The Maiden Voyage

A submission for IronAge Media's prompt "The Sloop."

Penelope breathed in the fresh, crisp air. She and the other passengers were on the maiden voyage of the first balloon ferry. Since she was from a rich, respectable family, she had been one of the lucky few to be able to get on. Even after its maiden voyage, only the rich would be able to afford to travel.

And why not? she thought to herself as she gazed out over the ocean and clouds beneath her. Something this fine should be kept to the rich and not spoilt by the poor. Not that the poor were bad people or anything, they just wouldn’t be able to appreciate it. And they’d probably spoil it’s grandeur; those of finer society knew how to keep things respectable.

A short, piercing scream followed by giggling. Turning her head momentarily away, Penelope saw some young men standing on the railing, showing off to the girls. One was looking her way, and took a hand off of the rope to wave at her. A sudden gust of wind caused her to hold her hat to her head, lest the three thousand crown piece be blown into the ocean.

Turning back, Penelope looked back over the expanse, wishing she could pilot the ferry. Then she could be in the skies all the time. Another scream rent the air like a shot. This one was different. It chilled her and made her hairs stand on end. Looking back, Penelope caught a glimpse of one of the girls hurtling downwards, one of the young men with a horrified expression, holding onto her shawl.

Once this was known, everyone began screaming and panicking. Penelope could not believe what had just happened. She had seen the face and was sure it was a woman she knew. It was horrible. Then another scream tore out of someone’s lungs, and grew quieter as an older man fell from the opposite side!

Penelope could not understand what was going on. Two hours into the flight and everything had been peaceful and uneventful, except for the sky whale that drifted by. Now, two people had fallen off over the railing. A scream told that a third unfortunate soul was about to be no more.

Penelope then thought she saw a shadowy figure push another off. A murder! Were they all? Had all four been pushed off? Why? Who was doing it? Was it revenge? Or was it a mad man whom no one had known was mad? Or was it a mad man whom had been allowed to come on and was away from his guardian? Penelope had no idea. She began to scream to the others, trying to make them understand.

By the time two more screams had been heard, Penelope had finally gotten enough people to understand that everyone was now having an idea what was going on. But no one could say just what was happening. Right then, her hat blew away and Penelope fell while trying to chase after it.

All of a sudden, Penelope lifted her head, rubbing her eyes groggily. Someone was shaking her. Instead of laying on the ground, trying to get to her hat, she had been resting her head on her arms, standing at the railing. Looking up, she saw the first woman to fall off, the one she knew.

“What’s going on?” she asked, standing straight.

“You’ve been asleep,” her friend snickered. “You missed a whole bunch of the whales. There must have been eight or nine.”

“I dreamt that so many people fell to their death,” Penelope said ignoring her, wondering at how real the dream had felt. “And you were the first.”

“Wasn’t I?” her friend said, laughing as she pushed Penelope over the side.

Penelope screamed, falling to her death. She wondered how long it would take to fall to her doom. She didn’t know if she wanted it to come sooner or later. But she knew one thing, she wasn’t ready to die. Immediately she started praying, something she had long ago stopped. Now, she wished she hadn’t done so, but she had. There were other regrets she had, and some strange weird thoughts, too, like how her father used to call her his Little Whiskey Flower, something she had forgotten. Then, she passed out.

Penelope came too, drowsily, and aching for some unknown reason. She was lying in a bed under a mountain of comforters and she was in a nightgown. It had all been a dream! She still had the balloon ride to go on, and no one was dying. Life was good.

“Finally awake, are we?” said an old woman bustling about.

“What time is it?” Penelope said, trying to sit up but the woman stopped her. “Is there still time to get to the maiden voyage?”

“Bless you, dearie,” the woman said, smiling down at her. “The poor creature doesn’t remember. That voyage was over a fortnight ago. Nasty fall you had.”

Thank you,
God bless