Nikos

After thorough search, I saw a hook fit into one of the walls. It was oddly shaped, though, because it didn’t look like a usual instrument. A pirate’s hook…?

I took a closer look at it. “Interesting,” I thought. Finally, I had found something for me at least to try to run away!

I took it, fingering it over, and then moved it. It drew first back and then forward. “Let’s see how that will come off,” I said to myself. “Let’s see…”

Suddenly, I heard steps from above. Those were the three evil men who wanted to do something bad with me. I started praying again.

“Feotoke Parsene, haire, keharitomeni Maria, o kirios meta sou. Eulogimeni si en ginaiksi, kai eulogimenos o karpos tis koilias sou, oti Sotira etekes ton psihon imon.”[11 - Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. (Translation from Greek). This is the transliteration of the prayer. The original version in Greek is as follows: Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη Μαρία, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου, ὅτι Σωτήρα ἔτεκες τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν.]

“Hey, pretty little girl! We’re watching you!” there was a drunken voice behind the door. “What’re you doing there? Do you want to join us?”

Perhaps, it was Ramazan’s voice. Then, there was another voice, I think captain’s:

“Ramazan! What’re you doing, […]? Come here! The girl is mine! You’re only my worker! Can’t you understand that?”

“I’m sorry, my boss,” Ramazan said apologetically. “I won’t do that anymore.”

Then, the man left. I started pulling the hook more and more, with more intensity. Now, it moved only towards me. I didn’t know why it was moving like this. Suddenly, the wall the hook was on moved over. I did something! But what was behind the wall?

I peeped through the hole that was formed thanks to the hook. I was seized with terror. There was water splashing!

I stepped back. I had to look for another way out! I couldn’t end my life! I didn’t want to drown like this! I wanted to live, and live, and live!

What did I have to do to save my life? I needed to think, and think hard. I had no other choice but to get out of here by pulling the hook forward, so that it could destroy the wall!

I started to take action.

First of all, I strained. When I was a child, Daddy taught me to carry heavy things, because sometimes, he needed help to carry the goods.

I turned the hook to the right and then to the left. It moved, so that I could pull it. Suddenly, the wall leant forward to me. This meant only one thing: the hook was a sort of key to open the wall! I looked out again. There was the sea, splashing. What was there to be afraid of…? Actually, nothing. There was nothing to be afraid of. Well, maybe, I had to fight for my life. But what was more precious for me than a chance to live itself?

What I had to do is to jump out of the hold and start paddling along the heavy current of the squally sea. I was already going to get into its depths, when suddenly, the door of the hold opened, and Ramazan entered.

He saw me ripping up the wall and shouted:

“Hey, you […]! What’re you doing?” The man ran up to me and slapped my face.

I cried.

“Next time, you won’t do it! You must be thankful that you’re still alive, you little […]!”

With these words, he untied my mouth. At least, I could breathe fully now – I had had my mouth tied for the whole night!

“Don’t you think that you’re going to eat now?” he grinned. “You won’t! I’ll lead you out of here, and you’ll be with us there! But,” he gave me a bad look, “you won’t be with us! You’ll be hanging above the deep blue sea!”

He put me up and threw me onto his shoulder. Then, he carried me out of the hold and shouted, laughing like a horse:

“She’s still alive! A strong one!”

“And what?” the captain growled. “Only a night has passed! What’re you doing? Shut her […] in the hold, you […]! She’s my loop!”

Shouting and crying, I tried to struggle. However, Ramazan was holding me tight.

“I want to go to Mummy! Please, get me there!” I begged again.

“What’re you saying, you little […]? Mummy?” Ramazan’s mate burst out laughing, the former dragging me away.

When would my tortures come to an end?

The man carried me back to the hold and shut me in there. I was desperate. I didn’t know if I would survive or not.

Finally, I was left alone there. Fortunately, Ramazan didn’t touch me – he was forbidden to.

3

Three days passed. The ship was moving somewhere. Obviously, the captain wasn’t drunk already, so that he could sail the ship.

No one brought me food. I did with water only. Ramazan sometimes looked in the hold to put a small jug of water by the door and then leave again. He didn’t say a word.

Maybe, they decided they would leave me alone?

Fortunately, my hands were free, so I could move them. This meant that I could try turning the hook again! But, whenever I made another attempt to do that, I saw the evil mad open the hold’s door, or something else stopped me from doing that. Something inside me said: “It is not time yet.”

In the morning of the fourth day, I heard the three men bustle about some stuff. They were moving some boxes somewhere above.

After some time, Ramazan got in the hold:

“Your days are numbered, you […]! Do you hear me?”

I pretended to be sleeping.

“Do what you want, […]! In a few hours, you’ll be dead!”

When would he stop swearing…? I wanted to cry again. But I tried to hold myself back. Now, it was more than necessary.

When Ramazan left, I got back to the hook. I believed that I would escape for sure!

I said the prayer again and set to work. That time, I had nothing to stop me.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt. It wasn’t me – it was the ship! What was the matter?

I ran up to the hold’s door. Nothing. I knocked at the door.

“Let me out! Please! Something’s wrong!” I shouted.

No answer.

“Let me out! I want to go out! Please! Someone! Help me!”