Hazel

// Catch Boy  // ‘Be careful!’ shouted my mother and waved goodbye through the thick steam cloud. It wasn’t fair to call it steam, it was all sweat, blood and tears. I could barely see her as I walked further towards the big metal beastie that was so big and bulky that if it were any taller the heavens would be stabbed and the angles fall out. I wore the thick informal clothes that were reserved for working. I stared at the iron monster that looked as if it would eat London for breakfast and still be craving for more. I’m a Catch Boy. My job was to go into // The SS Great Eastern //’s thin, 3 feet gap, in the ship’s hull where the air was unfit to breath and the walls seemed like they were sneaking up on you when your back was turned. Where every word echoed thrice over and if it got any hotter we’d be able to cook eggs on the floor. // I’m just lucky I’m not one of ‘em people that work with the red hot irons. Pressing them together, needing to hold them with long metal tongs or you’d lose a few limbs. // I thought, as I looked at the worse off part of the shipyard, where the smoke was as good and as healthy as the // Black Death //. Also there is the fact that everyone that works in a place like this has ten years taken off their lives. As my Father always said before the air got him, “// Where you find terrible air, you find you’re gravestone. //” Lord knows I’ve missed him. At least I’m able to help keep the food on the table and the chairs beneath us as well as he did. And I will do it ‘till it either kills me or ‘till I get found out. ‘Hey lad!’ shouted a man who’s hair was bent and skin was soiled, his clothes were worse off, which means a lot. ‘Stop swangkin’ and get your bliddy lucky little body into the hull! We have red hot iron bolts for you to hold in while we beat them with the hammer that I’ll use to break you’re skull in a moment!’ I was used to the constant threatening, but you took it seriously if you wanted to be paid. But at least there was one thing good about that sentence that made me grin as I was pushed into the hull. Yes, that’s right, I’m a // lad //. Of // course //. If he’d really known he would have said ‘// Laddette.’ // ***   Today was grey, and I was too old for this. My back had died thirty years ago and my hand had a permanent roughness to them, like sand being rubbed on your skin, my trousers had seen better days and the only thing, my hair was disappearing, and my shoes were… were… There’s no word that can be spoken on how good and done my shoes were. They were tattered, torn, frozen and heated, squashed and stretched, and around about anything that can happen to shoes that you have been wearing for five years straight. When you work in these situations, these are the clothes that are r// equired //. I greeted some friends at the base of the hull; I coughed when a huge steam cloud hovered over when the wind blew it in our direction. We decided we should get to work before we were caught, I picked up the nearest hammer and started bashing on the nearest hot rivet that pocked out of a hole. ** // Tonk! // ** ** //  Tonk! // ** ** //  Tonk! // **   ***     ‘Hey, there // tiny //.’ Ignore him, ** // Tonk! // **   ‘Hey, // tiny //,’ ** // Tonk! // **   ‘We need a human shield, care to apply?’ Ignore him, ** // Tonk! // **   Feel lucky that you don’t have to squeeze through the hull as much as he did. ‘Hey, // tiny, //’ ** // Tonk! // **   Hedrick was big, he was big for a twelve year old anyway, bigger than me, I was actually thirteen, but really small so I could pass as a younger lad really easily since my light brown hair was cut. Still, somehow that still meant that there would be trouble, once way or another. Just concentrate on holding the bolt in. Nothing else matters, just hold the large metal holder down with all your weight on the holder, the bolt would go flying otherwise. ** // Tonk! // **   ‘** // BOLT! // **’ shouted Hedrick, knowing what ‘bolt’ meant, I let go of the holder, covering my head down with my arms. No red hot searing pain. ** // Tonk! // ** Went the Bashers outside, the bolt flew through the hole without me holding it down. Going into the luckily empty space to the second hull. No one was hurt. Except Hedrick was about to be… ‘You bliddy moron!’ I shouted in his face, a red hot searing bolt could have been on my foot and I wouldn’t have neither noticed nor cared, ‘I oughta -’ ‘Whaddya blighters doing in there! If you’re slugging I’ll have you gone before you can collect pay!’ I paled, which wasn’t very noticeable because my face had gathered so much dust and dirt. ‘Who’s in there!’ the voice was loud and commanding, it wasn’t the beaters voice. It didn’t sound raspy or battered; it was defiantly not the sound of a worker. ‘Oh Christ,’ I muttered, and then ran as fast as I could, it was one of the commanders, they made sure we were working and working hard enough to get this done in // three months. //Whoever was making this ship was either // mad //or // insane //to think that we could complete this is // three //months. Hedrick was right behind me. We passed a gap where the rivets were thrown into the hull. I kept going, trying to ignore the fact that if the children missed or one was thrown too hard, the bolt would hit me. Hedrick decided it was time to stop running, we blended in with the surrounding children walking through space that could only hold one person, so we stuck to the sides, and even then we had to be careful because there still might be searing hot lumps of godforsaken metal ready to burn your clothes. ‘Move crumb,’ said Hedrick behind me. He pushed ahead of me, not caring whether there was a burning bolt there, he just pushed through and had me squashed against the metal wall. It hurt like hell but better that then being kicked out. The Commander was probably forgetting that ever happened and started yelling at another poor worker. I started catching rivets again like the other children. ***   I don’t believe it, I bashed on a rivit and it dissapeared. I looked at my hands, bewildered. Then I smirked at my newly found Hercules strength. ‘Hey! Weasel! Get to work you waste of space.’ A Commander shouted. ‘Sorry.’ I said weakly picking up my hammer. He stopped my hand, ‘// What did you say? //’ he sneered, ‘Sorry.’ I repeated, He shoved me into the iron plate, I didn’t try to repel him in case I would be fired, ‘You mean sorry,// Sir! //’ My face was pressed against the side of the ship, ‘Shorry, Sir…’ I said, I was released. ‘Sorry, Sir // Woodson //.’ He spat, literally, at my feet, ‘Scum.’ He walked off to a little Catch Boy, and started shouting at him. I didn’t like the Commanders, especially // him //. I quietly wished I could throw the rotten tomato I had in my lunched at his head. But that wouldn’t happen. Never has, never will. My hammer fell into my hand and a life’s work experience and ache hammered into a hull. ***   I had decided to take a break, it was good to sit down, and it felt like a luxury after spending five hours catching and holding down the damned burning iron. Guess who else decided to take a break. Along with Moron One and Moron Two, trying to look threatening. ‘I could easily tell the Commanders about that rivet, Runt.’ I glanced his way, and then looked down at my boots again. ‘So you’ll do what I say, right to the last detail. I want a pound a week, for not telling them.’ He grinned, thinking he had me, Moron One and Moron Two were grinning at the thought of money. I leaned back, resting on a barrel. ‘You know, it’s hard to think that they’ll fire me for one rivet when you’ve lost seven in the past week, plus you were also found fleeing the Commanders as well so I don’t think I could be kicked without you being right behind me.’ Hedrick scowled, and tried to think of a good retort to say back. He just fumed and left with an even worse scowl. I looked at the sky; it was a dark grey that threatened rain and no sun, it seemed even the // clouds //were against me now. Plus the Iron Beastie here and Hedrick made the scene just plain depressing. I looked again to see that Hedrick was coming back; he obviously just thought up a comeback and came back as if we were still in the same conversation. Today was going to be // hell //. Just like every day. ***   I discovered later that the child on the other end was just plain lazy. I got back to work; I bashed twenty rivets in before I noticed the amount of sweat that was falling from my forehead. I got to sit down in a small hiding spot I discovered last week, I was right outside the offices where the Commanders wrote down every days results. I sat right underneath one of the windows, swabbing my forehead and got a wet sleeve for me troubles. Inside I heard voices, ‘Reports…’ ‘Fired….’ ‘Too little…’ ‘Let go…’ Interested in the conversation, I decided to listen in; ‘ - Mr. Woodson.’ ‘Any fatalities today?’ ‘No sir, a lad fell though a poorly made piece of metal to the level below it and he has a broken leg, but that’s about it.’ ‘And the children inside the hull?’ ‘Alive and well, one child had his finger crushed by one of the Holders, and cried for twenty odd minutes before I shouted at him to get to work or get out. And the child that went missing five days ago has not been found.’ ‘He’s probably dead now anyway. Are the supplies of iron from the mines on time?’ ‘Yes sir, the iron has been delivered, but it’s not very good quality but-’ ‘Is it airtight?’ The other official paused, ‘Yes sir.’ ‘That’s all I need.’ The thought made me immediately check on a piece of metal next to me. It felt thin; it didn’t feel strong like the other pieces I’ve lifted. I checked the weight against another piece. There was a weight difference. Maybe most of this iron was second rate. I heard a ruffling of papers, ‘Any other reports?’ the Commander said, not that interested, ‘Well, it’s the minors, some rumors have been going around that girls have been posing as boys in the hull and-’ the Official cut in again, he liked cutting in didn’t he? ‘Do a check then, women are incapable of working and if they are working on this project I might as well kiss my money goodbye.’ ‘Yes sir and some men have been complaining about the quality of the rope.’ ‘The rope what on earth could be wrong with it?’ ‘Nothing sir, I don’t know-’ ‘Then it doesn’t matter, go.’ That official likes to cut in doesn’t he? What was that about the quality of the rope? I had noticed that the rope felt… I don’t know… frayed… it didn’t feel right. I looked over my hiding spot, I saw six men hoisting a large piece of metal framework. The men were exhausted, and dozy. I bet they wouldn’t notice if the rope started snapping. ** // DWAK  // ** I knew what that sound was, I just didn’t want to believe it. ** // THWAK  // ** The rope was breaking, and that piece of ridiculously heavy metal, without the rope holding it, would fall onto six poor men. ***   I was right today w// as //going to be hell. Not only was I coughing terribly from all the steam from the iron works floating in the wind just to annoy me, but there was going to be a check! I // had //to hide. I went into the hull, I heard an official call all of the children inside to come out for inspection, all the children gladly stopped working for a break, even if it did mean that they had to drop their trousers. The hull was quiet; there was no banging outside because the system didn’t work if there wasn’t anyone inside the hull to hold the bolts in. So everyone decided to take a break except for six people who were still lifting a large metal plate up with rope. This was probably the quietest this place would be in ages. This also meant I had to tread quietly. Otherwise they’d hear me from the outside. I looked around, the place looked infinite, the near perfect parallel sides and the perfect curve showed how much detail they had put into the design. It was amazing. There were still holes everywhere, some metal was strong and unmovable, and some could be very thin and easily breakable. In short words; do not do anything stupid in case there is breakable metal. I kept walking, my steps were barely audible to // my //ears, and everything was quiet enough to hear a mouse squeak. ‘// Help… //’ squeaked a mouse, I searched for the source of the noise, and then when I didn’t come again, I wanted to forget about it. But something about that voice made it echo in my head. I couldn’t forget it. ‘// Can anyone hear me //?’ The voice croaked again, it was weak and distant. I looked for the source. And there it was. A small hole in the corner, not big enough to see, but big enough to fall though. If someone fell down there… they could be dead. ‘Hello?’ I said into the hole, no reply came. I tried again, but nothing came back. Only one way, go down into a deep dark hole with a possible no return. Not a good option. ‘Any child found still in the hull will be fired!’ can a voice echoing though the hull, and loud footsteps. Now the better option. I stepped into the darkness. ***   The poor men down there were going to get squished. Not like I think this is funny in any way, this is disastrous. But what could I do? Well, I could push all the men aside, leaving the large metal plate to fall on me… Not very good outcome… I could shout and warn them. No, that would just cause panic and have me fired. I need to shout a warning, but it can’t be too dangerous that they run away and it can’t not dangerous enough that they don’t just shrug it off. Think, you have been working in these conditions for ages! I think like all of these people here THINK! I kicked a piece of metal next to me in frustration. When it hit another piece of metal, I heard a noise. Not like when metal hits metal, not like my hammer at all, it was like glass breaking. I looked at where the piece of metal had fallen, it wasn’t as big as when I kicked it. In fact, there was another piece a few feet away. They fit together perfectly; the piece of metal had cut in half! A chip fell off the scrap piece, it got me thinking. ***   Monolith. Gigantic. Undeniable care was put into every piece. Like an artwork. That is the exact opposite of what the bottom of the hull looked like, rust covered the inside like a chessboard. Everywhere there was // rust //. It even // smelled //of rust. Every piece was rushed and looked disappointing, they were in where they were supposed to be but put together like a web of metal. It was too dark to see, but it was so cramped I could easily feel my way down into the deep belly of the beastie. I ran into several spider webs, something was in my hair, and there was some goop on my trousers I’d rather not know what was. It slowly became less steep, but I wasn’t thinking that. I was trying // not // to think of some things. Like for instance, what I do if I find someone, what the goop on my trousers was, why I should have brought a torch, and how the hell I was supposed to get back up, I would have to climb verically! No, don’t think about any of that. Too late to think about any of that. I was finally in the bottom of the ship, how did I know? I didn’t. The first thing that hit me was the smell of rotting meat. I gagged. ‘Hello?’ I said, trying not to let it echo, I crawled around in the darkness. Feeling my way through, hoping I didn’t willingly go into a dark, deep ditch for no reason. ‘Who’s that?’ said a voice in the corner, it sounded familiar, ‘// Are you here to help? //’ said another voice, it sounded young and week. ‘I am me, whoever you two are on the other hand, I do not know. And yes, I am here to help.’ ‘Thank god,’ ‘// I thought I’d die here //…’ I walked closer to the voices, ‘Who are you?’ I said, one voice sounded very surprised. ‘Wait a second, is that… is that // Tiny //?’ ‘Oh god be dammed, is that Hedrick?’ ‘Dammit, out of all the people to come rescue us it has to be // Runt //!’ ‘Do you want me to leave then?’ He was quiet. ‘Then let me help- OW’ I accidentally walked into a metal plate. It hurt. ‘Great, just plain great…’ Hedrick didn’t seem happy at all, but he’s never happy so he doesn’t count. I rubbed my head until the pain became dull, then I stepped around the plate feeling my way through. ‘Does // anyone //wave a light?’ I said, words bounced off the metal and back at me. I didn’t care anymore, if they heard, let them find me and dig me out of this mess. ‘// I do… I was on night duty, and I was saving it //…’ said the weak kid, damn how long had // been //down here. I heard two clicks and the darkness lit up in a golden glow. Shadows danced as the flame swayed to an unknown draft. I saw Hedrick, he looked pretty dead. There were two cuts on his face and his hands were bruised and his fingers probably couldn’t even // move //. The other child looked // very //dead. What I could see of his face was pale, his hair was the darkest brown, fairly long and tangled. His arms were bare and very thin. This child probably hadn’t eating in d// ays //. His clothes were at least now fives sizes too big for him. He wore a hat, and to show how much he must have moved over the days could be told, there was a bliddy // cobweb //on his hat. The only thing that told me he was alive since I had seen him was lighting the lamp. …   How // did //he light the lamp anyway? ‘Hello? Are you going to help or what?’ Hedrick was very impatient when it came to rescues, didn’t it? ‘Yes, // Hedrick, //I will.’ I spat, if I was going to rescue this dope it didn’t mean it was going to be pleasant. He scowled, ‘Then hurries up then! My broken arm is // killing me //.’ ‘Wait, if you only broke your arm, then doesn’t that mean you can walk?’ ‘Yes, in a really painful sort of walking.’ ‘At least you can.’ I looked at the weak kid, ‘I’m guessing you can’t walk?’ He shook his head; one of the webs came undone. Okay, I’ve got an idiot, a kid that’ll shatter if I touch him, a light (thank god for a positive) and I could see where I was going. Nothing really though out for rescue attempts. I looked down, and thought hard. And I opened my eyes, about to tell them I would get help. When I saw something. I picked it up of the metal floor. ‘What is this?’ I asked, Hedrick scoffed, ‘It’s a rope.’ I looked at it, it looked like pretty good rope, ‘What’s it doing down here?’ ‘I don’t know, being rope. Maybe they forgot to take it with them when they finished this section of the ship. And what does this have to do with-?’ I started making big knots in the rope, making sure that they’ll be at least able to sit on it. ‘Oh, no…’ Hedrick said. ***   ‘That iron is going to break!’ I started shouting, ‘It’s weak! It fell apart in my hands!’ I shouted, the other men looked my way, ‘Whaddya on about?’ ‘The iron! Drop that piece down to the ground and I’ll show you!’ I pointed to the six men who were pulling the rope, ‘You men put that iron piece down! It’s weak!’ ‘What’s going on here?’ shouted a commanding voice, but superior and louder than the others. I paled, Lord Strike me down if that isn’t the famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel walking over here. He was able to change everything! I choked on my first words, clutching my hammer until my knuckles were white, and then met his face. His eye’s had rings on their rings and a foul cigar in his mouth, a manicured beard outlined the chubby face. I held out the iron, whispers shivered through the crowd and whispers sprouted until Isambard raised his hand and the crowd silenced. ‘The iron, Sir, is weak. Look, this piece fell apart in my hands… sir.’ It was kind of the truth, truth enough to save the men. He took the two halves in my hands, measuring their weight and size. Then after careful examination, he looked at me. ‘What other proof do you have?’ I swallowed, and then pointed to the commander building. ‘I heard a Mr. Woodson say that it was okay for this metal to be used, sir.’ He nodded, and then looked at a nearby commander in the large crowd that had formed without my knowing. I wish I didn’t look so scrubby now, if I had known what was going to happen today I would have at least shaved today. ‘Can we see a Mr. Woodson please? He should be in the commanders building.’ He said, The commander nodded. Mr. Brunel looked at me again. ‘What is your job here Mr.…’ ‘Roderick, Roderick Flint sir. I am a Basher… Sir.’ I said, looking as civilized as possible, so I took to saying Sir at the end of every sentence. ‘And how did you overhear that this metal is second rate? It takes keen eyes to tell whether iron is fit.’ ‘I was taking a break and I couldn’t help but hear, Sir.’ I looked at the workers who were pulling the rope slowly down, trying to watch us. The rope kept on snapping, but very quietly. Not even a footstep disturbed the silence. ‘And why did you care that these men were putting up second rate iron?’ I opened my mouth, but a Mr. Woodson arrived. ***   ‘Okay, does you’re tiny brain understand?’ I said, Hedrick had asked for the // third time //what the plan was, I had gone under the assumption that he was either; A: Deaf B: Not concentrating on a life and death situation C: Did not realize I could just leave him behind D: And did not realize how easy it would be   He nodded, ‘Were doomed.’ He said. Okay, that good enough for me. I lifted the weak kid. He was incredibly light, he might as well have no weight at all. I asked Hedrick to hold the light while I wrapped The Kid tightly in rope until he was covered in it like a blanket. ‘// Thank you //…’ he croaked. ‘Hedrick! Stumble over here, front and centre please.’ I liked that the power was on my side now, it made me feel, like a leader. Yes, like a leader. Like a hero. Or Heroine, whatever suits. ‘I’m not you’re slave you know.’ Hedrick growled between teeth, ‘Of course you are, and soon you will owe me a pound per. week.’ He grumbled and sat down on a very thick knot I had made in the rope. ‘Okay, wait here, I need the light.’ I picked up the light, the rope tightly around me waist. ‘I’ll get up there and pull you up, understand?’ Nodding was the last thing I saw before I started the long trip back up   *** ‘What is the meaning of this?’ Mr. Woodson ‘I was working on the budget!’ I held my hammer tightly; I think it had turned into a sort of comfort thing over the years. ‘So it seems, this fellow here says that you have been cutting major corners.’ Mr. Brunel was had a powerful aroma surrounding him that I will probably never know. I fiddled with my fingers, I didn’t trust myself anymore. I wonder if that’s what made him so leader like. Having trust in yourself. I know for one thing was that I didn’t. ‘Yes, along with the rope.’ I mumbled, ‘What was that?’ Brunel said, looking very unrest. ‘Nothing sir. That’s him, I recognize the voice.’ The metal was halfway down. // Please hurry //, I prayed. ‘Excuse me Mr. Brunel,’ Woodson cut in, ‘I believe that this man is making up stories fire him and let me get back to my work.’ ‘Not until this matter is solved which it is // not //.’ It was amazing how much anger Isambard Kingdom Brunel can look at someone with. Like he was able to blame // them //for everything terrible in their lives twice over. ‘Now then, tell me what you heard from this man Brunel.’ Brunel still looked stern, like he wasn’t at // all //happy about the thought that weak iron was used for his almighty creation. // A quarter of the way down, come on! //  ‘He says that the iron is weak and second rate. And lately that the rope is unstable.’ Me. Woodson scoffed, ‘Why I // never //. This Basher is a liar! I would never let this ship float on second rate iron yet alone ignore the fact the rope is-’ ** // TQU~ // ** My ears pricked, everyone looked at the source of the noise. ** // TWANG // **. The rope, with its last thread of fabric broken, snapped. The men scattered, they knew what was happening, and the large plate was far enough down that it only fell five feet. Making a small dust cloud around it. Everyone was quiet, looking at Mr. Woodson. His face was pale. ‘Well, someone please check the iron plate?’ Brunel said. ‘Twould be my pleasure.’ I said, and broke of the closet corner of the metal with my hand. Mr. Woodson growled ‘I saved the // SS Great Eastern //hundreds of dollars and // this //is how I’m repaid.’ Then he pulled out a pistol from his inside his coat. ‘Give me the money I’ve earned Isambard! Or say goodbye to a few men.’ Mr. Woodson started waving the thick pistol around, the crowd moved back and when his back was turned, moved forward. The workers shouted and abused Mr. Woodson, the Bashers had their hammers ready to strike him down, some of the hot iron workers came out with tongs, some still burning red hot, the Catch Boys threw rivets at him, or the ones with bad throwing just threw it at his general direction, making him flinch. He was sweating now, maybe it was the steam or, maybe it was the tension, maybe it was the red hot tong that got within inches of his eye. There was one Catch Boy though, that started it. He had four fingers thanks to a stupid kid who threw a holder, his finger still hurt, but he threw with all his might, and hit Mr. Woodson spit in the eye. He was blinded for a second as I held a hammer that was always in my hand, even when I never notice it, and with an almighty whack I hit his gun from his hand. The crowed wasn’t the least bit happy that Mr. Woodson had pulled a gun on them and threatened them. They swarmed over him in a second the gun was gone. I couldn’t see him, until Mr. Brunel stepped in and the crowd dispersed, Mr. Brunel had that air around him that everyone respected and feared, Mr. Woodson had a black eye and what looked like a broken nose. He spoke loud and clear ‘Mr. Woodson, you have endangered my project, threatened my workers, and all the fuss you caused has slowed production, what do you have to say for yourself?’ Mr. Woodson coughed and tried to sit up; the bashes he’d gotten had scrambled the attic a little. So he said, ‘Mr. Woodson // SIR //!’ It was not to say, the best thing to happen to Mr. Woodson. In fact, he was fired on the spot. And because everyone was outside, watching the man who constantly abused them. His suit was bombarded with rocks and lunch. He ran once he got to his senses, but he tripped constantly and wobbled sideways into walls. I will never forget how much loved the way my tomato splashed against his head. That was a // hell //of a day. Isambard Brunel gave me his thanks, and offered to put me in charge of Workers now that the old one was running from all the people that hated his guts. I accepted on the terms that I could still be a Basher, he accepted and an hour later after cheers and a few drinks, we got back to work. My hammer flew into my hands and the best feeling of being alive ever was hammered into a hull. ***   The easy part was getting up, the worst part was pulling them up. I crawled my way though flickering darkness, half hoping the light would come in handy. Instead, it just weighed me down. I went onto an iron bridge between hulls and wished I had a better plan. I got my wits together and pulled the rope. Slowly bringing them to the bridge. I made it and started climbing back up again to the second bridge. ‘Can you hurry up? I want to get home for dinner you know! We’re having pumpkin soup!’ ‘You need // less // pumpkin soup you dead weight!’ I shouted back down. He was the dead weight. The Kid was the one who I would rather save now. Too late for that. I’m not going back down there and starting again. ‘Dammit you weakling! I would kick you if I wasn’t restrained, I-’ ‘Would be dead.’ I finished for him, ‘You know, I am now pondering which one I should leave down there instead. And my mind says you. But right now let’s ignore my mind. Instead, put all your thinking power, limited it may be, into shutting you’re trap before I cute the rope. This would be terrible because it is such good rope.’ He was quiet after that. I made it to the closet metal thing I could sit on and pulled. Each time exhausted and panting when they made it next to me. I went to the next one. And the next one. And the one after that. And the, surprise, one after that. I looked down at the fifth one to see how far I’d come. I was only around twenty meters from the top and ten meters from the bottom. I was only a third of the way there? No. No, no, no, no no no… I would die of exhaustion before I’d ever reach the top. I needed a new plan. I had a plan B, it was terrible, but it would work. At a terrible price. I looked to The Kid, who was next to me, snuggled in the rope. ‘Kid, I need to untie you. Is that okay?’ He looked at me, bewildered. ‘I’ll come back for you I swear.’ I tried comforting. He blinked furiously, and started crying. ‘// You won’t come back… //’ he said, ‘// you won’t… //’ ‘I promise you, I will.’ I said, I went to try and untie the rope, but he wriggled backwards. ‘// You’re going to leave me behind! Like everyone else! You are //!’ he screamed, tears flowing, ‘// You are! //’   I looked at where he was wriggling to. The edge. ‘Stop it, you know I won’t. I will come back.’ ‘// No! //No// ! //’ he wailed, ‘// I don’t believe you //!’ Even Hedrick was looking at what was going on. ‘I will, I promise I will. I swear I will. I will come back.’ ‘// No! Go away! I thought you were good! //’ he screamed at me and battered me away, He was so close now; if he went down I might fall too. ‘He won’t, otherwise he would have left me behind.’ I turned; Hedrick was on my side The Kid stopped wriggling. ‘Listen kid, I don’t know why, but Tiny came down here when I screamed for help. And deciding to rescue us instead of just leaving us there took him everything he has. And even if he did, I know he will not break his promise. Because even though he’s a weakling, he decided to save me. And I don’t understand why he decided to do that when I’ve been so hard on him.’ He shuffled towards The Kid, ‘Now, since he’s so good, you’ve got to understand. His promise is a promise. Now stop slithering towards the edge of the bride before all of us go with you.’ The Kid sniffed, and nodded. He let me untie him. I nodded to Hedrick. ‘Okay, I will go to the top and get some others to help pull you up. That’s why I needed the extra rope.’ I kneeled over to The Kid. ‘I promise you,’ I said, he sniffed, still teary, ‘That when I get Hedrick to the top, I will personally, piggyback you back up there, and that’s an oath.’ He nodded. ‘Good luck…’ said Hedrick, as I went up to the topside. It took me twenty minutes, but I made it up. That was serious vertical climbing I went though, so don’t be judgmental. ‘Help!’ I cried as I crawled out of the hole, ‘Help me with this rope! Anybody!’ Some kids who were walking by saw me struggling out of the hole that nobody could see. They grabbed me by the arms and pulled me the rest of the way though the tiny hole. How did Hedrick fit down there anyway? ‘Help me pull this!’ I shouted to them. I continued to shout for others and whispers and echoes glided though the hull, soon enough, all of the kids in the hull started pulling at the rope. Including me. It wasn’t long ‘till I saw Hendricks’ head reach the top. ‘YES!’ I shouted, and helped him out the rest of the way. He panted, obviously surprised at the speed of which he was pulled. I grinned at him, ‘Still think I’m a runt?’ Hedrick grinned back, and held out his hand. ‘Thanks.’ I shook the hand, ‘Your welcome.’ All the kids cheered. After everything had died down. I went down the hole again with the light. It took three odd minutes until I saw The Kid again. His hair as always covered his face. I never saw his eyes. He looked at me like one would an angel who just fell out of the heavens. ‘// You came back //…’ he croaked ‘I did, I swore an oath didn’t I?’ I said, smiling at the kid, flinging my hair back behind my eyes. I used the rope from before to tie him to my back. ‘I swore I’d piggyback you up to the top didn’t I?’ I smiled, and he smiled back. Looking at my eyes. His eyes were a startling green, and they had a way of almost shimmering in the light of the candle. I wonder if he ever thought I was a girl. If he did would he still trust me? ‘// Thank you… so much //.’ He said, hugging me. I hugged back. And he was wrapped tightly around my back and I climbed the familiar vertical climb back up. I made it up and out of the smoky hull. I looked at the barren shipyard, where, when I left, people were moving with cause. Now it was empty. The moon shone full above and it made the metal gleam. It made The Kids eyes gleam. I put him down. ‘// Thank you. I owe you everything //.’ He said to me, I smiled, ‘You owe me nothing.’ He stood up. Wait, he // couldn’t //stand. He was broken in all places! How…? He turned and faced the moonlight, and disintegrated into billions of tiny white dots of light. I watched them, bewildered, as they flew into the sky. I remembered, he was as cold as a morning stream, he was as light as a feather, the smell of rotting meat down there, and he barley said a word. He seemed… Dead… I swore the foulest word I could think of at the time as I figured it out. He // was //dead. I looked at the shipyard. The moonlight glimmered on the hungry beastie, the metalwork shining though the layers of smoke and steam. The beastie was asleep in the large cot that had been made for it my man and boy. Plus one girl. -Hazel