Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 181

Tentatively, my fingers reached for the handle. I hated staying indoors, much less in Kit’s tiny and damp
room. Tightening the cloak around me, I stepped out into the light, continuing my descent down the
hallway.
“Excuse me, but who are you?” A man questioned, his tone inquisitive rather than threatening. I was a
runaway, a girl who had secretly slipped onto this ship. Turning on my heel, I sprinted back to Kit’s room,
cushioning my footsteps with my leather shoes to not alert any other crew members.
“Wait! Stop!” His laboured breath followed behind me as his clumsy footsteps lumbered across the wooden
planks. Then, his scrabbling fingers caught the hem of my cloak as he yanked it away, revealing my true
identity.
“You don’t belong here,” He stroked his peppered beard, the lines of his mouth twisted downwards to form
a sneer. “Who are you?”
“Give me back my cloak,” I pleaded. “I won’t disturb you any more.”
“I asked you for your name,” The man demanded, his black eyes scrutinizing.
“Jia,” I whispered, my eyes still wide. “Can I have my cloak back, please?”
“Why are you here?” He continued, his grimy nails digging into the soft black fabric of my cloak.
“I’m-” I stuttered, my mind reeling.
“She’s my maiden,” Kit interrupted, grasping my wrist tightly. “She was just wandering around, Wei.”
“Pwah!” Wei spat. “Who wears a black cloak unless she doesn’t want to be seen? I thought you learned
from your past mistakes, Kit.”
Kit instantly stiffened, his lips thinning. “She is my maid. Drop it, Wei.”
Wei shrugged, but not before leaving a backhanding comment. “Well, don’t blame me if she gets stranded
on an island or gets locked along with the others. Here’s your cloak, Jia.” My tentative fingers reached for
the cloak before fastening it around my neck. “Thanks,” I muttered, my eyes trained to the ground.
As Wei departed, Kit instantly hauled me to his room, his eyes black and burning with undeniable anger.
“Can I not leave you for a few minutes without stirring up trouble?”
“Staying cooped up in your room isn’t fun either,” I retorted. “Since I’m now your ‘maid’, I should be able
to walk around freely.”
“That also means taking care of my basic needs,” Kit smirked. “Help me wash those clothes over there. I
need to wear them by tomorrow.”
“I still get to stay here, right?” I questioned, wrapping my arms around myself, suddenly feeling self-
conscious.
“As long as you don’t get into that much trouble again, you should be fine.” Kit finished. “I wouldn’t mind
having someone to help me out.”
The days flew by, and I learnt new skills. How to tie knots, how to use the constellations in replacement of
a compass, but most of all, how to slip by unnoticed. Still, a question remained unanswered in my mind.