Two Years on Arsen Isle

I sat on the hard bench beside the capitan's cabin. People cheered. We were to be the first family to be sailing into the Bermuda Triangle. We were soon-to-be famous. I smiled as a little child in a pink ankle dress hopped up to me. "Hey there!!" I smiled at her.
"Hi," she replied shyly, her hands rubbing the hem of her dress.
"I'm Amelia. What's your name?"
" Bee," she whispered. Suddenly there was a slight bang and a voice called out " Bee! Get over here, you pesky rat!!!! Walk away one more time and I'll see to it that you don't get any dinner and a good whipping. Now get here and maybe you'll only get a spank."
Bee ran to the masts and down a hallway. In the darkness I saw a hand raising then swiftly falling. There was a cry, but it abruptly stopped. I shivered. Who could be that cruel? I would see to it that the mother of Bee paid for what she did.


***

The sea welcomed us with calm, open arms. I walked downstairs to the cabin we called the living room. There were nmh people From the crew there. I sat down.
" Abd this is Ameli, my daughter!" Dad said as he saw me.
I smiled.
" Honey, this is Capitan Roy," Mom said.
" Hello!" I greeted. Then I saw Bee, standing beside a cruel looking woman with an apron. " And you are...?"
" This is Mantis, our cook, and her two children... I don't believe you introduced
them yet." Dad said.
" Bee is two-" Mantis began.
" Three!!" Bee yelled. "I'm three, Mommy!"
I was probably the only one that noticed, since I was waiting for it. Mantis pressed her fingers on he pressure point on Bee's shoulder, making Bee fall to the ground whimpering. Everyone thought it was a temper tantrum.
"As I was saying, Bee is two and Miranda is 15. Zeke is 17, and he's not here now. Miranda!"
A thin girl my age stepped up. S ars marked her hands and face, but everything else was covered by a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Her hazel hair was pulled in a wavy pony-tail, and looked at the best thin and dull. Her big brown eyes looked frightened.
" Yes, mother?" she said.
" Some water."
Miranda hurried off, returning in seconds with some water.
" And please get Bee off the floor." Mantis tried her best to look worried for the audience.
Miranda gingerly picked the crying Bee in her arms and carried her away.
I stepped back and took the door Miranda had stepped trough. No one noticed. Miranda was walking slowly, cuddling Bee and comforting her.
" Uh, hello?" I said.
Miranda's head whipped her head around. The kindness that had been in her eyes when she had been talking to Bee was gone. Nor was she frightened, like when she spoke to Mantis.
" I noticed your mother seed to hurt you and-"
Miranda's fist hit my jaw. I. Cryed out.
" We're fine!" she said snottily, then turned and ran away. I rubbed my jaw. But one thing stopped me from hating her and hitting her back. The pain hidden deep in her voice.