Daily Writing Prompt Thread Thingy It'll Be Fun

[Isabella8Storm6]

Eryan

The one and only

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I do have one I think most people here will relate to...

Not going to bed on time.

Spoiler

I watched the numbers whizz past on the right side of the screen like cars on a busy highway. The front point was black, aside from the green grid plastered across the whole screen. Nothing. I scolled. Still nothing.
There had to be something. Somewhere. Anywhere. A coordinate popped up on the left. I stared at it, numbers matching to... Nothing. I flicked it away. Too far and useless, like everything else in front of me.
Waves sloshed against the hull. I leaned back and peered past the starboard window. Darkness blanketed both sea and sky, hiding all stars from view and turning the horizon into a black wall. I returned my attention to the screen. Seconds away could mean missing something important.
Click.
Sound.
Closing everything first, the screen disappeared, and I spun around.
Katuna staggered into the wheelhouse, rubbing an eye. "Vasili, what are you doing up?"
I stared her up and down. No gun, blade, or bullet. Not even a bracelet on her wrist. She leaned against the captain's chair, running her hand over the back like she was considering sitting in it.
"It's early," she murmured.
Early? I closed my eyes for a moment. Oh-four hundred and three. I turned forward and tapped my hand on the unread pile of papers. "I never went to bed."
"Vas," she slapped my shoulder. "You need your sleep. Go to bed."
My hand brushing against the papers, the stack slid apart over the desk. Not a single one of them was important, but going through them would make me look busy until she left.
Katuna dropped a hand on the papers. "Oh, no, you don't. Not now. You're going to bed this instant. Come on."
Edging her fingers under my arms, she pulled on me. I dug my feet under the chair and stayed put.
"Come... on," she pulled.
After a few moments of trying, she finally gave up and leaned against the helm. I glanced up at her, but avoided all eye contact. The useless papers could use my attention, and shuffling through them, I gave them it.
"Speak to me," Katuna said after several minutes of watching me.
I said nothing and kept to my mindless work.
"You can't shut me out."
One paper bore English words. I stared hard at it like I knew what it said, or at least was trying to know.
Katuna snatched the paper. "Don't be like Dad. Talk to me. I know something's bothering you."
I glared at her, tapping the desk, one finger landing at a time. She wouldn't get the point. She never did. Keeping my eyes locked on her, I found myself a new paper to study and turned my attention to that one instead.
"Vas-"
"'Speaking only causes another agony,'" I spat. "'Better that one doesn't.'"
"Dad's not here to tell you that."
"He doesn't need to be."
"You used to talk with your friend a lot," Katuna stroked the captain's chair again. "Remember?"
My grip crumpled the paper in my hands.
She sighed. "So you can talk to me."
"I should have never met him," I said, staring at the damage I had caused the innocent piece of paper. "No, he should have never met me. I wish it was that way, I do."
"You'd be dead," Katuna said.
"That wouldn't be a bad thing."
"Vasili!" She slapped my back hard. "Don't talk like that!"
The papers in front of me weren't doing any good. I stood and went to the window. A small purple line outlined the horizon, slicing through the darkness and separating the sky from the ocean.
I forced out a chuckle. "You wanted me to talk. This is me talking. Talking like I talked to him. I can't be around you. I can't be around anyone. If I'm around someone, they're going to get hurt, and don't try telling me any different. If I'm even seen around someone, then they get hurt. Dad..."
I closed my eyes once more. Katuna whimpered silently behind me, keeping her mouth shut, for once. It was good. She should do that more often. It'd keep her out of a lot more trouble.
"Dad knew the danger I'd be. I should have returned home instead of hiding out here. Then he could have ended me and maybe him and Mom would still be here. Ha, think of that Katuna." I turned around. "They could--"
An orange shawl wrapped over their head and covering their whole face except for their dark brown eyes, a figure stood behind Katuna, holding a knife to her throat and a hand over her mouth. Another figure stood opposite of the first, wearing a black shawl instead, and aiming an AR at me. Katuna slowly squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her paled face.
My shoulders dropped. You idiot!