Black Hearted

Part 14

Mark's eyes shot open to glare at the wall as he growled out in a deep defensive voice. "What did I just say about touching me?" Despite his aggressive tone, Sean's fingers lingered on his skin, asking him in a wispy voice. "Sorry... but is this the thing that was glowing before?" Mark uncurled an arm from his pillow to lean on his side enough to swat Sean's thigh. Sean yelped, yanking his hands off him. Only then did Mark roll back onto his stomach to get comfortable again. He didn't want to talk about it. It was just a tattoo that resulted from the curse. Nothing more. Mark closed his eyes again, trying to drift off. When Sean asked him curiously. "It doesn't come off. What kind of war paint is that?" Mark opened his eyes with a heavy sigh. He was too drunk to be answering such stupid questions. Burying his face in his pillow, he muffled out loudly with disgust. "It's not war paint! It's a tattoo! Now go to sleep!"

Sean rolled his eyes at Mark's blatant discomfort, stating out in a defiant manner. "Answer my questions and I'll fall asleep. Otherwise, they'll keep me up all night. So... This tattoo. How did you get it? Did it hurt?" Mark lifted his head from the pillow, his eyes looking red and tired as he turned to shoot him a murderous look. Mark's voice came out low and threatening as he snarled out through clenched teeth. "Little prince... If you don't go to sleep this second. I am going to knock you the fuck out! Savy?!" Sean nodded meekly. Mark was rather frightening when he was tired. Mark dropped his head back across his pillow with another heavy sigh. Sean thought about trying to ask him again, but shifted to lay down instead. He didn't want to add to the lashings that he already had. Turning over onto his stomach, he faced the door. He didn't want to sleep. He didn't feel safe here. There were so many new sounds and smells. He was in pain and had almost been raped.

It all just made him feel anxious. Gripping the amulet around his neck, Sean forced his eyes closed and thought of home. The last thing he thought about before drifting off was whether or not they missed him. A sharp high pitched whistle, rang out in Sean's ears sometime later. Sean buried his head under the pillow with a sleepy groan. He didn't care what time it was... There was no reason to disturb everyone with such a damn noisy thing! The door to the cabin swung open and hit the wall with a loud 'BANG' and Sean jumped in fright. The pillow fell to the floor as he sleepily looked up to see Mark. Mark was fully dressed, looking like he had been awake for hours. Mark walked over to the bed, swatting his arm and bellowing out too cheerfully. "Up and at them, little prince! You've got work to do! Everyone pulls their weight! That means you too!"

Sean groaned sleepily, falling back down on the bed and scooting closer to the wall to sleep on Mark's abandoned pillow. Mark leaned over the bed, grabbing his arm by the elbow and his leg by the knee to drag him off the bed, stating out loudly. "OH NO! Get your lazy bones out of bed and get to work! You're burning daylight!" Mark released him to fall roughly across the floor. Sean winced, but rolled over to wrap his arms around the pillow on the floor. Mark countered by yanking the pillow away and tossing it back onto the bed.  Then Mark bent down to grab his ankle. Sean hissed at him like a feral cat in frustration! He was a prince! He was allowed to sleep in as long as he wanted! He wasn't a morning person! Mark dragged him out of the cabin by his ankle, calling out playfully to the crew on deck. "AT THE READY MEN!" Sean sleepily saw that the crew were all standing around with bright grins as Mark dragged him out to the center of the ship.

Before was awake enough to process what was happening, Mark stopped and jerked his head with a grin of his own. All the crew revealed buckets from behind their backs and splashed him with sea water. Sean sat up with a gasp, spitting sea water as the crew roared with laughter. Mark leaned down to him, bracing his hands on his knees as he smugly chuckled out. "No better way to wake up in the morning now is there, little prince?" Sean pulled a strand of seaweed from his hair, muttering out sourly. "I can think of a few things." Mark straightened up, snapping his fingers to a man off to his right. The man gave him a bucket and a mop, then rushed off with the departing crew. Mark dropped the bucket at Sean's feet, then let the mop fall across his lap, telling him with a wicked grin. "You're right. I'm sure swabbing the deck isn't one of them... but that is what you'll be doing. Now get to work. You've got a whole ship to clean."