The Utopia

|Chapter One|

Ashley
"Father, you'll never guess what I did today." I speak to him softly as I sit on his bed in my usual place, gripping his hand tightly between my own.
"I learned how to make cookies and they turned out so good. I wish you could've tried one." I continue on, by now I had gotten used to not getting any replies to what I was saying. He watches me with tired eyes and that's enough.
"Son." He croaks, startling me. I look at him with wide eyes.
"I've left you an inheritance of money, it's in my office."
"Father what are you saying? You're not going to leave me, you'll get better." I say but there's no hope behind my words.
"I love you, my precious boy."
"You won't leave me all alone. Please don't leave me like mother did, please Papa I need you!" Tears roll down my cheeks as he smiles weakly at me.
"I'm... sorry..." His eyes go blank and his chest stops it's previous ragged rising and falling.
"Papa! No, please come back!" I cry out, but my pleas are unheard.

**********

"He was a good man." Hemlock pats me lightly on the shoulder as I sit and stare at the sparkling waters of the ocean. Water is all you can see for miles, it stretches on and on without end. The only disturbance is the occasional cry of a seagull or the sound of other crew mates.
I stare sadly into the water, not bothering to look at him."I... I just don't understand. How did he get sick too? He was as healthy as could be." I whisper.
I look up startled when Hemlock begins to laugh.
"You're just so pitiful. I can't help it, it's too funny." His laugh is sinister and sends unpleasant shivers down my spine.
"W-what?" My voice comes out softly, confusion laced heavily in the stuttering whisper of breath.
"You look almost as pitiful as your father did when Ivana died." My confusion only grows further at the mention of my mother's name.
"I-I don't understand." By now other crew members had gathered on the deck, attracted to the commotion that Hemlock was making after such a devasting thing had occurred a little over twenty-four hours ago.
"They were poisoned," Hemlock laughs madly." How else do you think they became sick so suddenly? I killed them and now I'm going to become captain. I've earned more loyalty from more than half of these men than your father ever had, as long as they get payed, Am I right?" Hemlock looks around at them and there are head nods of agreement. A few people come to stand beside me like Oakley, whom had been my father's second in command. Oakley sets a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"You won't get away with this, I had a bad feeling about you the moment we found you drifting out at sea amidst the rubble of another ship." Oakley says, his grip on me tightening briefly before he let's go of my shoulder.
"I already have. I've decided you can all be shackled and starved until you change where your loyalty lies. Ashley, you however, will walk the plank. Effective, immediately. No one needs a soft little boy like you anyways. Luckily for you, it probably won't take very long for you to die." Hemlock laughs.
I can tell the people standing by me are ready to put up a fight, even though they've been caught unaware and defenseless during this time of great grieving. Fighting quickly breaks out and I'm grabbed, I kick and swing my fists at him but I'm so small and weak that anything I could've tried wouldn't have had any effect on the big guy anyways. His hands are like iron bands clamped on my upper arms and his grip is so tight I can tell it will leave bruises. I can see the others being detained as well as the man I'm being held by, John, waits for his orders from Hemlock.
"Okay, let's get this show started. Ashley, time for your big performance." Hemlock sing songs and I wouldn't be surprised to see him do jazz hands.
"W-why are you doing this?" I whisper as John begins to push me towards the plank.
"Oh, you mean I'm required to have a motive now? Can't it just be for fun, or perhaps because it's a hobby of mine?" He says sarcastically. "Okay, I'll enlighten you. Things didn't quite work out the way I wanted with the last crew I had been apart of and I just really wanted to be captain. I don't really fancy being ordered around."
"Okay, now on with the show. You don't want to keep your fans waiting now do you. I mean I'm all for a long drawn out suspense, but I would be just as happy with a small shove and then we're done."
I take a small cautious step on to the plank and fear finally gets the better of me."I.. don't know how to swim." I say and you can hear the scared tremble in my voice.
"Well, I guess it's time to start learning." Hemlock chuckles lightly before the humor fades from his voice." Now hurry up, I don't have all day."
My legs tremble as I am forced to take another couple steps forward until I am balanced precariously at the end of the plank of wood.
"Please..." I whisper helplessly, but my plea falls on deaf ears. Tears begin to stream down my cheeks and I let out a quiet whimper.
"Just go already, no one is going to save you and I'm beginning to grow bored with this little game." This time Hemlock's voice doesn't carry an ounce of humor and I can tell he's serious.
I turn to look at everyone one last time, wiping my face of it's tears, before I fall backwards from the plank of wood. My body falls and for a moment I feel weightless, air whooshing behind me and making my golden hair fly up, before my body crashes into the surface of the water.