To Freedom

The girls followed Will below. They looked tiny compared to him. He stopped in front of what looked like a small closet. He opened the door revealing 4 hammocks hanging in it. There was a rolled-up mat on the floor that would unroll in the center where you had to walk. Gina asked, "Will we be the only ones in here?"

With a snarl, Will looked at her. He was going to give her a smart-ass comment but seeing their innocent faces he calmed down and simply said, "I have not seen any other passengers, but I am not sure. That would be something that you will have to ask the captain, or just wait until we are underway. I believe we will be shoving off shortly."

Normally Will is one of the toughest sailors you would ever want to deal with, but one look at the girl's faces and his heart melted. They reminded him of his own daughter. Although it seemed like he never got to see enough of her. Will could hear the captain bellowing his name and took off. 

The girls looked around the room and there was an oil lamp that they needed to light already it was starting to get dark down there. Gina searched around and found some wooden matches. She opened the lamp and struck the match on the wooden support the match burst into flames lighting up the room. When she lit the wick and closed the lamp it was like it was daylight in the little room. 

Gina looked around, there was a little privy in the back of the room. Gina thought that they would have to rinse it out if they didn't want it stinking them out of the room. There was a large bucket of seawater for cleaning things like that. There was a smaller bucket with fresh water for washing their bodies and for drinking. There was a funny sign hanging above that little bucket saying. "Please use me sparingly you never know when the next rain is coming."

Gina let out a little giggle and Katie followed along. Then she looked at the hammocks that were hanging it was going to be hard to get used to getting into and getting out of them. Let alone getting used to sleeping in them. There was a very small pillow left at the head of the hammock on each one along with it a thin blanket. 

 Gina thought at least there was a lock on the door and Rodger was not going to be coming in and looking at her in her sleep. If that was all he was doing, she could not be sure exactly what he did. She looked over at Katie who was getting ready to fall over from being so tired. Gina asked, "Did you want to go to sleep or watch the ship launch?"

Katie was torn, she was tired and scared. What if her dad was looking for them, she did not want him to find them there. The other side was she didn't know how long they were going to be gone before they would be here again and that is if they ever come back. It was not the same for Gina, she had no family to come back to. Katie still wanted to see her brothers and sisters. The more that she thought about it the more she realized that she even wanted to see her mom. Even though it would be hard to face her because of the way she left. It was without a chance to say goodbye to anyone and that hurt.

The girls heard the crew scurrying around they knew that they had to be getting ready to cast off. It was a huge relief to know they were leaving, and it was exhilarating to know that they were on their own in a new place. That brought out the feeling of missing family and the home that they grew up in. Katie was bothered by a lot more feelings now than Gina was. Gina had started getting to know Katie's younger sisters but didn't know them that well enough to think of them as sisters. They usually kept their distance and avoided her and with all the bad things that the parents were saying about her they usually had mean looks on their faces when they looked at her. Gina felt that everything had been taken from her, and there was no need to ever come back here again. The thoughts left a bitter taste in her mouth. The girls felt the ship start to shift and sway as it started moving. Gina just had to see the ship pull out of port. She took Katie's hand and said, "I know you are tired, but we just have to see the ship set sail it's the last time we will see this."

Katie nodded and went with Gina back up to the deck. They saw all the people gathered there waving goodbye to the crew. It was fun standing there on the edge of the ship waving. Gina was just excited that they were able to get away.

As soon as the ship had cleared the docks. The girls watched as the crew moved about the ship, they seemed so organized going up and down the rigging of the sails. They loved watching when the sails were unfolded, and the air caught them pulling them tight. They could feel the ship start moving as the sails were tightened and put in place.

Will caught sight of the girls and started to go after them to make them go below when the captain touched his arm and said, "They are out of the way and who knows when they will see something like this again."

"Yes, captain. I'll see that they make it back to their room once we are underway," said Will.

The captain just nodded. He knew that Will would keep an eye on them. The girls stayed on deck till all the sails were deployed and it went from dusk to dark. The gentle rocking from the waves along with the clean-smelling salty air. We're doing their job making them tired. As they looked out it was a perfect night and it seemed like they could see every star in the sky. They just stood there looking at the stars holding each other's hands. 

 Will came walking by and said, "You two look exhausted. Isn't it time that you went to bed?"

They looked up at him with their eyes mostly closed and nodded. "Okay off to bed with you, and don't let the captain catch you up here this late," Will said in his fatherly voice. Then cleared his throat and put his scowl back on and went back to looking after the ship and the rest of his men.

The girls giggled as he walked away. They knew that he had to be stern to deal with the crew and to keep up his image. Will heard them giggling and liked the sound. He had not heard that sound in some time and he was glad to hear it once again. Even though they were not his daughters they were old enough that they made him miss his own. The two headed down below to their room.

Gina watched as Katie tried to climb up into the hammock. She was trying not to laugh as Katie almost fell to the floor as she slid out of the other side. Gina said, "It looks like we have the room to ourselves why don't we just use the bottom ones?" 

 Katie moved over and kind of backed into it and lifted her feet. The hammock swung and almost threw her. Katie thought at this point that this was going to take some time to get used to. After watching Katie, it gave Gina an idea she bundled it together and then threw a leg over it and sat straight down on it. Katie burst out laughing as she sat there with her feet off the floor and was unable to unfold it. Gina realized at that point it was the happiest that she had seen Katie in days in fact they were both having fun. Then a wave of guilt washed over Gina and her smile faded into tears. Katie walked over to her and gave her a huge hug.

The girls both felt guilty it seemed too soon to be happy. Gina had missed this feeling even though Katie had been giving her hugs she had not felt safe or secure. Katie had been feeling the same way lately. Knowing how bad it must be for Gina she just stood there for a while holding her. It was not long before they heard Will yelling lights out. Katie helped Gina get unstuck and that made it so that she could lay down. Then she blew out the lantern and the room went pitch dark. Katie stumbled and then tripped on something, but she could not tell what it was. Then finally fell into the hammock. Gina quickly asked, "Are you okay?"

At first, without thinking, Katie nodded then she realized what she was doing and said, "I'm fine. I only hurt my pride." Gina let out a little giggle and that is where they nodded off.