Gemotions

The scent of salt and seaweed filled her lungs, but it did little to calm the turmoil inside. Amelia, a sailor by trade, stared out at the choppy sea from her small cabin. She'd found the book washed up on a beach, its cover bleached by the sun. It chronicled her life at sea, but its depictions were not of the courageous woman she knew she was. The narrative had portrayed her as reckless, a danger to herself and her crew. She now felt a deep ache in her chest.

Her hands clenched into fists. She had weathered storms, stared death in the face, but nothing prepared her for this. What would her crew think? What would her family think? The weight of it threatened to drag her under, just like the relentless ocean.

She reached for a bottle of rum, then quickly changed her mind. She turned away from the vast expanse of water and collapsed onto the bunk, her body trembling.