Sea of Deception

Introduction

Hunter, you must eat, his mother said. The single mother sat with her ten year old boy in his room. The light of the candles caressed their faces. On the table, in front of the only window that lit the room, she sat a tray of food. Eggs and toast rested fresh on the plate. Hunter sat at the end of his bed, with his back turned towards his mother. He was shielding himself from her, too afraid to look her in the eye. He did not want her to see him in this manor. His mother straightened her skirt and stood up. She looked through his closet for a white button up and his blue pants. She opened a drawer and took out a pair of socks and set them with his worn out gray boots.

Hunter, you need to get ready. We have the Commander Eatons ships docking in one hour. We will head down in roughly an hour. Please eat something, she pleaded. He looked up at her and saw the pain in her eyes. She walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind her. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep from crying. She needed to put on a brave face for her family.

After his mother left, Hunter stood from his position on the bed. He took off his shirt and replaced his loose gray shirt with the white button up. He removed his pants and slid on his blue carpi pants. He sat back on the bed with his boots and socks in hand. He slid each sock on, one right after the other, before he added his boots. He looked in the mirror at his long hair and thought of his father. He tied the strands back away from his face and ate little amounts of egg and toast.

His parents were setting the table for their supper. His mother set down the potatoes and his father the boiled chicken and rice. As Hunter sat down, a knock at the door drew the attention of his father. Hunter turned towards his father as he opened the door. The men outside of the door talked to quietly for Hunter to hear. But his father responded shakily to whatever they had to say to him. The men stepped into the house. They looked around Hunter's mother up and down. The men, one on each side, grabbed his father and pulled him out the door.

Hunter! he called to him. Hunter got up from his seat to try to help free him. He grabbed an arm of one of the men and pulled him back enough to allow for his father to break free. The man looked down at Hunter with a glare. Striking him across the face, the man sent Hunter to the ground. Hunter grabbed his cheek and looked at the man in shock. His father punched the man in the face several times before they grabbed him again and dragged him out of the house. Hunter looked over at his mother, who stood near the table. She could do nothing but cry for what had just occurred. She walked over to Hunter and hugged him to her, sitting herself on the ground.

Hunter, are you ready to leave? his mother called. Hunter did not answer her. He walked down the steps and into the kitchen where she stood waiting. He had minimal similarities to her, blond hair, green eyes. But he looked exactly like his father. She donned a white dress and tied her hair under a cloth to keep the strands out of her face. She held her basket of supplies she must use to treat the men for illnesses.

Together, they walked down to the docks. The sun barely touching the horizon. Their worn out boots clashed with the gravel road, creating a soft crunch at their every step. The wooden houses around them sat directly next to each other. Some sat atop small businesses. Others sat alone with their one story house.

When they arrived at the dock, Hunter split from his mother. He walked to the water barrels and filled two buckets. He hung them on either end of a large stick, which he placed across his shoulders. He walked them to one of the four ships that had just docked. At the farthest, he walked on board with his buckets of water.

Water, he called, water. The men came for the water. Some taking scoops with their hands, others with pitchers to fill.

Is that my grandson? he heard a warm voice ask. Hunter turned towards the voice and spotted his grandfather coming down the steps. Hunter set the water down and hugged his grandfather.