Chapter 6 Voyage

Days had gone by, and I wasn't sure how long I had been on the boat, but it felt like an eternity. I had counted three nights of hunting for food. When I was sure everyone was asleep, I tiptoed through the cabins until I found their food supplies. I made sure to take enough to last me until the next night. I walked past snoring sailors, lazy workers, and drunken men every day. I discovered that one of them used to sleepwalk at night, providing the perfect cover for my nighttime activities. In the mornings, I often overheard the crew quarreling with him about his sleep-eating habits.

He couldn't defend himself since he wasn't aware of what he did while sleepwalking. It was fun pretending to be the ghost of the ship, scaring them away from my cabin and secretly listening to their sailor songs.

The captain, a bearded old man who was surprisingly handsome and fit for his age, was unlike the pirate captains I had seen in films. He didn't have a peg leg or an eye patch, nor did he have a parrot. He looked like any other sailor, except for his heart, which set him apart. During my stay on the ship, I learned that they were navy men who patrolled the seas. Among them was Jules Steve, the first mate of the ship. He was the friendliest among the crew and was the first to realize that I wasn't a ghost.

One fateful day during my nightly scavenger hunt, Philemon, or Phil for short, the sleepwalking sailor passed by my cabin, signaling that it was time for me to search for food. Little did I know that Jules had decided to catch the ship's ghost. He didn't believe in the ghost like the others and wanted to prove them wrong. I silently went to the food storage and gathered my provisions until I was interrupted by the ghost hunter of the ship.

"I never knew ghosts needed food. Reveal yourself and surrender, or you'll walk the plank or return to the great beyond," he said in an old British sailor accent.

"No need for the accent. I was hungry, and I just needed some food," I replied, packing up the last of the food, ready to leave. He held me back, saying, "You're definitely human, but you're quite clever scaring my mates."

"It's not my fault your crew is easily frightened and can't tell the difference between a ghost and a stowaway," I said, mimicking a British accent, playing along.

"Stealing our food is considered a crime, ghost girl," he said, giving me a questioning stare.

"I had mistakenly boarded the wrong ship and was scared of what you sailors might do to me. So, I decided to hide in the cabins and steal some food until I could find a way off this ship," I replied in my normal accent.

"Fine then, you can stay on board, but watch out for the captain. He doesn't like stowaways on his ship. Ghosts are fine by him, but an unwanted human would be held captive for spying. Hope you're not a spy?" he finally replied in a normal accent.

"Don't worry, you won't notice when I'm off your ship. Just cover for me, please, and I won't be much of a problem," I replied before walking away. After that day, every night we talked on the deck. He told me tales of his sea adventures, and we made jokes about the old captain. According to him, the captain was a grumpy old man whose wife had left him. He dedicated his life to tormenting young sailors and couldn't stand seeing young lovers. Jules often sang a sailor song about him,

which went like this:

I'm a tavern by the shore, by the shore,

Where the sailors all gather, oh, so poor.

Lived a grumpy old sailor, his heart filled with strife,

His wife had sailed away, leaving him feeling so blue.

Now he torments young lovers, oh, the things he'd do.

Hoist the anchor, raise the sail!

Join the dance, let the wind prevail!

A grumpy old sailor, with a heart full of woe,

Beware, young lovers, run before he lays low.

We had fun at night and gradually grew fond of each other. Later, Phil figured out my secret after he decided to stop sleepwalking. One night, he pretended to sleepwalk to catch the food-stealing ghost and caught me instead. Jules explained the situation to him, and he agreed to help me stay safe on the ship. He continued to take the blame for the missing food and joined in the nighttime activities. The other two sailors eventually discovered my presence, and I was no longer a secret. The captain was the only one who remained unaware and got terrified at night, believing there was a ghostly party happening on his ship. He occasionally came out to catch the ghost but never succeeded. Phil did a great job distracting him with his sleepwalking, while the rest of the crew pretended to be ghosts alongside me.

One eerie night, we decided to throw a mini party on board. According to Jules, it was a celebration to officially welcome me to their crew. The party took place in the storage cabinet below the deck where barrels of rum were kept. "Almost done with the preparations, and soon we'll be dancing to the old sailor tunes," Derrick, one of the sailors, remarked. I had learned that they had all studied in Britain, which explained their British accents. I wondered if Zuko, my love interest, would also have an accent and whether he would change his name. Perhaps he would go by Sebastian or Theophilus. Those names didn't suit him, and I hoped he wouldn't change it. That night was unforgettable as we waited for the captain to fall asleep before beginning our celebration. We gathered in the cabin, bringing out all the food we had hidden from previous nights. Phil kicked off the party by sharing stories of his adventures during his school days.

"Back in the old school days, we weren't allowed to leave at night. It was an all-boys boarding school located on the outskirts of town, not far from the cemetery," Phil said.

"Wait, so you're saying your school and the cemetery were neighbors?" Jules asked.

"That's right. They were adjacent, sharing the same land. At night, many eerie things would happen, and we weren't permitted to wander outside. We had study sessions in the dormitories, supervised by the housemasters. In the center of the school and cemetery, there stood an old tree that acted as a boundary between them. Legends spoke of it being the meeting place for an old secret society called 'The Night Eagles.' Only worthy students were invited to join, and their activities were shrouded in mystery. One night, a war broke out between them and another group over the destruction of their sacred tree. They fought valiantly to defend it, but by morning, no one was left alive. Their bodies were buried beneath the trees, and at night, echoes of the battle could be heard. Many believed that the war wasn't over, and the spirits still fought for control of the tree. Due to this, no one was allowed near the sacred tree, or they would vanish forever. A young lad named Andrew refused to believe the legends and sneaked out at night to the sacred tree, accompanied by some friends. The next day,

one of his friends' bodies was found near the tree, and the rest were never seen again. Since that day, their voices could be heard at night, chanting these very words:

In the shadow's embrace, a war takes its stand,

At the sacred tree, where destinies expand.

Beware, dear souls, for the tempest draws near,

The clash of swords, the cries of despair.

The echoes of battle, a haunting decree,

Lamenting the loss of what used to be.

Unite as one, oh, seekers of peace,

To save the sacred tree, let love's light increase.

People believed that Andrew and his friends had become part of the Night Eagles and became protectors of the tree. During my time at the school, the authorities decided to cut down the tree to end the strange occurrences. Little did they know it was a grave mistake, as it unleashed many vengeful spirits. On the day the tree was to be cut down, strange things happened in the school. Spirits of departed students were seen wandering the halls during the day, and I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Andrew's spirit. The tractor mysteriously broke down, but the principal was determined to destroy the tree. He single-handedly brought a bulldozer and brought down the tree. The very next day, the principal's lifeless body was found at the exact spot where the tree had stood, with the words 'The Night Eagles are coming' written on the school walls in blood. The school was shut down, and everyone was transferred to different schools, but no one was safe from the Night Eagles. One night, during my nightly walk, I encountered the spirit of one of the Night Eagles. He was covered in blood and stood on the ship's deck, holding the sails. He stared at me with haunting eyes and vanished before my eyes. From that day on, I began sleepwalking on the ship and occasionally dreamed of being called by the Night Eagles. They repeatedly warned that they were coming for all the students," Phil narrated.

It was the scariest story I had ever heard, and it left me feeling jittery, echoing Jules' sentiment. "Are you suggesting, Phil, that the spirits of the Night Eagles roam the ship?" Lucas, the youngest among the sailors, asked with fear evident on his face.

"That's right. Believe it or not, they're real. And just like every night, the spirits roam the ship, seeking those who doubt their existence," Phil said dramatically.

"Just like the food ghost of the ship. Every night, we have an abundance of food, and by morning, it's all gone," Jules added jokingly. Everyone laughed at his remark, referring to me as the food ghost of the ship. Perhaps there was a logical explanation for the story. We continued to eat and drink to our hearts' content, dancing to the old sailor songs and the chant of the Night Eagles. Suddenly, a strange noise interrupted our celebration. We froze in fear as the noise drew closer. Lucas began to scream, escalating our terror. Phil claimed it was the spirits of the Night Eagles, making matters worse. He started singing the sacred song to plead for peace. Even Jules, who had been skeptical, was now frightened as he tightly held my hand, anticipating the arrival of the spirit.