As the daylight covered the ship in fogged light, I stumbled out of the deep shadows squinting my eyes even though the light didn't shine that bright. Unused to the waving of the ship I hobbled across the deck. From high above my head I heard a tremulous voice coming closer and backing away from somewhere in between the sails. Holding the rope tight between her dirty hands, Paulina swayed from one side of the ship to the other, unafraid of falling. She climbed in the nest and watched out over the horizon, before sliding back down again. I was unaware I was staring at her until someone nudged me in the back. I frowned as I looked behind me watching the drunken sailor who captured me in the first place paraded away, a bunch of ropes thrown over his shoulder. « Hey! » I yelled behind him, but my voice got lost in the chaos of the ship. « Hey! » I yelled again as I hurried through the crew to catch up with him.

I grabbed his arm and made him turn around. The stank from his mouth hovered up to my nose almost making me return the poor breakfast I had that morning. « Hello, kid. » He said with a devilish grin on his face. His greasy hair was stuck on his forehead and his eyes seemed dull. « Thanks to you I'm here. » I spat. « That is entirely correct, boy. » He said and his enthusiasm made me get even more frustrated. « Why? Why did you take me? » He smiled wicked « You wanted to find the Serena, now you've got it. Aren't you happy to be on board? » He patted me on the shoulder before turning around and walking away. I sighed, trying to get myself under control. As soon as I turned around, I found Paulina leaning against the railing, her eyes locked on me. I felt as if I couldn't escape the deep dark puddles of her orbs as she examined me. She grinned and stepped towards me. « Now, that way, you aren't going to make any friends, handsome. » She offered me the rag and bucket and sat down on the railing, watching me as I filled the bucket with salty water. « I don't want to make friends. » I huffed. With a thud the filled bucket landed back on the planks. « I would if I were you. otherwise you will get pretty lonely. » She balanced on the edge of the ship, with no fear of crashing into the water. « I will have you to annoy me, right? » I replied, getting my sore hands wet on the ice cold water. She laughed. The seagulls joined in on her giggles and as soon as she stopped they flew away. « That you bet! » She jumped off the railing on the deck and landed with her dirty boots next to the bucket. « But make sure you survive long enough to make me fulfill my purpose. » Her eyes seemed to burn into mine, making me dizzy from looking at them. The darkness was almost overwhelming. As soon as she left, the sky cleared out and it looked like it was going to be a tranquil day at the oceans.

During the day I watched where I headed, often being cussed out by the hard working crew. Compared to those jocks, I looked like a shrimp. I tried to stay out of their way, receiving punches whenever I didn't. My muscles went sore and the skin seemed to fall off my hands. I rubbed the numb palms as I looked up to examine the waist. In my looking, I noticed Paulina and Dickens at the end of the ship, behind the wheel. She laughed, brighter than I had seen any girl laugh before in my entire life. I watched them as Paulina placed her hand on Dickens arm, making even the Captain to lose tense. He watched her with almost juvenile admiration as she was telling him some story, using her arms and hands in grant gestures. « Watch out, boy. » A sudden but all too familiar voice broke through my thoughts. I didn't have to look to know he had a filthy grin plastered on his face. « What am I doing wrong this time? » I hissed between my teeth. « Well, if you want to live, don't look at Paulina like that. She's Dickens little diamond in his treasure that's the Serena. » I wondered where he kept getting alcohol thinking I would ever be interested in that annoying girl. « Besides, since I feel like I'm becoming your mentor, making sure you don't end at the plank, I think you shouldn't always refer to me as « you ». It's kind of denigrating. My name is Absolom after all. » I looked at him from the corners of my eyes. « Felix. »

He grinned and offered me a drink. « I think I'll pass. » I replied shoving away the greasy bottle of strong liquor. « Your loss. » he sighed but then, after drinking, he showed me around the ship. Learned me the nautical expressions as if he indeed was my mentor. I was surprised by his sudden acts of kindness wondering what he had planned. A pirate like him, could impossibly try to do the right thing. He threw ropes in my lap, determined to learn me some knots. Too bad, he was too drunk to remember any of the knots he had learned in his entire life time. I rolled my eyes, and wanted to head back to the familiar bucket and rag when Paulina arrived and sat down next to us. « Don't you have to hang up somewhere high between the sails to look out for the Old Man? » Absolom said, focussing on the rope in his hands. « And leave you two struggling without anyone to laugh at you? Please, I'm not that cruel! I have to report this to the others as soon as you're finished. » I clenched my teeth at her arrogant words, the rope remaining in my lap. « Aren't you going to do something? » She asked, her knees tapping mine as she leaned closer. « If my mentor over there would actually remember something, maybe then... » I mumbled but of course she heard me. « You promoted yourself to mentor, Abby? Now that's cute. Here. » She grabbed the rope from between my legs and started knotting « It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Most nippers get away with it pretty fast. » She stuck out her tongue as she focused on her small hands creating various knots. At last she looked up to me. « This is what we call a Granny, it's actually pretty simple. » She placed the rope in my hands to let me see. « Now I untie it, and explain it to you. » She smiled and for a second she seemed to actually mean it « You should watch too, Abby. Before you forget it again. » « Now, left over right and tuck that under that. » She pointed with her dirty nails towards the rope. « It's not that hard, see. » I couldn't help but smile once I got it. « Paulina! » Dickens voice sounded over the waist. The girl rolled her eyes before standing up. « Don't forget to smile, handsome. »

And with that she left Absolom and me alone. Absolom only shook his head. « A devil's child that's what I tell ya. » He took the knots and threw them behind some crates before heading away himself. « I don't really see her being in love with Dickens actually. » I said to him as soon as i caught up. « I never said anything about the two of them sharing the sheets! She's his in every possible way. You should know that in case you don't want a jealous Dickens on your back. The last nipper who looked at Paulina got thrown overboard while he was sleeping. » I frowned. « But how do they get along so well? He's much older, right? » Absolom was lost in thought before continuing « She joined us when she was six, I think... That's maybe thirteen years ago... I guess they sort of have a father-daughter relationship. » Absolom shrugged it off « Anyways, nobody is allowed to cross the line with her. In every way. You don't interrupt her while she's speaking, you don't argue with her, you give her what she wants if you don't want to end lost at sea. » I tried to get a hold on what he was saying. « She's a little know-it-all, always looking for trouble and making profit of the her Pirates Princess status. Don't let her play with your mind, kid, that's what I'm saying. » I wondered if he was right. Maybe she was already playing with my mind. After all she approached me at the Rovers' party, she knocked me down in Tom's room, she made sure to always be around me one way or another. But it could all be coincidence as well. I was here for a few days now and already sick of the games everyone was playing with me... I had to find a way back home, back to the Rover's family, back to Tom and Maud...