A Captain Sinks With The Ship

Chapter Three:A Siren Does Not Call

Captain Sybil had wanted me to take the first night's watch shift. And staying awake that night was rather hard, high up int he crow's nest. The night was incredibly clear. Every constellation stood out in stark contrast to the dark sky. I leaned against the railing, small clouds of breath forming in front of my face. The moon was a tiny white tear in the sky, outlined by the fluttering sails of the ship.

Below decks, I had no doubt that card games and bets were beginning o start. It was my first night on board and I couldn't even join in. Captain probably just wanted to see if I could handle this, the easiest of all tasks. According to her, this was one of the most important tasks for a newbie like me. It was my job tonight to watch out for approaching ships, storms, and pods of whales.

Unfortunately, it was incredibly boring. My eyes were heavy with sleep and I had that full, drowsy feeling after a good meal. A seagull settled on the edge of the crow's nest. It tipped its white head from one side to the other. I sniffed, uninterested, and looked at it. It opened it's yellow beak and shrieked at me. I stood up straighter, startled and surveyed the area. The sea stretched out from horizon to horizon, 360 degrees around and I couldn't see and inch of land or any disturbances in the ocean.

The seagull shrieked once more and flew off to the west. I pulled out my pocket watch and checked the time. Just a little past midnight. Captain Gyfford had said that I couldn't leave until first light, then someone else would take my place.  Dawn was just six hours away and I wasn't sure how much longer I could last.

Just then as the ship turned to avoid a few sharp rocks protruding from the middle of the sea, I saw the flash of a fin. I grabbed the telescope and was prepared to call out that there were whales or dolphins nearby, when I zoomed in. The fin was too small, too shiny, and not the right shape.

Briefly, my heart fluttered in my chest. Sirens? Should I call out? But what if it was nothing, the whole crew would laugh at me for disturbing them with a slab of wet rock or something. As we passed, I trained the telescope on the rocks. I saw the unmistakable glow of a slender arm in the moonlight. Sirens! That must be it! I rang the bell and a pale face peaked up over the craggy stones.

A crew member strolled up onto the deck and looked up at me. Not looking away from the telescope I shouted down, "Sirens are real, right?" He laughed and said gruffly, "Of course, boy! You seein' you're first one?"

His nonchalance calmed me down so I kept watching. "As long as she don't start singin' we gone be alright," he continued. He stroked his grey beard for a moment and climbed up, squeezing into the crow's nest with me. I passed him the telescope and he peered down. "My, my." He whistled, "What a hotty."

He grinned and slapped me hard on the back, knocking the breath out of me. "Right on, boy! Enjoy your first watch!" He climbed back down and I was left up there alone, and still tired.