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Building the spears was tedious and time-consuming. By sunset, only Tristan and Sam had learned how to make the spears. In total, they built around five crudely-made spears. Most of the poles looked more like hexagons than circles. They were good enough to get the job done, so Elizabeth didn't complain. The loss of light was incentive enough for them to end the days project, but they had one last thing to do. They had to test them.
Everyone but Jason picked up the available spears and threw them at the captain's quarters. Right as they threw them, Jackson and Delilah walked out of the door, hand in hand. Everyone watched in shock while Jackson shielded Delilah from the projectiles. Fortunately, the spears disassembled themselves mid-air. The crew was glad they were safe, but they all shared a look of disappointment while slumping their shoulders.
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A vein pulsed on Jackson's shoulder while he shouted, "you almost killed us! What would you have done if Delilah had gotten hurt!". The crew sat on their knees while Jackson angrily spouted off a lecture on responsibility and such.
Taking up as little space as he could, Josuha waddled toward Delilah. With a voice softer than his steps, he stammered, " w-where am I going to sleep?". Everyone outside of the crew typically huddled together in the hull of the ship, and the children would sleep next to their parents. That was how the boy used to sleep, but now, he didn't have his mother. There were more than a few orphans and they were all rather young. They slept wherever they felt like, but most adults would either beat the children into leaving or take their family away from the scene. Seeing a child in the center of a void was a common occurrence.
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Even without the fear hidden in his voice, it was plain to see his worry. Delilah grabbed the boy's hand and beamed, "you can sleep beside me!". She turned her attention to the others and yelled, " that's okay, right guys?". They were preoccupied with Jackson's lecture, so they couldn't have responded, even if they wanted to.
Not taking a moment to spare, Delilah pulled Joshua into the captain's quarters and showed him a makeshift hammock. The kid's mouth fell open, and his eyes lit up. " What is that!". Delilah hid a laugh while she explained, " it's something Sam created, honey". She climbed into the hammock while Joshua struggled to her side. As they got comfortable, the crew burst through the door, making a mess of laughter and sound.
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Joshua was fast asleep, so Delilah shot the crew a glare that instantly silenced their chatter. Along with her glare, she pointed down at the sleeping child, showcasing why they had to remain silent. When Elizabeth saw the child, she mouthed out a silent "oh!". Then, she proceeded to play a game of charades, poorly I might add.
Despite her seemingly random gestures, Jason's eyes widened while he hit the base of his left palm with his right fist. He nodded his head furiously and began tiptoeing to his hammock. His brother and the others followed after him. Thirty minutes later, the night's end was marked by Tristan's overbearing snoring.
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The waves rocked the ship steadily forward. Silence filled the air and the stars brightened the night sky. In the crow's nest, Jackson watched the horizon. He didn't make a sound, he just watched as life continued on. It was uncommon to see him wear anything other than a smile, but at night, when no one else was around, he would drop his mask and show a grimace of pain. It was an unruly sight, that no one else has ever seen.
A creek pushes the floorboards, and instantly, Jackson wipes the pain from his face. His signature smile shines through to distract from his prior emotions. He's still alone, but the sound of someone climbing the ladder forces him to hide his emotions. When the person climbing knocks against the trap door, Jackson instantly recognizes the knock. With an arrogant smirk, he jokes " it's about time we switched, Jason". Jason pops his head through the door and offers his brother a smile. In response, Jackson flashes a genuine smile at his last family member.
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As he climbs into the crow's nest, Jason stretches his arms. With his usual soft voice, Jason laughs awkwardly, "Im sorry for being late". Jackson shook his head softly with a smile. Whenever he did this, it was his way of saying not to talk. Jason would always happily comply, and this time was no different. Jason sat against the floor and stuck his legs outside of the nest, while Jackson leaned slightly over the railing.
The two watched as the waves painted the night sky, and sung a beautiful melody, only it could make, both knew how fleeting it's beauty could be, but Jackson let out tears as it disappeared. As the sun broke apart the darkness, Jason watched with giddy. Sunrise has always been his favorite scene in the world. Inversely, Jackson watched sorrowfully. Under his breath, Jackson sighed, " why did they have to die?". Jason put his hand on Jackson's back and they waited for the rest to wake-up.
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Slowly, each person exited the cabin. First, Tristan and Sam woke at the crack of dawn. Next Delilah, Joshua, and Creed followed two hours later. The moment they woke up, Jackson handed them the supplies needed to make useable spears. While they were doing that, Delilah sent Joshua to play with the other kids his age.
By the time Elizabeth woke up, they had crafted two workable spears. The sun sat directly atop the crew, so Elizabeth was blinded the moment she exited the dark cabin. While she tied her messy hair into a ponytail, She groggily stammered, "what are you all doing?". They let her yawn before Jackson answered, " we're gonna test out the spears".
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