The Soul of Scarlet's Lost Tears

They could only imagine what and how Sara who was just wanted to have fun and a little alone time.

Wasn’t expecting anything like what accrued chilled to the bone and wet like a fish fresh out of the water. That very night, soon to be passing very slowly for me out here, stuck, wet, cold an alone with a bit of a cold chill of fear.

Which all I could do was to lie here on this small rock cliff, behind what now appeared to be crumbling every time the harshness of the waves. Wash over the thin wall that shielded me from such coldness of the changing tides.

Which throughout the continuance beatings that it was taking it certainly for my benefit had done its part? Full new moon had rising and took the place of the sun which shortly sunk down below the hidden horizon hours earlier.

Being so cold and scared upon which my eyelids slowly became heavier and heavier every time, I tried to keep from falling asleep the more exhausted I became, shortly aware of.

Till the chilling ice sea water tumbles over the top of the wall, on top of me; where it sorts of turned into a sudden wakeup call as it abruptly kept me up. I became more and more cold and alone, before long I will once again fall back to sleep until the next batch of waves starts the endless circle all over again as I long for a nice warm bed preferably my own.

Unannounced to me that a gallant vessel named The Bullock Widow was sailing along about twenty yards away from the three rock cliffs that somehow guarded the edge of the cove.

With a full moon at its brightest; shinning on the top of the white caps of the open sea. It wasn’t long before I was soon spotted by one of the men that stood watch at his post in the crow’s-nest. Seeing through a cloyed scope lens; but to the one who was there looking through it.

He could only make out the shape of what or who it might be, being far away while the boat danced on the small waves leaning toward one side to the other. What appeared to be something laying on a small rock of the last of the three rock cliffs that the captain of the Bell-Lock Widow kept to himself in his corridors as he left the bridge of the ship?

With his second in command (Commander of the Boat) for which he carried out the order which was to not enter the cove and continue onward and so while we (as in the ship and crew) were slowly drifting further and further out of range.

I quickly leaped from my post an begun to climb down from the crow’s nest, down toward the deck, once I got there I approached the commander of the boat but and without hesitation I walked up to him and was just about to tell him what I just saw he soon said “why are you not at your post JT”, “because I saw something in the cove that I would, if I may could check it out, so can I sir it won’t take long”.

“What is it that has you worried to have you leave your post without permission, let alone leave your post at all”?

Not even a second goes by as I shortly told him that maybe just maybe there might be someone stranded on one of the small cliff islands.

To make it his own initiation on this he then stepped toward one of the sides of the ship that faced toward the three cliffs and brought out his cloyed scope and with only one short second that it took him to notice what I just saw a few moments.

The senior deck hand; like any other commanding officer he then took it up with the captain; now Captain Maxwell who I only known just over six weeks till now was from how I could best describe quiet fare and understanding.

As well as how a respectable man he is to where even extended the curtsy that his cabinet of superior officers that serves next to him had mostly been with him as well as the ship since it was christened 9 years prior.

Before long I was soon relieved of my duty as night watchman for the night and as another deckhand took my place up in the crow’s nest. Fallowed shortly after I was confronted by the ship’s doctor, two other men who were at the time lowering a boat that had two ores (paddles) crossing each other in the center of the boat, where it glides skimmed the top of the calming water.

With the current, brushing against the ship rocking it side to side as the steady current briefly lifted it up, then steadily brought it down as it slowly the current.

By climbing down toward the small boat that was swashing against the similar side of the ship. That I was being swayed back and forth hitting against the side of the ship occasionally there was more roll of a wave that would knock the ship over to its side than rock back to the other side when the wave passed it was enough to make you feel a little uneasy.

For me, knowing that I was just a foot or so away from the small boat that I just ignored such feeling. When I placed it, with what was in front of me, I could only hold onto them.

With a small leap from the roped ladder to the small boat as I held both sides with my hands while me slowly walked up and over the two ores.

When I had no choice but to move them out of my way as I placed one on each side, by separating them in both of my hands.

Where I, slowly then steadied myself in the center as I then slowly bent into a squatted position lowering while I adjusted my body weight so that I don’t over confiscate to one side planting myself squarely in the center.

Until I situated myself by kneeling on both of knees it soon came clear that I wasn’t going to be the only one on this small search and a possible rescue where there was a lunging dip to the back of me, for whatever reason.

I; JT a first-time crew watchman saw on the latest hour of my watch up in the high crow’s nest, let me just add that this was my first trip on the Bell-Lock Widow meaning my first time being on a gallant ship like this one.

Although, I have been on my father’s fishing boat many times since I was old enough to walk, a unique style of sailing all together.

Though maybe that would be the reason I volunteered in the first place, even though to be quiet frank as in all honesty my family mainly my brother didn’t want me to go on such a ship. Where in what he told me; that mainly the unlikable things happened to those who travel on a ship that its commanding officer is quite different.

But knowing full well that it was only stories upon his word I still wanted to go on an adventure of my own and boy what good timing it turned out to be.

Patiently, waiting for the rest of those who would shortly join me in this sort of mystery, hoping to find out what on one hand I didn’t want to presume too much to were when we reach the small mound we won’t be too late in saving whatever it is to whomever it would be.

Looking up to my left I saw the small wooden ladder slowly being rolled upward as the last man started to walk toward the front of the boat.

I didn’t know who it was until he sat down facing me as it was the very own ships doctor “OK then let’s go now” he said while cupping his hands together.

With not another word spoken among the small group we headed off. Pushing with the edge of the paddle with my left hand and pulling the small boat away from the ship with the other. It wasn’t long before the four of us were in between The Bell-Lock Widow and the three small rock mounds; do to the strong current pushing us with such ease.

This little boat quickly became really, close to the small mounds which shortly grew the closer we got as the opposite thing happened to the ship becoming smaller as the captain.

Captain Maxwell wanted to keep some distance between the ship and the cove so it wouldn’t cause any problems for us returning, let alone rename it shipwreck cove.

Reaching the third and last cliff, the two men who sat behind me gradually stood up and with two V pitch hooks using them to grapple onto the flat surface of the flat part of the rock, as we held it as steady as we could.

They both took one look at each other than toward what was laying on such a wet and cold rock as it kept on getting sprayed by cold mist cascading over and on top of us.

Suddenly my attention was soon obscured just a little, when a rogue wave brushed up against the side of the boat that faced out toward and away from the side of the rock which made it (the boat) lean further away.

Where one of the men grappling hooks slowly lost its grip, noticing that it was losing any baring.

Till he quickly lifted it up and just in a split second jammed it further into the hard rock this time. By that time the two men who paid more attention toward themselves where now looking back toward me with discuss as the waves swept up and over the boat drenching not only us but creating a cold mist over everything; trying my best to steady the boat once again.

Only having two in a half paddles to work with which made it more of a challenge for us in the long run.

Although as little luck we seem to have, it was just enough that we were on the side of the mound. To where the small body was laying with its back facing toward us curled like a conk shell like position just close enough to reach, within a few minutes we all made it. One of the men leaped up on to the flat surface as he was shortly instructed by the doctor to check what or who it was and if it needs any medical assistants.

Kneeling on what was supposedly and suggested to be the front, leaning more toward what seemed to be the face as it was shadowed by long streaks of hair and seaweed.

He slowly and gently removed the seaweed and threw it in long strands behind him wiping off the slime residue off the seaweed onto his right pant leg. Assuming his hand was clear of the slime he then continued to brush back the long strands of hair to where he finally saw a young pale face of a little girl which in turn he shouted with shock “it’s a, oh by the gods she, she’s alive!”, that moment the little girl, gradually placed her left hand, thinking it was the only the wind blowing her hair back up.

Until I touched the back of a warm hand, opening one of my eyes I soon saw a friendly face of a stranger but that didn’t stop me from resorting the last of my energy as I sprang up into his lap and wrapped my arms around him feeling a sudden warmth and comfort.

Those who all took the moment to try to calculate what just happened, while he took time by slowly bringing. Inching, slowly toward the one person that still was waiting patiently, as he stood there in the small boat.

He was trying his best of straddling not with one grappling hook but was quickly stuck managing both the double pointed hooks. By the time, I; Sara and JT reached the edge of the small rock.

The doctor who doesn’t quiet volunteer himself to go on such vigorous types of rescue missions, stood up in the boat almost; losing his footing once a wave swept the side of the boat.

Steadying himself by holding onto the slight edge of the wet mossy rock and with his left hand he then placed it on the shoulders of the deck hand.

Keith who was holding onto two paddles while sitting in center of the boat and was the main reason of leading us to her stated to himself “I wonder if he knew off hand that it was a young child out on this very wet rock”.

Keeping that thought to myself, I made it be more focus on the scared, cold little girl who even despite being so over comes with exhaustion. But still, kept a tight grip on my waist to where she did not want to leave me let alone the warmth of my body heat.

Even that didn’t do, couldn’t prick her away from my waist.

Until Keith said, “why not ask her instead of forcing her to let go” being the closest one I then fallowed his advised so I’d asked whispering into her ear “my dear, sorry to wake you but could please tell me your name” in a whispering and tiring tone the little girl (Sara) said, “I don’t know you”, “oh well then once again sorry; my name is JT”. “See now we’re not strangers now”, “Sara, I’m Sara” I told them while my lips trembled.

“Well then Sara; see that old looking man standing over there” JT. Pointed toward the ship’s doctor. Who had a disgruntled look on his face “as an old man” when he was only twenty years older than JT.

But then, he saw Sara looking back at him which he slowly changed his exasperation to a friendlier till Doc, noticed that when holding onto a lit lantern toward her. He noticed that her complexions were becoming more of a ghostly white.

Almost closely an ad for death of hypothermia, looking up toward JT, then back to me for only a second or two.

Went by after I reached over with my left arm toward; the ship’s doctor. He did the same, reaching back as he even started to lean over the top of the rock. With the current gradually start to form a wash board rhythm sweeping underneath the boat, then slowly like a reaction pushing the boat.

Around the side of the cliff, little at first as in just inches but as the waves grew higher and more closely together like a strong current of a stream to mounds of speed bumps in water making the boat drenched with the chilly water as it rushed over the top of the rock mound.

When that happened, Sara retracted her arm, bringing it back around Jt’s waist. At that moment, they made it close enough, to where they were able, place me slowly into the boat.

Being wrapped in a somewhat damp but warm blanket so that I could save the rest of what is left of my body heat.

To make it more intriguing of an autumn night but with the crispness of a fall temperature in the water, to end it with other than a simple rescue of a stranded person which turned out to be a little girl cradling inside the small boat wrapped in a cotton woven blanket.

Carefully we switched positions where he then handed over the little girl to Keith, then soon after JT got into the boat, which in turn made Keith, the one to take care of the now youngest passenger.

Where JT told us, her name was Sara, though it was soon apparent that he (JT) was getting antsy about wanting to hurry it up and return to the confines of the warm comfortable ship.

While as for I (Keith) and the little girl stabled the boat, when I swaddled her with blankets and even a wrapped her in a simple rain coat that was given to me from the doctor’s shoulders, as we all were trying to keep her as warm and dry as possible.

Which that was a task all by itself, where it stood only by chance that something else would come to bare.

Down on us in the weary hours of early night. Fate that night would have something up her sleeve, even with a full moon out it was still a chilling night.