Abyssal Reverie

Chapter 2: Hypnosis

"To sever my connection with everything."

The ship's sway still knocked me back and forth as I pushed out of the captain's quarters. The upper part of the expansive ship was bustling with the small crew, each doing their assigned duties. I could see buckets full of fish packed into every corner of the boat. As I walked past the men on duty, their eyes met mine, each of them sizing me up.

"She better be worth the headache..." I heard someone off to the left of me mutter under his breath. The hairs on the back of my neck stuck straight as I pressed forward. The ocean was calm today- the sun's heat vicious around me, and the air was sticky with the smell of the sea. I could feel eyes boring into my back, each ready to defend the expedition to his last breath from a woman they had never met. I suspected they were devout to Sleep, a deity unlike anything I had ever known- the driving force behind the crew surrounding me.

"They don't bite." This sweet voice said from behind me; a small framed man dressed like Vessel strode in pace next to me. "They just understand the crucial nature of our venture here. Most of them would never hurt a fly." This man's mask was different, made of a cloth similar to my pants. A prominent white symbol adorned the front, his bright blue eyes piercing the dark black void around them. "You can call me II."

"II, like the number?" I couldn't stop the surprise from slipping from my lips. I could still feel the dehydration dragging its nails across the inside of my esophagus. The pain reminded me that just a day ago, they had all watched me suffering beneath the deck and did nothing to help me. "II, superior to III and IV, at your service. The first Disciple of a Vessel who speaks for Sleep." He stretched his hand to me, wiggling his fingers as though he wished me to take it. I wrapped my fingers around him, shaking with all the energy left in my aching bones. "Come this way; Vessel is waiting to speak with you."

I followed him to the ship's top deck, the giant steering wheel now manned by Vessel himself. In front of him stood two other men dressed exactly as II. The mask and robes were exact, symbolizing devotion to the all-knowing Sleep. The pit in my stomach grew as my suspicions from before were confirmed. I was a woman on a ship dedicated to a deity I had never met; every man surrounding me was the only thing between me and the giant blue mass of death that engulfed everything as far as my eyes could see.

"I see you have met II; This is III and IV." He gestures to the carbon copies of each other standing behind him. I imagine his eyes lingered on my face- the purplish bags under my eyes no doubt what he would be focusing on. The mask creates a barrier between who I am and who he thinks he is meant to be. It is one thing that keeps the real him hidden from the rest of the world. I could feel a fear rising in my chest as I pushed myself toward the group of men surrounding me from all sides. "They are going to show you around the ship and talk to you about what you will do to stay busy."

III stepped forward and bowed, his eyes dancing over my face. Almost as if he were taking in every detail to save for later.

"I am III, Second Disciple of Vessel, who speaks for Sleep." It was as if the ladder was required for all introductory situations.

"And I am IV, Third Disciple of Ve-"

"Vessel, who speaks for Sleep," I say, rolling my eyes. "I am Selah, Once captive, now slave." I smiled, all my teeth shining bright. The pressure of my cheeks ramming up under my bruised eyes caused my eyes to water.

Vessel raised a hand to wave off the anger I saw brewing inside IV's eyes. He was just about to say something when Vessel began speaking.

"It would be in your best interest not to anger those around you, Selah. They are your first line of defense on the open sea. Treacherous place." The black paint around his mouth was fading just slightly. A path followed the ocean spray, and sweat dripping down his exposed stomach was carving its way to the ocean floor through him. "We wouldn't want you to capsize, now would we."