Chapter 19 The Greatbird Cruise Ship
"Y'all okay?" Victoria asked, her voice trembling.
"We're still kickin'!" the woman next door replied with a hint of sarcasm. "These sisters here are tough as nails, can't be taken down no matter what."
The two women were sisters.
The younger one was Olivia Carter, and the older one was Thora Carter, who lay on the ground, seriously injured, coughing up blood, her lips as cracked as dead tree bark.
"We gotta tend to your wounds, or they'll get infected and turn real nasty real quick!" Victoria said, her voice filled with nervousness.
She hiked up her long skirt, bit down on the fabric, and tore it into pieces.
Approaching them, Olivia shrunk back nervously, eyeing Victoria cautiously.
"I'll help with those wounds, don't you worry," Victoria reassured her.
"Water... water..." Thora weakly moaned.
Seeing Thora's parched lips, Victoria hurried to the iron cage, pounding on the bars with all her might, and shouting, "Help! Somebody bring water! There's someone here dyin' of thirst!"
Her voice reverberated in the empty hold.
Others paid no mind to her pleas, unfazed by the scene unfolding before them.
"Quit your hollerin'. On The Greatbird, human life ain't worth much!" the woman next door remarked.
Undaunted, Victoria continued to pound on the bars and call out for help.
A guard patrolling the corridor heard the ruckus, approached impatiently, and banged the iron bars with a rod.
"What's all this racket about?"
"Sir, could you spare some water for us?"
"Where do you think water's comin' from for the likes of you?"
"If she don't get water soon, she ain't gonna make it!"
"Then haul her out and toss her to the fishes!"
Victoria stared at him in disbelief.
It was painfully evident that what the woman next door had said was true - human life held little value on this vessel.
Acting swiftly, Victoria removed her earrings, a birthday gift from David during her coming-of-age celebration, and her delicate ladies' watch from her wrist.
Passing these valuables through the gap in the bars, she made a final plea, "Sir... these earrings and this watch are worth a fortune. Please, just give us some water!"
The guard's eyes lit up with greed.
He snatched the watch and earrings, examined them closely, then spat on the ground after inspecting the diamonds under the light.
"You lowlifes make money too easily, makes me sick!"
With disdain, he turned on his heel and walked away.
"Sir! Water!"
"Wait!" the guard's voice carried a menacing tone.
After a while, the guard returned, callously tossing two bottles of mineral water into the cage as if discarding trash.
Victoria grabbed the water, disregarding her own needs, and opened one bottle, carefully offering it to Thora.
"Take it slow."
The cool water trickled down Thora's parched throat, causing her to cough violently, but it did revive her somewhat.
Victoria then gave the remaining water to Olivia, moistening her own throat with the last drops from the bottle.
Later, the iron cage door was roughly flung open, and two men brought in a large bucket, pouring some leftovers into iron bowls.
The foul smell of the mixed food turned Victoria's stomach.
"Eat up or go hungry," Thora muttered, picking up a somewhat intact piece of bread and eating without expression.
Victoria tried to force herself to eat, but the unrecognizable food in the bowl made her stomach churn, and she ended up vomiting bile.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Olivia peered at the mushy remnants in the bowl with hopeful eyes.
Victoria shook her head, feeling weak from vomiting. "You go ahead and eat it!"
The woman in the neighboring cage sneered, "Miss a few more meals, and you'll be gobbling it up!"
Olivia licked the bowl clean.
Victoria couldn't fathom having to survive on such food in the days to come.
"Thora," Victoria sat beside her, speaking softly, "I overheard the woman next door saying that we were... all sold here?"
"Yeah, we're all 'merchandise,'" Thora confirmed. "My sister and I are Seraphim folks, lured here under false pretenses."
"Lured?"
"They promised us jobs as waitresses, with free food, a place to stay, and a hefty monthly paycheck. Who knew it would turn out like this."
Thora chuckled self-deprecatingly, "The Greatbird may look like a fancy cruise ship on the surface, but it's all shady dealings."
'On the high seas? That's a good 500 miles from Seaglow City,' Victoria pondered quietly. "What else? Tell me, what are we supposed to do on this ship?"
Thora took a deep breath and explained, "Those of us locked in the hold are the bottom rung. We're either new arrivals who misbehaved, or we angered a guest and got punished, or we're just not appealing enough for any guests to fancy."
"How can we move up?" Victoria inquired, getting to the heart of the matter.
"Serve the guests," Thora replied matter-of-factly, as if discussing someone else's business.
"The cruise guests are either loaded or filthy rich, treating us like toys. If you can please them, you might move up from the F level hold to E level, D level. The higher the level, the better the living conditions, regular food, and maybe even some tips."
'More serving staff,' Victoria sighed to herself, pondering, 'In the world of the wealthy, are women just playthings?'
"The quickest way out is to catch a guest's eye, have them fork over a hefty sum to buy you out and whisk you off this ship," Thora observed Victoria, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "But that's like hitting the jackpot."
"But you... you're stunning, with a great vibe, and sporting such a fancy watch. You don't seem like someone who got conned into being here... How did you end up in this mess?"
Victoria cast her gaze down, letting out a sigh. "It's a long story. I'll fill you in when I get the chance."
As the night wore on and the surroundings quieted, only the clinking of chains and distant sobs could be heard, perhaps from a newcomer weeping.
Thora and Olivia had already curled up and dozed off, but Victoria couldn't find any peace.
She lay awake, staring at the fading light at the bottom of the hold.
'Nathaniel... does he know I've been snatched? Will he come to my rescue?'
'And Dad... how's he holding up? Is he still kicking?'
A myriad of questions swirled in her mind, ensnaring her like an unbreakable web.
As the night grew colder, Thora started running a slight fever, mumbling incoherently, trembling uncontrollably.
Victoria could only sit with Olivia, sandwiching Thora between them, sharing body heat to keep her warm.
Exhaustion and hopelessness washed over her like a wave, and before she realized it, Victoria finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.