Emily assumed it was well past midnight as she found herself struggling to keep her eyes open, even as the sky lit up intermittently, with a hue of orange in every bomb that the government had sent to the ground; attempting to control the situation. All she wanted was to succumb to sleep.
She boarded the smaller raft that would take her to safety, she glanced down at her wrist watch.
17:00.
"Right" she muttered under her breath. She was well aware when she had purchased the watch from a man on the corner of the street, who looked as if he hadn't slept for 72 hours, that it wouldn't be genuine and therefore not waterproof, despite his claims.
Emily sat rigid on the edge of the raft, gripping the rope so tight that her hands began to cramp. She hadn't stepped foot on a boat before tonight and she didn't really want to again. They rode hastily out past the break, directly into crashing waves, every collison making her stomach churn confirming to Emily she wasn't particularly a fan of boats.
As Emily struggled with sleep deprivation, she could only rely on her other senses, closing her eyes for just a moment. She could feel the frozen salt water viciously pelting her skin, hear the sound of the violent shatter and destruction as each bomb hit the earth and the smell of smoke blended with a hint of sea salt.
The Abigail, the only two words that had come from Strand's mouth for the last several hours. It had better be the very depiction of Heaven as he described.
Their boat pulled up to the enormous yacht and Emily let out a sigh of relief. The Abigail was the very picture of perfection, but all that mattered to Emily was that it could fit more than six people. Strand and Nick were the first to jump from the raft and both scurried up two flights of stairs in a hurry.
Emily, along with Daniel, helped Ofelia from the raft. She then continued to hold the raft in place whilst Alicia climbed out and stood next to Emily, her emerald green eyes lit up like burning balls of fire as she returned her focus to the sky.
Nick came bounding down the stairs and leaped into the raft, interrupting Emily's fixed gaze. "Do you need help?" She asked.
"No, just wait for us to come back."
She nodded firmly before planting her arse on the swimming deck, knees bent in front of her to lean her forearms on. She wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep but this would have to do for now.
Exhausted, Emily could feel her bones aching and her muscles beginning to tense and cramp. She was fighting a losing battle with her heavy eyelids. As she walked toward the couch she couldn't even find the energy to lift her feet from the ground, allowing them to drag along the floor. She didn't care of their whereabouts, or where they were headed, all that mattered to her was finding somewhere to rest her drowsy head.
She plopped herself down on the couch beside Ofelia, slumping down to rest her chin on her chest before intertwining her fingers and placing her hands on her stomach. Emily settled comfortably on the lounge and let out an enormous yawn from deep within, which was apparently contagious because moments later Ofelia yawned with a grimace of pain.
Emily watched Ofelia as she sat stiff on the couch beside her, wincing, letting out small yelps as she changed her position. She looked warm, as small droplets of sweat began to slide down from her forehead. "You're in pain." It was blatantly obvious.
Ofelia's jaw clenched as she looked at Emily, her eyes glossy and hollow.
"We should find you a room, so you can get some rest. I can help, if you like?" Emily offered, placing out a hand to help Ofelia from the couch. "Come on, it'll hurt le-..." Emily stopped mid sentence as she was interrupted by several importune screams for help. She sat up promptly, extending her neck to peer out of the window.
There was a large group of people drifting undirected.
Suddenly Alicia and Madison moved passed the two of them, who despite the cries stayed planted on the couch. Emily was concerned for those people, she really was but she was heavy with fatigue and didn't see much point in hovering on the side of the yacht to stare at them; unable to help. As Alicia descended the stairs that lead to the state rooms, Madison headed up.
Ofelia and Emily listened to muffled arguments between Strand and Madison, watching Travis follow Alicia to the outside deck, to then watch Alicia dart back inside and grab the radio from behind Ofelia. She shot the both of them a somewhat dissapointed look for perhaps their lack of motivation to move towards the situation at hand, stepping outside yet again.
Emily felt dizzy from the number of times Alicia crossed her line of view in the last three minutes. The constant need to be on alert in this infected world was enervating and Emily was rapidly growing tired of it. She slumped back to her previous position, letting out a hefty sigh, closing her eyes for a fleeting moment.
It was still early morning and the sun was continuing to rise higher into the sky, Emily leant back resting her elbows on the railing behind her. Rays of light were emerging from behind the clouds, they were warm and soft on Emily's cheeks. Closing her eyes once again, Emily took in a deep breath of salt stained oxygen and reflected on the previous day - the day that seemed to drag on for almost an eternity.
"Have you slept?"
Emily's eyes opened, interrupting her deliberation, to meet with Madison's. Her hazel eyes, bleary and working hard to confront the morning sun, she was leaning against the door frame with her arms folded. Emily rubbed her raw eyes before answering, "no ma'am."
"Shall we find you a room then?" The corners of her eyes crinkled simultaneously with the dimples on her cheeks.
"Yes please."
Madison turned on one heel towards the interior of the boat, but before stepping forward she shot a look to Emily, "also, please don't call me ma'am again. Maddy will do." She grinned.
Emily followed Madison through the main floor before heading down a staircase to the lower level of the boat. The lower level consisted of a single corridor with a number doors planted on either side. Madison opened one of the doors at the end of the corridor and gestured for Emily to step inside.
"Sorry, I know they're small. Also, you'll be sharing with Alicia, if that's okay?" She asked.
"Not the smallest room I've slept in." Emily whispered as gravity pulled her towards one of the beds, she sat down on the end of the bed and kicked off her shoes in a hurry before falling backwards. The mattress was so soft that it felt as if Emily was going to be swallowed whole as she sank further into it. "Thank you Maddy." She uttered before drifting between a state of consciousness and sleep.
"Goodnight." Madison whispered, pulling the door closed behind her.
It wasn't long before Emily was woken abruptly by the door of her room swinging open. She shot up, gripping the edge of the bed, scrunching her eyes in attempt to have them adjust faster to the change in light, then wiping her eyes with a single hand before running it through her hair.
"I'm so sorry!" Alicia apologised frantically, whilst fumbling the radio, that was now her duty, pulling it closer to her chest.
"You really don't like knocking do you?" Emily jested, rubbing the crusted sleep from her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I-..."
"It's okay. Your mum said I can stay in this room with you, if you don't mind?" Emily interrupted.
"That's fine, totally fine." Alicia asserted, nodding her head, her eyes flitting from Emily to the radio she was holding in her hands.
Emily understood the message behind Alicia's eyes, even if Alicia didn't intend to send a message, she received one. "Um, well… I was actually just about to step out, so I'll catch you later." Rising to her feet stretching her arms high above her head and slipping her shoes back over her aching feet.
"Really? You can stay?" Alicia shot her a skeptical eye.
She turned back to look at Alicia from the doorway before stepping out, "it's fine, I need some sun anyways."
Emily climbed steadily up the stairs onto the upper deck, where there were two deck chairs, one already occupied. "Is this seat taken?" Pointing towards the vacant seat.
Nick looked up at her, shading himself from direct eye-contact with the sun that sat blazing directly above them. He grinned, "all yours."
She adjusted the head of the chair so her body would sit at an obtuse angle, lowering herself onto the deck chair in one swift movement, running her hands through her knotted blonde hair, before resting them above her head. The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a period of time, allowing the warmth of the sun to sink into their bones.
Whilst bathing in the sun and the silence, she found it difficult to remain awake, her body urging to doze off, though the question repeating itself in her mind and burning on the edge of her tongue kept her from allowing herself to slip into repose. "Why'd you do it?" She couldn't hold it in any longer. "Why'd you leave it unlocked?"
Nick propped himself up onto his elbows and turned to face Emily, remaining silent as if he was rolling the reasons around in his head, searching for the right one. Biting his lip and scrunching his face in concentration, "I-..."
"I mean, thank you, of course! You saved my life and you didn't have to, so I am grateful." She blurted out in a hurried mess.
Nick chuckled before returning to his lying position. The silence slipped in again and Emily thought that must of been the end of their conversation and closed her eyes peacefully. "I don't know why I left it unlocked, but I'm glad I did."
Emily didn't open her eyes or mouth to respond, she just let her lips curve into a satisfied smile as her heart jerked at his kind words, allowing herself now, slowly give in to the temptation of sleep.
Emily and Nick were both woken gently by Madison, who had placed a soft hand on Emily's knee giving it a light shake. Emily blinked her eyes open letting out a sleepy yawn and turned her attention to Madison. "We're going to hold a service for Liza, if you'd like to attend." Madison asked, so quiet Emily almost missed it.
Emily nodded politely, averting her tired gaze to her wrist watch. 17:00. "Useless thing." She mumbled in a gruff, low tone sleepy voice of hers.
"Um, you all knew Liza long enough to see what kind of person she was, how dedicated she was to her family…", Travis opened with as they all stood around a table, Liza atop, covered with a thin white sheet.
Family. A foreign concept to Emily, especially a family with dedication to one another, one willing to sacrifice their life for their own blood. She slid her hand into the pocket of her jeans and gripped the small ornament within tightly. Family wasn't permanent for her, just as everything else in this God forsaken world.
Emily bit into her lip, trying to place her frustrated thoughts at bay, she turns her attention back to Travis "...she would help anyone and she did." His eyes became glossy with faint tears streaking the side of his face, "she was strong, painful sometimes." He chuckles to himself, fighting back his obvious emotion.
Turning to her left slowly, Emily watches as Chris emerges, her eyes following him as he approaches the head of the table. Silence abruptly surrounds everyone and in a fit of pique, Chris grabs the head of the table and yanks upwards, tossing his mother carelessly into the water. Everyone watching wide-eyed, their lips parted in horror as Chris turns to makes his departure.
Without a moment to think on her decision, Emily found herself ascended the stairs to find Strand, she marches up behind him and startles him with her sudden outburst, "look, I know you hate me. You have made that considerably clear to me but I promise you I will prove my worth!"
Strand swivels in his chair to face her, "I don't hate you."
"What? Are you kidding me? You wanted me locked in a cage! In fact you demanded Nick to keep me locked me in a cage!" She rebutted with rage beginning to seep into her veins.
"I didn't know you and I thought you may have slowed me down." He was calm and assertive, his words clean and crisp rolling off his tongue. "Also, you have proven your worth." Strand turns back to his view of the sea that spanned out before them.
"I have?" She felt the tug of a smile at the corners of her lips and the rage disappear.
"You're stupid and reckless and put life on the line for those who you don't even know, but you have heart and you-..." Strand pauses mid-sentence. His brow furrows and tilts his head, "what are they talking about?"
Emily was taken back by what she thinks was a compliment from Strand, before being confused by his unusual behaviour, "what? Who?"
Strand pushed himself from the chair to his feet and headed down stairs, Emily quickly followed muttering "what the fuck is he doing?" quietly under her breath as she descended the staircase.
"Who the hell's Jack?" The room fell silent as Strand butted in. Stopping mid-staircase Emily decided it would be best to take a seat, in an almost attempt to hide from Strand. "You're going to make me ask twice?"
"He's on a fishing boat near here and he's sinking" Alicia pleaded as a worried look cast over her face.
"You talked to him?"
"Yes I talked to him."
"Did you tell him anything about us?" His eyes narrowed on Alicia.
"Uh, no." Almost choking on her words. "No I didn't tell him anything important."
Strand's hands transition into tight fists, "what didn't you say Alicia, what didn't you tell him about us." His tone frustrated and raised.
"Strand" Emily intervened simultaneously with Travis who continued to tell Strand to calm down.
After a few fiery words directed back at Travis, Strand steps backwards and licks his lips, his brow stiff. "Please. Let me explain the rules of the boat. Rule one, it's my boat. Rule number two, it's my boat. Any confusion about that, I offer rule three, it's my Goddamn boat. If it weren't for me you would all be burned." He turned on the spot towards the stairs, "you're welcome" he spat out as he pushed passed Emily.
It was nearing sunset when the tension that had remained long after Strand made his rules clear to the group began to clear and Emily could begin to hear muffled conversation taking place upstairs, along with an unusual but enticing smell that followed. She sat up on the edge of her bed, the lower bunk, and caught a whiff of cooked fish, this was enough to draw her from her room.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she was face-to-face with Ofelia, stopping suddenly before collision they both smiled at one another. "I was just about to come and grab you, dinner is ready." Ofelia added as her smile grew.
"Smells… interesting." Emily responded with a grin.
Everyone was gathering around the small dining table, noticing the great big cooked eel that was positioned in the middle of the table, surrounded by smaller plates filled with various salads. "What's that?" Alicia shrieked approaching the table.
Travis offered drinks as Emily picked at the salad before sliding into a seat, continuing to eye off the different types of food available, whilst Nick found a larger knife to begin carving the eel. Everyone was submerged in the comfort and happiness that this meal has provided, when it was suddenly discontinued by a loud splash from behind the yacht.
Nick was the first to move toward the back of the yacht who without hesitation dived into the water, whilst the others watched on from the outside deck, Emily didn't bother to follow as she noticed Alicia duck out an adjacent door with her radio in hand.
Momentarily, Emily remained inside, telling herself that it were Alicia's business and that she wouldn't follow. It didn't remain only Alicia's business for long as Emily moments later decided to follow her out.
Alicia stood silently on the bow of the yacht, radio in hand, overlooking the sea ahead of them.
"Alicia?"
She remained still, her stare fixated ahead. Emily approached her slowly and placed her hand around Alicia's wrist causing her to jolt and turn towards Emily. "Are you okay?" Emily questioned as she let go of her wrist, pulling her hand back beside herself.
"I'm fine." Bluntly said in response.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
Alicia turned back toward the water and swallowed hard. "This is all my fault."
"What is? Alicia, what's going on?"
Without a word Alicia turned back towards Emily and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her face into the crease of Emily's neck. Emily froze, shocked at this sudden display of affection, before wrapping her arms around the waist of Alicia, "whatever it is, we will work it out." She promised Alicia as her shoulder became gradually damp. She wasn't sure how, but they would.
