Adeline (Watty Awards Finalist 2013)

Oceanus Serpiente

I twisted out of Flynn’s warm embrace. He stared at Sara in confusion and then turned back to me in bewilderment before whispering “Elizabeth?”

And then, to make for an even stranger day, he collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Sara squealed as we both stared on in horror at Flynn’s unconscious body. “I said to lure him down here not bloody kill the man Addie!” Sara yelled.

I sighed, “Sara he’s not dead. It seems the stress has finally caught up with him, and at the worst possible time if I do say so myself.”

Sara waved her hand impatiently? “Adeline do you know what this means? We need to get him up immediately.” She said frantically as she moved towards his body on the floor and began trying to prop him up.

“Why? I think he needs the rest. I wager that he hasn’t slept in a while. Leave him be.” I replied.

Sara looked up at me with large eyes as if I were an utter moron, “Are you daft? The crew cannot sense weakness from their captain Adeline. I am of the sea and even I know this. There will be a mutiny aboard this ship if we do not do something immediately. I’ve seen it happen to many a captain already” she said gloomily.

I scoffed, “Sara no there won’t. These men are loyal to their Captain.”

She rolled her eyes as she began slapping Flynn in the face, “Adeline you my dear friend are naïve. Pirates are cruel to the bone. They haven’t a care of loyalty and allegiance. It’s all about looting and stealing. And I’ve a feeling a betrayal is already in the works.” She muttered.

I squatted down on the floor beside them and started shaking Flynn slightly, “A betrayal? Who and how do you know?” I asked, my voice cracking on the verge of panic.

“I hear the men talking when they do not know I am near. I do not know who is spreading the idea around but I do know it’s in consideration. Now help me get him on the bed.” She said as she laced her arm through his and waited for me to do the same.

I complied, her words still running around in my head. The crew was planning a mutiny. How dare they?  Flynn was the best captain I’d ever seen, although he’s the only Captain I’ve ever seen in action.

We hauled him up, my arms aching, and dragged him towards the edge of the bed. We crudely laid him down and sank onto the floor from exhaustion.

“How are going to hide this from the crew? They’ll be asking of his whereabouts soon enough.” I said in between pants.

Sara wiped her hand across her forehead removing the sweat that she’d acquired when lifting Flynn, “We’ll just say he’s asleep or eating. We just can’t let them know he’s swooned. He should wake in a few hours.” She said reassuringly. I nodded, still stressed at the prospect of mutiny being in the minds of the crew. What would happen to Flynn and all those who stood with him? Would we be killed?

“Have you mentioned your suspicions to anybody else? I asked.

She shook her head, “I don’t know who to trust besides Loki and Argo and you. Who could I tell?”

I was just about to ask if she had any idea when they were planning to overtake the ship when the ship was bumped harshly causing Sara and I to fall over and Flynn’s body to roll off the bed and land with a loud thud.

“What in the bloody hell was that?’ I screeched.

We dashed out of the room closing the door firmly behind us, “Should we really leave him on the floor like that?” I asked as we walked swiftly down the dark corridor.