She ran up the gangway only to slow down when she saw someone inspecting the boarding passengers. "A ticket! I don't have a ticket."
Like a stroke of luck, the inspector was summoned from his post due to a disturbance. She took advantage of this and quickly climbed the stairs to board the ship, and went down a set of stairs, when a member of the crew passed by. Incidentally, she wound up on the ship's Grey deck. "Why is it so gloomy in here?" she asked, making her way through the throng of passengers. "Wow, is everybody here having hypothermia?" She found a set of stairs that led up to the gold deck.
Arriving at the Gold Deck, her eyes widened at how glamorous and prestigious the place was. She was speechless at the beauty and allure of the deck. The marble statues, the Jade accents on the walls and pillars, and gold adorned almost every facet of the place. A lady crew approached her carrying a tray of bubbly, colored drinks. "Some refreshments?" the lady crew offered.
"Thank you," Cecilia said, then picked up the pink-colored drink in a tall glass and took a sip. The moment she tasted the cool liquid, her eyes grew wide in surprise and delight. "This is…this is magnificent. What is this?"
"It's called Nekter." The server smiled, answering the simple question
"Nekter? What is that? And where can I buy it? My pops is going to love this," she said, looking and observing the liquid bubbling inside her glass.
The server chuckled, "It's produced by the heavens; you can't get it anywhere else." Cecilia raised a brow at what she thought was a weird answer.
"Oh my, it's the captain. Sorry, miss, I need to serve the other passengers." The server bowed and hastily made her exit
She turned to find a young man, likely her age, marching through the deck, followed by several officers. They were all wearing the same black-colored uniform, but the uniform of the man leading was different. He had a white cap with a black hood, and his coat looked like it had been ironed perfectly for hours. Epaulets adorned both his shoulders, each with four stripes, the same pattern seen at the cuffs of his sleeves. "He looks too young to be a captain," she thought to herself
He was ruggedly attractive, yet his demeanor was intimidating. His gaze was sharp, cutting like a knife, and he held his chin high as if looking down on everyone in his vicinity. His hands were balled into fists, and his posture was rigid, precisely what one would expect from a captain. Though he walked slowly, his strides were wide and heavy, projecting an undeniable authority. "If this ship isn't moving by the time I step onto the bridge, I will throw all of you overboard!" the captain declared.
"Wow, demanding! Maybe he eats his crew, that's why they are scared of him," she thought. She started to panic when she noticed where the captain was headed. "Crap, he's heading this way!" She ran up the closest flight of stairs, went through a hallway, entered the empty crew galley, and quickly closed the door. Once she thought she was safe, a sigh escaped her lips.
"So are you going to sing or what?" A female voice asked, coming from behind. She turned around and saw a desk and a middle-aged woman, and two men sitting behind it.
"Excuse me, what? Why would I sing?" Confusion was written all over her face. She wondered why this lady was asking her to sing.
One of the two men pointed at a sign that read 'Auditions for Gold Bar Singer.' "You are here to audition, right?"
Cecilia plastered a grin on her face. "Finally, something I'm good at," she whispered. She cleared her throat and walked up to the desk. "Uhm, my piece would be 'Stronger' by…"
But the woman conducting the audition cut her off, "No, that's not how we do things here. I will say a song and you will sing it." She paused a bit, and then a twinkle came to her eye. "Your audition piece will be… Don't Stop Believing"
"Uhm," Cecilia scratched her head, "But a man sang that song."
"You have a problem with that? A real singer can sing any song. Are you not a real singer?" Cecilia was taken aback by how the woman replied to her protest
"Oh! Pssh!" She awkwardly dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. "Of course I'm a real singer, no problem, I can do that song."
"Write your name and age," she pointed to a pen and paper on the table.
Cecilia let the piano's introduction resonate, patiently waiting for her cue to sing. When she launched into the first stanza, her voice was warm and smooth, perfectly capturing the notes while ensuring every word was pronounced clearly. As she moved into the chorus, she raised the stakes, effortlessly adjusting the pitch to align with her vocal strengths.
Even though the song was initially sung by a male, Cecilia managed to reinterpret it with a distinctly feminine flair. Swaying gently during the instrumental portions, she exhibited an expression that clearly showed she was enjoying the song. She noticed the three auditioners swaying to the music, their eyes closed as they savored her performance. Their expressions revealed their delight, especially when she hit those soaring notes with grace. After the song ended, she finished with a graceful bow.
The auditioners all gave Cecilia a standing ovation. They all sat again and started to deliberate amongst themselves. She could see those stolen glances at her and their surprised yet delighted expressions. Feeling a little naughty, she leaned closer, hoping to catch what their impression of her singing was.
After a short huddle, the three auditioners sat straight and faced Cecilia "Miss Bermudez, we are blown away with your vocals and singing technique, suffice to say we want you to be the new singer for the Gold deck's exclusive club…congratulations and welcome aboard the Twilight" the woman extended her hand to Cecilia "I am Miss Murillo, Chief Cook and In-charge of selecting new crew members for the ship"
Cecilia reciprocated and shook hands with Miss Murillo. "Thank you very much, ma'am. This is an excellent opportunity for me." She looked at the woman, who she thought was maybe in her mid-fifties, but still carried a youthful glow and exuded sophistication. She did wonder, though, why Chief Murillo was a bit pale and her skin was cold to the touch.
The auditioners packed their clipboards and headed out, Cecilia jumped and danced in joy "I've got a job that I'm good at" She stopped celebrating after remembering something "Wait, we haven't signed a contract yet" She ran after Ms. Murillo, and caught up with her along the Gold deck "Excuse me, ma'am, when do we sign the contract and when do I start?"
Chief Murillo stopped and turned to the young lady. "Contract? The handshake is the contract, and you start as soon as the ship sets sail. Oh, one more thing, in case you are wondering, the pay is fifty thousand."
Cecilia's jaw nearly hit the floor at her salary. Peso signs magically appeared in her eyes. "Pesos? Oh my God! I hit the jackpot!" she exclaimed excitedly.
Ms. Murillo raised an eyebrow. "Pesos? You mean good karma, right?" Her voice was dubious