Storm and Silence (FANFIC)

20. The Terrifying Reality.

What the hell?! Where was the ship!? Where are all the workers? Where's the- I heard something. It was a loudish clanking noise, coming from my right. I whirled over to the noise, feet pounding on the ground. If he happened to leave me behind in this place..!

I kept running and the clanking noise grew louder and louder as I ran closer and closer. I will give him a piece of my mind if he has left! I'll wait for him to come back and then pounce on him like- I skidded to a halt. Now as I was about a kilometre away from the canal, I heard more things other than clanking.

Shouting. Shouting of agony maybe? I wasn't too sure. Maybe it was shouting of triumph. Something... Exciting. There was another loud shout and many cries following it. And I knew then that they were not cries of happiness.

Curious as to what in the world was going on, I walked towards the shouts and clanking. But I didn't walk as fast as I had been. No, rather I sauntered over to it. I finally reached the canal and looked below. What I saw was even more terrifying than the first time.

Whips were being cracked. Left and right, whenever a labourer collapsed or worked slowly, a whip was cracked near them. I couldn't believe it. I had never seen anything like this. I didn't know it even happened. I saw a labourer collapse and another worker was trying to help him up. Crack! Both labourers jumped and the one who'd fallen slowly got up. I heard a shout from the man who cracked the whip and the two labourers nodded before getting back to work.

This is what he allowed? This was his method to make sure that the labourers didn't collapse anymore? And he didn't care for the health of his labourers, not even in the slightest. I couldn't believe that I was working for such a disgusting man! This was unbelievable! First the oppression of females and now this! What more does he have up his sleeve!?

Quickly, I searched the canal for any sign of him. Surely he'd be visible in the midst of these men. But I didn't see him. I looked up and out towards the sea. His ship, the Empire, had not left at all. I'd merely been on the wrong side of the canal. Or at least very far away from it.

If his ship isn't gone.. I thought. And he isn't in the canal.. Then he is most probably inside the ship! Feeling that it was the only option for it, I started to make my way around the canal. It was long, but not long enough to not be able to walk around it. When I made it to the other side, I started walking a little faster than I had been. My mind was now reeling with it all, the visions of those poor labourers being whipped when they didn't exactly do as told. I reached the edge of the water and stopped. Where was the dock? Had there really been a dock? I checked the other side of the ship. All I saw was water. I gritted my teeth. Surely this wasn't his way to avoid me? Bah, who am I kidding. It probably was! Clever bastard.

It seemed to me that I was going to have to wait for him to get off the ship - if he really was on it. Fine then. If he wanted me to wait, then I will. And when he comes back, I'll give him a piece of my mind.

Half an hour passed, and I was nowhere near giving up on waiting, when he finally arrived. He was on the top deck looking out at the canal, face unfathomable at this distance. I stood up slowly, making sure that I didn't catch his attention and cautiously walked towards the ship, my eyes never leaving his face. When I reached the ship and I was still staring directly at him, I finally spoke.

"I see that your method of making sure workers don't collapse is... Effective sir." He looked down almost immediately as I spoke.

"Mr. Linton! Where have you been? I had been looking all over for you!" I let out a snort. Hah! Looking for me my ass! He would have never bothered with wasting his time by looking for me! He didn't even have a sense of time as of now! His watch was with me! "Get up on the ship at once!" I rolled my eyes before asking how on earth I should.