Bring Me That Horizon

by aeternium

Sometimes he sees the bow of the Misty Lady anchored just beyond Samana Cay in the distance, the crew descending into longboats to make shore. And just when he's about to run in to tell Mama and the girls, he sees that it's nothing but a cresting wave.

The salty sea air whips past his face, but he doesn't mind. Up here on Cliffside the rest of the world just sort of fades away and all that's left is an untellable expanse of ocean, inviting him onwards, whispering his name. He doesn't belong here, stuck on this island. Out there is adventure, and freedom, and all that he belongs to. Barely nine years old and he knows this.

Mama doesn't like it, how much time he spends out here on Cliffside. It scares her, but she would hate to let on, so she jokes with his sisters. "Gonna fall off right into that ocean someday and then maybe he'll be happy and shut up about it," she says. Then they laugh, her and Kit and Ellen, but under that she's scared, too, because it might actually happen. Because him drowning is just as much of a threat as anything in store for him if he stays on this island instead.

He looks like Da, and that's a problem. Kit looks a little like Da, too, but not enough to make a scene like he sometimes does. People that come to look around assume he's hired help or maybe some villager's wayward son. But sometimes they look closer and see his eyes, and his hair, and it's just like everyone else's. He never used to understand why that scared Mama so much. But then he got older, and people started whispering things to Mr. Derby, and then he understood painfully well. He keeps his nose down now and tries to stay out of the foreman's way, because keeping his mouth in check is a small price to pay to save him from another beating.

Kit never had that problem, even though she kind of looks like Da, and he thinks it's probably because she's a girl. She spends all day talking and sewing with Mrs. Derby, who thinks she's 'delightful.' Mama doesn't really like that either, but wouldn't stop it even if she could, because it keeps Kit as safe as Ellen and baby Anamaria.

She won't have to worry now, he smiles to himself, wrapping a leather cord absently around his hand. Soon enough he'll be long gone, and then back again for them some day.

You're old enough now, boy. Keep a weather eye out on that horizon, I'll be back for you after the hurricanes.

That's what he said. A fortnight or so, not long now. He promised. He promised, and that's good enough for Jackie Teague.

After all, Da never lies.