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The morning spray of salty water awakes me from my solace. I stare vacantly at the sky. Cloudy again. The sun hides from view, tucked away behind a large grey cloud, floating fast across the horizon. I peel myself out of my hammock and stretch out. Water. I quickly drop down from my bunk, make my way to the deck. Buckets lined up against the cabin wall are all empty. Fill them now. I grab four bucket handles and race down the staircase to the barrels in the galley. I fill them as fast as I can, two at a time. Two by two I drag them up to the deck. My hands don't blister anymore, they're thick and hard like leather. I put the buckets right where they were left. As soon as I am done, I hear the voices coming up the stairs. Rags, clean ones. I panic, racing around to the back of the boat, grabbing the freshly washed rags hanging up on the mast rope. I sprint back and drape the rags across my arms. The men laugh and spit as they come out of the cabin. Still in their under garments, they wash and drink from the buckets of fresh water, grabbing rags from my arms. No eye contact, look down. "Checking the nets today! Get your fat asses to work! BOY!" I turn and face the man shouting at the crew. "Yes sir." "Scrub the deck, NOW!!" *** We rock violently towards our last net drop, the wind is with us, maybe too much. I struggle to keep my balance as I mop the last section of the deck. Knives. I throw the bucket of mop water overboard and make my way to the netting and other fishing gear. The gutting knives are sitting in a small chest on a large wooden table. I grab the wet stone and begin to sharpen all the knives as quick as I can. "Storm ahead! Off Port!" I turn to look out and see the darkened sky rumbling towards us at a terrifying speed. "BOY! Fasten life lines NOW!" "Yes sir!" I shout back. A blast of thunder almost knocks me off my feet as I high tail it down the front of the ship to the mast. Rain drops hit my face as I begin tying rope to the centre pillar of the ship. One, two, three, f- A giant bolt of lightning cracks the sky open, flooding the air with droplets of water, blinding the view of all who wish to see. "Hunker down! Grab your life lines!" The men all run to the ropes I tied, wrapping them around their waists, I get shoved to the floor as the biggest brute ties his own to the mast. "Your not as fast as you are cute boy." I block the memory and close my eyes shut, the water runs down the fresh cut on my face. Blood and rain drop underneath me, thunder snaps right next to the ship, making everyone jump. Rain pelts down and pools on the deck. Buckets. I stifle my thoughts and run over to the buckets and grab one, heading over to a pool on the deck and start scooping it overboard. The rain belts the planks, deafening the crew and I. "Keep it up boy!" A faint voice shouts, but I can't hear it over the wind and downpour. The boat begins to rock from side to side, waves crashing hard against the boat. Lighting lights up the darkened sky, I look just in time to see it. Oh no. We are dead. A dark blue wave, taller then the sail, is barrelling towards the boat, towards me. I stare, eyes wide, as it approaches. I look up. The crest of the wave topples down. Slow motion. I see the eyes of the man closest to me. He mouths something I clearly make out. "God save me."