Journey: Ferry

Initially she was impatient to leave, hopping from one foot to the
other, anticipating breakers and strong sea breeze, made stronger by
the fast flying motion of the boat. The sound of engines made her dizzy
and she clutched at the white railing, her heart pounding.
Suddenly, as if no time had passed at all, there was only sea. Looking
dangerously down, past the lower windows, she wished the spray would
wash into the boat and drench the passengers. Were the windows open?
Pushing away from the side, she walked unsteadily over the slat-marked
surface, down the steps and past the slot machines and the over-18s
casino. The air was smoky and she longed to be up at the top again, and
fresh, and free. But, persevering, she clambered slowly down each
flight and each floor, and then finally saw the windows. To her great
disappointment they were closed.
She sank into a chair, exhausted, and ran her finger along the window,
chasing one drop as it sailed across the glass. Closing her eyes, she
realised she had no idea where she had left her parents. Drifting into
thought waves, and then she jerked awake, almost wondering if she had
been dreaming but the lights were too bright to be fictional, so she
lazily rose and staggered back to the stairs, inhaling an opium of
mixed perfume wafting out of an open duty-free store.
Although she had been so eager at first, now the stairs all seemed
miles high and her legs were aching. Her foot lagged and she stumbled,
lay spread-eagled on the staircase, sobbing dryly. Dragging herself up
she checked her face for the tears and struggled valiantly on, now
sullen. There were no people in view, perhaps she was on a ghost ship.
Where was everyone? She climbed a little faster, and then ran along a
corridor, pausing to press her nose against the glass of a playroom
filled with plastic balls of various dazzling block colours. She felt
dizzy again and almost swayed, but stopped herself in time and hurried
past an empty smoky bar-room. More stairs and another wave of perfume,
and she was back on the top of the boat, and there was only her mother:
her mother and the sea.