Intuition Without Logical Explanation
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
Alfred and the rest of the group had already made their way to the back door, where Alfred opened it and gestured for them to come through. The first thing that struck me was the smell — something familiar but also new and strange at once.
It took me a moment to identify it as an odor associated with my youth when I lived on a small island off the coast of Maine in a house without air conditioning and a swamp cooler whose fans blew out warm, humid air all summer long: fish oil or something like it.
Then we were outside on a dock in the water, looking up at a building so big that only one wall jutted above us. The rest of it curved away under waves.
I blinked against a glare from the setting sun, taking in what was before me: a huge ship, its masts and sails visible over a wide railing just below us; ropes coiled along the deck beneath the hull as though they’d been washed there by wind and rain and tide. A few men stood near the rail, staring down at the ocean around them and talking among themselves.
“It’s beautiful,” said Alby. He sounded awed. “How many ships do you think are here?”
We looked up then, toward the top of the ship where it jutted out overhead like a giant black triangle. From there, I could see the curve of a second vessel, this one smaller than ours and far closer. Then another appeared beyond that.
And yet more still, until eventually, they stretched into the horizon behind us, each ship rising from its place as though they’d been carved from dark stone and now loomed high above us.
They looked as if they might have been built from the same rough timber, but their size differed, ranging from large enough to carry hundreds of passengers and crew and cargo to a tiny craft whose decks were barely roomy for a single passenger.
All of these boats floated atop the water — except two. There were two ships moored beside the dock, both massive vessels with masts and rigging taller than most of the surrounding buildings. These were clearly warships, although they were too far from shore to be carrying any troops aboard and neither had sails nor oars.
Both were pointed at the open sea ahead, ready to leave immediately.
“This is impressive,” I agreed. Even from here, I recognized their flags: the red banner with the three white stars flew from one ship’s yard, while the blue and gray pennant with five gold stars fluttered from the other. I hadn’t known the colors of our own nation, but those flags were instantly recognizable. We had enemies on land and at sea, not that I knew much about how that worked.
The sailors on the ships wore the traditional uniform of their country, which consisted of leather breeches and heavy boots with steel toes, as well as jackets and capes lined with metal plates that protected their shoulders and backs.
But the soldiers aboard the ships weren’t alone; dozens of other men walked about the deck and gathered together in loose clusters, talking quietly amongst themselves. Most of them held short-barreled rifles at their sides.
My eyes fell again on the gunships in front of us. “What do you make of all that?” I asked Alby.
He shrugged. “It looks like war.” His expression turned somber. “If we’re here because the enemy thinks we’re coming, I don’t know what they’ll do when they find out we aren’t after all. Maybe we should run?”
“Run where?”
Alby grimaced. “I don’t really get why we’re here. I mean, I guess maybe someone wants me to meet somebody who can help me figure out what’s going on, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve got much time to do anything else. I’m kind of confused by that, actually.”
“Me too.” My head throbbed and my thoughts felt foggy and disjointed. I needed sleep. If I didn’t get some soon, I wouldn’t be able to keep myself upright.
We watched the sailors on the ships for a minute longer, until the two gunboats moved off and began circling slowly around the bay. Soon thereafter, the rest of the fleet left, leaving us floating in the silence between the two vessels that remained.
Finally, Alby leaned forward and spoke to the captain again. After a brief conversation, he turned back to me with a wry grin. “You know, I’ve seen you before. You work on an island called Roshan, right? I used to live there with your friend Kia. She’s good people.”
That explained a lot. I was familiar with his face from her photos, which she’d shown me before telling me that she was no longer alive. It made sense that we’d cross paths now, since he was on the same mission as she’d once been. I nodded politely and gave him a small smile. “And you?”
His cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “Ah. That’s another story. I’m afraid I wasn’t exactly a friend of hers. Just acquaintances. But you seem like a nice guy, so I’ll be honest with you. Your friend is dead. She died last year. In the battle.”
A sharp pain lanced through my stomach. The news had hit me hard at the time, but I’d mostly pushed it aside in favor of focusing on the bigger picture. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d hoped to talk to her one day again.
Now Alby said something else and I shook my head, trying to clear my mind enough to concentrate. He must have thought I didn’t understand, because he repeated himself and added, “Your friends are all gone, man. Every person on this boat has lost someone they loved.”
I stared at him in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the truth. All of these people who’d come looking for me had suffered a terrible loss — every single one of them, many far worse than mine.
The captain of the flagship looked over at Alby then, but I couldn’t read his expression behind his sunglasses. “Do you want to tell him yourself?” he asked.
Alby nodded eagerly, although he glanced at me uncertainly as well. The captain took off his hat and wiped the sweat off his brow. “These are dangerous waters for us, young sir. Many of our brothers and sisters fought in the battle that claimed Kia’s life, and we’re still picking up the pieces. We’re hoping to hear from her spirit someday, so we can bring her back home.”
He paused for a moment, searching my face, as though checking to see if I understood or if I needed to know more.
All of the grief and anguish in their expressions threatened to overwhelm me, but I managed to force down the lump forming in my throat and shake my head slightly. I wasn’t ready to give them any answers yet, or even share what little knowledge I did possess about the situation.
They were already risking a lot on my behalf, and I wanted them to trust that I would eventually return everything they’d done for me.
As the ship sailed away toward the harbor entrance and its waiting boats, I sat on the deck and stared out at the open ocean ahead of us. It felt like we’d passed into an entirely different world compared to what we’d left behind. Everything seemed peaceful, even serene, and I wondered for the first time if maybe this wasn’t such a bad place after all.
The only sound for miles was the gentle slap of waves against the side of the wooden vessel, which reminded me that I had no idea where we were headed. And I didn’t care. As long as I got out of sight, I would be safe. Then I could focus on figuring things out.
***
My head pounded and I struggled to stay awake as the small boat rocked gently across the choppy seas. Waves splashed against the railing and dripped off onto my legs; the cool spray of salt water washed over my bare feet. The sky was dark, with only the faintest traces of light from distant stars showing above the horizon, but the night was warm and comfortable.
“What are you doing?” A woman’s voice echoed through the cabin, which was empty except for me. I blinked, realizing I hadn’t seen her in days.
She stood just inside the doorway with one arm resting casually on the sill, leaning close to look into my eyes. Her skin gleamed in the moonlight outside as she smiled. “Just watching the sunset, I guess,” I mumbled. “You don’t happen to have anything for headaches, do you?”
The corners of her mouth twitched as she stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. “I wouldn’t think so.”
We fell silent then, each staring at the other’s face until she broke the quiet with a sigh and sat down next to me. She crossed her legs comfortably and stretched her arms out beside me, resting her chin on her hands and gazing across the waves at the setting sun.
The air had changed since I woke up. Now that I had the time to actually notice it, it almost tasted like salt or seawater, with a hint of sulfur that reminded me of my time underground. I’d been too exhausted to pay attention to it before, but now I knew the smell of death.
But I couldn’t dwell on that. Not yet. My priority was getting the hell out of there as soon as possible.
The wind grew stronger as the sun continued to set, kicking up a cloud of the spray against our faces and sending rivulets of seawater streaming down the wooden walls. We both squinted against the cold, wet spray for a moment, and then she reached across the bench between us to take my hand.
It took me aback at first, and I pulled away, but then curiosity won over and I settled back on the bench, allowing her to pull my fingers into hers.
She leaned toward me and whispered in my ear, “I’m glad you found me again, man.” She squeezed my hand reassuringly once and then let go. “How many times does that make now?”
“Six.”
She turned her head away from me and looked at the ocean again for a few moments before shaking her head and returning her gaze to mine. “Maybe seven or eight. It’s hard to keep track sometimes.” She chuckled softly and shook her head before taking a deep breath. “That’s how much trouble you’ve put me in lately. I don’t need to remind you.”
“No need,” I said, feeling a bit guilty for putting her through so much.
I didn’t realize why until several minutes later when the breeze shifted, pushing her hair across her shoulder and exposing a patch of pale, freckled skin that glowed brightly in the fading light. It was a strange juxtaposition—the beauty of a dying day mixed with the harshness of death and decay—that somehow made me feel more connected to her than ever before.
After what felt like far too long, the last of the bright colors faded out over the water and a chill began to creep over us as night closed in around us.
We were silent for a while longer, watching the stars appear in the sky. The moon rose high overhead, casting an eerie glow over the ocean. I thought about asking questions, trying to get some sense of where we were going and what was going on, but instead, I just listened to the sounds of the sea and watched the stars.
After a while, the darkness grew thicker and it was difficult to see, but I kept my gaze trained on the stars. It seemed like they never moved, no matter where I focused my attention. But after a while, I realized they weren’t really there.
They were just reflections of something else …
A sudden wave knocked the boat forward and my head snapped back against the wall, making my neck ache. My stomach churned and the world began to spin.
“What is it? Are you okay?” She grabbed my wrist tightly and tried to turn me around, but I wasn’t moving fast enough.
I opened my eyes wide and tried to focus on my surroundings, hoping I could tell exactly where we were, but the blackness surrounding me was all-consuming. I was trapped in a void. I wanted to say something to warn her, but my throat was dry and every inch of my body burned. I knew this was coming. That bastard was trying to kill me again.
Something wet and sticky covered my eyes and mouth, smothering my ability to breathe. The last thing I heard before I passed out was my name.
The End