Chapter 2
Choy Li was sick. Sicker than she ever thought possible, her stomach muscles cramped with the exertion of vomiting and her throat was raw yet still she continued to retch.
The smell of vomit, feces, blood, sweat and fear permeated the small and darkened hold where the seventeen girls were held. Choy couldn't believe how far over the boat rolled and still they didn't sink, well not yet anyway. What if they did sink she thought? Seeing as they were all chained to the hull at least the end should come quickly. Choy was past caring.
At first she had pined for her mother but even her mothers gentle touch and soft voice was now nothing more than a distant, long forgotten memory. In the here and now there was no time for remembering. Every horror filled moment demanded Choy's complete attention, there was no yesterday, there was no thinking of tomorrow, only the terrible, terrible, pain filled and frightening now.
But after one particularly huge wave had assaulted their craft something clicked inside Choy's head and she forced herself to remember, to keep alive the hope that once again she would feel her mothers warm embrace and hear her mothers happy laughter. Until recently her family had been the only world Choy had ever known.
Choy was only fifteen years old.
Surrounded by girls sobbing, girls that swore foully and girls that cried out for their parents or their god, Choy alone was quiet. Before she had felt only despair when she thought of home but now she felt a warm glow in her heart, a small smile slowly etched itself across her dirty but pretty face and her resolve to see them once again became the only thing that mattered.
Choy could tell by the thin rays of light filtering in from above that the dawn had come and with it the weather had calmed. The hold was suddenly flooded with light as the hatch was thrown open from the deck. "Hello my pretties" the smuggler said as he climbed down through the hatch into the hold "looks like you have been having a right party of it" he said as he made his way down the line of girls, his long rubber sea boots sloshing in the muck and filth that covered the floor. "You know you really should clean up after yourselves" he gaffawed out loud like it was an enormous joke.
As he made his way past the girls Jorgesson let his hands roam at random over the young bodies of the semi-clad and in some cases naked girls "just checking to see you are all still in good condition, wouldn't do to be delivering damaged goods now would it" he said between cackles.
On the deck Gunther Smidth turned to Nigel Davis the boats Australian born skipper "are you sure about zat nutter in the hold with zee girls"? he said in heavily accented English. "Jorgy"? replied Davis "he's harmless enough mate, mad as a cut snake of course but he's the only one of the crew prepared to go down into that muck" the skipper said as he pointed down into the hold.
Davis turned to one of the deck hands "lower the food and water" he commanded.
In the hold it was pandamonium, few of the girls could stomach food but all were madlingly thirsty and within the limits of their chains they all scrambled for the water. As nutty as he was Jorgesson still had a voice of authority bred from years at sea "pipe down there" he didn't yell but the voice that was used to making itself heard through hurricanes was strong and firm "settle down my pretties, there is enough to go round for all" and again he snickered as he poured some water for each girl in turn.
Choy took her water with a small nod but she was careful not to make eye contact. At first Choy had taken every opportunity to fight her captors, but with her new resolve to see her family again she instinctively knew that if she was ever to have a chance of escaping she would need to become less noticed. "Well you've certainly calmed down a bit my pretty" Jorgesson said "good for you, things will be easier for you now, just accept it that's the best way lass".
But Choy wasn't accepting anything, her mind was racing as she started to formulate a plan as she settled herself back into her position with her back against the hull being careful to pull her bare feet above the filth on the deck. After Jorgesson had left and the hatch once again had been battened down the small smile she had allowed herself before grew into a grin, "yes, there was a way" she thought and for the first time since her capture she willing allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
The smell of vomit, feces, blood, sweat and fear permeated the small and darkened hold where the seventeen girls were held. Choy couldn't believe how far over the boat rolled and still they didn't sink, well not yet anyway. What if they did sink she thought? Seeing as they were all chained to the hull at least the end should come quickly. Choy was past caring.
At first she had pined for her mother but even her mothers gentle touch and soft voice was now nothing more than a distant, long forgotten memory. In the here and now there was no time for remembering. Every horror filled moment demanded Choy's complete attention, there was no yesterday, there was no thinking of tomorrow, only the terrible, terrible, pain filled and frightening now.
But after one particularly huge wave had assaulted their craft something clicked inside Choy's head and she forced herself to remember, to keep alive the hope that once again she would feel her mothers warm embrace and hear her mothers happy laughter. Until recently her family had been the only world Choy had ever known.
Choy was only fifteen years old.
Surrounded by girls sobbing, girls that swore foully and girls that cried out for their parents or their god, Choy alone was quiet. Before she had felt only despair when she thought of home but now she felt a warm glow in her heart, a small smile slowly etched itself across her dirty but pretty face and her resolve to see them once again became the only thing that mattered.
Choy could tell by the thin rays of light filtering in from above that the dawn had come and with it the weather had calmed. The hold was suddenly flooded with light as the hatch was thrown open from the deck. "Hello my pretties" the smuggler said as he climbed down through the hatch into the hold "looks like you have been having a right party of it" he said as he made his way down the line of girls, his long rubber sea boots sloshing in the muck and filth that covered the floor. "You know you really should clean up after yourselves" he gaffawed out loud like it was an enormous joke.
As he made his way past the girls Jorgesson let his hands roam at random over the young bodies of the semi-clad and in some cases naked girls "just checking to see you are all still in good condition, wouldn't do to be delivering damaged goods now would it" he said between cackles.
On the deck Gunther Smidth turned to Nigel Davis the boats Australian born skipper "are you sure about zat nutter in the hold with zee girls"? he said in heavily accented English. "Jorgy"? replied Davis "he's harmless enough mate, mad as a cut snake of course but he's the only one of the crew prepared to go down into that muck" the skipper said as he pointed down into the hold.
Davis turned to one of the deck hands "lower the food and water" he commanded.
In the hold it was pandamonium, few of the girls could stomach food but all were madlingly thirsty and within the limits of their chains they all scrambled for the water. As nutty as he was Jorgesson still had a voice of authority bred from years at sea "pipe down there" he didn't yell but the voice that was used to making itself heard through hurricanes was strong and firm "settle down my pretties, there is enough to go round for all" and again he snickered as he poured some water for each girl in turn.
Choy took her water with a small nod but she was careful not to make eye contact. At first Choy had taken every opportunity to fight her captors, but with her new resolve to see her family again she instinctively knew that if she was ever to have a chance of escaping she would need to become less noticed. "Well you've certainly calmed down a bit my pretty" Jorgesson said "good for you, things will be easier for you now, just accept it that's the best way lass".
But Choy wasn't accepting anything, her mind was racing as she started to formulate a plan as she settled herself back into her position with her back against the hull being careful to pull her bare feet above the filth on the deck. After Jorgesson had left and the hatch once again had been battened down the small smile she had allowed herself before grew into a grin, "yes, there was a way" she thought and for the first time since her capture she willing allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
posted by 2P at 5:39 PM
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