Victoria

I watched in horror as Cyrus dragged himself backwards, throwing himself over the railing and into the dark waters below. HIs unwilling face burned into my mind as I ran to the side of the boat, screaming his name into the water. I nearly went in after him before several pairs of hands pulled me away from the edge. I clawed at them, leaving marks in their arms as I kicked away. “CYRUS!” I screeched out once more, reaching out towards him. “YOU CAN’T JUST- JUST-” I choked on my own voice, unable to finish the sentence.

I heard a splash and before I knew what had happened Vincent had jumped into the water. The crew crowded around the side of the boat, watching as the waves rolled in and out against the boat. Tears fell down my cheeks in heavy streams as I choked on my own voice. The men gently let go of me, and I crumpled to the floor, my knees giving way beneath me.

I clawed at my stomach and the wooden surface of the deck, wailing out Cyrus’s, and Vincent’s as well now, names. How could they have both left me at once? Angelica and Em had stormed up onto the deck at the commotion.

“What’s going on?” Angelica demanded. The crew memebers who had seen what happened recalled it in a hushed whisper for them both. They blanched as they turned to me, Em cupped a hand over her mouth as she began crying herself.

“You bloody-!” Em shouted, her hand clutching her knife. “That's my brother! He's my brother! Vincent!” She wailed. Angelica looked lost, she stiffened her back and turned to the crew.

“Get the bloody hell off this deck! Go to your sleeping quarters!” She demanded, taking command of the situation. She pointed to a boy. “Grab as much extra rope as you can find and bring it here! Quickly!” The boy hurried off and the rest of the crew scrambled below deck.

I layed there in my spot on the floor, tears still fighting there way out of my eyes. I couldn’t scream anymore, my vocal chords wouldn’t allow it as they tied themselves in knots. Em was still wailing and screaming at me and for her brother. She switched from Korean to English at random.

Angelica looked lost at who to comfort, she went to Em and spoke softly, low enough I couldn’t hear. I didn’t want to hear. I wanted to throw myself in the ocean after them. I wanted to die. I lost my best friend and brother. And I lost the love of my life. If I lost anymore I’d wilt away right here and now. It was all my fault. It should have been me. No. no no nonononononono. My mind screamed at me and I felt every cell in my body aching in pain.

“HELP!” We heard a voice boom from below, and my heart nearly stopped at the sound of it. “I NEED SOME BLOODY HELP!” The voice was hoarse, and it wavered in volume. I scrambled to my feet, Em following as we nearly flew over the railing in anticipation. There Vincent was, bobbing up and down as Cyrus clawed at him, his eyes unseeing.

“HURRY THE HELL UP!” Em’s voice cracked as she shouted at the boy who had finally arrived with the rope. “NOW NOW NOW!” She screeched at him. The boy jolted, and he ran even faster as he handed the rope over to Angelica.

She ran to the edge as well, throwing the end of it over the railing as she motioned for him to tie it to the main mast. He scrambled over, and Vincent grabbed at the rope eagerly as Cyrus continued to fight him. I nearly swore at him for being such a bloody- Whatever he is!

Vincent finally managed to tie the rope around Cyrus as he held onto it himself. The young lad from before ran off to go get the others in case we couldn’t lift them ourselves. “Cyrus stop bloody squirming you moronic pile of horse-” Em spat at him, wanting to get her brother back to her. “I’ll kill you my bloody self!”

More people arrived as we got them halfway up, and Vincent climbed over Cyrus as he made his own way up the rope. He got to the top, and his arm latched onto mine as I dragged him up over the edge of the railing. I had been about to hug him when Em punched him.

“YOU BLOODY IDIOT!” She yelled at him, punching him again in the chest. She began swearing at him in Korean as I made my way back to the rope. She had her brother, I still needed mine. Cyrus continued to thrash around, and it took a horrible amount of effort to pull him up, slightly reduced as Vincent and Em joined to help once more.

When the crew dragged him back over the railing of the ship I ran forward, pushing them out of the way as I threw my arms around his soaking torso. Tears gushed from my eyes and I cried into his shoulder. “I thought you were dead ! I thought-” I sniffled. He continued to twitch around, not reacting to a word I said.

“VICTORIA!” He yelled, squirming around in my grip. “VictoriaVictoriaVictoria.” He continued to shout. I looked down at him in scared confusion.

“What is it, I’m right here?” I asked him, my hands holding air as I eased around him, unsure what to do. His demeanor changed, and the ropes tightened as he bucked upwards.

“YOU WRETCHED BEAST!” He screeched at no one in particular. He continued to spout nonsense, and we all looked at him horribly lost. He continued to switch from sobbing horribly, screaming out my name, and yelling insults at the air.

I stood up and grabbed him, holding his cheeks in my hands. I looked into his glazed over eyes. “Cyrus! Please! What’s wrong? I'm right here!” His jaw clicked in place, grinding against itself as he kicked upwards, I had no time to react as his head came down against my face, and he threw himself backwards as he escaped my grip. He stood up, fighting against nothing and everything at once.

He jerked around the deck, screaming and fighting anyone who tried to come near him. Finally, Angelica got close enough to force him into his captain’s cabin. She closed and locked the door. Stepping away from the door as he shouted and slammed himself against it.

“What the hell?!” I demanded. “What did you do that for?”

She regarded me in a mixture of coldness and utter exhaustion.

“He can't hurt himself or anyone else very easily in there. Until we figure out what the hell is wrong with him… no one should go in there. He might hurt someone.” She said, the pain evident in her voice. She ordered everyone back to bed saying she would keep watch over him tonight.

“I should go in and talk to him. I can talk to him. He won’t hurt me.” I pleaded with Angelica.

“Oh really?” She snapped, swiping her thumb against my upper lip, “So this was just for laughs?” She demanded, showing me the red liquid that was smudged on her finger. I held my hand up to my face, realizing blood was trickling down from my nose.

“What..” I said. “Cyrus- Cyrus wouldn’t do this.” I gasped out, looking at Angelica pleadingly. As if she could change this. Her hard gaze softened as she looked at my expression.

“But he did.” She told me quietly.

I glumly trotted back down the stairs to the crew quarters. They all stopped talking and watched me as I walked past. I opened the door to my room and Em was talking to Vincent in Korean. They looked up when I walked in. I froze, staring back at them as well. I felt even more sad seeing Em with Vincent. I swear I love them both, but I really hated they could be chatting away while- Well, while I couldn’t even see Cyrus. I closed my eyes for a moment, I sure as hell could still hear him.

Vincent stood up slowly and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around me in a hug. “It’s okay Victoria. It's going to be okay.” He murmured in my ear. Making me feel like crying again. He scrutinized my bleeding nose, “How the hell did that happen?” He demanded, the defensiveness in his voice sounding an awful lot like Cyrus’s.

I half laughed, and half cried. I swung my arms around his neck and burrowed my face into his chest, wanting to just die then and there. “Cyrus...” I forced out, looking to the side. Vincent looked down at me in shock.

“What do you mean ‘Cyrus’?” Em demanded from behind. I had forgotten she was with us.

“He… didn't mean it… I think…” I said in his defense. That person could not have been my Cyrus.

“How does one ‘not mean’ to give a person a bloody nose?” She ranted, “I’m going to kill him! I’m going to bloody squeeze the life out of him!” She stormed towards the door, and threw it open. I tried to call out to stop her but she froze at the sudden screeching and cursing that could be heard from the deck above. I flinched at the sound of Cyrus’s voice, remembering all too well his glassy unseeing eyes and horrid screams.

“Is that.. Is that Cyrus?” Em asked, her voice barely audible.

I didn’t reply. Vincent gripped onto me tighter and called Em back in the room, shutting the door. “It’s okay Victoria.” He said lightly, repeating his earlier words. I closed my eyes, listening as his distant calls slowly faded out. I drifted into sleep in his arms.