Chapter 4- Bitter Reality

Christine woke up to find Davy gone. She stretched and stood up. Her back muscles ached from the hard and lumpy cot. Normally, she would go to the wash basin to wash herself and fix her hair. But as she looked around the cabin, there was no basin or mirror. Her dress was damp and she wished she had another dress to change into. Her corset was very loose and she couldn't tighten it without assistance. She certainly wasn't going to ask Davy to tighten her corset. The only thing she could do was comb her wet, tangled hair with her fingers. After removing the knots, her hair was still in disarray. Usually it was curled and in a bun or braided.

Christine now realized that she didn't have any luxury at all on this ship. She was so used to having her maid Elspeth dress and cook for her every day that she actually realized how dependent she was. Christine missed Elspeth very much. How was she supposed to do these things on her own? She was pampered and privileged from the moment she left the cradle.

Since there was nothing else to do to improve her appearance, she walked over to the door to listen for any signs of life outside this room. She only heard footsteps from above on the deck and Davy shouting orders. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming to the door. She quickly ran to the cot and sat on it to look like she wasn't eavesdropping.

The door opened and a crewman entered with a tray. He had a seashell for a head. Just by looking at him, Christine knew he was one of the nicer ones. His eyes were kind, but full of fear. He set the tray down on a small table without looking at her. He turned to leave. Christine gathered up the courage to speak before he opened the cabin door.

"Thank you Sir," she said gratefully. The shell-man just stared at her with wide eyes. Obviously, he was not used to receiving thanks, let alone being addressed as 'sir'. He was very shocked. He didn't answer. Christine decided to speak again. "What's your name?" she asked. Again, he didn't answer her. He looked as if he wanted to speak. He opened his mouth for a moment, but then closed it. He opened the door and lightly closed it after he exited.

Feeling a little offended, Christine sat at the table. The chair was uncomfortable and covered with dry seaweed. She looked at the contents on the tray. There was a bowl containing a mixture of things that she couldn't identify. There was also a biscuit that looked like it would soon mold. She picked up the spoon beside the bowl and scooped some of the unknown soup onto it. It smelled awful, but she was hungry. She crinkled her nose and took a taste of the soup. Her insides immediately churned angrily. It was the worst food she ever tasted in her life. She decided to try the biscuit. When she bit into it, the biscuit was hard and she realized that bugs already began to eat it. She spit out the bugs in her mouth and actually vomited on the table.

Now that she had completely lost her appetite, Christine laid back down on the cot. Her stomach felt awful. She had a sore stomach and a bad taste in her mouth. The morning wasn't going so well.

About an hour later, Davy stomped into the cabin. His eyes flashed when he saw the spoiling food on the table. He also saw a pile of sick on the table and then realized what happened. He saw Christine curled up in the cot. He stepped outside. "Hadras!" he bellowed. "Clean up this mess in me cabin!" he ordered. Christine sat up. Davy glared at her. "Burgoo and biscuits are the only food ya get on this ship," he said angrily. "Since yer soul is bound to the ship, starvin' to death won't rid us of yer pitiful self!" Christine looked like she was going to cry. "I suggest ya eat at dinner!" he slammed the cabin door shut.

At that moment, the crewman with the shell head entered with a mop and a bucket of water. He completely ignored Christine as he mopped up the pile of sick. He took the mop and bucket outside, then came back in to collect the tray. Christine thought she should try to talk to him again.

"So your name is Hadras," she said to start a conversation. "Please, why won't you speak to me?"

Hadras looked at her and he finally took pity on her. "Miss," he whispered. "We're forbidden to talk to ye, on the Captain's orders."

"Why?" she asked.

"He's tryin' to make ya as miserable as possible," Hadras said.

"He's doing an excellent job."

Before Hadras could say anything, they both heard Davy shouting. "Is my cabin clean yet?" he burst into the room. Hadras hastily grabbed the tray.

"Yes Captain," Hadras said obediently.

Davy looked back and forth between Hadras and Christine. He didn't say anything as Hadras exited. He would keep a better eye on them. He sat down on the bench and played on the organ. Christine just stared at the wall. The day passed very slowly. When night came, Christine had to endure another night of Davy's loud snoring. The next day, Hadras brought her meals. He took pity on her and would talk to her in whispers.

"I don't understand why ye joined the crew," he said as he brought her breakfast. It was burgoo and a biscuit again. He showed her how to tap the biscuit on the table to get the bugs out. She actually ate it, but still refused to eat the burgoo.

'I didn't want to die," she whispered back. "I didn't think about anything else."

"The rest of us thought the same thing," Hadras said. "And look at us, we are becoming part of the sea."

"Will I become like that?" she asked worriedly.

"Not for several years," he answered. Christine wasn't assured. "I must go Miss, before the Captain catches me talkin' to ya." He quickly left.

Now Christine had something new to be miserable about. 'The rest of us thought the same thing. And look at us, we are becoming part of the sea.' Hadras' words would not leave her mind. That whole day, she worried about the bitter reality of this life. She was beginning to regret her decision to be on this ship. That night, she succumbed to tears. She was unaware that Davy watched her with a look of pity on his face. But he was satisfied that he was making her miserable, for now.

Yeah, I finally updated! I'm sorry if this chapter was boring. I am planning on writing some more exciting stuff in the next few chapters.