Chapter 1
“Take your position” thundered a voice from the wheel
“Aye aye captain” the crew replied back in unison and hurried to take their places their boots slipping again the wooden deck as they grabbed ropes
winds blew across the ship wild and furious dark clouds loomed over the ship the sea rose higher and higher louder by every waves it swiftly covered the horizon leaving nothing but walls of water and a sky threatening to tear each one of us apart the sail snapped and stained Waring to rip apart as the ship climes a wave so steep it felt it would dip backward to the sea any moment now
For the people bored on the ship, storms were no longer strangers. They had survived angry waters before sailing throughout nights, the sea tried to drag their ship in the endless pit but this time it was different. It was stronger, wilder, taller slamming against the hull with a great force. Rain poured relentlessly making the deck slippery and dangerous
. They have learned that hiding has no point as the sea doesn’t wait for anyone to get ready. So, the crew moved with the chaos grabbing ropes sails , barking orders over the wind and water their clothes clung to them dripping with water hair stuck together whipping wildly in storms as they moved here and there boots dragging the water across the ship
Yet they didn’t retreat, hands staying firm on the ropes boots planted against the ship like challenging the storm to push harder. Now, storms stripped away their fears only leaving their stubbornness behind to reach home , to conquer the sea once again
They knew that this stubbornness could be dangerous; they could become a legend, those who never returned home, those whose names were written in history but forgotten
But they still fought the waves one after one
ropes slowly burned against their palms as they pulled water crashing over the deck cold and merciless, knocking them to their knees only to rise again the ship rocked like a wounded animal trying to stabilise itself. Wood started slitting below as another merciless wave struck it
lighting flashed, followed by thunder forcing them to face the reality of just how small they were compared to the beast in front of them
There she stood, hair whipped across her face, refusing to step back, a few yelled to retreat. Someone shouted the mass won’t hold on any longer. She ingroned all of them and said loud enough to reach every ear “If the sea wanted them it would take them fighting”
It answered with a roar , as the last towering wave crashed over them they felt like the ship was the culprit and it was the judgment
The next second the hard wood slit into small splinters. The mast collapses pulling the ship down with him to the unknown depth of the sea s , ropes snapped violently like a person running after he got his freedom back
the ship lifted twisted and came down hard against a rock with a sound that belong to neither the ship nor the water but to something which by now was beyond repair
seconds later the hull split up like a human mouth the water rushed in she tried to calm everyone but ultimately failed to calm down her own heart which for running like a horse the next moment something struck the side of her head the world blurred slowly turning black
cold , endless
it wrapped around her like hands that would never let her go. Salt soon flooded her mouth. Instinct kicked in her body moved automatically as she has faced this situation many times but not at this level she slowly found her rhythm a fast methodical rotation of her shoulders & a breath every third stroke lastly becoming the part of the vast blue
a piece of the wood slammed into her shoulder , she grabbed like it was the only chance to escape death, lightning flashed the background as if it was the part of another world
faces blurred in her mind voices mixed into one the it was gone swallowed by a silence which claimed it never existed
the storm dragged her farther , farther from the ships farther from anything that could ever make sense to her the grip soon weakened the sea pulled hared tying to its best to down her
The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was the storm calming down clouds clearing
then blackness
no thunder no lighting no anger from the sea jut a quiet shore but to quiet like before the storm the sea had calmed down like it didn’t devour a ship like with never enrage
A couple walked along the edge of the shore scanning for salvage their boots crunching against the wet pebbles. They walked for what seemed like hours, When they saw a pile of debris mounted on something completely masking the figure beneath, except for a single motionless hand nearly blue as they walked nearer they saw body of a young girl lying in the sand hair tangled with salt and weed
sand by now had turned red with the blood of the girl the woman dropped to her level
She leaned in close, her index and middle fingers resting on her wrist, counting silently to herself, glancing nervously watching out of fear of someone
She’s alive, she breathed out a sigh of relief
The man double checked before turning back to face the girl and his wife
should we report her he asked with doubt and nervousness in his voice
and let her die. The woman snapped back, which ended the argument
Well, she isn’t getting any lighter she groaned as she slowly lifted the body. She stared at the man and hissed are you waiting for a medal for standing there and doing nothing?”
They carefully lifted her her body was cold like she was already dead
Blood has collected on top of her forehead started chipping like old paint from a ship
They moved her with great difficulty to their small shore-side cottage laying her slowly on their bed for now there was only wind . a quiet strong one for a girl who doesn’t realise that she has crossed into
“Bring a damp cloth and some τζίντζερ ,Κανέλα Aμαμελίδα λάδι & μυριόφυλλο quickly
Where are they kept
“You can’t do a single thing right can you
Hey, it’s not my fault, you put them away last! And last I remember you told me not to touch your stuff
She didn’t waste her time giving a reply as time was precious to her & she didn’t want to waste it on him . She got up, shoved past her husband, grabbed μυριόφυλλο, crushing and grinding it into a bowl she found near the counter
It soon turned into a jagged paste quickly adding a few drops of αμαμελίδα λάδι with precision like she has done many times before. She grabs the damp cloth out of her husband’s hands applies the paste on it and presses it against the girl’s bleeding temple holding firm until the red stooped staining the cloth
Only then did she notice the girl was cold and shivering her skin almost blue
She’s going to freeze she tells her husband with a sharp, determined eye, “go and bring one of my warmest and heaviest dress from the cupboard and keep in near the door don’t you dare enter before I tell you
The girls dress was heavy with water smelling like sea & salt mixed working against time. She peels the fabric it hits the floor with a thud slowly wetting the carpet she cloths them and puts them by the window she wraps a wool blanket around the girl trying to catch what little heat her body was producing
I … I found the dress his voice came muffled and uncertain
Okay, now go and get some wood , the fire is almost dead
She soon heard the rustle of fabric being set down followed by the heavy crunch of boots. She waited until she was sure he was nowhere near before cracking open the door to grab the pile of fresh clothes swiftly
She grated fresh τζίντζερ, mixing it with κανέλα,and μέλι until the air turned hot and spicy stirring it while adding a dash of ελαιόλαδο now and then
She gently spread the thick warming paste on the soles of her feet, massaging for a few mins the moving to chest and back
She soon reached the wrists of the girl gently massaging the areas where she put the paste until the pale skin began to flush a faint healthy pink. She made the girl wear her dress to warm her body more quickly
She sat back her hands smelling like various herbs counting the minutes until the girl gained consciousness
