The Hunt for Jack the Ripper (The Phantomhive Diaries #1)

12. S-012

And only 2 POVs left to go. I decided to post today because I am not feeling too well in the stomach and if I end up having to stay in bed, at least I'll have something posted in case I don't have the opportunity. So I hope you guys enjoy this one.

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Seagulls sang as they flew around the Port of London in the early morning. The sky was still cobalt as the sun had not risen yet, with not a single cloud in sight. Boats rocked gently at the mercy of the calm waves that continued to push them side to side. It was usually busy around the port, but considering it was only six in the morning, there were barely any signs of human life. Only one fisherman or two tied up their boats to the docks after a long night of fishing.

However, it was on a lifeboat attached to a whaler ship that something unusual would have been discovered if the crew members had not gone to trade whale oil and bones to the marketplaces. Not that stowaways weren't usual when it came to ships travelling overseas. But something about this particular stowaway would have definitely been considered unusual. In fact, it would have been alarming if they saw the state of him. Luckily, he stayed hidden under the heavy white sheet draping over the lifeboat that kept it from being flooded with water. Of course, that didn't keep him from getting cold during the nights. Yet surprisingly, he didn't find it as cold as it was in Berlin.

When he couldn't hear anyone walking around the deck anymore, the boy lifted the sheet slightly to take a gander at his surroundings. The first thing his green-blue eyes spotted were the seagulls flying through the sky and making wonderful sounds. And the second thing he saw was the sky itself. He had never seen a sky dark blue. In fact, this was his first time seeing the sky change colors. The day he snuck onto the whaler ship, it was nighttime and the sky was black as ink, with no stars for him to see. The only thing he saw was the moon, a round white light that guided his way to his escape. And now that it was almost morning here in London, he was surprised that he couldn't see the moon anymore.

Where did it go? he wondered as the sixteen-year-old boy crawled out of the lifeboat and stood on his bare feet.

He was dishevelled. He only wore a brown jacket and a pair of trousers he stole from one of the crew members while they weren't looking. But he had no shirt or shoes on. He would have kept the hospital gown if he had known it would get cold during the trip but sadly, he tosses the hospital gown into the sea. Now the jacket was the only thing keeping him warm. Just barely. His stomach and chest were marked with scars, bruises and puncture wounds; some were old and some were still recent. His feet had sores and cuts from running all over the city looking for a way out. He had one bruise on his cheek from being punched in the face and a busted lip that was still crusted with dry blood. The boy was pale and gaunt from malnutrition and his blonde hair had been shaved clean off.

The cold only got worse after he got out of the lifeboat. He hugged his arms around himself and shivered, and his teeth chattered. He let out a shaky breath, only to jump back startled at the sight of white mist coming from his mouth. Curious by this, the boy huffed to see the white mist again. He was surprised when he did so, but soon smiled and did it once more. He had never seen anything like it. He had heard of fire breathing dragons. But not boys breathing mist.

Soon, his expression changed from happiness to slight confusion.

The sky turned colors again. Instead of being a shade of blue, it had now turned a paler blue with orange and hints of purple. Why was it changing?

And that's when he looked towards the sea and saw it.

Beyond the horizon line, a yellow ball of light was rising towards the sky. It was golden and beautiful. It was changing the sky to make so many beautiful colors. Could that be...?

Wanting to get a better look, the boy quickly ran to the ladder and climbed down the ship. His heart was fluttering with anticipation and his stomach was in knots. When his feet touched the icy cold wood below, he bolted towards the end of the docks. Eventually, he stopped himself as he reached the end, his soles skidding over the slick wet docks and was quite close to falling into the water if he hadn't leaned back a little. He fell backwards and landed on his ass.

"Auuu!" he cried out as he rubbed his bum to make the pain go away. It wasn't a painful fall. It simply stung; yet it was still an annoyance.

He wasn't going to let that ruin his moment. Sure, he had seen daylight before, peeking through the lifeboat to see the crew performing their daily tasks and the occasional hunting whale. But he had never gotten this opportunity. To finally see the sun rise from the dark. To finally see the sky without having to reach for a barred window. To finally be able to see the sun. And as the sun rose, tears streamed down his face and a relieved smile crept up his face. A small giggle escaped his lips as well as a sob, for there were so many mixed emotions that weighed down his heart. Happiness, relief, shock and sadness. Happy that he was no longer trapped behind four walls. No more needles puncturing his flesh or knives cutting him open. But at the same time, sad that he had to leave people he cared for behind.

"Laufen! Laufen!" That was the last thing he heard when he ran down the corridors of the laboratory, nearly avoiding gunshots.

"Laufen," the boy whispered to himself as his hand reached for the sun, wanting to feel its warmth despite it being so far away. He closed his eyes as more tears fell down his cheeks. 

"Freund."

Even after everything, he was finally here. In London. Outside. He was free.