A Few Minutes Before The End Of The World | COMPLETED

'Part 6'

Captain Ilkman lowered the gun and went below deck, to Abberton's cabin. That was where the witch was kept.

Abberton, at first, sternly rejected the request from the ministry about transporting the witch to England for a trial. He didn't believe in all those superstitions about witches and warlocks but this particular witch was fairly infamous. Her bale had resonated waves of ailments across her village, or so he heard from his fellow sailors. She jinxed all who slighted her. The story of her neighbor who stole her cabbages were particularly infamous. She had cursed him to burn from the inside out. They say, he spit blood for a week, then his bones started bending like bamboo, then his teeth fellout. He later heard that guy died the most painful way humanly conceivable. Some say she even killed half her villagers. Even children. He didn't believe in superstitions but he didn't want to take the risk. And the risk, most certainly, was too great. But the money they offered swayed his decisions. 3 times! They offered 3 times the usual pay to transport a priest and a prisoner.

Looking back now, he regretted it all. He should never have taken that offer. He shouldn't have been so greedy. Now, look where his avarice got him.

When Ilkman came back. He had a woman over his shoulders. She was blindfolded. Both her wrists and ankles were shackled. Her health seemed to be even worse than that of the sailors. She was barely alive, hanging on to life by a mere silk pedicel.

Ilkman lowered the unconscious body into the cutter below them. There, the witch, Elizabeth, held her and gently lowered her into her boat. She took off the shackles and the blindfold and then checked her for a pulse. When she found what she was looking she looked back at the priest and smiled wryly.

"What in the seven hells-" Ilkman gaped at the skies and exclaimed. He dropped his gun. His hands were quivering. No, on close inspection his entire body shuddered. He fell to his knees. The other sailors were in similar states. Why? Because the night sky was now a fiery red. And in the middle, a streak of flame dashed across the sky. A ball of fire.

"I'm sorry, I tried. But I was too late. It's already here. The world will end in God's fire of fury. And all men will be judged. I guess we all better make up with our superior angels and inferior infernals. The end should start with this ship as the epicenter since that's where the spell was performed. It's best you abandon this ship and go as farther away from here as possible so that you may live a few minutes longer. Ok men, it was nice meeting y'all, see ya all in hell"

The captain moved his body with fervor. For he knew he was not a good man. He had committed many sins throughout his life. He was surely going straight to hell. But he wouldn't give up. Even if it's just a few minutes he'll grab onto that hope with all his strength. He deliriously instructed his sailors, no his comrades to ready the emergency boats. They would go as further away from this ship as possible. As sailors, they teetered on the edge of life and death throughout their lives and they'd live the last moments of their life fighting as proud warriors of the sea. As men of the sea.

The sky gave a hellish glow. They didn't have much time. They loaded all the ale inside the dinghies and climbed aboard.

Soon, Ilkman and his crew were miles away from the merchant ship.

On the ship, John Abberton stood tied to the mast post. They had forgotten him. He didn't hold it against Captain Ilkman though. Who wouldn't forget things when they're suddenly informed that it's the end of the world? Moreover, would it really matter if he could save a few minutes? It was the end of the world for Christ's sake. Where could anyone run? He didn't believe it at first but the sky spoke for itself. He had lived his life in ignorance. He had reached the end of the road.

"Tallyho, Mr. Abberton. I guess the next time we meet, it'll probably be as hell mates. Haha." She laughed wryly.

"No wait, I can't do this"

"What? Want me to untie you? So that you can die as a free man?"

"No, I can't see the Father like this. I need to perform a confession"

"Confess? Dude, are sure it's a witch you wanna confess to?"

"Yes, just hear me out, please. I grew up in the streets. I was from a lower-class family. My father was a drunkard and my mother had died giving birth to me. My entire life was ridden with misfortune. I did try. I did try to pray. I prayed for hours to God to save me from that quagmire. But nobody answered. It wasn't long before I started convincing myself, maybe, there's no one there. Maybe, there's no God. If there is why would he watch on as we suffer. Why would he let my mother die, why did he make my father a drunkard, why was he giving me all this pain when plenty of, affluent, corrupt nobles were savoring an easy life. Was there really a God? I asked myself. Then I realized that it didn't matter. If there was a God or if there wasn't. All that matters is yourself. You need to work to achieve your goals. And so I did. I worked hard. And now I'm here"