Chapter 6

The Coming Storm

The day had passed and a storm had rolled in over Port Dover. The lightning cracked the sky and the rain pelted the wooden roof of the lonely house atop the cliffside. The heavy rain drained down in front of the open porch forming a translucent veil as it poured off the awning. The old vines that wrapped themselves tightly around the porch's tall wooden columns, scratched at the flaking white paint. They stretched themselves from the foundation along the front of the house and were getting a well needed drink as they began to flush back with colour.

Locke was sitting quietly on his porch flipping through the final pages of the last book his sister had given him. He took a sip from his glass and was watching the wind and rain blow across the fields when Lenore burst through the screen door.

"Have you seen my purple umbrella? I have a show tonight at Randal's and I can't find it anywhere."

Locke tilted his head back in her direction. "Did you check the bathroom?" Locke responded with a mildly apathetic tone.

Lenore stopped the screen door before it shut, holding it open with her back leg. "Why would I check the bathroom?" She said curtly.

"Just check." he said exasperated

Lenore groaned. She turned to go back inside, her hair fanning out in a crescent shape as she did.

Locke heard her gentle footsteps fade as she scrambled back into the house and up the stairs. There was a pause. Then they came scrambling back down and towards the door. She poked her head through the door and quickly withdrew it. A quiet "thanks" could be heard just before the screen door banged and bounced shut.

Locke heard his sister scurrying around the house a little longer before emerging from the door a final time. He was still sitting in his chair though his glass was now empty.

She stopped in front of him. Her hand extended with a giant book. “Here.” She smiled. “I picked this up for you the other day!”

“Lenore, you didn’t have to-”

“I know. I wanted to.”

Locke smiled back and reached out his hand accepting his sister's gift. “I’m surprised you found something I haven’t read.” He laughed.

“I didn’t. This one’s empty”

Locke had a slightly confused look on his face.

“I figured maybe you could start writing your own story. It’s a captain’s log. Lot’s of blank pages to fill, maybe with some adventures. Maybe if you write down some of the cool stuff you do you’ll realise life’s more exciting than you think. You could call it “The Adventures of Captain Locke.” She couldn’t help laughing.

Locke chuckled lightly. “Thanks Lenore.” He said sincerely, gripping the book tightly in his hands.

"Alright well, I'm off to Randal's," Lenore stated. "You gonna catch my set tonight? Doesn't look like you're up to much" She jested, opening up her umbrella.

"We’ll see. Early day tomorrow, more work to do on that beat up beauty in the harbour, still gotta put the new yards in and patch a ton of holes, still gotta swab the decks,” he caught himself slipping away from their conversation. “And besides, I might be too busy writing." He jested.

"Okay, well I'm on at 9!" She said, placing her umbrella on her shoulder. She then hopped down the stairs and marched on into the downpour.

He waved goodbye as her silhouette slowly coalesced with the curtain of falling rain. He spun his glass in his hand as he pondered whether he'd make the march down to Randal's to catch the end of his sister's show. Getting up from his chair he waltzed over to the small waterfall that dripped between him and the torrent of droplets beyond. The clouds could barely be seen through the darkness and rain, but Locke could make out their brooding shapes in the night sky. He turned, headed back inside and dropped the book into his bag.

Somewhere off the coast of Port Dover

"This storm is tearing us apart, legatus!” A voice bellowed from the bow of the ship.

"We have to push through it." The legatus bellowed back while wrestling with the ship's wheel. "The Augustus is no more than a day ahead of us. I’m not letting them slip through our fingers.”

The agitated ocean rocked the ship from side to side as the torrential rain plastered every inch of it with water. A gargantuan wave washed over the port side. It’s sheer force dragging the crew across the deck and slamming them into the half wall.

“It’s taken a hold of our sails Ma’am! She’ll dismast us, we’ll never make it!”

The Captain relented. She knew the storm was too great. Another wave of that size over their broadside and they’d capsize. Disgruntled the legatus finally agreed. “Aye quaestor, you’re right. Furl the sails men! Raise the storm jib, loose the sea anchor, and lay ahull! If we can keep the bow into the waves we can outlast ‘er!”

Back at Randal’s dingy old tavern

Lenore stretched her vocal cords as her brush made its final few passes through her shoulder length hair. Her vocal scales resonated softly through the small closet where she prepared herself for tonight's set. The small iridescent light flickered sporadically. She pushed it next to the mirror and pressed her face as close to it as possible. She dabbed her face with foundation and applied her lipstick.. She fluttered her eyelids, pulled the light back from the mirror and gracefully lifted herself from her seat. Standing in front of the mirror she did a quick twirl to inspect her bright red dress that fanned at her ankles as she spun. She pulled up her evening gloves and attached her earrings. Light squeaked into the room through a small crack in the wall that lead to the main area of the bar. Lenore peered through it, the usuals had started to fill the rickety seats that littered the floor of the bar. She scanned the small crowd for her brother but she only spotted Bellamy sitting alone at a table near the front. She looked over at the clock on the wall, it was showtime. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She loved the feeling. The nerves reassured her that there were still thrills and excitement to be had even in a small town like Port Dover. She loved what she did and hoped she never grew bored of it.

She strutted out from the back room as Randal’s hunched form took the stage and shuffled up to the mic. He tapped it a few times, steadied himself and pronounced with a rather surprising amount of authority. “The lovely Lenore Ligarius.” His arms outstretched to usher her up, she took the stage.

She leaned into the mic “Thank you Randal” she said with her soothing grin, giving him a small clap as he made his way back behind the bar to the waiting patrons. She adjusted the mic stand lifting it up from Randal’s small statured setting and gave a nod over to the pianist to begin her set.

She sang a few merry tunes as the night carried on. Patrons drank and chatted as her gentle voice filled the spaces in their sentences. After each song they would walk up and drop denarii into her tip jar. Bellamy would clap and she could hear his words of encouragement as she would prepare for her next song.

The hour turned late and her time was almost up. She cleared her throat preparing for the last song in her set. This song was one of her favourites that she had listened to while it played at Randal’s when she was a girl. It was a song from the time before. A more personal song. She was a bit embarrassed to sing it in front of so many people. She smiled at Bellamy, who was still cheering, and looked out into the warm lights. The piano swelled, and a soft silence took over the audience. Her voice, almost a whisper, rang out across the room.

Love me, as though there were no tomorrow. Take me out of this world tonight. Take me, make me forget, my sorrow. So when I wake, tomorrow, I’ll know our love was right.--

The smooth sounds crescendoed as the song delved deeper into its melody. Her body swayed as her hands grasped the mic. The song’s personal tones cascaded in her mind. Her emotions laid bare before the audience. For a moment she felt naked, except she wasn’t pretending in her empty house, everyone’s eyes were staring straight at her. She gasped more air as her verse continued. Her insecurities were under the spotlight. Her voice pushed out from her diaphragm igniting her same emotions into the listeners. Their somber faces easily decipherable, they were all naked together. Her pitch perfect notes lingered in the stuffy bar air leading them forward into the finale. Her eyes shut naturally as the emotional climax of the song engulfed her.

--Oh my darling, love me… Don’t ever let me go...

She opened her eyes as she hummed away the final notes of her song. A loud whistle rang out from the crowd and the patrons began to clap. Her eyes zoned in on the young man whistling from the back corner of the bar leaning against the wall. It was her brother. They locked eyes and he gave her a quick wink. The patrons clapping died down. Her eyes welled, She smiled ear to ear and curtsied to her audience.

Leaving the stage she made her way through the derelict tables over to Locke. Bellamy stood up to congratulate her but with her singular focus she walked right past him. “You made it!” She said, still smiling.

“You’re pretty good at that you know.” He said with an obnoxious grin.

She gave him a shot in the shoulder followed by a gargantuan hug. “Thanks for coming out.” She said, pressing her cheek against his chest.

He embraced her back. “Come on kiddo, I’ll buy you a drink.”