The rain padded the wood of the ship softly as the morning sun was rising outside. The crew members heard in muffled whispers and rumors of the happening the night before, but to the victims, it felt like it was not over. Like the night had just slowed things down and panged them more painfully into the souls of those left behind.
Shavai laid beside a bed inside one of the mini-cabins on board holding the hand of Benjimen. She had cleaned them up and laid them side by side next to each other. Bejimen still continued breathing slowly, letting Shavai know every moment was up to him and his small heart could give in at any moment. Will entered to see his wife crouched down on her knees with tears in her eyes. She had been up all night and would not leave her son for any reason in the world. Not now, not if the ship was being attacked, not ever. Will croutched down beside her and put his hands on her shoulder. Shavai sobbed and turned to him wrapping her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but notice how fragile she felt under his hands. She hadn't eaten in a while, or drank anything for that matter. She had just sat by the bed all night.
"I miss him." Shavai breathed quickly, trying to hold her tarnishing composure.
"Me, too." He assured her. He rubbed her back as he continued to cradle her looking over her shoulder at them.
"You know, it's funny. Whenever I cried he would always make me feel like he would change the world if he could so it couldn't hurt me anymore. But now I'm crying and he's not here." Shavai finished her thought and broke down crying into the crook of his neck. "What have I done?"
She punished herself as though there was something she could do or could've done. She sat there, mentally bashing herself.
"It's not your fault, honey." Will urged her as though he could change her mind and make her believe otherwise.
"Yes it is!" I shouldn't have let them run off like that. I should've made them sit down, or sit with us or something..." Her voice trailed off as she pulled herself from Will's grip and looked back at them both. "I should've done something."
Will knew in his heart, there was nothing he could say. The tears that had welled up in his eyes let themselves fall and cascade down his cheeks. These children were both their lives. Their whole way of life revolved around them even though they were not their own. They accepted them, took them in, cared and protected for them. Will croutched on his knees and went behind Shavai's back and wrapped his arms around her neck.
Shavai sat praying to all Gods in the universe that were listening. She bargained in her mind, praying they could hear her and might strike up some deal to let them both survive. Offering them everything including her very life to save her childrens.She watched with hope that Benjimen's small, heaving breaths would soon go back to normal. That soon enough his sister would wake up and she would hear him in the middle of the night screaming about a spider. Basically she wished they would be okay. That she would wake in a sweat to find them all back at home; to find this was all a nightmare and nothing more. Her thoughts drug her mind away for a short while but something suddenly brought her back. She felt tears fall on her shoulder. Will's grip had tightened around her.
Benjimen had stopped breathing.
In the mean time, Megan was having troubles of her own. The love of her life lay before her once again. Her mind flashed back to the time when she had seen him last. He was leaving to get the kids back. He had mentioned he'd have to learn for 'one day'. Her planned happy family was viciously ripped apart before her eyes in her mind. An almost acheived goal set back to nothing more than a dream. A nice dream that haunted her for as long as she could remember and appearantly would continue to haunt her the rest of her days. She felt her chest ache inside, just as it had the day she killed him. Now at last it was his turn. His death tore her apart inside, but she would not show it. Her silence spoke volumes. Her tears said the words she could never even pronounce. She had nothing left.
Jack and Jaden sat around talking on the top deck about the nights before. Jack all the while was drinking from a bottle with sryup colored contents.
"I'm telling you, Jack, it's her!" Jaden said as she paced infront of him.
"Oh yeah, the woman consecrated to the almighty knows magic and slaughtered a girl, a man, and two children." Jack slurred his words and swung his hands.
"Jack, can't you take anything seriously?" Jaden asked. She rolled her eyes as he took another swig from the bottle.
"Yea- no." He answered. Suddenly the look on his face changed. "Look, love, I know how upsetting these things can be, but I've heard from a reliable source that these things tend to hurt less if you let them out through physical activities. Such as-"
"If it has anything to do with touching you in an unappropriate manner; I'm going to take that bloody bottle from you and slap you with it." Jaden narrowed her eyes at him.
"I was gonna suggest sword-fighting, but that's always a good idea to let out some rage." Jack leaned against the side and took another drink. Jaden shook her head and walked up to him. She then took the bottle from him and drank the rest of its contents. All the while, Jack looked amazed she could handle it. When she finished, she handed back the empty bottle.
"Listen to me, Jack. Your best friend, whether you know it or not, has just lost one of his children and may end up losing both. Megan has lost Brandon and he's the only damn person she's ever felt anything for. That nun has been around when that girl happened to show up, she was the only person around when they died. She did it." Jaden looked into his eyes and didn't remove her gaze.
"Well, then I've got a question of my own." Jack replied after a moment of silence. He stumbled on his words, "How come, she had such a good, excuse." He had no idea what he was saying, but appearantly was happy he said something profound.
"Then here's a few for you: Why didn't she scream for help? Why didn't she do anything? Why wasn't she hurt?" Jaden countered and made his brain ache.
The rain had stopped in the sky but the clouds remained. Everything seemed to be crashing down around them. Roberts was alive, Brandon, Sydney (and Benjimen) were dead. Shavai, Will and Megan were distraught and now they realized the prime culprit was among them still alive.
"Why can't you just stop with your bloody superstitions!" Jack yelled at her. Something in him snapped. He had no explanation. His ideas and suggestions were not concrete, and it upset him.
"Because they're right!"" She shot back in his face.
"If they're so right, then why didn't she do something to us!"
"She already has!"
"What?"
"She killed the ones that could expose her, you egotistical sonofa-" Before Jaden could finish her words, Jack's hand met up with her face. Jaden fell down on the deck. Some of the crew near by looked on and began to get interested in watching. Jaden hopped to her feet and moved at him and before they knew it, they were at each other's throats.
"Drunken pig!" Jaden shouted as she punched him.
"Heartless wench!" Jack threw in her face. They slapped at each other's faces for a while. Jacinda ran over to them, trying desperately not to fall over. Jack then formed a fist and punched Jaden in the stomach. Jacinda rushed inbetween them not a moment later, and promptly kneed him in the crotch. Jack fell on his side howling in pain. The crew sat around, stunned. Jacinda helped Jaden up and led her through the astounded crowd of spectators.
"Lotta help the lot of ya." She shouted loudly. Jaden lifted her hand to her aching head. Had what just happened, actually occur? She moved her hand to touch her nose. Yes. It had. She pulled it back to reveal blood. She looked at where she had been led. Megan and Brandon's room. Well, it wasn't Brandon's anymore. She knocked and heard silence.
"Megan?" She opened the door and tried her best to wipe away the blood. She looked at the few candles lying on the desk near the bed and saw her leaning over the bed, shaking. Megan slowly turned her head back to show the black liner around her eyes had moved down her cheeks. Quietly, she spoke.
"What happened to you?" Megan asked. Jaden continued to try to wipe the blood away with her arm.
"It was nothing."
