What's in the chest

I stand up and start walking to the door.

"Wait I have one more question." Jamison says desperately grabbing my arm. "What's in the chest?" He asks.

"None of your business." I say before I walk out of the restaurant. People walk past me in dresses full of color and suits. They look at me with disgust and move out of my way when I get near them.

"What is he wearing?" Some says staring at me.

"Honey don't make it obvious." A man says grabbing her shoulder.

"What is a poor person doing here?"

"What's in that chest?"

"What is he hiding?"

"Oh my God is he a mule?" People say as they walk past me.

I look down and keep walking trying to not make eye contact with anyone.

I walk to the harbor hopefully to catch another boat leaving.

"HEY! HEY YOU KID!" Someone yelled running at me. My eyes go wide and I turn to start running. "WAIT!" He yells before grabbing my shoulder kindly. "Sorry for-" He says out of breath he takes a deep breath and lets out a little before continuing. "Sorry for startling you. I'm looking for help on my ship do you know if your father or uncle are working?" He asks breathing heavily still.

"My father's dead and my uncle's a pirate but I'm fit for work." I say puffing out my chest.

"You're to young kid, but I am sorry for your father's death." He says.

"It's fine I didn't know him." I say. "I'll work, even as an errand boy." I say "I just need a way to go somewhere other than here you can drop me off at whatever port you want me to."

"I don't know. I'll ask your mother." My vision goes blurry and I see the hole in the wall, Emily's lifeless eyes staring into me. The bodies of marines and pirates, Philip.

"Hey, hey kid you alright?" The man says shaking my shoulder. "Talk to me kid."

"What? Yeah I'm fine. You you can't talk to my mother she's also dead." I say.

"Damn kid. Is there anyone who takes care of you?" He asks, I shake my head. "Fine you can come with me but just know I don't run a merchant ship." He says winking.

"Well you gonna come kid?" He says walking to the port I follow him and see his ship. It looks exactly like a merchant ship.

"This the 'Barbarian' I'm thinkin you gonna start with cleaning up after the crew. Oh and by the way don't make us angry we ain't very nice if we mad." He says.

'What's that supposed to mean?' I think to myself.

"Didn't you say this wasn't a merchant ship?" I ask.

."Look very close near the bottom of the ship you'll see why if you got the right eye." He says laughing. I look closely and see nothing I look away and look back looking for the slightest slit and spot a pattern of slits the perfect size for a cannon. "The chains are inside the ship and come out in a little hole above the cannon inside the ship so people on the outside can't see it."

"Like the Enobaria." I say quietly.

"What?" The man asks.

"Oh nothing." I say

"Kid the names Chris but to you I'm captain, got it?" Chris says.

"Yes sir I'm James." I say.

"Nice to meet ya kid." Chris says grabbing a ladder and climbing up. "HEY CHUM!" Chris yells.

"AY CAPTAIN!" A bunch of men say.

"WE GOT ANOTHER MEMBER ON THE SHIP!" He yells.

I climb the ladder and see men lifting their fists in the air, yelling, cheering, drinking, and at least 2 cleaning.

"HEY A KID!"

"WE GOT SHIT ON AGAIN?!" people are yelling when they see me.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!" Chris yelled. The crew did and stared at me. "Take care of the kid he's our new chore boy. You hurt him your off the ship to the hungry beasts in these oceans."

"AY CAPTAIN!" They all said in unison before doing their usual job laughing and drinking.

"See kid you got nothin to worry 'bout." Chris says smiling. "First thing I want you to do is meet the crew and get something to eat."

"Yes sir!" I say.

"Captain."

"Sorry, yes captain!" I say sheepishly. I walk around the ship and see the stairs to go under the deck I look around hoping no one sees me go down the stairs.

"Hey kid let me show you around the 'Barbarian'" A guy says. "Ricky Barns everyone calls me Rick." The man says holding out his hand.

"James." I say shaking his hand.

"That there is the undership you only go down there if we in a battle got it?"

"How come?" I ask trying to find out more about the ship.

"You haven't been on the crew long enough to know." Rick says. "If you ever go down there plug your nose."