Five Sisters

by Leen Elle

  On their sixth time around, they passed by the pail containing Nora's catch. She ran over to it and peered inside at her fish, which was growing rather bored and restless.

  "Should we let it go now?" Nora asked Sawyer, "I don't think he likes it in there."

  He kneeled down beside her, "I suppose so."

  Picking up the bucket, he walked to the railing and turned around, "Would you like to say goodbye?"

  Just at that moment, a drop of rain fell from the sky and into the bucket, making a ripple in the water.

  "So long, Mr. Fishy," Nora said as she watched Sawyer throw the fish back into the ocean.

  Sawyer set down the pail and held out his hand. Just as he'd suspected, only moments had passed before a drop of water had fallen into his palm.

  A flash of lighting caught Nora's eye in the distance and was followed shortly by a crash of thunder. And then, without any warning at all, a magnificent downpour began, coming down upon the deck with no mercy at all.

  Sawyer grabbed Nora's hand and ran to the door leading downstairs with her close behind. Although the rain had only just begun, both were already soaked.

  "I'd better go change," Nora laughed, gazing down at her sodden skirts, "But would you like to play a game of Rummy later?"

  "I'd like to, but I can't," Sawyer replied, "During storms, all sailors are needed on deck."

  "Oh, right," Nora nodded, "Well, I'll see you later then, I suppose."

  Sawyer nodded, "Alright."

  He quickly ran into his room to grab a raincoat and hat before heading back up to the deck. Although he'd been aboard ships many times before during storms, Sawyer wasn't prepared for the intensity of this particular storm.

  Nathaniel and Gail were in the middle of yet another game of Chinese checkers just as the clock struck seven o'clock. They'd resolved their differences after the argument that had occurred earlier, and were now laughing like the best of friends.

  "Hey!" Gail grinned, "I was going to move my marble there! That would have been five jumps!"

  "I know," Nathaniel replied with a smile, "That's why I blocked your path."

  "Well you watch out!" Gail giggled, "Because the next time I see a great move on your side, I'm not showing any mercy, Mr. West!"

  That's when it happened. Neither had been expecting it, or they would have prepared themselves better. Nathaniel was taking a sip of his tea while Gail hugged her knees to her chest and contemplated her next move.

  Then, all at once, the ship jerked to one side, causing the entire room to tilt to the right.

  Nathaniel had just been about to set his glass on the table, but the sudden movement caused it to slip from his hand and crash to the ground. A puddle of tea intermixed with glass shards soon lay on the floor.

  Gail toppled out of her chair and struggled to get to her feet again, clutching on to the side of Nathaniel's bed.

  The game board tumbled to the ground and twenty red and yellow marbles rolled in various directions across the floor, beneath the bed, and under the dresser. And as the boat shifted with the waves again, they all ran out of their old hiding places and into new ones.

  "I suppose the storm's begun then," Nathaniel muttered, scratching his head.

  Emy had been hiding in the dining room all day, knitting scarves and sweaters out of boredom. She didn't want to see anyone- not the sailors, or Charlie, or even her sisters.

  She knew they must have realized now that something was wrong. Sara had even asked her about it several times, and so had Nora, but Emy denied anything being wrong. They knew her so well that it was only a matter of time before they figured out what was troubling her. Emy dreaded the day that would occur though. Oh how embarrassed she would be!

  As the day went on, the light in the room continued to diminish until Emy was left in darkness. She considered leaving for a brighter space, but then decided that this was the only place she could be left alone, in her own calm solitude. So she stayed, and continued to knit in the black shadows.

  Once again, like so many other days before this one, she found herself completely absorbed in her thoughts of the man she adored. But of course, she knew he could never love her back. If only she weren't so shy then perhaps he wouldn't think of her as the silent, boring sister. Of course she'd never actually heard him say that, but Emy doubted that it wasn't true.

  Suddenly, she was taken out of her reverie as the door opened and a dark figure entered. They sat down and leaned again the wall, pulling their legs to their chest and burying their head in their knees. It was Sara, Emy determined after a bit of squinting, but she obviously hadn't realized that Emy was present.

  Emy stood up and walked over, "Sara?"

  Slowly, Sara lifted her head, revealing red, tear-stained eyes, "Is that you Emy? I thought this room was empty."

  "Yes, it's me," Emy confirmed, "Are you alright?"

  "I'm fine."

  "Are you sure? You look as though you've been crying," Emy said, kneeling down beside her sister.

  Sara shook her head and lied, "No, no. I'm fine. My eyes have just been feeling really aggravated lately. Must be allergies or something."

  Emy nodded, but she didn't believe it. The room was silent for a few moments before Emy remembered how distraught Mary had been earlier and asked, "How is Mary doing? Is she alright now?"

  Sara scratched her head. After all that had just happened with Charlie, she'd forgotten all about Mary, "Perhaps we should go downstairs and see."

  Emy nodded and followed Sara out of the room. They were just about to open the door and head out onto the deck when a clang of thunder sounded, causing both girls to jump. Sara poked her head through the curtain and gasped.

  "I didn't know the storm had already started," she said, "Did you?"

  Emy shook her head, "It must have begun just after you came downstairs."

  An extremely heavy downpour of rain was coming down outside, beating down like a drum on wooden planks making up the deck. Lighting flashed followed by yet another clatter of thunder. The wind was blowing fiercely, blowing the sails around like mad and causing the entire ship to rock back and forth.

  The rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to hear anything, and one had to shout if they wanted to be heard. The sailors were yelling orders to one another and all were dressed in big, yellow raincoats along with rubber galoshes and black hats.

  "Take down the sails!" Cary cried, "Buddy and Jacob, hoist the storm sail!"

  The men rushed about, doing as he said.

  They'd obviously known that the storm was coming, and had spent the day preparing old Violet. Hatches and passageways had been battened down to prevent seawater from washing below and lines had been strung all over the ship to give the sailors something to hold on to during the storm so they wouldn't lose their balance and fall over.

  In the kitchen, the cargo and boxes of food had been tied down so that they wouldn't shift around and be lost to the waves. Sawyer had been stationed down below to search for and repair any leaks the storm might cause. The pitching and rolling the ship would be subjected to during the storm would probably strain the hull and open the seams, so Sawyer was responsible for keeping all water out.

  While the other sailors took down all of the regular sails, Buddy and Jacob hoisted up a small, thick sail called the storm sail. It was placed low on the forward-most mast to avoid strain on the mast. Without the storm sail, a ship could be turned sideways to the wind and seas and would be overturned by any large wave that came along.

  "We'll have to hurry," Sara whispered, removing her sweater and holding it over her head. Emy did the same. "Are you ready?"

  Emy nodded and Sara opened the door. Instantly, they were hit by the angry wind and rain. Although the door leading downstairs was only a few feet away, by the time they reached it they were both rather wet. Without a second look towards the deck, Emy ran downstairs, but Sara took a moment longer and glanced upwards to where Charlie stood. He had his hands glued to the steering w
heel and was looking straight ahead, raindrops running down his face and his hair dripping wet.

  Emy grabbed Sara's shoulder, "Come on! You're getting soaked!"

  Sara wearily closed the door and followed Emy down the steps. Both had to hold onto the shaky rails as they headed down, for the ship was swaying back and forth with the waves.

  They headed into their room to find Mary asleep in bed, apparently oblivious to the constant rocking of the ship, beating of the rain, howling of the wind, and the men's yelling and shouts.

  Nora was sitting on her bed, playing a game of solitaire, but she quickly changed the game so that Emy could join in.

  Sara found Gail in Nathaniel's room, on her hands and knees searching for marbles while Nathaniel pointed them out to her. Both were laughing gaily and seemed to be having a merry old time, despite the storm. Sara knew they hadn't been on the best of terms, and wondered what had made the sudden change, but she didn't dare ask. They were already enjoying themselves and she didn't want to interrupt.

  Instead she headed back into the girls' room. Sawyer had joined the group, and although he assured Nora he really would like to join in on the game of cards she was sharing with Emy, he was quite busy at the moment. Kneeling down close to the ground, he searched the walls for signs of any sort of leaks. The girls promised him if they saw any that night he'd be the first to know, and with that promise, Sawyer headed back into the hall to search Charlie's room next.

  The evening seemed to last an eternity. To her sisters' worry, Mary kept rolling around under her blankets uncomfortably, mumbling to herself. The girls could only make out several words, but soon realized that the words repeated most often were "Ethan," "love," "marry," and "mistake." Sara didn't tell her younger sisters what was troubling Mary, but they figured it out quite easily on their own.

  Nora and Emy sat on the top of one of the bunks playing a friendly game of Rummy, but they soon realized this wasn't such a smart idea. Every so often the ship would take a drastic turn, this way or that. The cards often flew straight off the bunk, and several times the girls almost followed. They soon had to settle themselves on the ground instead.

  Gail was busy with Nathaniel the whole night. After finding all but one of the marbles scattered about the room, she busied herself packing all of Nathaniel's ointments and medicines into a box so that they wouldn't fall over and break during the storm. After that, she tried to sit in the chair beside Nathaniel's bed, but it was rather rocky and not at all agreeable or appropriate when one finds him or herself on a ship during an unpredictable storm.

  Finally, she took a seat at the foot of Nathaniel's bed and sat cross-legged with a book in her lap. She and Nathaniel had a delightful time reading stories from a rather large children's book and pretending they were much to mature for such fairy tale nonsense when really both wore the hearts of children. And every time the thunder boomed outside or the rain slammed against the porthole or a large wave tottered the ship back and forth, both would simply pause and giggle before returning to their tales of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress.

  Sara sat in bed with a book but barely finished reading a page; she couldn't get her mind off of the awful storm. The rain was pounding against the windows as though it had an iron fist, making so much noise one could barely hear him or herself talk.

  After an hour or so of trying to read her novel, Sara decided she just couldn't concentrate and presently left the room. She walked to the top of the staircase, taking a seat on the uppermost step, and placed her ear near the crack of the door. The sailors were shouting back and forth to each other, struggling to let their voices be heard over the fierce wind, rain, and clattering thunder.

  It all sounded so exciting that that Sara considered going up herself, but soon realized what a silly idea that was. Going up on deck would only mean that Sara would end up cold and wet and the men most certainly wouldn't it allow it. They'd fear her health and send her straight back downstairs. So instead, Sara sat sadly on the step and listened to the excitement from afar.

  And then she heard it. A voice calling madly from high, high above. It was the lookout, Rory, calling from the crow's nest.

  "Wave!" he shouted, "Wave on the starboard side!"

  CHAPTER 14

  The Magnificent Wave

  "Wave! Wave on the starboard side!" Rory screamed, his voice breaking, "Wave!"

  For a few eerie moments, the world was completely calm. The wind stopped howling, the rain weakened to a drizzle, and all of the sailors stood still in shock as they saw it approach.

  In all of their years on the ocean, none of the men had ever seen a wave like this one before. It must have been at least fifty feet high. At least. And unlike the other waves, dark and black, this one was white, made up entirely of foam as if it had just broken. As it rolled forward, it gained height, growing bigger and bigger.

  In awe of the magnificent wave, the men stood staring at it with blank expressions. It seemed to have hypnotized them, for they couldn't move, much less think, in its presence.

  Zooey shook his head in disbelief, but when he realized that this wasn't a dream and that the wave was real, he shouted, "Down!" before proceeding to crouch on the ground and brace himself.

  Most of the other men followed suit and kneeled down, but about half were still so amazed they hadn't even heard Zooey's warning. Charlie was one of these men. He was standing in the little area above his office, with his hands on the steering wheel, mouth hanging open in wonder.

  And then it arrived, swelling to such a great height that the entirety of Violet was in its shadow. Most waves would break behind the ship and roll beneath the stern, but this wave was different. It had a very distinct high curl that continued to rise higher and higher until it couldn't go any further.

  Then, all at once, it came crashing down. Thousands of gallons of water, pounding down upon the ship and its sailors like a giant fist, desperate to crush anything in its path.

  Charlie, now looking so small and feeble when compared to the great wave, was the first in its way. It came down upon him like a million bricks, hammering onto his head and shoulders and slamming him into the steering wheel.

  The sailors' limbs flailed around, desperate to find something to hang on to. Like a giant wall, the water came crashing down and all the men were thrown against the floor. And when it left, they were left looking like lifeless, overturned turtles- their arms and legs still shaking madly as they struggled to get to their feet after the massive blow.

  The rain fell lightly and lightning struck in the distance, but it seemed as though the storm was over. That was it. That wave, that great, magnificent wave, was the grand finale, leaving all the sailors dumb and speechless. Many were hurt, but they hadn't even realized it yet. Their minds were still reeling over the great wave.

  Sara, sitting on the topmost step, was clutching onto the shaky rail with a white hand. She'd heard the sailor's shouts of warning, followed by that eerie silence, and then, all at once, there was the sound of water slamming down upon the deck. The entire ship rocked violently back and forth, and Sara could barely keep her balance on the stairs. From somewhere downstairs, a girl screamed, but Sara didn't know which of her sisters it was.

  The wave caused Sara to slip down a few steps and bang her bottom on the wood, but other than that and the initial shock, she was fine. Water burst through the cracks of the door and dripped down the stairs. With uncertain steps, Sara got to her feet and made her way downstairs and into the girls' room.

  Mary was as pale as a ghost, peeking out from beneath her quilt like a mouse, while Emy and Nora were crouching on the floor with their hands over their heads as though a tornado had hit.

  "Are you alright?" Sara asked, her voice breathless.

  Nora gulped and looked around at her sisters, "I think so."

  Sara didn't wait another moment, but rushed over to Nathaniel's room.

  Gail had slipped off the bed and was lying on the floor, rubbing her throbbin
g forehead. Nathaniel appeared fine for the most part, besides his shaky hands and increasingly white face. He was leaning over his bedside to look down at Gail and see if she was hurt.

  "Are you alright?" Sara repeated quickly.

  Gail nodded, "Fine. Just a little shaken, is all."

  "And your head?"

  "Well it was hit, but I shouldn't have more than a bump. I'm fine, really."

  Sara nodded, taking quick breaths, "Alright then. I'm going upstairs."

  As she headed back into the hall, Sara saw Nora and Emy following Sawyer up the stairs. All three were gripping the staircase so tightly the muscles in their arms were flexed, but they moved quickly. Sara fell in step behind Emy.

  When Sawyer and the girls arrived on deck, they felt as though they were looking out onto a battlefield. The sailors were sprawled around in various positions, moaning and gingerly touching their aching joints and cuts. They were soaked to the bone, shivering, and the girls instantly felt the need to act as nurses.

  Sawyer headed to the kitchen, where Charlie kept the stock of bandages and other first aid supplies. Nora ran over to Zooey and Jess, kneeling beside them and checking for cuts or broken bones, while Emy headed over to Michael and Jacob. She sat down on the ground beside them, petting their heads as though they were children and asking what hurt.

  Sara didn't know what to do first. There were so many men and they all seemed to be in need of some help. When Sawyer returned, she took some bandages from him and began helping Buddy with a cut on his arm. He'd scraped it against a sharp corner during the wave and it was now bleeding quite badly.

  Once Buddy was taken care of, Sara was just about to move on to Noah when she heard someone calling from up above. Their voice was hoarse.

  Sara quickly got to her feet and followed the voice to the space above the office. Half of the ladder had been torn off during the storm, but Sara was able to make her way up after a bit of struggling.

  Charlie was lying on the ground and trying, without success, to stand up. The force of the great wave had thrown him straight into the steering wheel. A large gash ran from the corner of his eye and up through his left eyebrow to the middle of his forehead. Blood, bright red, was running down from it, mixed with salty ocean water from the wave. The arm of his raincoat had been shredded and his right arm was cut as well.