One Stupid Thing

2:10:76

Every minute that passes feels like 20. I relocated to the couch, flopping down on it with an exasperated sigh. It's one thing to lock someone in a room, but it's another to lock them in a room with nothing to do. It's torturous.

"Sarah!" I hear someone shout faintly from down the hallway. For a second I think I'm hearing things, but then I hear it again. "Sarah!" This time it's louder.

I sit up on the couch with interest. That voice is familiar. I'd say it's impossible that it could be him, but after today anything's possible. I hear pounding on a door just across the hall and the man calls my sister's name once more. "Sarah!"

Then, after a brief pause. The pounding sounds on my own door. The doorknob rattles as the man tries to open it. "Open up! Sarah!"

"John B? John B!" I shout back. I hurry over to the door and pound on it. "John B, it's Stella."

"Stella?"

"Yes, yes it's me!"

"Hang on. I'm going to get you out of there," he assures me. I wait in silence until he comes back and starts fiddling with the doorknob once more. Thankfully, the lock clicks and the door swings open. John B stands on the other side with a bent coat hanger.

"Oh my God," I breathe out in relief. He quickly steps through the threshold and wraps his arms around my shoulders in a big bear hug; the kind that is almost too tight, but you don't say anything about it.

"Are you okay? Where's Sarah?" he asks me once we step away from each other.

"I don't know. Wheezie left the door open when she went to go get cards and Sarah and I used the opportunity to escape. I kept Rose busy for as long as I could but she saw right through me and locked me in here," I explain to him frantically.

"Okay, so she is somewhere on this boat?" he asks.

I nod. "What are you even doing here? How did you get on the boat?"

"We snuck on inside of some container," he replies nonchalantly. "You didn't think we'd just let your family kidnap you two, did you?"

"Wait, wait. Hold on. We?" I ask him.

"Yeah. Me, Pope, Kie, and JJ."

The corners of my mouth turn up subconsciously at the sound of his name. "I knew he was lying. I knew you guys wouldn't trade us for the cross," I say, partially to myself.

"What?" John B looks at me in confusion.

"Nevermind. Long story." I purposefully avoid the topic of my dad's reappearance. The boat is big, but it's not too big. He'll find out eventually.

"Okay, well, we have to get out of here. I ran into Rafe downstairs and now he's out for blood."

"Well, then why are we just standing here? Let's go!" I urge him.

He turns tail and darts back out of the room, running down the opposite direction in which he originally came. I follow as quickly as I can, pushing away the dull pain.

The two of us break out into the light, creep around corners, and steer clear of any crew members until we reach a balcony type thing that overlooks one half of the ship. John B touches a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and we crouch down below the half-wall to keep out of sight. The sounds of struggle peak our interest.

"Dad," a weak voice barely speaks.

"Don't call me that," a man responds, clearly distressed.

"Dad."

"Don't call me that! You don't mean it!"

John B and I peer over the edge and down onto the deck below us. The sight makes my breath hitch. My father has his hands wrapped around Sarah's neck aggressively. My sister is trying desperately to get out of his tight grasp, but she isn't strong enough. John B takes immediate action, running down the nearby stairwell and coming up behind Ward.