My Dear Captain

Chapter 5

The next morning I woke up to warm sunshine on my face and a dull burn in my lower regions. My clothes were strewn about the floor and there was an ache in my head. The events from last night rushed back into my head and I felt my chest fill with warmth as I remembered my night with James! I remembered how wonderful he had made me feel, and I hoped I had done the same for him. I stretched and sat up, letting the covers fall off my shoulders and expose my (s/c) skin to the warm light. I looked over at him to wish him good morning, however, there was a vacancy next to me where he should have been. Another realization came crashing into my mind and dread piled up in my stomach. Tears pricked my eyes as I flung my blankets off and threw on some clothes, not bothering to fix my hair or any food for myself as I ran down the stairs and into the foyer. Maybe James hadn't left yet, maybe there was still time to see him! He couldn't be gone yet, right?

"(Y/n)!" I heard Mistress Elizabeth call my name as I ran for the door.

"How long has it been since he left?" I asked quickly.

"Not long," Mistress Elizabeth said, "But my dear, wait!" she called after me, but I was already out of the door with my skirts hiked up. The terrain on the road was rockier than I remembered it being, and I stumbled several times but quickly regained my footing. I was in the town within a few minutes, just in time to see the parade of men leaving. Then there he was, at the front of the line in the car that I had first seen him in. A frown was present on his face as he began driving away, and he scanned the crowd feverishly. My heart was racing and I pushed my way through the crowd of people wishing them goodbye and good luck, and I called out my captain's name. There was a boy running along next to me, seemingly trying to get to someone as well!

"James! James! Over hear my love!" I cried out as I pushed my way through. His head whipped around and his frown was replaced with a sorrowful grin as a few tears escaped his sapphire eyes and found their way down his soft cheeks. "(Y/n)!" he began to get up to leap out of the car, but was held back by an angry looking man next to him. He looked from the man to me as his smile quickly fell and his face became a heartbreaking look of sadness I so dearly hated. I ran behind them for a few feet and yelled, "I love you James!" as we reached the bridge at the edge of town.

"Wait for me my dear!" he called back.

"I will!" I replied, but he was already gone. Tears streamed down my face as I watched the form of the car quickly disappear behind the hills. I stood in that place for what seemed like hours after he left, silently willing that car to turn around and come back, but of course it never did. My James wasn't going to be coming home to me for who knows how long, possibly even never. "No," I mentally scolded myself, "no he will come back! James will be fine!" However no matter how much I told myself otherwise, the dreadful fact that I may never see my captain again was as present as ever.

As I stood out by the by the bridge, it became clear to me that someone was there as well! There was an occasional sniffle coming from someone standing a few meters away from me and I turned to see who it was coming from. A young boy, around the age of 17 stood in quite a similar state of distress as I! Instantly I felt the urge to comfort him, maybe in doing so I'd be able to distract myself for the coldness of James' absence.

I walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder gently. He jumped a bit but calmed when he saw me. "I suppose you think of me as foolish for being so torn up about a horse," he muttered glumly.

"No, not at all," I replied, recognizing him as the Naracott's son, Albert, and as the boy that had run alongside me in the parade, "although I am a bit surprised that it was a horse and not your father or a friend." He gave a weak smile and turned his attention back to the road. "Who did you say goodbye to?" he asked after a few quiet seconds.