Chapter 3: He's Just Black
1530 Words
Jasmine calmed down with Jansen on her side and whispered something to her. Ghael just watched the two but he was relieved she's now breathing evenly and had stopped crying.
He returned his curious gaze on top where the other end of the rope was tied. There was no one up there now and it might be his mind playing at him but that voice and the black drenched cloak surely made him shiver.
It's impossible isn't it? There is no way the man was real. This is not a dream, was he getting delusions? But both Jansen and Jasmine saw him and now the reason why one of his friends was trembling.
This can't be real.
“I'm particularly sure there were no tribes here before planning the trip. The man must be a prankster or some sort..”
Jansen approached him, looking back on top.
“How is she?”
Ghael's mind is too preoccupied, his words not registering on his mind.
Jansen looked back to where Jasmine was resting.
“She's probably too scared. It was her who discovered the man approaching us.”
“The man.. Did you see his face?”
He was dying to know. He was raging in curiosity, what did the man look like?
But he was disappointed when Janus shook his head. “I didn't like Jas. We were taken aback when he attacked us.”
“It's fine we'll probably get another way to report.”
The silence engulfed them. Jansen and Ghael decide to stay on the shipwreck for a while; there's still a possibility that the man is still lurking on top.
“Should we cut the rope?” he asked, his mind a little light.
“Huh, why? How are we going to get on top again?”
“No.. Jansen, what if that crazy creepy man uses it to get down here?!” Jasmine butt in a shaky voice.
"Calm down,"
"It might be better if we wait and rest first, climbing up may not be a good idea for now." Ghael tried to look on top of the cliff again.
He pulled out his phone and was happy to see it's not even halfway spent but the network on top says it's an error and couldn't get a signal.
"Maybe because we're in the middle," Janus shrugged off, still looking after Jasmine in the corner.
Ghael left his spot and saw the shipwreck again. It wasn't hard to move the pieces of wood and shrouds but since it's near the waterfall, it became slippery making it hard to get a grip.
"I'll try to get something from the other edge." he exclaimed.
"For what?"
"I don't know anything we can use just in case."
The chains and shrouds were lying, the wooden floor wasn't slippery at all. The ships were made with woods, metals and chains. Like the classic style. Ghael wondered how it looked before and how it ended up here, just below a cliff where anyone can see.
He reached halfway and he was right, the ship is old. The bowsprit and white flags were completely soaked below, he wasn't sure but the figuredhead and forepeak should be lying somewhere near.
A cold breeze passes and it seems to be directly at him, making him shiver. It's dark and cold, a bonfire would be ideal but most of the ships were made out of wood so he pushed the idea. He even might set the whole place on fire.
"Hey!"
Jansen yelled from behind, catching his attention while continuing looking for something or anything.
But it looks empty. Crap.
"Did you find anything?!" Jansen yelled again so he answered back.
"Still searching — oh crappy wood!" he muttered as he almost slipped and smashed his face.
Minutes of searching, Ghael decided to go back. Everything is destroyed, he couldn't even see the entrance down the ship for rooms. Only the quarterdeck is enough to shelter them.
He went back to where his friends were.
"Nothing?" Jansen asked, looking for signals but even messages couldn't go through.
"Yeah, it literally stands like a shipwreck. Everything was destroyed." he sighed.
"How long are we gonna stay here?" Jasmine asked in the corner, relief when she's not stuttering anymore.
"Maybe we can go now?"
Both of them looked up, it was dark and it made their situation harder.
"I told you Ghael — if you only agree to not enter this — this won't happen!"
"Jas!"
He felt sorry and bad because she is partly right, but he told them to leave and let him go alone. He gave them a choice and they chose to come with him.
Ghael shook his head after the thought. It was toxic and rather unreasonable.
"We come here willingly too, this is no one's fault. Okay?"
Like the usual, Jansen will come in between and act like their counselor. He would stay in the middle, neutral and will talk to them till they make up.
"My phone still has no signal, I don't even know how long we've been here." Jansen showed him his screen, the battery is halfway but the network on top is still with a red x sign.
"Are we going to leave or not?" Jasmine asked impatiently, she was irritated and annoyed.
"We will Jas, just wait."
"It's cold here." She then wrapped her arms to herself and took a deep breath.
This isn't the first time they were stuck. If they still do the adventure before — this isn't even thrilling. They have been in the forest, encountered wild animals and broke inside caves for clues. They once went inside the hell hole, squeezing their bodies and pushing themselves to fit in and gasp for needed air. It was all fun — before.
It's been years. Jansen pursued being a professional photographer and on his way to the top portfolio he's been working on. Jasmine didn't specify but she's still studying to get a masteral degree. And he's now a licensed professor and earning stable income.
Maybe if it's still the old them, they would laugh the current situation off.
"— you heard that?"
Ghael blinks when Jansen points somewhere but he doesn't hear what he is saying.
"Huh? What. Hear what?" he absentmindedly asked.
Jansen walks, pushing pressure on the wooden floor and it creates a sound. Jansel moved to the other side but the sound of the soles of his shoes were solid.
"Here, it sounds different," he pointed out.
"A room underneath."
"Yeah, I think so. We're on a quarterdeck — just above the captain's cabin. Do you think it's still safe to go down?"
Three of them roam their eyes, looking for possible entrance.
"It might be under the pile of woods or it's being blocked by the cargos." Ghael said as he pushed things off his feet.
"What does it look like?" Jasmine asked as she looked and dived in tangled ropes. It was quite heavy, thick and bruising.
"Maybe we shouldn't look for the exact entrance but an opening or airway — this is heavy!" Jansen grunt after lifting chains bigger than him combined.
"Fine."
While everyone's searching, Ghael continues listening to the sounds of his shoes. Weighing the sounds and following his guts.
"The sides were badly crushed so we really can't trust it if it can support our weight. There should be a c***k or something here.." he explained.
"I found it!"
Jansen and Ghael turned to Jasmine after she yelled. She's now wearing a smug look and smirking looking down at her feet before motioning it to her friends.
"Not exactly ideal opening but better than hell hole. Looks bigger.."
The two of them look below and Ghael instantly has a little glance of the down cabin. It was woods and messy.
"I'll go first—"
Ghael quickly saw the ropes that connected on top shuddered. Jansen and Jasmine both read his expression and their eyes widened to see who's on top.
"Sht.."
"No—!"
"Get inside!" he yelled, eyes not leaving the man standing on the cliff. As if he's watching them go panic.
"Jas!" Jansen guides her, pushing the woods away to make it easy to go down.
Ghael remained frozen, he was eager to see what the man's look like — if he was right. But as the moon above illuminates, the moonlight was against his features and all he could see is black. Like he is just a black man with no face and figure.
"Ghael, down!"
"What are you still standing—"
"He's coming! Dude, let's go!"
As quickly as the two men could, they went inside the opening and clamped down on the old stinky room. Jansen quickly pushed a shelf tall enough to reach the ceiling of quarterdeck and blocked where they entered.
"Get this too!"
A silence engulfed them. Their hearts were racing in nervousness, watching the only way to get down the cabin. The rooms were messy but it was a little relief there are plenty to use to defend themselves.
A whole minute passed without any sound.
"Is.. Is he gone?"
- Writer
