London Harmony: Water Gypsy Read Online Free PDF Page B

Scratch was nowhere to be seen.
    I glanced at the stage where a techno band was starting up. I had never felt like that on stage before. I have had just a few sets here and there and sang in some Karaoke clubs, but this time I was feeding on the energy of the crowd and shaping it, using it in my music. I... I liked the feeling, and I wanted more. I made them happy, and that made me happy. I promised myself I'd finish up the other two songs I was working on that were in the same vein as that one. Had I just finally found my style?
    I thought about that the rest of the night. I was sad to see my friends go as they dropped me on the road by the Persephone. I got a hug from my bestie then wandered through the increasing cold on the crunchy slush that had refrozen. They stayed on the road until I walked up the plank to the deck of the ship. I gave a wave and they drove off down the lane, tires crunching on the ice.
    I dove into my bed, changed into my night clothes under the covers, and curled into the quilt near the stove pipe. I thought about the night as I read the letter from my mum, telling of her own recent adventures.

Chapter 3 – Headmistress
    I woke the next morning to the soft chime of my mobile and seeing my breath in the air. It was chilly but not as bad as the previous morning. I remember the feeling of being on the stage last night and smiled in glee, hugging myself. I... was in a bloody good mood.
    I was grinning as I playfully knocked out Shave and a Haircut on the walls. “Sixty minutes until power, lovelies.” I chuckled at Wendell's cursing protests, then started my morning routine. I checked my mobile before heading to Joe's for a shower. Three text messages from Ronnie. He was serious about wanting me at the next rave. I texted back that I was available any night, just to give me a day's notice.
    When I got to the deck outside. The captain was pulling a hose topside on the Tennessee. He already had one over to the Gertrude on the other side. I stepped over and grabbed the small bilge pump he was trying to dangle over to the Persephone and pulled some hose over with it. I got a grunt of thanks and I just grinned at the man then made my way off the barge.
    That was a weekly ritual, I was glad I wasn't below decks as the pump and thrumming of water in the hoses down below sort of filled the space. The boats always took on some water down in the recessed area where some mechanical stuff used to be located. I was always stuck with having to watch to make sure the pump didn't run dry when the water was drained overboard. “Not anymore.” I thought smugly, now that I had a chilly topside cabin with a window.
    After cleaning up, returning home, and doing the ritual morning prep during generator up-time, I headed off to work. I'd need to make a laundry run tonight as most of my clothes and both of my uniforms were now dirty and smelling a bit manky.
    Paya and I went right to work. I gave my best effort, not wanting to upset that terrifying woman from the previous day, wanting to please her and give her no reason to get me sacked.
    When lunch came around, I paused at the storage room door and reached out for the handle only to withdraw my hand and turn away. I almost ran into someone as I started back toward the little break room Paya ate in. I blurted out, “Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I didn't...” My words were choked off in my throat when that same woman stood there, with an impassive look on her face and hard green eyes that seemed to reflect the light around us.
    I blushed and was about to scoot around her and basically run for my life as I felt like such a bloody git, just knowing it had to be possible to die from embarrassment. She cocked her head, as studied me, like she was trying to understand me and what made me tick. She came to some sort of decision with herself and shoved a book and some papers at me.
    She said, “I've marked the relevant passages. You need to work more on diaphragm control, I've