Ethereal

Chapter 18: The Crow's Nest

I woke to a sharp banging on my door. It was Grouch-o, telling me to get up as my night shift was about to begin. I didn't have to open the door to know he was probably smiling from ear to ear.

With a groan I sat up, rubbing the knots out of my shoulders after laying in an awkward position on the haybale. I grabbed a thick sweater from the bed before trudging out the door, slipping it over my head as I gave my bed one last glance before leaving. This was probably the last time I'd probably have a real break for the next five days – I wanted to appreciate it until the very last moment.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I passed down the hallway, I was faintly aware of the murmuring voices of the crew from below deck. They had already settled in for the night, whereas mine was just about to begin.

Even Grouch-o had gone off to bed, abandoning his post at the kitchen counter. As I swept past the tables and towards the door that led to the top deck, a shadow moved from the corner of my eye.

I froze, one hand on the stairway's railing as the muscles in my body tensed, ready to fight. The shadow moved under a hanging lamp, the blonde hair curling into view. I didn't need to hear his voice to know who it was. He had been waiting here, for me. For what?

"Nor –" he said, still inching towards me. Jax combed an agitated hand through his messy curls, making my head go fuzzy for a moment.

I blinked hard, pulling myself out of my dream-like haze as I turned and bolted up the stairs before Jax could get another word out. The door slammed shut behind me, making me jump at the loud noise. My knuckles pressed into the sore muscles in my lower back as I tried to calm myself back down.

I knew was being more dramatic than I cared for. He was only doing his job, after all. There was more at play than my fickle feelings. I knew that. I could understand it.

That doesn't mean I had to like it.

Standing on deck, I suddenly felt incredibly alone. A chill sea breeze swept over me, making me cross my arms over my chest as a wave of goosebumps grazed down my arms. I half expected Jax to open the door behind me and chase me out onto the deck, but the door remained shut. I strained my ears to try and hear any possible footsteps working up the staircase, but the only answering sound was the wind rattling the sails.

Something akin to disappointment trickled across my tongue. I pushed the feeling away and looked upwards for the crow's nest, spotting it high above the tallest sail. Climbing up there was going to be a task in itself. I suppose I was lucky that I wasn't afraid of heights.

I tugged on the ladder that led up to the crow's nest, testing to see if it was as sturdy as it looked. The rope held fast, swaying gently in the wind. Sighing, I knew I couldn't stall my shift any longer and I began to climb.

The minutes trudged on as I pulled myself higher above the ship, my arms and legs burning from the exertion. No part of me was excited about having to do this, let alone in the dark.

I paused to catch my breath, my hands twitching as the rope bit into the soft patches of skin on the insides of my fingers. A gust of wind took me by surprise, swinging the rope from beneath me. I waited for the wind to subside, the aching in my arms and shoulders becoming almost unbearable as I climbed the rest of the way to the crow's nest.

Practically throwing myself into the wooden structure, I leaned against the mast's pole with the Minnow's blue flag flapping a few feet above my head, letting out a deep breath as I waited for my breathing to slow. It was much colder up here; the wind was harsher and threw my hair around in a dizzying mess above my head. I could also better feel the sways of the ship as it crashed through the ocean. Its movements making the crow's nest swing violently back and forth. My stomach churned as a fresh wave of seasickness overcame me.