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Chapter Eleven
Nathaniel watched Lloyd's expression as he slept. It slipped rapidly from nonchalant peace to discomfort.
His brow furrowed as something spoke, the beast Nathaniel knew well, or one of its many minions.He looked away, already imagining the words being offered. Lloyd was innocent here, save for being too curious. He hadn't shaken the hand of a clawed fiend and sold his life and thrown away the souls of others.
"Means he's fair game for it," he muttered, swirling the residue of rum in the glass bottle. The etched crystal caught the candlelight and sent diamonds dancing like young stars on the walls. "Can only hope the lad's got sense enough to see through it. I ain't holdin' much hope for that though."
He thought of Thomas. He was an example of one who resisted the constant taunts and allure of the mist dwellers. So many men, older and supposedly wiser, had been lured in. His crew was less than what it had been, foolishness wiping them out one by
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Dark Water Chapter Twelve
And straight the Sun was flecked with bars,(Heaven's Mother send us grace!)As if through a dungeon-grate he peeredWith broad and burning face.Nathaniel brought the chart to the helmsman, silently holding it out as the sun faded the ink even more. Even after all these years, the knowledge ingrained in the mans' mind, he still repeated this routine, adapting the map himself as time dictated."Aye, captain." The voice was cracked, the vocal cords dried from the lack of fluid. The alcohol did little to quench it but water tasted like filth to him and the tang of the grape or distilled molasses was all his palate craved."Any change, inform me," Nathaniel mumbled as he trudged away, his footfalls causing the crew to work harder as his eye looked over them.Any flaw was swiftly picked up, and although he neglected to use the cat-o-nine-tails now, slicing the back to the point where skin hung in flayed
Dark Water Chapter Thirteen
Lloyd was less than happy to be sent below. It was dark and his imagination was already alive with thoughts of devils and demons. Quite frankly, he would rather have been up on the deck, regardless of what sights he might see.It was hard to keep his footing as he cautiously felt for each step. Every heave of the ship pushed him off balance. All around him the shadows twisted and rolled, giving him a nauseous feeling of vertigo.All around him, he imagined eyes watching him, narrow and animalistic, their maws open or grinning, waiting for one slip that would hurtle him into their claws.The ship gave a violet jerk and Lloyd tripped down the remaining stairs, crashing through the door into the storage room. His foot twisted, embedding itself through one of the weaker boards. A torrent of colourful language followed as he sought to free it, dulled by the roar of the sea and shouts from outside.Splinters dug into his ankle as he wrenched his foot free
Dark Water Chapter Fourteen
Lloyd debated speaking to Thomas about the strange voice that still sang airily in his mind. Like the sweet song of a rising bird on a summer morning.Yet, when venturing up onto the deck, he saw the boy looking harried. All the crew was looking rattled, cleaning up the debris that had washed up from below and strange substances that the mist, or those within its folds, had thrown.He offered a small smile and took up a mop without being asked, pushing the brine back over the side. The smell burned his nose, salt clinging to him as though he bathed in the sea for hours."Hope you didn't get seasick," Thomas's voice finally broke the awkward quiet. "And if you did, I hope you cleaned it up. Captain Hemlock isn't the only one who hates bad smells."Lloyd laughed grudgingly. Seasickness would have been preferable to what he had experienced but it was better to leave that for later. He shook his head, pausing the wipe the sheen from his brow
Dark Water Chapter Fifteen
The lag of time was made worse by the unchanging sight of the sea. Even the waves seemed identical, smooth and stable after the agitation of earlier. Sometimes, if he peered very closely, Lloyd could spot a fish, drawn by the shadow of the ship, rising closer to the surface before sinking back to safety.The mist had settled, but strange shapes still rose and fell and soft sounds, dulled wails and groans, could be heard emanating from within it."Souls of the damned," one of the crew muttered as he passed. "Those ripped from the decks. Aye, lad," he smiled cruelly, revealing split and yellow teeth. "Watch ya' back! That's a warnin' to ya! They’d like an offering, be a nice treat! Might even save us some grief.”"I'm running out of room in my head to store warnings," Lloyd retorted bitterly. "That's all I've heard since I've got here. Maybe I ought to turn to stone, then I won't do anything."The man guffawed, his eyes bulging from the too big
Dark Water Chapter Sixteen
March; 1745 Could anything compare to the majesty of the seas? So many stories travelled the crests of blue, heroes were made and the unfortunate languished. Some sent to the grave of the sea earlier than they should, a single mistake ending their life in a trice. Mistakes were not to be tolerated. Nathaniel had made that clear each time one of his crew erred. Blood had stained the boards he walked on, ally and enemy, and still his conscious never bothered him, despite the words of the former naval commodore he had slaughtered some months prior. 'It will haunt you, worthless cur,' the man had spat, his voice garbled with his own blood. 'Your sins will be your ending.' 'I'm sure,'Nath
Dark Water Chapter Seventeen
Present DayLloyd listened as Nathaniel spoke. Able to picture the scenery he describes. Thoughts of the adventure novels and comics he used to read as a teenager sprang to mind. Plump, lush jungles, curious natives that were either friend or foe. And intrepid, mainly pompous, explorers, looking for their next chapter in life."The crew scouted out a wide area," Nathaniel leaned back against the rails, ignoring the uneven surface that dug into his back.The open air was more pleasant than the stuffy cabin, and now the sun was setting it was safer, the beasts that lurked beneath the ship often ventured off, diving deep below the surface in search of prey.Sometimes, if one looked over, bloody scales and blubber floated idly on the surface."What happened?" He pressed, feeling like a rapt schoolboy. "You obviously found stuff.""Aye," Nathaniel sighed, looking up to the clouds that billowed over the darkening sky.
Dark Water Chapter Eighteen
The crew had made themselves at home on the sandy shore, using spare sails to create a decent shelter and were busy fishing and building a fire.They had already caught three green turtles that the cook was busy slicing, putting the shell aside to sell later. Even polished up and clean, it surprised him what some people would part with their money for.The presence of the drums was still eerie, but had become less of an issue. Clearly, the natives were not interested in their visitors or they would have besieged them already. The pattern rarely differed. If they were not welcome, they knew about it."Reckon we might get lucky with some of the women here?" A scrawny man asked as he unhooked a writhing fish, casting it back after deeming it too small. "We've got a few things from the last plunder that we can offer, normally means a fair time!""Aye, they're normally open to a trade," the helmsman chuckled, his mind drifting to more interes
Dark Water Chapter Nineteen
1745Nathaniel passed on joining his crew, who were merrily falling into drunkenness. The cook was a marvel at brewing his own alcohol and the strong liquor would flow freely. It ever failed to bemuse him, that men so hardened to drink became intoxicated so quickly.Like himself, many had been drinking since they were children, lulled to sleep by parents dousing milk with brandy. Consequently, Nathaniel's tolerance to the heady brew had started early, and he could indulge in well beyond the realms of healthy without even getting a sway in his step."Make sure we don't lose any in the sea, lad," he muttered to Thomas as he swept past towards the dark of the rocks. "If we do, don't bother fishin' them out. I ain't go time for idiots on board."Thomas mustered a smile. "Aye, Sir," he answered to the departing back. "If they'll listen."Putting a task like that on him was hardly wise. The crew were older and unlikely to listen to
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