1. An easy trip

1.4K 49 5
                                    

Lena could hear the soft cashing of waves as she slowly made her way up the stairs to the deck.

The sky was a clear blue and the sun was hanging high, all that could be seen afar was an endless curtain of blue, no shores.

"Ah, ms Luthor, how are you this fine morning?" replied the captain.

She looked over at the tall burly man dressed in black breeches, a white shirt and a blue overcoat, who despite his appearance was one of the gentlest men she had ever met.

"I'm very good captain Kline, how long do you think it'll be before we reach the American shores?" replied Lena.

"I should think we will make it in two night time, you will be home with your family before you know it" beamed the captain.

Lena's eyes lite up, she had not seen her family for four months since traveling to Europe to to learn under her aunts in the many languages of their families. French, German, Latin, Spanish, she loved them all.

It was not just the languages that she learned, but also the way of the women there. Unlike Americans, the Europeans appeared more liberal and much more outspoken. The lingering looks she would receive and give in America would be just that, but here, women approached her with no hesitation, or question of whether they were doing anything questionable. It opened her up to a new world, a world of requited desire.

Still this didn't mean she didn't miss her family, she couldn't wait to regale them with her tales and show them how much she had changed.

In that moment it occurred to her that they would have changed too, she imagined her brother Lex who was always tinkering with some new invention in his workshop. How his face always lit up whenever he would show her what he was working on, would he have changed in her absence?

Her excitement in seeing him was overwhelming, he was her confidant, she had been sending letters but it wasn't the same as having him beside her. All this excited energy was making her agitated, she decided to head to her cabin and update her correspondences to calm her.

As she left she took with her the clear blue sky, and dragged grey harsh clouds that appeared to have circled their ship.

Lena sat at her desk for a hour furiously writing to her cousin, when the books on her desk began to sway across its length.

With the ships constant harsh movements Lena found it impossible to write her letters. She got up from her desk and decided to go back up to get her bearings.

As she made her way up the stairs, several men rushed up pasted her. It appeared as though everyone was above deck hastily running around helping to move the sails.

It was raining down harshly and the sky was no longer blue, it was as if the idyllic sea view she had enjoyed early was nothing but a dream.

"tack downwind" said the captain.
"what's going on captain?" asked Lena.
"Ms Luthor, you shouldn't be up here"
"why what's going on?"

The captain looked at her hesitantly, "the weather has changed, the eye of the storm is in from of us, we need to change course, now"

The ship tilted harshly from side to side, as rain showered down on them with no end in sight. Above them the sky was covered in a blanket of grey illuminated by the sharp rays of lightening.

"Get below deck, now!" screamed the captain.

Lena stared into his wide pleading eyes, for the first time since she had known him it looked scared. She pulled herself up to from the floor and ran with haste towards the stairs to the cabin, careful not to slip on the stream of water which was now cover the deck.

Thunder rang loudly behind her as she dodge her way past the deck hands, until she felt her body spinning sideways, her body hit the wooden deck with a loud thud.

As the ship careered onto its side, she clawed at the floor trying to hold on. She began falling until a strong hand grabbed hers, the captain groaned as he tried to pull her towards him, struggling to hold onto the mast. "hold on".

Thoughts of her family flashed through her mind, her

Her body was swaying in the air, with her hand the only thing rooted stopping her from falling into the angry dark waves below her. Around her the bodies of the crew were skidding and crashing past her into the sea.

Their frightened screams almost muffling the whistling of the wind around them. Above her a large wave cascaded over the ship, engulfing all that remained into one final watery grave.

Island girl - SupercorpWhere stories live. Discover now