Don't Forget About Me

4. A whisper in the wind

Chapter 4

A whisper in the wind

It is scary to see everything I know disappear into the night. I stare in the direction of the Island an hour before I am calm enough to turn my attention forwards. I guess I was scared that someone would come after us. The wolf spirits are keeping their promise and I close my eyes for a few seconds.

Free

It’s hard to think I am free after being kidnapped for so long. I guess it will take some time before I get used to the thought. I owe this kind man so much for rescuing me. May the Wolf Spirits protect him for his heroic action.

The world smells better already. I didn’t know freedom had a smell until now. I guess we don’t unless we experienced captivity.

Susan and her children will haunt my dreams forever. Clever John knew what he did when he created a family, but he never expected me to be tough enough to turn my back on them. I have enough faith to do it. The Wolf Spirits would never let me lose my faith. John thought I was broken, but my spirit is stronger than ever.

I hope they will forgive me. I pray for them to understand my choice even if they might never find out the truth about me. I was not theirs to keep to begin with.

The black waves are crashing against the ship. It’s a bit windy out here but the weather is nice. I’m glad I’m not sea sick. All the stars are shining on us, telling Elias where to steer his boat. Of course he uses more advanced equipment, but I like the old fashioned way. I’m still not sure why the other man wants to help me, but I think I own him an explanation of some sort.

I get up from the cold seat and head over to go indoors. I feel tiny as the wind is trying to push me away. I’m afraid my own family won’t recognize me because I’m so thin. What if they will be ashamed of me?

Fear strikes me as I grab hold of the handle to the door and jerk it open. I tumble inside and throw myself at the door to close it again.

“It is quite a mean wind out there. I was worried you would fall overboard.”

Elias nods at the blue thick blanket that’s laying on one of the seats. I quickly drape it around me and it warms me up a little.

“The Wolf Spirits would never let me fall off the ship,” I mumble.

It’s nice to get shelter from the wind though I really liked sitting outdoors. I lean back against the seat and feel comfortable with Jupiter’s presence in the room.

“The wind is helping us onward faster,” Elias continues. “We should arrive at one of the merchant Islands in the morning. We need to sell some herbs to gain some money for our travel.”

“I think I might need some clothes to change into,” I think out loud. 

“That shouldn’t be too hard to arrange. Just go down under deck. My wife left some clothes in there and I saw no reason to remove them. The boat was our escape. We travelled around the sea.”

He stares out over the water, lost in his memories of a time that never will come back. I don’t feel like disturbing his thoughts so I walk down the stairs into a hallway. I explore the living area and am satisfied by the sight of two separate bedrooms and a well-stocked kitchen.

The boat is well lived in and it is obvious Elias didn’t change anything down here. It still has a female’s touch over it. I wonder what his wife was like. There’s a picture of them hanging in the hallway. It’s a wedding photo and they are smiling happily at each other. The woman has short brown hair and a bit overweight. Her eyes tell a story of kindness, a kindness I’ll never be able to muster.