The ship swayed strongly from side to side; it was so strong that it gave birth to the idea that the ship would end up sinking right then and there inside the survivors’ heads, but at that point, the vessel capsizing would be a preferable outcome, just that neither of them would ever admit to it.
Alpo watched as the young man sat silently on the opposing side of the room, he hadn’t said a word ever since he returned from his short trip to the upper deck, but it’s not that he would even notice him speaking with his head between his knees like that it was impossible to read his lips, still, the sad silence and defeated posture transmitted more than mere words ever could. It wasn’t so hard to read the room.
Why so down? You have a chance to keep on breathing after this. Do you know how lucky you are, kid? Whatever…
He takes another sip of the light brown liquid, Alpo thought that maybe, just maybe… if he pours down enough of it… it just might put quench the fire inside of him, that same fire whose smoke tends to asphyxiate his heart and cloud his judgement.
A single light illuminates the space between them, casting long shadows onto the walls. The maddening sound of the waves takes Alpo back to a place he’d rather not be. Inside of his memories.
“I take it didn’t go well?”
No response.
“I guess that’s my answer.”
Not that I needed it. You’re so wet behind the ears you could drown in a desert.
“Are we going to die?” He broke the silence for the first time. He lifted his head and stared directly at Alpo, straight into his eyes.
He did it so that Alpo could read his lips, but the old sailor focused on the young man’s eyes, he knew that they would give him a better understanding, he thought of them as a window into a land of despair, cold, uncaring… and unbelievably forced, they weren’t the eyes of a man that lost all hope, they were the eyes of someone who tried to.
He was holding back a spark, a life so strongly it was unbearable to watch. He held hope within him. He just didn’t want to see it.
Pathetic
It reminded Alpo of himself, long ago, when he must have had that very same look.
“Why? What are you hoping for? I fancy myself a strong survivor so you can die if you want kid, be my guest. But you’ll be doing it alone. I much rather live.”
“That’s…. everyone’s dead. I spoke to Einar before coming down.”
“Well, that much is clear, your face says it all, it's drawn off that forehead of yours, now if you would be so kind, pass me that bottle over there,” Alpo picked up the bottle at his side and present it to him “This one is empty.”
“Don’t you care about them? The captain saved your life, didn’t he?!”
“Yes, he did rescue me, but what can you do, kid? Luck eventually runs out, he chose to fight… meanwhile, I chose to hide and have a drink, I’m still alive and he is not, not all problems should be faced head-on, you know?”
“What about your pride? Don’t you have any?”
“No, I threw that away for another day under the sun.”
He grabbed a bottle from the box and looked at it for a moment.
“Are you going to make her your wife or something? Quit staring at it and pass me the damn thing!”
Deciding it wasn’t going to make any difference, he opened the recipient and drank from it; once he was satisfied, he passed it to Alpo.
“Well, at least I’m not going to drink alone,” Alpo looked at the contents of the bottled. and smirked, “and now that you are definitely drunk, you can tell me why you’ve been moping around for days.”
The two talked for a time, Alpo drank, and the young man spoke. He told Alpo about his wife, a young lady who lost everything. She had sold the last remains of her previous wealth to buy him the daggers he used. They were to keep him safe, and now he was going to die, unable to fix the fight they had before he left.
“All women are the same, but don’t worry, once you’re gone surely another guy will take over and take care of your missus, she will forget all about you and you’ll be nothing more than a memory swept by the sea.”
“Fuck you, I don’t want that!” He wept.
“Well don’t complain with me, maybe you should have thought about it twice before messing with someone above your station. You may make a noble lady fall for you, acting mysterious and piking her interest, but you will never be enough.”
Just when he was about to reply, a sound made the young man freeze in place.
*Knock*
A light tapping sound on the wood, almost imperceptible for anyone not listening, but for two men scared for their lives, even if his senses were dulled by the alcohol, that light tap might as well have been a full-on battle ram hitting the sides of the ship.
*Knock*
*Knock*
An entity was calling, beckoning to be allowed entrance into their little safe corner. Alpo took off the pieces of paper he had stuck inside his ears and his face grew paler by the second, decreasing a shade each time a knock was heard until his façade was more akin to that of a ghost.
“They know…”
The young man turned his head slowly towards the door, the only entrance into the room, the only exit, as well.
But he quickly realized that there was nothing to fear from it, no shadowy figure, no monster, no creature, no dangerous being was hiding behind it, there was no one on the other side, he knew this because.
*Knock*
The knocking was coming from the outside. Whatever was behind it was just messing with them. It was smart and evil. It wanted to haunt them, to make them feel fear deep inside of themselves.
They both looked at each other, tears welling in the corners of their eyes. It would be disgraceful for any man of the sea to be caught crying, but they both knew they would never be found if whatever was outside got to them.
*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*
The knocking grew louder, bolder, and more insidious. There wasn’t just one thing waiting for them outside, there were several of them, easily more than ten just knocking on the wood.
Their head a loud splash of water followed by a loud blunt thud, then another, and another, and another.
The knocking never stopped.
He took hold of his blades, and held them close to his chest, tears flowing free as he said his goodbyes.
