Chapter XII:

Working on a ship is not easy. But this is what I have to do. I used the money that the barmaid gave me to bribe my way on board. The captain didn’t look like he would be convinced. I told him my story. The lack of emotion on his face had me concerned. Couldn’t he see that I needed this? I have nothing else left. The captain snorted and tuned his back. From over his shoulder, he said that I could come aboard.

I don’t where I am going after that. I couldn’t stay in England anymore. I guess I will just go to America. From there, I do not know. I will think of something. Somehow, I think I am going to be okay. The question is will they follow me? I tried to shake her face from my head. There’s no way she could follow me. I should’ve been fine.

We would be at sea for months. The captain put me to work with manual labor. It was a good thing that I was quick to learn. Still, it wasn’t easy. I wasn’t muscular back then. I was still a child in the crew’s eyes. They treated me as such. I didn’t have time to complain about that. I had to work to eat. Anything to take my mind off of her. Anything to take my mind off of all that I lost. My plan was supposed to be simple. I would just work and not make any connections with anyone. I had the feeling that if I did try to make a friend they would somehow die because of me. I have already seen it once. I didn’t want to see it again.

It took me a while to get used to sailing on the ocean. I had never been on a boat before. I fought to keep down my sick at first. I was the only teenager on the Margaret II. I had to hold it together in front of them. I didn’t see much of the captain. He’s pretty much alone in his when he’s not steering the ship. I asked one of the crew where we were going exactly. He gave me a strange look.

“You don’t know where we are going?” he asked. I slowly shook my head. This man frowned and shook his head. Looking at him reminded me of a scarecrow. Thin and tell with big hands and feet. When was the last time he took care of his teeth?

“You mean to say that you boarded this ship without knowing our destination?” he asked. I just kind of looked away.

“I just wanted to get away from here,” I confessed. The sailor sighed and shook his head.

“Massachusetts,” he said. I lifted my head.

“Huh?” I asked.

“We’re going to Massachusetts,” he said. I watched him walked over to one of the oars. Massachusetts, huh? You know something, that actually didn’t sound bad. I could start anew in the new world. I could even have a quiet life. That thought alone was enough to make me work hard on the voyage to the new world.

But she and her crew of demons would follow me all the way to the new world. I just didn’t know it at the time. If I did… Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done. To this day, I still don’t.