whispered to herself.“If I must do this in the dark, then I will.”

“I can help," I offered.“What can I do?”

“I need a towel, or just a clean cloth,” Katarina said. “She's bleeding heavily.”

I frenziedly rushed through the packed cell, begging lethargic bodies of people for a clean cloth. I finally got one and hurried over to Katarina. I handed her the cloth. She began to aid Alice whose pain wouldn't wither away. The cries and screams replayed over and over in my head.

I gripped onto her hand while Leonardo clutched the other. Meanwhile, Katarina aided her. Although I couldn't see what she was doing exactly, I knew she was helping her.

Suddenly, the shouts above resumed. A crash was heard, then another. Alice whined and tightened her grip on my hand. The ruckus on top was suspiciously escalating.

“Leo, what's happening up there? I articulated between Alice's squeals.

“You're asking like I am there.”

And as if my question was heard by some powerful deity, the Night Guard came rushing down to the cell.

He gripped onto his oil lantern rigidly enough so it trembled in his corrupt fingers. I was the only prisoner who possessed even just a sliver of zeal to survive what awaited us at the end of this burdensome voyage.

Alice failed to subdue an agonized whine which resulted in our proprietorship of the Night Guard's attention. I took note of his shaken state. He was struggling to feign a convincingly audacious façade.

“What is happening in there?" he held his lantern up to see.“What is this entire ruckus about?”

Leonardo stepped in before anyone else could,“Nothing that you can help with, so just do your job of standing there like a tool.”

The guard's mood shifted from fearful to furious faster than I could blink. Still, he said nothing in retaliation to Leonardo's jab. He turned and faced the other direction—ironically following Leonardo's rather discourteous suggestion.

I averted my attention back to Alice in her pitiful state. My mind was a whirlpool of anguish. I was in a dilemma. I already knew what was going to occur after this night of ache. Alice's physical agony would be substituted with grief after this ordeal is over. It was just prolonged. Effortlessly, I could just end her suffering. Of course, I would never be able to prevent her feeling of utter loss and hopelessness. But at least I can stop the pain now.

“Al-" my words failed to reach her as she cried again. “Alice—“

Of course she won't just stop screaming to answer you! Just do it, fool! I readied my hands, squeezed my eyes shut, and pressed my palm against Alice's lower abdomen.

Her skin was warm despite the chilly ocean air. Against my cool hand, I could feel her gut pulsating. It was the energy.

As a reaction it, Alice’s cries began to simmer down as her pain gradually subsided.

“Oh dear…” Katarina muttered.

I already anticipated what she had to say.

“What is it?” Leonardo pried. Katarina sighed.

“I'm so sorry, Alice.”