Beautiful Crime | John Murphy

Chapter Forty Nine

We have been inside this boat for god knows how long, and there is no sign of land. Darkness has fallen over us, and thick fog flats around the boat. Richards and Craig has been rowing for the past minutes.

Murphy suddenly says something, but I am to caught up in my own thoughts to hear what it is. Even thought there is water all around me I can't drink any of it. My lips are dry, and so are the insides of my mouth. "I'm fine," Jaha says answering whatever Murphy asked him.

"Oh, screw this," Craig suddenly says putting down his oar. "If you're not gonna sleep, you can row." The second Craig lets go of the oar Jaha snaps his head in the boys direction with a warning look. "Get back on that oar, Craig." His tone almost makes me pick up the oar myself, but I am too tired. "Or what? We don't even know if we're going in the right direction anymore. We followed that drone across the open ocean. Hell, we deserve to die out here." So it is an ocean. Murphy removes his arm from around me saying, "it's ok, it's ok. I'm good to go. I can row."

"Land?" Richards syas. Everyone looks at him to see him point straight ahead. "Land!" He screams. A bright light flashes from what I assume is a light house. "Yeah!" Murphy screams throwing his hands in the air. "How does an Island of Light sound to you, John?" Jaha laughs, and everyone has a big smile on their faces. Richards and Craig quickly begins to row again in a faster pace.

I take a hold of Murphy's hands, and smile up at him. "We're going to make it," I tell him. His eyes are glossy, almost crying of joy. "We are not far from our new home now," he says and something about the thought of our new home makes my body explode with a happy feeling.

Suddenly something hits our boat making Richards loose his oar. "What was that?" Craig asks. I feel all the happiness immediately leave my body, knowing this was too good to be true. "Get that oar," Jaha orders. Richards lean out of the boat trying to retrieve the oar, but the boat gets hit again, and he falls into the water. "There is something in the water," he screams out while Murphy and I move to drag him back into the boat. "The oar!" Jaha urges, and I turn to him with a glare.

I feel Richards being dragged out of my arms. I look back over to see him being dragged away from the boat by his arm by some repulsive creature. Blood floats around in the water. All I can do is sit there and stare at the scene before me petrified. Richards gets dragged under the water.

"My arm," Murphy screams from beside me, clutching onto his arm, and twisting in pain. I rush over to him to look at the wound, and thankfully it isn't too bad, but it will get worse if we don't get to land and treat it.

"I don't see it," Craig says referring to the creature. "Where is it? Richards! Richards!"

I take some piece of clothing, and wrap it tightly around Murphy's wound in an attempt to prevent him from loosing to much blood. "What the hell was that thing?" He asks out freely, but no one answers because no one knows.

"We need to row now," Jaha says from the front of the boat. The boat shakes once more, and I can see some of the planks by my feet bend by the impact. "It's back," I warn them. "Hold on! Where is it?" Craig asks looking around franticly. "Craig, row. Row, Craig!" Craig ignores Jaha, and continues asking, "where is it?" I let out a deep breath feeling panic trying to take over me. "Craig, row!" Jaha screams. The creature hits the boat once more, and this time it creates a hole in the boat. Water begins to pour in. "We're gonna sink. We're all gonna die. We're all gonna die."

I move away from Murphy, and take the oar from Craig. "I can do it. I can row," I tell them. Out of nowhere Jaha moves closer to Craig, and pushes him into the water. I throw myself after him, but Jaha holds me back. "What the hell is wrong with you? Get off of me!" I scream at him as I pus him away, and crawl back to Murphy.

The creature comes out of the water, and swallows Craig whole. I raise the oar, and look at Jaha with big eyes. "Calm down, Mercy," he says. "You need to control that crazy mind of yours right now." My breath gets quicker. 'Do it,' the voices say. 'Hit him in the head, and throw him out to that thing.' I am seconds away from doing it, but then Murphy takes a hold go my hand, making the voices disappear, and me lower the oar. "He's not worth it," he says.

"It's gone," Jaha says. "Let's go." I throw the oar at him, and he his hesitant, but quickly begins to row. "Why?" Murphy asks him. "So we could live. And because you can row."

After a little while we finally make it to land. Jaha jumps out of the boat, and drags it to the shore. Once it is halfway on land he comes back to us. "John, let me help you," Jaha says making me tighten my grip around him. "I don't want anything from you," he says angry. "Back off, Jaha. You are even crazier then me," I tell him with a glare. "Come on. You're a survivor. We all are." Jaha looks away almost ashamed, almost. "Whatever you have to tell yourself feel better, Chancellor."

John squeezes my arm. "Our destiny is out there, John," Jaha says pointing in a direction. "And what about Craig's destiny?" I tense a little not having really processed what happened yet. "We sacrificed a few to save the many," Jaha replies before he moves away to tie the boat to something, making sure it won't float away.

"You know, you're right," John says. I move out of the boat a little tired, but stop so I can help Murphy out. "I am a survivor which is exactly why I am done following you." I take a hold of his good arm, and help him jump out of the boat. "We'll go our own way. You can go whichever the hell way you want."

We start to walk away with Jaha yelling after us. Suddenly Murphy falls to the ground, but Jaha reaches him before I do. "Get the hell away from him," I yell as I push him to the side. "He has lost too much blood," he says as I look at his wounded arm. "I know!" I scream at him begging for him to shut up. "I know," I whisper this time a little scared to myself.

A hum suddenly fills the silence making Jaha stand. "Did you hear that?" He asks looking around. The drone from earlier suddenly appears, and hovers over us. "Please, whoever you are, we need your help."

Jaha looks back at us. "I can't make it. Just go, all right? We all know you want to." Jaha hesitates for a second, but the drone gets smaller and smaller for each second, disappearing into the woods. "You should go with him, Mercy. This can be your chance." I almost laugh at the fact that he thinks I will leave. "Never, and there's no chance for me there. Not whiteout you."

"I'll come back for you," Jaha tells us before he runs after the drone, becoming smaller and smaller the further he runs away. "Your promised land sucks!" John screams after him. I fall down beside him completely exhausted. I cuddle up to him, and the both of us look at each other coming to terms with the fact that this might be the end. Our eyes begins to close slowly until we both drift of to sleep, or something else.

-

"Mercy," someone says shaking me awake. I open my eyes to see Murphy looking at me excited. "What's going on?" I ask him as I stand up. The sun shines brightly against my eyes, making me shield them with my hand.

He walks over to the wall of the light house, and I can see that there is now an opening in it. "I don't know what's inside there, but it just opened, and I can hear music." He is smiling, and that alone almost makes me smile as well.

"I am not going in there," I tell him. "You can go in, and check it out, and then come get me if it's anything important." He nods his head, but walks over to me, and wrap his not injured arm around me. "I love you," he says as if it is the first, and last time he will say it. "Jaha was right, we are survivors, and we'll survive this too." No matter how dry both out lips are we give each other a quick kiss. "Now go," I tell him with a small laugh as I push him towards the entrance. He smiles at me before he disappears inside.

I walk along the water for about ten minutes until I think it's time to go after him. I begin to move towards the light house, but I freeze once I hear a gun shot. Panic rush through me as I run with all I got towards the entrance, but I see it begin to close. "Murphy!" I yell out hoping he will make it out in time, or I will make it in. But it is too late, because when I reach the entrance the door is sealed shut, and no matter what I do it doesn't budge.

'You shouldn't have left,' the voices say as tears begin to dance down my cheek. 'Now you have lost everything,' they taunt. I turn around, and sink to the ground with my back against the door while sobs leave my lips. "I know," I whisper back to them as I feel my heart crack for each second that goes by without him.