Chapter 5 Far From Home
Seraphina’s POV
The strange-looking men make me sit close to the women on the boat’s deck. Three of them look exhausted, while the last one, clearly the oldest, still looks lively.
She smiles at me and stretches a bottle of water in my direction. Though I’m thirsty, I shake my head gently. I can’t bring myself to take something from her… we’re strangers.
One of the men, Ruiz, laughs and points at me, whispering something to Pedro and Miguel. Their laughter makes me nervous. Diego, the one in charge of the boat, yells at them to behave as he starts the engine.
I sigh in relief.
As the boat picks up speed, my eyes drift back to the plank that saved my life, and the shattered remains of Mateo’s boat floating on the waves from a far distance.
Tears sting my eyes as last night’s horror rushes back. It all began in the evening, when I lost my mom and maybe even my dad. Then Dante handed me over to a stranger I barely knew, promising to come back for me.
And now I’m in the hands of these men, men I’ve never seen before. I don’t know much about sea travelers, but nothing about them feels right.
Earlier, Diego says The Landlord will pay well for me. I don’t know what that really means, but it’s clear he’s taking me somewhere I am not supposed to be. Since the other girls seem calm, I force myself to stay calm too.
We spend some time on the water, staring at each other in silence, until a plane flies above us. Diego immediately cuts the engine. He and his men watch the sky like hunted animals.
“This is unusual,” Diego mutters. “Planes don’t fly this low here.”
“Maybe someone lost his way,” Miguel shrugs.
“Or maybe,” Diego adds darkly, “someone’s smuggling drugs. They fly low to avoid radars. But I’ve never seen them on this route.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Ruiz giggles.
Diego shakes his head and restarts the engine. A while later, he tosses us bread and bottles of water. He says we need it, that we’ll be reaching land soon, and may not eat again until we get to The Landlord’s house.
The bread is dry, tasteless, but I finish mine quickly and drain the bottle.
“Wow,” Ruiz chuckles, mocking me again. But this time Diego shuts him up. “Behave, or you’ll swim the rest of the way!”
I almost let out a laugh.
Ruiz glares at me.
The kind woman from earlier passes me her leftovers, half a piece of bread and a little water. I don’t refuse this time.
“Call me Valeria,” she whispers, smiling. “What’s your name?”
“Seraphina,” I mutter, mouth full of bread.
“Nice,” she giggles at the way I chew so fast. Then she points to one of the other women. “That’s Gabriela, with the scar. Got it from our stepdad. The rest, I don't know them. Are you from El Toro?”
“No. La Terra…”
“Quiet, the both of you!” Diego snaps, eyes sharp. “You want patrol boats on us?”
Valeria only smiles again. She loves smiling. Somehow, it makes me feel safe, even though inside I’m breaking, scared I may never see Dante again; scared I may find myself in the wrong hands.
We finally arrive at our destination. The boatyard looks better than the one in La Terra, filled with seaworthy boats. Diego and his men tie ours to a cleat, then push us toward a waiting van.
They hand money to the corrupt officials on duty, then hide us under crates and boxes in case someone stops the van to check.
Ruiz and Miguel take the wheel, while Diego and Pedro follow in another car.
The ride is long and suffocating until Ruiz cheers suddenly. “Ah, cabrón! We’re finally in America… the land of liberty!”
“I can’t believe this secret route still works,” Miguel mutters.
“Told you it’s safe, maricón, but you never listen.”
“Stop with the insults, ese.”
“Fine,” Ruiz laughs.
Their voices blur until the van finally stops. We’re pulled out gently and led toward a four-floor building in the middle of the bareland. Written across its face in glowing red and blue lights are the words LA ESTANCIA.
A tall, middle-aged man comes down the stairs, with a woman trailing behind. His face is unreadable, but hers is brighten… until her eyes fall on me. Then her expression changes. Sadness flickers there, deep and heavy, and it makes me uneasy.
Diego shoves me forward. “This one will cost double, Landlord. She’s the youngest, the most beautiful, and…”
“She’s too young,” the woman interrupts, her voice sharp.
Diego’s face twists with anger. “Why don’t you shut your mouth, zorra, and let me speak to your boss!”
The woman glares back, about to whisper to the middle-aged man, but he raises a hand. She stops instantly. He doesn’t speak. He only stares at me… then smiles faintly, nodding at Diego.
“Bravo. They’re all yours,” Diego announces, stepping back with his men.
The man gestures for the woman to take us upstairs while he settles payment.
As we climb the stairs, a strange odor drifts in the air. I thought it was only me, but the other girls wrinkle their noses too.
“My name is Carolina Fernando,” the woman finally says. “But you can call me Mam Carolina. I manage this building. That smell… you’ll get used to it. Now, I want to know your names.”
We tell her one by one. Then she pushes open a door. Inside, three beautiful women. One getting dressed, two on their beds. They quickly stood and greet her.
“What are you doing? Goddammit! The chauffeurs are on their way already” she snaps.
“We are sorry, Mam...”
“Quiet!” she yells at them. Then she turns to Valeria. “You. Join them. You live here now.”
Valeria hesitates but obeys. She looks around the dingy room, but still manages to smile at me as the door closes between us.
Mam Carolina drops Gabriela in another room, then the other women… in separate rooms too. Finally, her eyes settle on me.
“You…” she mutters, stepping closer. “I don’t know how you ended up here, but… you’re too young for this.” Her fingers brush through my hair, trailing down my gown. “How old are you? Where are you from? Your full name this time.”
“My name is Seraphina Caldwell. I’m 19 years old, from…” tears burn my eyes as I whisper, “La Terra.”
Her face pales. She freezes.
“Caldwell? 19 years old? From La… La Terra?” she stammers, staring at me wide-eyed like she knows something about me.
