Journeys on the Crimson Moon

Chapter 2

I woke staring into Daimon’s eyes. He was hanging half way out of the bunk bed above me and staring at me with sleepy eyes.
“You know that you talk in your sleep?”
“No…?”
“You were actually talking to me for a good hour till I figured that you were sleeping.”
“Then why didn’t you wake me up or just ignore me?”
“I don’t sleep.”

He didn’t answer my question. I sighed and saw that Robin and Arlen were still sleeping. Arlen looked like a doll sleeping peacefully on the bottom bunk while Robin was snoring loudly. Daimon’s head retreated back up to his bunk and I heard him sigh as he looked at the ceiling. I didn’t really want to leave my warm covers even though the bed wasn’t that comfortable. I lay back down on my side and looked up at Daimon’s bunk.

“So… what was I saying?”
“Something about a test and how your brothers stole your motorized vehicle. Seriously how many brothers do you have? I lost count.”
I laughed. I have five older brothers and six was me. I learned quickly how to defend myself and how to enter a bathroom after taco night with out dying. They would usually pick on me but if I was ever in trouble, they would be my knights in shining armor. I told him and he grunted understanding what I meant.

Robin suddenly shouted sitting up in her sleep. She banged her head on the top of the ceiling and fell back down. I couldn’t help but smile. I finally took enough courage to get out of bed to see if time actually did pass, or was it still night time. I wandered out the beautiful crafted door and was engulfed immediately with sunlight.
Seagulls called above and rested on the sails masts. I knew that seagulls meant that we were close to land, so did that mean that we were going to land soon?

“Ahoy, Lacy! How was your night sleep? I hope that the accommodations were comfortable for such an old ship!”
I looked up to see a woman at the wheel. She was dressed in a too big hat with a feather sticking out of it. Her outfit was adorned with buckles and straps with knee high shoes and a bit too revealing blouse. She took her hands away from the wheel and bowed taking her hat off her head.
“Welcome to the enchanting Crimson Moon. I am Cameroon!”

I stared at her wide eyed and looked around for the large bald man from the other night. He was no where in sight and there was still no crew aboard the decks of the ship. Cameroon walked down the stairs and greeted me at the bottom of them. She weld a cane that she only twirled around for ornament than for it’s use.
“You and your friends must be famished! If you go down into the barracks beneath the deck, you will find some food and clean clothes to change into.”
I looked behind me to where she pointed to and saw the cover of the barracks open magically to a group of stairs. I slowly turned my head back to the woman named Cameroon and asked her if we were dead. Cameroon only laughed and walked back up the stairs to the wheel, not answering my question. I demanded to know why we were there and she only gave me a cocky smile.
“In due time, my dear Lacy.”
“Where is Mr. Baldy from last night?”
“He is sleeping, my dear! He will be back up tonight if you wish to see him again.”
I lowered my shoulders knowing that this was useless to demand something from the woman. Her hands went back to turning the wheel and I walked back down the stairs.
“Oh, and Lacy! I must warn you, please be quiet in your accommodations at night hours. The captain of The Crimson Moon hates to be awakened.”

I haven’t even seen this captain yet and the strange look I gave back to Cameroon didn’t give me any more answers. I sighed and walked toward the new set of stairs. I ate alone for a while till Robin came down. Her mascara and makeup was smeared and she was a mess.
“There better be bacon or ham down here,” she snapped in a good morning mood.
I told her that she was in luck and she rushed over to the kitchen area and found a buffet of good food. I wondered if this food was up to code and sanitary, but I was too hungry to think other wise. The storm last night really worked up an appetite, but she was too scared to ask the bald man on where food was. Daimon soon appeared and Robin took the knives.
She hissed at him with a mouth full of bacon that she wasn’t going to bet their lives when he’s around. He only mocked her and only grabbed an apple to eat. I saw him sit down at a table by himself his nails suddenly got long and he started carving something into the table. I gulped down a too large piece of food and coughed to get the rest down.

Robin pointed her fork at him and leaned over to me.
“We have a name for people like him where I come from, Demons.”
“I can hear you over there!”
“Wasn’t supposed to be secretive!”
I took a sip of the water I found to help my coughing to stop. Arlen finally joined us feeling refreshed. He walked down the stairs so graceful that anyone could tell that he was royalty. His long hair was a mess and I noticed how dirty his robes looked in the sun light. I then realized how dirty I looked myself. My skin felt grimy and my hair felt dry. As I looked around I could see the work of a night out at sea.
Arlen looked confused to the food in front of him. He had a plate in his hands and looked too scared to even try the foreign food that was set out for us. Then my mind started to wander again, this ship, even the ones who were apparently in charge, were old looking. They were all dressed as if this was the 1600s, but the food was in great condition, and there even was a bathroom with working water.

I wondered if they were just pretending to be old, like the Colonial Williamsburg attractions. I worked at the live history museum for a summer once and you’re paid to act as if the colonial period was alive today. I didn’t notice Robin get up to help Arlen. By the time I noticed she was trying to get Daimon over at the table so that they could talk. She gave up and started talking to us.
“Okay, so we’re here again then… does that mean that we’re trapped on this ship?”
I shrugged, “I wonder if some rich person just kidnapped us and we’re on a reality show…”
“What is a “reality show”?” Arlen asked his ears perking up.
“Well, you can scratch that off the list…” Robin sighed.
Daimon then stood up telling us that we were idiots.
“We’re all from different places, no, other worlds it seems. Whatever is going on is only known to that woman up there. At least she talks.”
I then shook my head telling him that I tried to get some answers but she wasn’t talking to me. Arlen sighed pushing his food across his plate. He looked at the table saying that this must have been his fault.
“I knew that I shouldn’t have been trying forceful magic. I should have listened to my mother…”

Daimon ate the entire apple and agreed that blaming Arlen was better than nothing. Robin’s look suddenly changed. She shook her hand to Daimon and then looked at Arlen. She asked what happened and when he did this. Arlen responded saying that he was trying to learn some magic power when he found it was too powerful and engulfed his surroundings in flames. He ended his quick story saying that it happened late afternoon. I then looked up at Robin as her look changed again.
“By me, late afternoon, tanks were firing in the down town area. They went off course and fired in my neighborhood. My business got hit and just as the roof was about to collapse, I woke here.”
Daimon stopped as he was just about to leave the dining area. He turned and Robin looked up to him. He turned quickly saying that he was bound with those chains which took away his powers and thrown into a lake to drown. They looked at me and I tried to remember what happened to me the other night. Then I remembered that as I was going to get ready for an early night sleep my brothers were rough housing in the hallway. I was trying to get around them by the stairs and they accidentally pushed me.
I said that I was about to fall down some stairs when I woke here. We all were quiet until Robin finally said something.
“So… each of us had a near death experience then woke up here?”

Daimon then said again that we all could already be dead but this time we didn’t scold him for saying so.
“Land ho!” Cameroon shouted ringing a bell that was on deck.
We all left the dining area and went up on deck to see a small island coming up quickly. Cameroon’s voice laughed telling the others to quickly get ready and dressed. She smiled and yelled out that we needed to gather some important materials for the trip ahead and that this will be one of the last stops that we’ll see in a long while. She told us again to get ready and we listened.
Robin had the shower first and I was last. By the time I got out dressed in the clothes that were my size, I saw Arlen running away from Daimon. Daimon had a pair of scissors and wanted to cut his too long hair. Everyone now was dressed in the same colors and style that Cameroon was wearing. They were old looking and had an adventure look to them rather than the fantasy robes and futuristic punk clothes the others wore. However, Daimon mainly looked the same. I wondered briefly if maybe he actually was from this world, but I shook the idea out of my head knowing that couldn’t be true.
However, I really couldn’t tell what was true any more…

The boat thumped against something hard and shifted all of our balances slightly. Cameroon’s bell sounded again and we met her at the top. She clapped her hands together and said that we all looked adorable.
“Alright mates, we have four hours till we leave. You each have 100 Cen to spend which will give you enough money for two main outfits and whatever goodies you can find. I will be in charge of getting food and supplies. Meet back here right away and don’t talk to shady people. Understood?”
“Yes, mother,” Daimon rolled his eyes.
She swung around her cane and a plank appeared at the side of the railing so that we could walk down onto the docks. She walked proudly ahead of us and we followed by cautiously. She raised her arms and the plank disappeared and we could see a town that was carved into a cliff side.

“Welcome to Xander’s Bay everyone.”
♠ ♠ ♠
tell me what you think!

I got a bit more into their pasts this time around and more will be found out in this strange little town.