Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Adventure

Sarah stood on the top deck watching the ocean. She felt ill from the bobbing if the boat. Sarah had never been on a boat before not even the fishing boats. What made her more ill were the passengers around her who were losing their breakfasts overboard. Their loved ones would sometimes walk up to the party then on the back and tell them it would be alright. 

Some children ran around on the top deck. They sometimes bumped into others giving little apologies before running off to play more. She was reminded of Cedric and Helen. Once Sarah's mother died, Sarah was left to care for the children. Between the demands of her father, cooking, cleaning other house work she didn't have much time to spare on them and mostly told them to go out and play. Sarah regretted not spending more time with them. She missed her family but she missed her mother most of all. She thought about all the times when she would one day need her mother and she would not be their. The saddest thought of all was that her mother would miss her wedding. 

The days went on and on pretty much the same. About a week into the journey the children played less complaining that they wanted to be home on solid ground. Babies waited loudly keeping people up at night. The first person died, an elderly woman Sarah had not been aquatinted with. The woman's family mourned her and have her a burial at sea as it was all over could do in the middle of the ocean. A small controlled fire was first lit on her chest to release her spirit and the ashes taken to be spread somewhere happy. 

Sarah went to this funeral and burial but she imagined Cedric who did not make it in the journey across. Her thoughts darkened wondering what had been the cause. Cedric was devastated over their mother's death sometimes he would not eat. But he was healthy enough. She wondered if the illness that her mother and sister has was the culprit or perhaps another illness. With the body plunging into the water her thoughts were turned from those.

Sarah spent her time caring for the ill and children on the ship. With not much else to do and a need to keep active it was all she could do. Many more people died on the ship more that she cared to count. 

There were three storms that hit the ship making the waves rocky. During these storms many believe it to be their end. Some would rant about how the ship would capsule and that they would all drown. Sarah would never forget the sounds of thunder, the freaking and moaning of the ship nor the cries of the passengers.

As the storms lifted it was found that since had died. Some do to fear others because the illness overtook them. But life went on. Week after week, day after day life went on. Sarah's hair became knotted and messy. Like most those around her. There was a pungent smell from all the passengers and crew due to no one being able to shower. Sarah had a hard time stopping herself from scratching. When she did her skin was left red, raw and still itchy. Some nights Sarah cried softly to herself unable to sleep she thought about the possibility of never reaching shore. She thought of poor Cedric and Helen and what their experience of the trip was. For Helen the trip must have been much harder. How long had Cedric been on the boat before he passed? Did her experience the horrors? 

Very few people took any notice to Sarah. They were far to busy in their own wallowing and families to notice her. For Sarah she kept mostly to herself. Being polite and nice with those around her but her mind never stayed far from her family and the dark thoughts that would claw themselves into her brain.

Sarah lost track of all time. She did not know when day or night was expect the occasional moments when she would go on deck. She did not know how long she had been in the ship for other than it felt like an eternity. A fear crept it's way into her mind. What if she had died and her soul was not released? Perhaps she had and this was her afterlife stuck for an eternity sailing across a sea of death.

Sarah was on deck when she heard a strange sound. For months she had been in this ship that she had almost forgotten what the sound was. She looked into the sky and there it was. She smiled and a laugh escaped her lips. Others around her cheered as well. Children called out pointing. 
"Mommy look birds".
A few moments later land came into view.