Things Go Sideways

SCRAP FOUND ON WILLIAM, DOUBLE SIDED.

Side A: William, meet me in the brig again tonight, after everyone else has fallen asleep. This is the last time we’re doing this. Don’t be late. -Thomas.

Side B, different handwriting: Remember the iron screws and avoid the squeaky boards. This is the big one, don’t fuck it up!

SIMOND’S JOURNAL

Things have gone horribly, horribly, awry. Thomas is missing. William lies unresponsive in an infirmary bed, his clothes covered in someone else’s blood. This note is all I have to go off of, and its meaning is. Unclear.

I suppose I’m writing to try to clear my mind? Or perhaps to make a record, should we begin to disappear like those on the dutch ship. Perhaps that miasma I felt was a curse, one we brought onto us. If so, my days are numbered. Thus, let me write my record of the day.

I ventured to the deck to meet the others for breakfast, as we had decided the day before. I was the last one there, and they had already gathered. I glanced briefly at the Fantome, expecting to see a few members of the crew up and moving. But then, lying still against the rail, was William. In the same place as he was the night before. If you asked me a day ago, I would say I felt no strong attachment to William. We grew up together, yes, but were never equals in our youth, or even our adulthood up until we found ourselves on the Fantome. Still, my heart sank out of my body seeing him motionless on the railing.

I yelled, I’m not sure what but I remember yelling. Martin, who was closest, joined me where I had latched to the railing. He spotted William soon enough, and joined me in yelling. With his added voice the yelling gained a purpose, trying to get the attention of the few crew who were on deck. The Captain tells me it was only him and Adam on deck, checking on the bearings after the night. Your jumping up and down caught my eye, he said, You were waving your hands and pointing to him. I thought you had been possessed.

Somehow we made it back to the Fantome. The Captain went to summon Robert the doctor, while Martin and I carried William down to the infirmary. I threw his left arm over my shoulder, and it hit my chest limply with a wet noise. The ship was still waking up, and we managed to weave through the decks without pause. The doctor met us at the door to the infirmary and shooed us away as soon as William landed on the cot. I waited outside the door for most of the morning. Martin brought me breakfast at some point, letting me know he was returning to the Dutch ship. I asked, as he left, if he had seen Thomas, with the intention of handing over my inventory. He only shrugged.

Mid morning Robert opened the door to the infirmary and let me inside. William lay still on the cot, his face pale and cheeks sunken. His shirt was covered in dried blood, but the only bandage he wore was on his right forearm.

He lost a bit of blood, Robert said cheerily, But! I managed to get the rich boy back on his feet. He should be fine, probably. He nudged William’s side with his shoe. Yeah. Probably.

A bit? I asked, He’s covered in the stuff!

Ah, well. If all of that was his, he’d be dead by now! Robert beamed at me.

Then where the fuck did all of this blood come from, doctor?

Good question Simond. No idea! I’ll get the boys to look around, likely some animal hiding on our ship.

An animal?

Yes, little rich boy here has a bite mark on his arm. Real deep one, fucker has some sharp teeth. I guess Willy here got a good fight in, and that’s where the rest of the blood came from.

Where would an animal even have come from? Robert stared at me with a knowing smirk for a moment, and it clicked. Ah, the other ship?

Exactly, lad. I’ll have some of the crew look for them. Meanwhile, I need to get something to eat. Would you mind watching over William here for a bit?

Sure thing, Doctor. Would you mind letting Thomas know I have the inventory with me if you see him? Robert nodded in reply and left. I sat here for a while. After I felt assured William would keep breathing if I turned away for a moment, I began gently taking out the pages from the start of my new journal and slipped them into the back of the older journal. I set it aside with the inventory and hid my journal back into my shirt. Robert came and went, bringing lunch and occasionally checking in on William.

A while into the afternoon Captain Guilleme came into the infirmary with a grim look about him. He gave William a long look before sending Robert out. He dragged a chair across the room to be in front of me, a long wood scratching noise accompanying it. He sat heavily, and let out a sigh. Simond, he said, have ye seen Thomas today?

I shook my head, and he continued. He hasn’t been on-deck all day. We’ve checked his room and his usual spots. I’ve had to lie to my crew, Simond. Lied and said Thomas had been stricken by a malady. We have to keep this on the low. The crew relies on a solid chain of command

No one has seen him?

None that’s been asked. His gaze turned again to William. Let me know when this one wakes, Simond.

Of course, Sir.

Good lad.

He stood to leave, and I remembered again the old journal in my care. Ah, sir, I said, I have this for you. I handed him the old journal and the inventory.

The inventory, thank ye Simond. He paused as he took the journal from me. And what is this?

A journal, sir. I found it in the captain’s cabin on the Dutch ship. It’s not written in English, so I thought it wouldn’t be helpful. But just in case, I fetched it last night. Guilleme’s moustache quirked upwards.

Just in case. He said. He nodded, and left with the bundle.

That was hours ago. Night is quick approaching. William still sits on his cot, still save for his breathing. I expect he will sleep through the entire day if left to his own devices. He's always loved sleeping in. And blaming it on others. Perhaps when he wakes he can tell us about this animal that attacked him.

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