The Black Flower

The ship arrived exactly when it was supposed to.

No one knew where it came from, and no one knew why it was there. It just showed up in the port and waited. There was no captain, no crew. It just was.

Penelope went to the docks every day just to stare at her pirate ship. She needed to draw it, to memorize it. She didn’t know why it was so important to her, but something inside of her told her that the ship was there just for her. Being ten, however, made that very difficult for Penelope.

Every day she would go to the docks to study her pirate ship and every night she would run home and ask her mother every question she could think of. Her mother, Elizabeth, answered in the best way she could think of: vaguely.

“Where are all the crew, mama?” Penelope would ask while helping her mother prepare for dinner.

“I am sure they are just staying in the Inn’s nearby, sweetheart.” Elizabeth would reply. Then after about five questions, Penelope’s bratty little brother David would run in screaming “PIRATE SHIP! PIRATE SHIP!”

“Hush now, David dear. There is no pirate ship. It is just a ship at dock.” Elizabeth scolded. “And there will be no more incessant questions while we eat dinner. Do you understand me, Penelope?”

Penelope nodded her head and continued to help her mother, all the while daydreaming about her ship.

On the 6th day after it arrived, something new happened. Penelope was sitting by the docks as she had for the past five days, when Mrs. Hampshire walked right by her. Penelope called out a greeting to her next door neighbor, but she appeared not to hear her and walked on board the ship. At this, the little girl took note and waited to see what happened next.

An hour later, Mrs. Donahue also walked on. Thirty minutes later, Jennifer Oleander joined them. Ten minutes after that, Allison Carter joined too. This continued at different intervals for another couple of hours. Many of Penelope’s female neighbors walked onto this mysterious ship and she couldn’t think of the reason why. None of them seemed to have any real connection to each other. They ranged in age, but Penelope did notice that all of them were without husbands or families.

She was just about to walk on the ship to find out why, when she heard her mother calling her name. Penelope rushed home with her notebook in hand. Today she was going to ask her mother new, specific, and more important questions.

“Mama! I have more drawings and questions about the pirate ship!” Penelope shouted when she walked through the doors. She had accidentally called it a “pirate ship,” forgetting how much her mother hated it being called that.

“Penelope.” Her mother sounded angry. “We don’t know that it is a pirate ship. If we knew that, you wouldn’t be allowed to take one step in its direction. Don’t go starting rumors, or talking about things you know nothing about. Now, wash up. It’s time for dinner.”

Penelope did as she was told and sat down to eat. David sat next to her and stole all of their mother’s attention. Every time she tried to talk to Elizabeth, he yelled “MOMMY MOMMY LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO!” and made a new funny face. Penelope eventually stopped trying, and let David steal the show, as usual. Elizabeth could tell that this was bothering her daughter, but she was glad to not have to talk about the ship.

Dinner finished and everyone washed up again. Penelope looked at her mother, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. She didn’t understand what this could mean, but the ship was more important to her than trying to figure out why her mother was being so strange. After everyone went to bed and she finally knew that everyone would be asleep, Penelope snuck out through her bedroom window. She had to understand what was happening on her ship.

It was 3am.

But when she arrived to the docks something was different. The ship was no longer tied up, the loading dock was no longer down, and the sails were brought up. The boat was moving, leaving.

All Penelope could do was stand there. She considered chasing it, but since she didn’t want to leave her mother behind and leave with the boat, she couldn’t. So she just watched it leave. And she stayed there until she could no longer see it on the horizon, disappearing with a flash of a green light.

The day the mysterious ship left, Penelope felt that she lost something. It wasn’t just the ship itself but something was decidedly missing inside of her as well. Every night she would have the same dream. The ship was always on the horizon, never indicating whether it was coming or going.

She had this dream every single night for the next 9 years.

Until one night was different. This time her ship was docked again.

Penelope shot out of bed. It was 2am, but something inside of her screamed that she needed to leave her room and go to the dock. Today had to be the day. So, she got dressed and snuck out her window for the first time since she was ten years old.

She was nervous the whole trek there, but her nerves vanished the moment she arrived. There it was, on the horizon. She knew that it was arriving just for her, again.

Penelope stood there, heart pounding in her chest for the next two hours, watching and waiting for the ship to arrive and dock. When it did, no one exited the ship. Then, the loading dock set up seemingly all on its own, as well as the rope tying it to the dock. As far as she could see it looked like no one was working, and no one was on deck.

In awe, Penelope just stood there, staring at this seemingly magic mystery ship. She was even more confused than ever. This time she needed to have answers. But something was holding her back. Penelope had imagined this moment for the last nine years, but she couldn’t seem to make herself move to the ship and do something about it.

“It will stay for a week, just like last time.” Penelope calmly told herself. “I have time. I don’t have to abandon everything right at this moment. I can wait. I can take my time.” But she also couldn’t move from her spot, even to go home. She could only stand there, staring at the ship.

Eventually the sun started to rise. It was as if she was thawed. Penelope could move again.

“All of those women never came back,” Penelope thought as she walked back home, almost talking herself out of eventually walking onto the boat.

“But, remember Penelope, most of those women constantly talked about something more to living than stationary family life. Plus they were probably all friends, planning this escape!” She argued with herself.

“… You both love the life you have with your family and crave adventure. You love your family way too much to leave, but you know this life isn’t for you. But you can’t have both.” Penelope was at a standstill with herself. She had no answer. Every decision made her unhappy. Thankfully she had time.

No one was awake when she found herself back in bed, waiting to start the day. Her mind was a jumble. She could only think about that ship and what she should do, still not coming to any conclusions.

When she finally got out of bed, the day went on like any average day. Penelope was nineteen now. She still lived in her family home with her mother and younger brother. Their father had left when Penelope was 8, so when David turned 12 he got the first apprenticeship he could find. Four years later, he was an assistant apothecary and bringing home enough money to keep their home relatively afloat. Because of this, though, Penelope had double the amount of chores to do to help her mother get through each day. They also tried to make any extra money they could by trade. Sometimes, if Penelope was able, she would even try to sell her artwork. A lot of her drawings and paintings were of her ship, but some people often found them fine enough to buy.

“Penny! Hurry up with that corn. We need to head over to the market!” Elizabeth called to her from inside the kitchen. Penelope was taking her time in the garden. Considering her ship while trying to do her chores made her work more leisurely than her mother approved. She quickened her pace and ran inside about a minute later.

“What has gotten into you today?” Her mother asked her full of judgment. Penelope just shrugged and picked up her basket, following Elizabeth into town.

While at the market, the women went about their daily business and forgot the morning troubles. Penelope, however, still couldn’t stop thinking about her ship docked in the harbor.

After the day of selling the vegetables from their garden, and Penelope selling one of her drawings, they made their way home. Elizabeth noticed Penelope’s absentmindedness again and decided it was time to bring up a long avoided subject.

“Bradley from a few houses down has requested your hand in marriage.” She stated abruptly. Penelope halted.

“What?” She started. Elizabeth kept walking.

“Bradley Pickerton has asked me for my permission to make you his wife.” Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

“I heard you, Mother.” Penelope said from where she stood a few feet behind. “I am more shocked because you are only mentioning it now and you don’t seem to be bothered.”

Elizabeth finally stopped walking and turned towards her daughter, meeting her eyes. “I told him yes,” She said.

“You did what!?” Penelope almost shouted.

“Penny, you are nineteen years old and we only have one real income in our house of three. It is time you start your own household with someone who can actually take care of you. I certainly cannot and your brother is only sixteen. He shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of his older sister when she is of age to find a husband.” Elizabeth turned back around and started walking.

Penelope couldn’t think of a way to convince her mother otherwise. What she said had merit, even if the thought of marriage made Penelope sick. She could only shake her head and follow her mother home to help prepare dinner for their family.

Throughout dinner, Penelope was silent and fuming with rage. She didn’t want to marry anyone and she didn’t care that Bradley Pickerton was the most eligible bachelor in town.

After dinner, Penelope went to her room and slammed her door shut. She didn’t know what to do. Then it hit her. She could leave on the ship. It had come for her. She felt it in her bones. It was here to take her away from this unwanted life in front of her. She could leave and never look back. Her family didn’t seem to need or want her, anyway. There was officially nothing stopping her.

It was 2am.

Penelope gathered a bag to bring with her, making sure to bring her sketchbook, and snuck out her window for the third and final time. She walked to the docks with every surety that this was the right decision.

Her ship was still there, waiting for her, calling to her.

About to walk up the loading dock, she lost her confidence for one second and almost turned around. Hearing her mother’s voice telling her that she said yes to her hand in marriage without even considering Penelope’s opinion, all of her certainty came rushing back to her and she walked onto the vessel.

A green light flashed before her eyes and everything changed.