A ship from the depth

A small fishing boat was slowly drifting through the endless sea in the night. Water was calm and the moon and the stars were shining, white and distant, making that night as bright as a day. The crew consisted of 4 sailors, four trained rough men. They loved money, sea, and the warm of woman’s skin.

Usually at night one man did not sleep - a warder. He managed the course, looked after the ship, sometimes sang and always drank. Not rum, such a cliché, they drank Indian vodka, which was like tea for their throats.

That night a man named Peter was on guard. He was thin, tall and he had a scar on his elbow - his father hit him when he was a child. Peter enjoyed keeping silent – maybe, in those moments he was thinking about his home and a mother he has never seen or maybe he dreamed about a lovely woman - we’ll never know.

Peter was marching along the desk, when his friend, Jim, a fat loud guy, appeared. He was totally drunk. Alcohol always made an idiot of him. Standing unconfidently, he sipped vodka from the bottle, blurted something incomprehensible and started singing:

-My home, my land

A place where I stand

With queen and ships

And girl’s hot lips

-Shut up!- advised Peter, grabbing his bottle, - go to sleep.

-You are so boring, Peter-boy! I have not seen the land for months. I haven’t seen people for months (you are not part of this category, beyond the doubt). I haven’t …

-Yes. Yes - Peter nodded, - me neither, so what? I can wait to get the money we will have for jewelry.

-Yeah, - he agreed, - English soldiers are so stupid and blind. And we have been lucky to steal the diamonds from the port. Do you remember the story about my fight. I kicked that man and…

-You have been telling the story all over again our entire way back to England.

Peter cut short, leaned and blinked. Impossible. How could it be… A corvette was drifting nearby the ship, it carried a British flag. “Have they found us?”- an unexpected thought flashed in his mind.

Peter rushed down to the captain’s room.

-John! Wake up!

Peter grabbed his blanket and saw the familiar face. John Gale was the oldest man on the boat. With long dark hair, strong arms, cold eyes and sly nature, he was truly the captain.

-What do you want, Peter?

-A ship. British. Corvette. They are following us. They know!

John considered this for a second, then leapt to his feet and speechlessly went on the deck.

The horizon was empty. No ship - only water and stars.

Are you kidding me?! – Shouted John, - where is the ship? It cannot disappear in a moment.

-I… - Peter had nothing to say, - I saw it as I see you now or… Where is Jim?

-Jim?

John made a step to the next, lower part of the deck.

-Who has spilled the rum?… Bloody idiots! Jim! - the last scream was caused by fear and shock. John saw him lying on the deck with twisted neck. The was rolling nearby him, as a ball, his face was red, and eyes were filled up with pain. John rushed to him, but that was over. He was dead and they could do nothing.

*******
Tolly, the last unmentioned member of the crew, was arguing with John, sitting near the control blade.

-Not the best idea, locking Peter in a cage as an animal. We have never used it..

-We have never lost a man! That is the point!

Tolly waved his hand. looking at a big anchor on the wall. Like a painting but real.

-That is an accident! - he said.

-It’s his fault. His fault because he was drunk too and saw a ship that was not really there!

Tolly swallowed, bent over to John and whispered:

-There are legends about a ship – a ghost! A ship which comes for sailors who have dark souls - murderers, abusers, thieves.

Tolly was very superstitious, but John believed in what he had seen.

-Oh, that is ridiculous! Tolly, aren’t you trying to persuade me that Peter saw a ghost! Everything is simplier!

Tolly didn’t want to argue any more. “Blind man never sees”.

*********
- What did you do to his body, - asked Peter. He was hungry and thirsty, his head was throbbing. He was in a small steel cage with a cold floor covered with straw.

Tolly answered:

-We threw him into the sea. That is the rule.

-John is right. I could have saved him. If I…

-Can you answer only one question - Did you see a ship? Can you swear me?

-With my soul and blood I do!

Tolly went away.

Night came after the day as it had always been. Captain took up the duty.

“Am I right? Am I doing what I must? – Yes, - the voice of his heart answered, - the captain should be strong, the master of the ship!

He whispered again - the master of the ship!

“With the money I could buy a whole fleet” - The master of the fleet!-suggested the voice. So I am lucky!

A ship…

She was so close even a captain could not be mistaken. In a few dozen of meters from his ship… How couldn’t he see her before? What is going on there?!

He saw a small boat drifting towards the ship. And Jim was on board.

-Captain! Come down! I need to have a word with you!

Captain did not believe in ghosts. He believed in money and weapons - two lords of the world. But Jim was alive. Maybe it was a dream. Dream or not, but he jumped into the boat, when it was close enough to the deck.

-I threw you into the water, you were dead - John was sure.

-Let’s forget about the details! Besides, the dead can talk and walk!- said Jim. And laughed voicelessly.

-I think no… - “ I am dreaming, just dreaming”.

-You are not dreaming.

-I didn’t say it our loud. How can you? - John gazed at him, shivering. He could jump into water and swim back, but something was stopping him.

-I use some preferences of being dead. Also being dead in such a place!

****
Tolly came up on board. The captain was not there, but a woman was standing on the deck. She stood with her back to him, in a dark dress. She seemed to be very familiar to Tolly, as an old dream he had once seen. Tolly knew - that was nothing but a ghost.

-Hey!

The woman turned to him - Tolly was stunned. Fair hair, brown eyes, her face as beautiful as it could be. She was sad, with traces of tears on her cheeks.

-Polly!- he whispered.

The only woman he loved. The only woman he couldn’t forget.

-It can’t be you. Unfortunately, it can’t. My Polly is in London. She has a family, a lovely husband and a cozy house.

-No, Michael! I don’t have a husband, and my house is not cozy.

“Michael” - that was his real name. The name his mother whispered before she died after he had been born. Only Polly knew the name.

-I do not believe. No, no, no…

But he wanted to believe. That lie was so sweet.

-I am a nurse now. A nurse who is cooking food and cleaning the room. The things I can do.

-I have money. I promise…

-You promised me once! - she cried,- and left me with a child in my womb. She was born in a barn as a cat.

-She? A baby?

-Silly - my daughter. Our daughter!

A little girl, as like as two peas with her mother, stood in front of him.

-Come to him, Silly! - Polly pointed to Tolly, - that man is your father!

A girl was scared, but she slowly came to a man and embraced him, awkwardly and quickly.

-A daughter…, - repeated Tolly, feeling that was his own daughter, his blood.

-I didn’t know. If I had known, I would have…

-You would have done nothing either. As you have always done. That is over.

Polly jumped overboard, Silly gazed at her father, cried and followed her mother.

-NO! A pain ran through Tolly’s heart as a sword.

-Don’t do it!

He jumped into water, a wave caught him and threw into the wooden frame. His blood splashed out. He was thinking about Polly before he died. “I have always been such a fool”

**

John came up to the deck. It was lonely, silent and strangely cold. John turned to Jim - Where are they? The crew?

But Jim was nowhere to be seen.

- We are here, my captain!

John was stunned and slowly turned again. At least 3 dozen men were standing there - calm, cold and pale as paper. They looked very similar, but there was a man who didn’t - his skin was grey, long hair covered his chest, but his head was clear. His eyes beamed red as lamps.

-Captain?

-Yes. The lord of our sheep. This is your crew!

-Your crew! - they repeated in unison.

-But you can’t steer without your sword. No one will respect you without it.

-My sword? - repeated captain.

-Yes, the one which was stolen by a member of your crew - Peter!

John flinched and cried angrily:

-That bastard!

He came up to John.

-Yes, - a man with red eyes was smiling like a fox, - he stole it when you were sleeping, and when Jim saw that - he tried to stop him, but Peter killed him.

-What should I do?

A man gazed on him surprisingly.

-Don’t you know? Kill him and bring the sword back! Your crew is waiting!

*****
Peter was sitting in a cage as an animal when John knocked out the door and stepped into the room. Peter turned his head, looked at him amazed.

John said nothing and took the pistol, trembling.

-You are a traitor and a thief! By the right of a captain, I’ll kill you! I will do justice!

-What are you talking a…

Peter did not manage to end the sentence - John squeezed the trigger, but there was no shot.

-It’s wet!- he looked at the gun,- back off!

-What have I stolen? What?

-Don’t you know? My sword!

-I have never had a sword! Think, John!

-You are kidding me! - John took a knife in one hand and a key in another, - I’ll stab you!

John pulled the iron door and opened it, breaking the lock. Peter kicked John and knocked him down. The captain swung his weapon and cut his leg, another sharp wave - and Peter was wounded in the stomach. Limping, Peter was still able to run out of the room. Swearing, John stood up and followed him.

-I’ll get you!

He found him in the dinner room. Wounded, weak, but wanted to live.

-Listen to me! You are wrong and Tolly was right! Something was on that ship, something drove your mad! Please stop and think!

For a moment John was bewildered. “Where is Tolly” - he thought. But his hesitations were gone in a second. “My crew!”

He made a step, lifting the rapier!

“My ship and my crew! Forever!”

Peter instantly jumped aside - it was his last chance. John knocked down the cupboard and it fell down on him. John cried as a baby - loudly and desperately. “I am dead. With no ship and no crew. How…- he couldn’t find a right word, choking with his own blood, - unfair…” In pain and with no gain he died.

Peter screamed but no one heard him. He was alone on the ship.

*****
He was lying on the deck for some hours… or days. Suffering from pain, thirst and hunger. When he felt cold, he knew that was over. He knew no prayers and no God, and most of his life he had been alone. Death was coming and nothing had changed. So, so cold.

They stole that gold. No profit of that.

He took a breath for the last time…

A big corvette drifted to him. Peter opened his eyes. John, Jim and Tolly were standing in front of him, pale and transparent.

-Come with us, Peter! Stop lying there!

-Am I dead? – he asked calmly.

They laughed.

-There are so many pros of being dead.

-Especially in such a place - added Jim.