Not a true Title - The capturing of the merpeople

23 Years Earlier

Author note: This is the first part of my new novel. I'm putting it up here for your pleasure and to gauge how well it is received by you. So please like and share, if you love it. Above all give me your feedback. Cheers.

Title is clearly my attempt at not saying Prologue

Jimmy Kindred hid in the tight, dark engine room store. He clenched his eyes shut tight all the same. Sweat tickled his brow, mingling with the tears streaming his cheeks. They wouldn't find him, they wouldn't find him, they wouldn't find him. The words echoed over and over in his head. He didn't know who they were, but the shouts and the cries of the ships' crew that had woken him from slumber told him enough to know they were not friendly visitors. The shouts and cries came from dying men: he'd played enough video games to know the sound. The cries were from men he'd grown to like. His father, the captain's first mate, had run through his procedure should the ship be boarded after they found him. He'd made it a whole day free of discovery, and when they did find him he hadn't minded. There was no point to keeping hidden on the ship when he'd wanted an adventure with his papa.

The sea swelled lifting the floating home high. Every other time this happened he'd rejoiced at the funny feeling in his head. Now, though the feeling was the same, similar to when his father span him round and round in his large handed grip, he balled himself a little tighter.

Crouching here he sobbed, wishing he'd never left home at all, that he'd listened to his mama's warnings of how dangerous life at sea was and that it was no life for her son. No, she'd told him often enough, there were easier, far safer ways to earn a living, something behind a desk, she'd said. But that wasn't him and she knew it, he was too "out-doorsy", spending every waking moment he could playing in the old maple tree in the back garden. It wasn't really theirs; it wasn't even in their garden. It stood beyond their boundary in the farmer's field, so close to the fence, an overhanging branch reached into their garden and his father had put up a swing, which Jimmy had learned to climb when he was five.

'I'm sorry, Mum,' he whispered, covering his mouth with both hands.

More shouts. Louder. The deck had been cleared and they were inside, looking for any who lingered below decks, either cowards too frightened to get involved in the raucous, or men looking for better weapons.

'They won't find me. They won't find me. They won't find me,' he whispered into his palm. Yet no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, his mind betrayed him, showing him dirty faced men, fish on their breath, reaching for him taking him from his sanctuary and killing him like the rest.

To quell those thoughts he brought his mother to mind, of being held by her, head pressed between her breasts for comfort, like she did whenever he fell and hurt his arm. He hadn't wanted the attention, hadn't even cried, but she'd held him all the same. He wanted it now. What he thought of most was the note he'd left.

Dear Mum,

Don't be angry with me. Or dad. He doesn't know either. I'm old enough now, and there's a big world beyond the back garden and I want to see it. You may wonder how I got here. Here, because when you read this I'll be on dad's ship. I told you last night I wanted to stay at Harry's, pretending I couldn't bear to say goodbye to dad this time, saying it was upsetting me too much. If you read this you will have let me stay at Harry's, thank you.

And you didn't look under my pillow until after I didn't come home. I hope not too long after, and you weren't too worried when I didn't. I can't do anything about it if you had, just know that I'm sorry for any undue upset. You may wonder how I did it, well, I watched dad last time he left and learned his routine when he goes to the ship, learned he goes out of the house at half past four during the night. I stayed up and waited for the time to reach 2:30, then I crept out of Harry's house, went to the docks and got on board the ship. Dad brought me to it a few times before, showing me around, oh wait, I wasn't supposed to tell you. Well, he had and I saw where best to hide. Anyway, take care Mum, see you when we get back.