The Pier

"Get up of your arse mop we're going early today, there's a storm coming up."

"Robert, the sun's barely up I just want ta' sleep!"

"Richie! don't call your father by his name and get up already the storm's coming in soon, the cap'n wants you boys there early to tie up the boats."

I called my step-father by his name because I knew it annoyed him even more.

"Alright, Alright I'm up now thanks to your whining."

"Don't give me any lip today boy."

"Okey Ma I won't!"

I said as I shut the door behind me.

We lived in the West part of Warrior Square, in a robust area with flea markets, various immigrant settlements and the occasional English tea shop. We lived in a tenement, small slums in Southeast England.

There was barely any breathing space in Warrior Square, but we did what we could.

Robert and I were the working men in our family, Ma worked as a maid like many other women there but didn't make much. Sometimes we would be out on boats for months, she'd look after my brothers without complaining.

The pier was east of Warrior Square past St. Leonard. It was a long, grueling 2 hour walk we had to make everyday, but the cap'n treated us good while we were there so we didn't mind.

"It's pouring heavy Robert!"

He didn't hear me the wind and the thunder was too loud. We trudged through the mud for hours before we got there.

"Morning Cap'n quite a delightful day isn't it?"

He didn't care for my sarcasm, he just pointed to the boats and said something about a hurricane. The buccaneer had all the sailors take out the cargo before it's tarnished by the rain. He told me to get on the 'Angel' and "Empty the bloody thing"

The boat was a medium sized trading vessel which would sink in this weather. The cargo was full of antiques from jewellery to smoke pipes.

Robert and I hurried, the storm outnumbered us, we couldn't possibly empty this the two of us.

"Hurry up lad!"

"I can't go any faster Robert!"

While I was picking up one of the last few boxes, Robert fell down.

"What's wrong Robert?"

He didn't say anything. I ran up to him.

His eyes were bloodshot, the water around him turned red. It was almost as if someone had shot him, but it was just the two of us.

I picked him up and got back up on the pier.

The cap'n and the sailors came running to us.

"Robert's dead."

As I stood up, the rain was almost completely gone.

"Holy Christ" mumbled the Captain, but this time he wasn't referring to Robert instead he was facing away and looked at the ocean.

I walked up to him and what I saw horrified me for years.

There were Thousands of bodies floating on the silent sea.

It painted the ocean red for as far as you could see.

This would only be the beginning.

-----End of chapter 2-----