Wanderlust

4 | Captain

Everyone began talking at once while I stood by the edge of the ship silently.

"Okay, okay!" The tall man who ran on deck last yelled. "Catherine, what did you-?" He faced the woman who rescued me, Catherine, and noticed me standing behind her like a scared pet.

"Who's that?" Someone else on crew asked while the mans eyes peirced through me.

I glanced around the deck to find everyone's eyes on me and I immediately felt uncomfortable. Wearing only a now dirty white fabric wrapped around my breast and a short, now torn, green skirt around my lower half: everything else was bare.

Normally I wouldn't feel so exposed, this type of clothing is appropriate in a hot carribean island where the men from the town are commonly shirtless and the kids run barefoot through the grass- but compared to everyone else around me wearing long pants, tall boots and jackets, I am very uncovered.

"James had her locked up below deck." Catherine looks around at everyone, then turns to look at me with a more gentle gaze. "What is your name?"

"Isabella." I fiddle with my fingers.

"She's from the island, look at her." Someone in the midst of the crew whispers.

"Everyone get back to sailing, we're going to mainland." The crew begins walking around getting back to their jobs. "Get her some more appropriate clothes," the tall man looks at me up and down while instructing Catherine "let her change in my cabin privately. Don't let the crew bother her- we'll address this later."

She walks up the steps but before I could follow the captain stops me. "Isabella," I turn to face him "My names Angelo."

"Thank you, Captain Angelo."

He nods his head and looks at me with an expression of pity.

☀︎︎

I was in the captins cabin with the folded clothing Catherine gave me in my hands. I put them on and fold my old clothes, then walking to the long body mirror near the door.

I looked like one of them.

This time dressed in a white long sleeve shirt with a dark navy blue corset (Catherine's fashion choice) black pants, boots and jacket.

I rub my clammy palms up and down my thighs nervously and scanned the room for a moment.

A desk and wooden dresser stood on one side and a large bed on the other. The wall at the end had a large curved window, showing a clear veiw of the night sky with faint stars sprinkled across and the crashing ocean waves in the dark below. I closed the curtains, the sight of the heavy sea making me uneasy.

I hear a knock at the door, "Come in." I hurrily grab my old clothes from the bed ready to step out. "Sorry for taking too long, I'm ready so-"

"Relax." He reassures me then pauses for a moment "You don't like the veiw?"

"Excuse me?" I ask, confused.

"You closed the curtains." We both look towards the windows.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry-" I walk back towards the window about to reopen them. "it's just- it's dark and the waves are strong and-"

"Don't apologize." He gives me a gentle look while walking towards his desk and taking a seat. "I completly understand, not everyone enjoys sailing the seas. You don't have to worry or apologize."

He extends his hand forward, referring for me to sit on his bed across the room. "So, you're from Puerto Rico? The island we just departed from."

"Si."

"Okay." He stays silent for a moment then cuts right to the point "How did you get involved with James?"

"I, uh..." I tried to put words together to make a decent statement but each way I thought of it sounded heartless.

Thankfully Angelo scensed my unease.

"If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to."

I let out a breath of relief that I hadn't realized I've been holding.

"I know how James can be," his emerald green eyes look into my brown ones. "I won't treat you the way he did."

I weakly smile at him, a look of appreciation and gratitude. "Gracias."

He smirks as he stands up. "Thank you?"

"Si."

"Yes?" He chuckles.

I smile, "Yes."

He smiles as he opens the wooden door, "You can sleep here until we get you a comfortable space at the crews quarters."

"I don't want to take your spot, what about you?"

"It's fine, don't worry 'bout it." He nods his head and walks out, leaving me alone in his warm room. "Sleep well."