Wanting For Breath

CHAPTER 7

I woke with the pain of my ear being twisted. I winced and looked up at the sailor who jeered in my face. I slapped his hand away from me and slung my legs out of my cot that was considerably smaller than the rest of the sailors, which were all lined up in rows on either side of the ship's walls.

I could hear footsteps on deck and remembered my sailors punishment was to be this morning. I gulped. He was being punished for helping me.

I followed the line of men to the kitchen where they began to grab everything that had been cooked up for breakfast. I looked at the grimy pewter pot full of mush and thought about the lovely breakfast that was always set out back at home...I brought myself back to time, "it's a new life and I can take anything". I pushed my way through the bellowing men, snatched a broken cup from a table and scooped up some of that distasteful smelling mush. I searched for a spoon but this was not exactly the organized kitchen. I forgot about it and crept into a corner and tipped the cup upside down and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the grub.

I clambered up the steps to the deck of the ship squinting into the sunlight. I saw my sailor was already chained to the flogging post, his head drooped low between his shoulder blades. The Captain was standing on the the platform outside his cabin. Soon all the sailors became present on the deck not wanting to miss the chance to see a flogging which was their entertainment when they were out at sea without anything else to amuse them.

I watched wide eyed and cringed whenever the lash bit through my sailor. I watched the blood trickle down his back and how bright it glistened in the sunlight. But all through those 25 lashes not once did I hear him cry out. After it was done they poured a bucket of cold water over his back and left him to agonize over it.

Everyone went back to work while I stood and watched my sailor's heaving shoulders as he breathed. But it wasn't long before the Captain called me over to him to be his errand boy. Errand boy...when was this "going to turn you into a man" going to come to pass. How long was it going to be...I was thirteen and able to handle not being trampled on. The Captain caught me glaring down at the floor, "What's on yer mind, boy?" I complained about it and his only answer was a gruff laugh and said, " 'Ell, ya think ya gonna start out on top of it all? Get used to bein trampled on cause it only gonna get a hell of a lot worse." Then he left.

Weeks passed and I saw no sign of the sailor who the Captain had addressed as "Scorch". I knew they all had their own little names they got stuck with but how would you go about getting "Scorch"?

Then one evening we finally landed. I took care to observe how all flags and identification was taken away from the ship ahead of time and smiled to myself as we waited for the darkness to set in before we came into port.

"'Ey they!" It was my sailor, Scorch!

"Where have you been? You don't know how awful I've been feeling all ripped up and the like."

" 'bout what boy?"

"About what you went through for keeping me covered and such, aw I've been wanting to apologies and..."

" 'Ey...in this ship yer don't apologies for shit...yer wanna be damn tough yer wanna be a man you don't feel bad about bleedin nuffin at all ya hear me?" He shook me.

" Yeah I hear you, but..."

"Forget it...if yer ain't shittin tough enough to take a floggin ever no an then you don't deserve to live. Now that I'm back i's gonna teach you how to enjoy livin a pirates life alwight?"

"Sure!" I nodded my head, glad he was back with me.

We tramped off. I was running to keep up with his fast pace. He went through side streets and alleys till we finally came upon a rowdy pub. Scorch grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me close so he could talk in my ear. " Now this is what its all about!" He seemed excited so I thought I should be too. We sat down and he ordered a large meal of meat and potatoes and some gin. The food was wonderful seeing as how I had not eaten a good meal in about a month now. I washed it down with a swallow of the gin and hell's fire cut down my throat and I spewed out the first mouthful, sending Scorch into a fit of laughter.

"Aw hell! Yer'll get on used to it soon enough no worries...pwetty soon yer'll be lookin at vat stuff as ya damn savior." He said between mouthfuls of his meal.

Once we had finished, and after I had pretty much gotten used to the gin, he kicked back and began to smoke. I took a look around the smoky pub. One of the woman in bright colors came over to us looking at Scorch directly and winked as if she had a question for him. He smiled and invited her over with a jerk of his head. She bounced over into his lap but he pushed her back before she could begin her kissing.

"The boy." She looked over for a second at me then smiled wide and walked back over to the group of girls and talked to one in a blue dress dirty white petticoats. They glanced over at me and talked again. Finally they both walked over to our table and Scorch smiled up at them.

"Good gal!" He said and pulled the first girl into his lap again. Then looking over at me he nodded to the blue dress girl and said, "She is all yours tonight...trust me she'll make a man out of you." He winked at me, gave both females a couple of coins, and threw the girl over his shoulder, walked to the back of the pub with her and out the back door.

For a minute I just stared at the girl. She had long hair which was colored a frightening red. But her eyes were a soft brown and her smile was sweet and it relaxed me. She crooked a finger at me giggled, "Your shy ain't you? Or you just ain't used to girls?"

"I haven't hardly been around girls to know."

"Well don't worry...I get you real used to us in a little while. You wanna follow me?"

I nodded. Why not. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up some stairs behind her and into a little room.

"It's a logging too?" I asked

"Oh yes we loge people here. They won't mind if we use the room for a little while."

"So what's all this about anyway...we just have a kissing fit until my time is up or something?"

She laughed out loud, "No you silly!" She pushed me down on the bed and kissed me long and hard... "You think that's all you want right now?"

I felt aroused and excited and thought for a moment...no way was this all I wanted. I sat up played with her red curls for a bit then kissed her again and ran my hands over her shoulders and her sides feeling her body through her corset. I pulled at the top of the plunging neckline of her blouse.

"You really want it don't you..." She whispered and helped my hands find her small breast. She pressed my head against their softness and I heard her gently moaning while she let me suckle on it. She began to crawl up my body and pulled her skirts up and I felt her hands on my belt buckle. Slowly I came undone. The warmth was amazing and she came down drawing all of me inside her and my hands grabbed the headboard of them bed to hold myself steady well she laid her head against my chest letting the feelings take over. Slowly it became hotter and hotter till we moved fiercely together. I pulled at her hair and moaned out loud not knowing where this pleasure came from. Finally we were spent and I wanted nothing more then to curl up in her arms and sleep forever, but to my amazement she wasn't that same sweetness anymore. She was bitter.

"You'd better get the 'ell out of here and now."

"What for? arn't you tired?"

"I'd be tired if ya had somethin to give me but seein as how ya new ya didn't 'ave shit ter give me! Now I've got other more important matters and I'll be needen this room again so get yourself together and get out."

I was quite for a moment. But did as she said and left. I slouched back to the table and waited a while before I saw Scorch make his way back to me after kissing a different girl I had seen him with before.

"Hiya! An' 'ow was it?"

I shrugged, "Alright, I guess."

"Alright? Alright? That's it? 'olly shit I paid good money for 'at gale and if she ain't done a fuckin good job I'll be havin a long chat wiv her!"

"No no it wasn't anything like that it's just it was amazing then it was over and then they arn't sweet anymore and you feel all guilty and stuff like you did something wrong, you know?"

He chuckled, "Ya jess gotta know 'ow to 'andle them is all. Yer see gals is wot will be all sassy and such cause they want ter makes yer feels like yer own 'em somethink. But yer don't own 'em shit. Yer paid for 'em and yer suspectin the best from 'em. Yer 'ave ter be rough an show 'em who's the bloody damn boss so as they'll stay sweet the whole time for yer."

I listened thoughtfully. "Good to know." I replied. "Good to know."

He smiled, "Yer ready to hit up some other place? The night is still young!"

Oh yes, I was ready to have fun this time.