Only This Once

A light mist hung over the calm ocean like a curtain. Gentle waves crashed into the hulls of the ship, gently rocking it from side to side.

The calm silence of the night was only broken by the wailing wood of the ship. 

Most of the crew had gone below deck to sleep, the captain and his husband had retreated back to the Captain's cabin to rest for the day.

Only Zhou and Tao still stood on the upper deck, guiding the wind to push the ship forward.

"I don't like this," Zhou mumbled under his breath as the moon came to view from behind the cluster of clouds, lighting up the ship in a cold, eerie light.

The entire main deck was covered with a thick black canvas, weighed down by crates of supplies that could withstand the water creeping up the deck from time to time. Ropes tied the fabric down and to the railings.