Hazel Ipswich and the Ghost Pirate

The Moment for a Life Change

Hazels mother gently nudges her awake. Hazel? She groans and covers her face. "I'm hungry, is it dinner time yet?" Hazel turns to look at her mother, "Ill go make you something okay?" her mother nods. Hazel drags herself out of bed. She washes up in the basin and puts on her clothes. She steps over passed out drunk men on the floor as she makes her way downstairs. She starts to make her mother some eggs. She puts them in a bowl, and prepares to take them upstairs, when suddenly a man appears in the door way. It is Earl from the night before, and Hes clearly still drunk. "Ready for another round?" the man belches as he lurches towards her. She tries to avoid him as he advances. He grabs her by the neck, she gasps for air to breathe. He lifts her in the air and pushes her against the wall. She tries to scream but she cant. He starts to stick his tongue in her mouth. It is beyond gross, and he smells like he drank his own urine. He starts to pull down her knickers with his other hand. She panics and starts to slap him throwing the hot eggs on him. He lets go and screams. She turns over and tries to run away, but he grabs her by the collar and throws her to the floor. He jumps on top of her and hold her down. He found his way inside her, and it was painful. She thought Is this what the women in the house go through every night? He was disgusting as he rocked on top of her. Panting, and grunting, and trying to kiss her. Her screams only made him more excited, and he rocked harder. It seemed like he's never would stop. He punched her in the face while he was on top of her. She cried even louder, and he laughed and rocked even harder. When will this end? She thought, it seemed to go on forever. Finally, he finished with a loud yell, and rolled off her. He lied on floor next to her exhausted. Joline, her mother's best friend and working girl in the brothel walked into the kitchen. "Oh no! Hamish! Hamish! Come quick!" Joline falls to Hazels side, crying and cursing the man half-conscious next to her on the floor. Hamish rushes into the kitchen to catch sight of the horror scene. Hamish begins yelling. He picks up the man by the throat and throws him on the counter. The man bewildered, starts to panic. "what? What? What's going on?" "I'm going to kill you!" Hamish growls, he whips out a knife from a drawer and plunges it into the man. Over and over he plunges in knife into the mans now lifeless body. Joline picks up Hazel and rushes out the door and runs down the street to the doctors home. Joline assures her the entire that she's going to be fine. Hazels looks down, where did all this blood come from?

Hazel doesn't remember much after that. She wakes up in the doctors home, she's in a bed. She sits up, sharp pains emanate throughout her lower abdomen. She was unconscious for a couple hours. And Joline was still with her. The doctor told Joline to take Hazel home. Joline walks with Hazel as she slowly hobbles her way home. She walks into the parlor, its so peaceful and quiet. She heads into the kitchen, so she could take the stairs to her mother room. The unsightly scene is shocking. There was blood everywhere. The mans body may have been gone, however it seems like he left all his blood behind or is some of it hers? Hazel slowly limps up the stairs. She couldn't wait to cuddle up with her mother and let her embrace her. With every last step, she felt the comfort of her mothers arm draw closer. She crests the top of the steps, something wasn't right. The other women were crying, and some of them crowded into Hazels mothers room. Hazel slowly shuffled into her mother's room. No one seemed to notice her there. Joline was there next her mother, on her knees crying. She looked over towards Hazel, and saw her there, frozen still. Joline took Hazel into her arms and squeezed her tight. "I'm so sorry Hazel, I truly am." Hazel did not speak. She did not know what to say. She did not know what to feel. She surely did not know what do. Guilt starts to core down into her soul, while she was learning life lessons, her mother passed always, alone and probably still hungry.

The next couple days were the hardest. The brothel closed for the days to mourn the loss of the Hazels mother. She stood there, at the foot of her mothers grave staring off in to the abyss of thought. It seemed like a dream. It did not seem real. It did not seem like reality. A haze surrounded her in the dream like state she currently resided in. Afterwards, all the other women and Hamish walked down the street back to the brothel. Hamish told the other girls to get rest for they are returning back to work the next day. Hamish had Hazel sit down at the bar. He poured her some juice. "Hazel, we need to talk dear. I know you have been through a lot this week. I know your mother was all you had. You are a couple years too young to marry. You can stay here, but in order to keep your room, I'll need you to work." Hazel looks down. Into thought she drifted, is the brothel life for her? Is this what she probably wants to do with the rest of her life? think about it continued Hamish, let me know in the morning. Hazel dragged herself upstairs into her mothers room. She knew what her mother did. She tried to forget all the times she watched from the closet. Hazel sat on the bed, looking around the room. "What should I do Mama?" There was a knock on the door. It was Joline, "did Hamish talk to you?" Hazel nods. "Your mother did not want this type of life for you. The all of us girls saved up money for you. Take it and go somewhere else for a different type of life." Hazel jumps up to give Joline a big hug. thank you. Joline hugs her tighter.