After The Silence Ch. 06

After The Silence - Ch 6

How something so bright turns dark, sisterhood survival

A/N - PTSD WARNING! The beginning of this chapter finds Annie in a non-consensual sexual situation. If you find this troublesome, I recommend skipping down to Late Thursday Morning.

Please enjoy this fictional series. The idea and character came to me while researching a potential vacation. It brings together my love of music, vacations, and the ability for one to express themselves. I'm not certain how many chapters this will be as I want to make Annie an ongoing MC. I do hope you enjoy.

????Early Thursday Morning ????

I woke up feeling Karl's hard cock pressed against my ass. Last night was an amazing evening with him. I enjoyed his focus, we had amazing sex, it wasn't making love, but it was boarding on it.

If every Wednesday night and Thursday morning could be like this, it could be something special which I could look forward to from a sex standpoint. I knew I didn't want a boyfriend. That was firm in my mind now.

I closed my eyes, refreshed by the remembered feeling of him thrusting into me without splitting me in two and not making me so sore I wasn't able to walk. Which was more than I could have asked for.

Making love to Karl wasn't just satisfactory, if you know what I mean, he was above anything Derrick had done for me. I felt his hand move up my side and cup my smallish breast. His thumb circled my areola without touching my nipple.

I moaned as I shifted my bottom against his cock. His hand moved lower, caressing my side and thigh. He rested it on my outer thigh and kissed my neck.

I murmured, "Good morning Karl." I teased him a bit more and pressed my ass into his cock again.

He gently lifted my leg, opened me up and asked. "Do you have time this morning?"

Karl started kissing my shoulder and below my neck. This time, his kisses felt firmer. There was a more aggressive feeling to them.

My hand moved down and reaching down between my legs, I touched his hard cock bringing it to my entrance.

"Karl please, make love to me again!" I murmured as I continued caressing his cock.

He closed his teeth on my skin, it felt nice, until there was a deeper and extremely firmer bite. I shifted as I felt him bite harder.

"That's too hard Karl." I pulled my shoulder and upper body away from him and rolled to try and face him. "Too hard." I turned my head as far as I could and softly kissed his cheek.

He didn't say anything but he closed the gap between us kissing my neck. He moved his hand and fisted his cock.

"Open." His voice was harsher, not soft.

"Karl, please, love me, gently." I gently lifted up my leg. Karl kissed my skin again at my shoulder and pressed the head of his cock inside me.

I moaned as my body adjusted to him, but then felt him thrust all at once, deep into me. It was not the most pleasant feeling, but it wasn't horrible.

He pulled back and thrust deeper, our bodies meeting. Again he closed his teeth on my skin and pulled his cock back. But this time when he thrust forward, it was as if he was a changed man.

"Karl!" I barked. "Not so harsh."

Karl was thrusting in and out but with an aggression of a totally different man. I could hear it in his breathing and feel it in his movement. This morning wasn't about us making love, it felt as if he was using me for himself.

But when he closed his teeth, biting my back harder, I squealed. "No! Karl, that's too hard."

He didn't relent, and now the pain was more intense than I wanted. As fast as I could, I moved away from him rolling onto my back facing him.

"No, Karl, that was too much! That isn't loving." I screamed at him.

He moved closer, kneeling over me. His hands gripped my knees and opened my legs. He slid forward his cock back at my entrance. I moved my hands and pressed them to his chest.

I was trying to push him away, but he moved quickly and fed his cock deep into me, filling me.

"No stop!" I pushed harder against his chest. This was now uncomfortable. The pain I felt and his movements weren't welcoming nor did I find this loving.

"Karl stop!" I was forceful in my words and tried again to push him away from me. "Stop Karl, you are hurting me!"

He seemed to want to press on, he grabbed my wrists holding them over my head as he now knelt above me. The look in his eyes wasn't the loving man of last night. I closed my legs as best as I could.

I spoke firmly. "Karl, let me go, that's enough."

He shook his head finally speaking, "I want you, I want you as mine and only mine Annie!"

I started wiggling my body back and forth. I tried to pull my wrists free but he held me tighter.

I then tried to reason with him. "Karl, this isn't what I want from you. I want you as a true gentleman lover, not like this, please, no!"

He squeezed my hands tighter and shook his head, as if he wasn't relenting. I had no other choice, he wasn't being reasonable.

"Karl that is enough, leave me now or I'll report you."

"To who? I'm the ship's HR Department." His tone shifted as if he was threatening me. "Give me what I want Annie!"

There was evil in his voice, an evil I wanted nothing to do with. I continued struggling. I fought him as best as I could, I finally freed my left leg and pushed it against his stomach, "Karl stop! I'll scream rape, stop this right now!"

"Come on Annie, I know you want this, I've watched you watch me, from your first day through your teasing this morning in bed, it is sweet, but no longer. I'll take you and own you."

KARL STOP! I screamed as loud as I could. Then with all the force I had, I kicked his stomach forcing him off of me as he coughed and gasped, losing all of his breath. I kicked him again and as he fell away, I kicked him a third time.

I scrambled from my bed. I grabbed my robe and pulled it on. I didn't care about the embarrassment I would cause myself, but I opened my cabin door and screamed, "Get out! Now, get out Karl!"

He stood from my bed after catching his breath. He whispered so no one but me heard him. "You're a bitch! I'll get what I want, you'll see." He pulled on his pants and shirts then cursed me once more as he walked out, down the crew cabin corridor.

I slammed my cabin door shut and fell onto my bed crying in fear of what just happened but more so, what would happen to me.

????Last Thursday Morning????

I eventually got out of bed and just before eleven o'clock I made my way to the theater. The tears of this morning had paused, but not stopped. Worse yet, nor had the fear of what he had said to me.

I was now in greater fear of him, he was right, he was the on ship Human Resources, who would they believe, him or me?

I sat at the piano as the members of the orchestra walked in. I shifted my persona and closed it off as best I could. Totally out of character, when the entire orchestra arrived, without a greeting, I tapped my baton and started our rehearsal.

When we finished the run through, I quickly complimented the orchestra of eight. All sixteen eyes looked at me and I swear they could see that I was sexually assaulted and there was nothing I could do about it.

I excused myself knowing I needed to find a safe space where I could be alone. I fled to the only place I knew, my cabin and my bed. The same place where this sexual assault took place.

At least that is how it felt to me, that I was assaulted. I asked him not to, then begged him not to but then when threatened, I took the only steps I could. My heart and soul were crushed.

As I got to my cabin, I quickly wrote in bold, "Please Do Not Disturb" on my whiteboard.

I stripped from my tracksuit and dressed in a long sleeved shirt and lounge pants. I curled into my bed, grabbing my pillow and started crying all over again.

There was a soft knock on my cabin door. I ignored it just curling up in my bed, burying my face in my pillow. There was a second knock. I squeezed my pillow tighter and buried my face deeper hoping whoever it was couldn't hear my tears and screams.

Thankfully, they walked away not attempting to disturb me further.

Just before lunch time there was another knock on my door but this time I heard her voice, the voice I couldn't ignore, it was Amie. I moved from my bed and opened the door when Amie saw my face and my expression, she knew something was drastically wrong.

"Maestro, please what is it?"

I just shook my head and walked back to my bed. I crawled into bed and hugged my pillow crying. It was as if I was reaching out to her for help. Yet, I didn't want the truth to be known. I just didn't want to be found as a weak and vulnerable, let alone potentially a sexually abused woman.

The overarching thought was that I brought this on myself, worse yet, I was being this harsh to Amie.

Amie moved and came to my bed and wrapped me in her arms. I needed to push her away, I needed to reject her. I cried harder as someone touched me.

But if I pushed her away, she would know immediately something was wrong and go call Katya. I cried harder as the physical touch of someone, even Amie made me shiver in absolute panic.

I nearly got sick to my stomach. Eventually, I calmed myself enough to turn to her though I kept my eyes closed, I whispered to her. "Amie, I can't have you like we were. I feel so horrible for forcing you to love me."

She wrapped me in her arms even tighter and with more outward love. "But Maestro I beg you to reconsider, I have never felt safer and more loved ever."

I just cried. "I'm so sorry Amie." We laid there for a long time as friends but I was still in fear and panic for what came next from Karl.

????Early Thursday Evening????

Amie woke me asking if I was going to eat dinner before our show tonight. When I declined, she kissed my cheek, which I cringed in panic, nearly pushing her away again.

She whispered telling me she was going to go eat and bring me food back to my room then she would dress for the show.

It wasn't more than thirty minutes later, I got up from my bed and showered for the show. I wasn't feeling well and I certainly didn't want to look attractive or feel pretty at all tonight. I was aiming for simplicity. I dressed in black slacks, not even wanting to wear a dress, and my white blouse with my black vest, ready to put on later. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and just left it at that.

There was a knock on my door. Not only did I hear Amie's voice, I also heard Katya. Amie brought our third friend, our sisterhood, back-up.

I knew they were going to come in either way so I let them in my cabin and turned and sat at my desk. It was then the inquisition began. They weren't harsh, they were loving and kind.

Katya started, "In less than twenty-four hours, you went from the happiest woman I knew, to one who can't smile, let alone, one who can't seem to stop crying."

I didn't reply, I just grabbed a tissue and tried to dry my eyes.

"What did he say or do to you? We heard the commotion as you kicked him from your room this morning."

I denied everything when she first asked. But then when she asked a second time. That is when I whispered.

I whispered, "Katya, he hurt me."

????

Now imagine if you will, a Russian woman, who is herself running from her past and is hiding from her male companion, just learned that the woman she has befriended and had privately shared that very personal information with just told her she has been hurt, assaulted by a man.

The rage Katya held inside as she swiftly stood and moved to me taking my hands and started looking my body over as if she was inspecting her child for injuries.

I slowly stood and the tears started all over again. But when I unbuttoned my blouse and lifted my camisole and showed Katya my back she screamed in Russian.

"Bozhe moy! Chto etot monstr s toboy sdelal?!" ("What has that monster done to you?")

Katya quickly moved, grabbing her phone and snapped three different pictures. Then she moved to my bathroom and soaked my washcloths in cold water. She pressed the first to my shoulder, then a second to the center of my back, where I couldn't reach. That is where he bit me the hardest, truly trying to mark me as his.

I knew what she was doing. He had bitten me in a spot where I couldn't reach. He intended to definitely humiliate me if I sought out assistance, and it was working.

She spoke softly to Amie. "Hold the compress gently on her skin."

Then I heard what sounded like her texting. "Katya! No! You can't." I turned almost screaming at her.

"She stepped forward and hugged me, I will protect you from him, I swear. Russian Mama Bear has you my friend."

She had Amie keep a cold compress back on my back changing it when it got warm. They took turns going to get dressed, neither of them left me alone. Amie did bring me a small sandwich for dinner, nearly forcing me to eat.

I knew it was too late but I asked, "Katya, please say nothing to no one! I beg you."

She frowned and shook her head. "No ya lyublyu tebya." ("But I love you!")

????

At seven thirty, we left my cabin and made our way to the orchestra pit on Deck 3. At seven forty-five, I sat behind the piano and shivered in pure fear of someone finding out.

However, we got through the show without major issues. Though twice Stephan whispered in my ear as tears streamed down my face. I was lagging behind and needed to get with it.

That just made me cry even more. I was now failing in my personal life again, but now I was failing in my professional life.

We closed the second show, just before eleven o'clock and as the stage was lowered via hydraulic lift down to the pit, Erinn was waiting and along with her was a man, dressed in all black suit, shirt, tie. I looked at his name plate. Deeptesh Moshan, Chief Security.

Fear immediately struck me deep in my soul. I started crying.

He stepped forward and addressed me. "Maestro, your performance was wonderful, however I have been called here on a more formal matter. Will you please come with me to Deck 2?"

I cried harder, I hesitated, "I won't go alone, can..."

This is when Erinn spoke up. "I will accompany you to medical and then to the interview room if you wish."

Tears continued to stream down my face. "Erinn, I'm so sorry."

????

When I stepped off the elevator Captain Jonathan and Captain Henrik both stood there. Captain Jonathan spoke in a soft tone. "Maestro please know you have my full support, I shall not have this on my ship, and it doesn't matter who it was."

I started crying harder as I nodded and walked into the Infirmary. Once inside, Erinn stayed with me, while Deeptesh stood outside. Two women appeared and they slowly escorted me to a room where I sat on a table. When the exam room door closed behind me, I cried even harder.

"Annie, I am Nicole, I am one of the staff physicians here on the ship. We have been informed that an assault may have taken place."

I just nodded.

"Anything discussed here will stay private unless it is discovered there was an assault. At that point I will share minimal necessary medical information with Deeptesh, our Chief of Security and of course the Captain." She paused. "Do you have any questions?"

I shook my head, "No questions but..." I looked at Erinn, "He threatened me, told me he was the HR on the ship, no one would believe me."

That is when Dr Nicole Philips spoke softer and asked if I would consent to a full examination. I nodded my head and continued crying. I was asked to remove my clothing and dress in a paper gown for a full exam.

????

It was two hours later when a female security officer, and Deeptesh finished with my interview. I was asked if I had any questions, I didn't have a question, I had a concern, well several.

I asked, "Mr. Moshan, I swear I did nothing to provoke this. Am I being terminated? If not, how can I be safe around the ship?"

He stood from the small desk we sat at. "It will be my recommendation, which will stay confidential to all except the Captain, Staff Captain and the Florida State Police, and to the police only if you press charges, which based on your statement, you should, but you will be named as the victim without incitement."

He stood. "Maestro, I am also pending final medical review from Dr Nicole Philips. That information must be annotated. I am so sorry this has happened under my security of this ship, but you will not have your contract terminated. I am sure the Captain, Staff Captain, and Cruise Director, will speak to you in the morning as is standard."

He turned to his female security office, "Maestro is to be escorted everywhere she goes once leaving her cabin. I will go and detain Karl after notifying the Captain."

????Very Early Friday Morning ????

I was escorted to my cabin. I dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a zip up top. When I opened my door Roseanna, the security guard stood there and tried to smile.

"I would like to go out on deck and be alone please."

She nodded and we took the back steps and crew elevator up to Deck 15. Once on Deck 15, I made my way quietly out through the Solarium to the very front of the ship. It was dark, quiet and as peaceful as could possibly be. Roseanna, my security was never more than fifteen feet away.

Now here in the silence of this world, I cried and contemplated my next song.

????

I was alone for maybe fifteen minutes when I thought I heard her radio crackling in the background shattering the silence. She walked close to me. "Excuse me Maestro, your presence is requested. Will you follow me?"

I turned and looked at her. "May I ask who wants to see me?"

"It is the Cruise Director, in her office please." Roseanna said.

Now maybe Roseanna wasn't aware, but the Cruise Director, Claire's office, was connected to her cabin and bedroom.

I walked slowly behind Roseanna as we made our way down the Officers' Corridor. We stopped at her cabin door and waited. Roseanna stood there next to me and knocked. It didn't take more than five seconds,

Claire opened her cabin door, she stood there for a moment then invited me inside. I stepped in as Roseanna waited outside. Behind Claire, Erinn sat on her chair.

"Annie!" Claire stepped forward to wrap me in her arms. I stood cold and frozen. She drew me into a tight, protective hug and gently kissed my forehead, a maternal, comforting gesture. But the moment her lips touched my skin, my skin crawled.

My stomach twisted. The memory of Karl's mouth on my neck flashed behind my eyes, and I pressed my hands against Claire, and pushed myself away from her.

"I... I'm sorry, I can't..." I gasped, trembling as I shivered, my stomach churned as if I would be sick.

Claire released me instantly, her eyes filling with deep concern. "What is it, my dear?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper.

"Claire, please don't be offended, but I'm going to be sick. I need to be alone." I stepped back, a fresh tear spilling down my cheek. "You all love me so much, and you're trying to hold me together... but right now, I can't handle being touched... by anyone. I feel like I'm going to break, all over again but this time never return."

I turned quickly, unable to let them see me crumble further. I opened the door to find Roseanna. "Can we please go back to my cabin now?"

She nodded as I nearly ran down the corridor. Once inside my cabin, I closed and locked the door, curling into my bed, hugging my pillow, just crying.

????

The knock on my cabin door didn't sound like a knock. In the echoing silence of my cabin, and in my mind it was a thunderous noise deafening me and blaring my mind even more.

Though I hadn't slept I flinched so hard my spine went rigid as my head bumpred against the headboard. My heart immediately leaped into my throat, hammering a frantic, erratic rhythm against my ribs.

Karl!

My brain screamed hearing his snarl and demands before logic could stop it. Even though Deeptesh said he would detain him, the terror was a living, breathing thing inside me. I stared at the wood of the door, terrified that if I blinked, the lock would turn.

"Maestro?"

It was Amie's voice, soft and tentative, bleeding through the door.

"Annie, open up. It is us," Katya's thick, commanding accent followed.

The air rushed out of my lungs in a shaky, ragged gasp. I pulled my knees tighter to my chest, burying my face in the fabric of my sweatpants for a brief second. I was safe, it was them. But the relief was instantly swallowed by a wave of brutal, suffocating embarrassment.

They were going to look at me. They were going to see the pathetic, ruined shell I had become.

Slowly, feeling like my limbs were made of concrete, I slid out of bed. I pulled my zip-up top tight around my throat, making sure the collar completely hid as much of me as possible. I didn't want them to see, I didn't want to see myself.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open just a crack.

Amie and Katya were standing there, and right behind them, Roseanna, stood at a respectful distance. The moment the door nudged open, Katya didn't wait. She gently but decisively pushed her way inside, her sharp eyes scanning my face, the room, checking every corner like a soldier clearing a bunker. Amie stepped in right behind her, carrying a small tray with a covered plate and a mug of something hot.

When Amie saw me, my unwashed and mussed hair, the dark, hollow circles under my eyes, the way I was trembling just holding the door handle, her eyes welled with instant, painful sympathy.

"Oh, Maestro," Amie whispered, her voice cracking. She set the tray down on my desk and reached out a hand toward my arm, entirely out of love and concern.

I flinched away, taking a few short steps backward until my calves hit the edge of my bed. "Please," I choked out, my voice sounding completely foreign to my own ears, raspy, small, and broken. "Please don't touch me, Amie. I... I can't."

Amie froze, her hand dropping instantly. The rejection hurt her, I could see it in the slight quiver of her lip, but she masked it immediately with absolute understanding.

"I'm sorry. I won't. I just... I brought you some green tea and toast, a bagel with cream cheese. I had seen you eat one before. You have to eat something before rehearsal, Annie."

Katya crossed her arms, standing like an iron wall. She had moved to stand with her back against the cabin door. Her expression was fiercely grim, but when she looked at me, the hard edges of her face softened.

"She is right, Annie, in less than an hour, we go to the theater. The orchestra, my dancers, they will all be looking at the Maestro. We are your sisterhood. We are your shields always."

I looked from the tray to the two of them. The shame of being this vulnerable in front of my friends was a heavy weight in my gut, but looking at Katya's fierce posture and Amie's gentle eyes, a tiny, fragile spark of safety managed to punch through the darkness. They weren't judging me, they were protecting me.

"I am so sorry my friends, I have made a fool of myself." I stepped towards Amie. I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her gently. "I am so sorry."

I could feel Amie relax under my touch. Her hands moved carefully coming to the small of my back. I felt her warm breath on my skin, and I slowly began to relax. I repeated, "I am so sorry, can you forgive me?"

"I am sorry as well. I didn't assume, but of course, I am yours as we had said Maestro." She kissed my cheek, "I am here for whatever you need."

Then I felt another gentle hand touch my shoulder. "I hug you as well but don't forget I am not your lover." Katya wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear. "We protect you. Amie loves you, I protect you Annie."

I was surprised how this felt. I feared their touch but yet I was comforted by my friends.

When we separated Katya was the first to let go, "Eat, shower and dress. Amie will help." Her Eastern European accent was firmer.

I smiled at her. "Katya, I do love you."

But then I pulled back slightly and turned to Amie, I softly kissed her cheek. "And I love you as well Amie, just give me time to not be afraid."

????

True to their words and promises, and along with Roseanna, I made it to the theater. I made it through rehearsal. The two times I looked over needing support, Amie was there. She was just as focused as I was on our craft or music, but I saw something in her, something so much deeper.

The look, the expressions, it was love, a look I have projected so many times myself. It scared me, it shook me to my core, but it also wrapped itself around my heart, yes, I could see Amie loved me.

????Late Friday Night ????

That night the stage and the orchestra lowered down with it into the pit. We closed the second show with power and with excellence. I was so proud of them. As we heard Claire's announcements above us, I raised my hand momentarily.

"If I could speak with you all please." They all paused, all sixteen eyes looked on as I slid from the bench and came to walk around the piano.

"Please forgive me as the last days have been a challenge for me. I just want to thank you for your love and support."

I couldn't connect eye to eye with Amie, or I think I would have broken down crying but I would thank her later.

"Maestro?" Nathan inquired, "You are our family, we aren't sure what's going on but believe me, we're here."

"Nathan, you have no idea how much that means to me." I smiled wide. "So for now, I am going to go find my way to the Schooner Bar, I have a need to relax and get lost in some music."

Through the "Crew Only" door, I stepped out and made my way over to the Schooner Bar. I was surprised to see it still "open" with passengers enjoying a few laughs. I walked over and quietly opened the key cover and slid the bench out from underneath. I took a seat and exhaled, closing my eyes.

My fingers found the keyboard, softly I touched them and in my mind, as is my muscle memory, I proceeded to start Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat Major.

My heart was beating my mind floating, the elegance in this conversation was what lifted moods, it settled a troubled soul and frankly, I didn't even need to think, my hands and fingers just moved.

After just four minutes and thirty or so seconds, I brought my fingers to a slow completion... and stopped. I exhaled and then from behind, I heard the soft applause.

Wait, applause from my right? The bar and passengers were to my left. I quickly opened my eyes and turned my head as if on a swivel. And there they stood, all eight of them, those sixteen eyes and hands, eight pairs looking on from the left and each softly applauding for me.

Me!

"Bravo Maestro! Bravo!" The soft murmurs came as they slowly stepped forward from my side.

Suddenly the tears just broke. I was so overwhelmed with their love I just started crying. They all made their way over and surrounded me in the tiny space, each of them, one by one whispering to me their accolades.

The last was Amie. She bent her head down and whispered, "You see the love we have for you? It will never end."

She stood but then something special happened. From my left, from the bar, an older woman and her husband spoke. "Maestro, one more please if you can?"

Amie bent down again and whispered, "You see pure love and respect Maestro."

I nodded and then turned to the woman at the bar, "It's my pleasure."

I played for what seemed another twenty minutes. When I slowed to the last note, the applause was even louder. I turned to see nearly fifty passengers and crew standing there listening to me, including Captain Jonathan, Claire, Erinn, and Mae.

I was escorted to my Deck 3 cabin, Roseanna met us on the way escorting us. Once at the cabin, Amie hugged me firmly. I unlocked my door and held her hand walking us inside to cuddle in bed.

????Saturday Morning ????

I was up early and hugged Amie as I slipped on my running shoes. As I readied to step out of my cabin, I turned and looked at Amie, in my bed. I stepped back to her and bent down and kissed her cheek.

I whispered in her ear, "Please give me time to understand what happened and what is going on as I try to deal with this moving forward." I kissed her cheek, "Please?"

I stood and made my way out of my cabin and through the crew areas to exit onto the jogging track. Once I made my way to a safe area, I started to stretch and then took off on a slow jog.

The beauty of the sun slowly breaking the horizon motivated me even more. I had finished a third lap slowly increasing my pace when Nan passed by me as she started her cooldown walk. Her jogging shorts were a bit loose but I could tell she had a highly reasonable fitness level. There didn't seem to be an ounce of fat on her as far as I could see.

I caught her attention and shivered when she smiled, "Good Morning Maestro."

"Good morning Nan, I meant to thank you for your kindness these last few days and last night." She smiled and blushed slightly.

"My pleasure Maestro. We are so excited that someone of your skills is onboard."

She slowed her steps as we turned the corner again walking around the ship. "I'm going to walk another lap, do you have time to join me?" She just nodded and smiled.

We didn't say much but as we walked I could tell there was something very different about Nan. It wasn't just her height, it was her body, the gate of her walk and how she carried herself. She had a very humble but a shy confidence about herself.

When we came around the front of the ship and started our walk back, she slowed a bit. "Maestro, I want to thank you. I don't have many friends here onboard. Like you, I am new, this is my first sailing."

We came to the crew entrance, I stepped inside the corridor and opened the crew door. She stepped with me. "Nan?" I looked up at her, there was a beauty like none other I had ever seen. "I'll be your friend. We can learn the ropes together."

She smiled wider, "Yes Maestro I love that, but I have work and must report at eight in the main dining room, then in the Windjammer until four. I will be in Schooner Bar later tonight until it closes."

I smiled, "Until later my friend." She smiled, nodded then turned and walked away. There was a settling happy feeling which came over me.

????

After my shower and the eleven o'clock rehearsal, I was heading to the Schooner Bar for music trivia Erinn. It would be my first specific time with her since the incident. I was hoping she would be kind.

When I arrived, the bar was packed with passengers. I scanned the crowd and there was Tabitha and that man. I nodded and blinked four times. She returned the action, there, we were connected.

Erinn arrived and stepped close to me. She whispered softly in my ear, a welcome message and one hoping I was doing alright. I smiled and replied that I would like a moment to speak to her afterwards. She smiled and we went to work. I love afternoon music trivia and singalongs.

When we finished with question twenty and then scrolled through the answers, Erinn smiled and smiled. I closed up the piano and slowly made my way through the crew door, on the other side stood Erinn.

The expression on her face nearly made me cry. I stepped closer and reached for her hands.

"I have a long road of healing ahead of me."

I paused but felt Erinn hold my hands tighter. "And we are here for you, with you if needed, the entire way."

I shivered as our eyes locked. "I can't promise anything."

"I don't need a promise, I need my friend and if it moves forward then great but I am here for you."

"Erinn?" She nodded, "Please tell Claire this as I ask you, don't close the door on me, please."

"I promise, I won't and not speaking for her but I doubt she will either." She leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you, forgive me. I must leave and prepare for tonight."

She held my hand another moment and then winked. "Annie, I'm rooting for you."

????Early Sunday Morning ????

I was awake and moving well before the sun, I showered and dressed. As ordered and as I had promised Captain Jonathan, just minutes after we docked, I walked down the aft gangway and stood with Roseanna and Deeptesh. We were met by a Florida State Trooper. I was escorted into a private room inside the terminal.

Once in the terminal room, two others, both females met us. Deeptesh hadn't left my side, they carefully went over my statements regarding Karl. I freely offered what I could and left no detail untold.

The cruise line had already sent from the corporate headquarters a legal representative to assist me. Also making things significantly easier was the information that Deeptesh had already shared. I was back on the ship in less than two hours.

To say it was hellish and the interview regarding Karl was easy would be a bold faced lie. I was forced to recount each and every detail. Thankfully, Deeptesh was by my side the entire time. When he and the corporate attorney walked me back to the gangway and as I made my way back on the ship, Dr Nicole Philips stood there. She simply nodded and asked me to follow her.

Down to Deck 2 we walked but as we turned the corner to Medical she explained that it was just precautionary. Captain Jonathan, Captain Henrik, and Claire wanted her to ensure I was fine.

"It's just a conversation Annie, just you and I chatting to ensure you are fine." Dr. Philips spoke reassuringly.

I took a deep breath and released it but then yes, I broke and slowly let it all out and cried. She just let me cry it out, wordlessly but with the utmost support and understanding.

Not more than ten minutes later, Dr. Philips assisted me in standing and walked with me to the staircase. I turned as we stood for a moment. "I must go and change and prepare for my duties."

Dr. Philips just nodded, but then whispered, "Maestro, you are a brave woman, a brave woman."

I nodded. "I don't know if I am brave but I hope I can put some of this behind me Doctor."

????End of Chapter Six????

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