Man's Down

The Sunset

I lay outside, looking at the sun. Funny weather for winter. Global warming, I guess. Nobody was talking, we were all busy doing our own things. Hopefully we would start talking soon. The sea was gently hitting my face, and I was finally starting to relax. I put my feet up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." exclaimed the sailor, who let me on the boat. "No putting your feet up, this boat was very expensive." I took them down. "Remember, I let you on this boat out of the goodness of my heart, don't wreck it." I wanted to say something back, but I didn't want to make us enemies on the first day. Besides, he seemed nice enough. I wondered what to do and decided to look around the ship. I tried to open the door to the deck, before I was interrupted again.
"What are you doing?" asked the sailor, bluntly.
"I wanted to find something to do, if that's okay. Sorry."
He sighed. "Okay. There's a pack of cards inside, but you'll have to share them." He lifted his feet up and went inside the deck. After a short wait, he came outside again with a small, battered object in his hand. I said thank you, and he passed the cards to me. I opened the pack and asked everyone what they wanted to play. The boy said he wanted to play cheat. I've always loved cheat. So that's what we played. I dealt the cards and we began to have fun. All of us, even the sailor. We continued until evening. Whilst we played, I felt like a traitor to Lily. I shouldn't be enjoying life right now. I should be grieving. I should be crying in the bunker, not sure what to do. But no, I was happy.

After we finished playing, the sun was setting over the vast ocean. There was a cool breeze coming from the sea. The woman said that we should tell each other how we got on the boat. She decided to start.
"My name is Lucy Rollinson. I'm a scientist, specialising in antibiotics. I was born in lower Warton and lived there for my childhood. When I left school, I went to the university of Lensford to study medicine. I graduated and became a doctor at Lensford hospital. I met my husband when he came in with a broken arm. We bought a house together in the suburbs and that's where we stayed for the next ten years. After those ten years, I started teaching at the university. That's when I met Luke, "she gestured at the sailor," who was my PhD student. My husband went to the Gambia for a year as part of his job, I missed him greatly. And, halfway through his trip, the rods began to fall. That's when I was evacuated." The sailor started talking
"I am Luke Phillips. I come from Barling, you've probably heard of it. I grew up there, then went to the University of Lensford to study Biology and English Literature. That's when I met Lucy, and we started bonding after a while. I came to live here on my own, and became a book reviewer. During my spare time, I started sailing. One day, I was sailing and fell off the ship. The tide was sweeping and strong, so I started drowning. Stephen saw me and saved me. I told him I owed him something, and five months later, when he came to my door, I decided to let him in and bring him with me to England. A few days later, and remarkably Lucy came to my house. I wanted company. So that's why I let them come with me." I came next. I told them my story. Then the final person was the priest.

"My name is Stephen Roberts. I was born in Beeford. I went to university there to study religion, then started teaching as a priest in a local church. My dad called me useless, and said I never would go anywhere. He said I wasn't a real man. So, I decided to take up live-saving skills.  One day when I was walking to work, I saw Luke in the sea, and I went in after him. That's how I know him. Anyway, I was walking home from work when  the bombs fell and Lucy was outside and called me in. I'm very lucky." So that was their tales. By now it was dark, so we had to go to sleep. I went into my bedroom. I shared it with the priest, but I slept on a sofa. I climbed into the bed and hoped I would get finally get some sleep.