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Chapter 9th: Reunion
The disco party felt the massive jolting of the ship and the few previous earlier. The trashed lounge earthquaked aggressively, shaking off anything hanging on the new ceiling. Now Russell Westwood is freed from the girder, Gwen and Floyd help him to stand up, the group ran out to the exits before the place makes another electric explosion. Loud metallic bangs from the girders dropping, clanking, wrecking, and banging the debris scattered. They did not dare to look back.
Snowdon’s group were silenced but Portia’s hysterical screaming were driving everyone’s minds berserk. The storage room lagged one box falling from an inverted and stuck shelve, nearly hitting Rico but hit his left foot. The box spilled a dozen of water bottles.
Portia screamed again. “What’s happening!?”
Snowdon hold her tight by the shoulders, he kept her calmed. “Calm down. It’s just the ship settling.”
“What? Oh, God, what if we sink any further and nobody can find us?”
“No, we’re not gonna sink any further.”
“Ay, mi foot...” Rico pained.
“Welcomed to The Broken Ankle Club, my friend.” Foxley said to Rico without any amusement with a small hint of humor. It wasn’t funny at all.
Portia yet finished, “We’re all gonna die you lying bastard! I should have stayed with the others – not you!” She hit Snowdon’s chest multiple times with her fists without feeling a thing, but the white bear officer just stared at her down, blanked. Waiting for her to get it out of her system. “Malcolm’s dead because of you!”
“I’m sorry about your friend but there’s nothing else we can do.” Snowdon responded her.
“That poor man.” Carolyn frowned.
The group were speechless, had the hotel director been right? Wandering around the ship to death? Sylvester the tiger said, “We got to remain calm, people. We must keep on moving.”
“Sylvester, please! A man had just been killed!” Carolyn said.
“We have no time to mourn, Carolyn.”
“Mom, Dad’s right. We can’t just…” Jett tried fill in, but it was too much to bear.
“Foxley, Jennings, is there a door here?” Kershaw asked the stewards.
Jennings and Foxley look around the unfamiliar flickering storage room. Shelves still attached on the floor and now the ceiling with a lot supplies scattered. “Where’s the door?” Jennings nervously said comically.
“Don’t tell me we went all this way for nothing?” Maxwell the cat said. Hoping that there is a way out.
“Calm down, I know there is a door that leads to the casino.” Foxley clarified.
“Foxley knows this ship than I do. And I’m still using a map.” Jennings stated.
Foxley had been working on this ship for five years, enough to earn his topography right the back of his head. The fox-man pointed assuredly at a pile of debris. “There.”
Kershaw began to move the debris aside; boxes full of casino chips, bottles of alcohol and other. He found the brown colored panel that stood out than the all-white room of a storage. Clearing away, he automatically pulls the door handle…
“I’m outta here!” Portia shouted again. “I’m leaving!” She marched and shoved Rico out of her way, he nearly falls but was held back by Sylvester. Letting the hysteria taking her mind over, she pushed the lion-man, but he resisted, and she opens the door until her instincts told her to back out and scream and fall with a uniformed body landed on her. Her body flailed wildly, freaking out.
“AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!! GET IT OFF OF ME!!! OFF OF ME!!!!!” She panicked.
Kershaw pushed the human male body off of her. Leaving blood on her dress all stained. Portia is not making everyone easy. She whined, “Why this is happening to me?” Kershaw lifted her up without a reply.
“Miss, if you want to live,” Kershaw said, “panicking is not gonna solve your problems.”
“Let’s get going.” Snowdon ordered.
Kale picked up the dropped water bottles from the box that hit Rico’s foot and gave at each member for a resting and cooling relief.
One at the time, walking through the cleared door, survivors meet their unfamiliar location. Confident at where they are, Jennings and Foxley have been through the casino of deck 3 so many times onboard. Kershaw had been around during the earlier days of the cruise with other professional gamblers playing Poker and Blackjack. Slot machines still standing over their heads and some have bulldozed to rip its golden goods spilt everywhere on the room. Snows of cards and casino chips in every corner and some money bills. Roulette and Craps tables still attached to the ceiling and few trampled on the new floor. This is nothing what could Vegas have reached it peaks of wilderness at this level of catastrophe. Dazzling lights broken and flickering but still acting as if the games were still playing.
“Foxley, the disco is around this deck, right?” Kershaw asked.
“Yes, the casino is right next door across the hall.” The fox steward said.
“But where’s the way to go?” Zoey said.
“It’s right there…” Jennings spotted it as realizing that it’s blocked by a roulette table and other furnitures and a slot machine.
“Come on, men. Let’s clear it up.” Sylvester said.
Snowdon, Kershaw, Rycroft, Ryder, and Aubrey – she insisted to help – stepped up the vertical standing table guarding the group’s way. The slot machine came first, making playful sounds of ringing like a child’s toy. Chairs with a missing part each, one is found stuck in between the exit and the big table pinning it. Snowdon and Ryder tried to push it, then pulling it. Any attempts, the game table was firmly stuck.
“That chair has to go.” Ryder the wolf said.
“Forgetting I have an axe here.” Kershaw grunted. He pulled it out behind him and ordered everyone to back off. With both hands separated and hold firmly in place, he made his first swing at the stuck chair. Loud crashing bang of wood being mutilated. Then a second chopping to the chair, it broke in two and the heavy table game moved…
Towards them…
The group moved back even more than Kershaw ordered. It scared them how it was now leaning on like trying to get that soda can from a vending machine and shake it violently. It was menacing. Kershaw stand back, and the roulette table tumbled down with a crash on the new floor.
SLAM!!!
Card games flew by the blow of the impact, it rained down like snow. And for bonus, the famous spinning wheel popped out and rolled towards Sasha without harm, it landed upright as it topples in circles with rattling sounds.
“All clear, group.” Kershaw said.
Jett thought about the former fireman lion, He’s like those Russians who solve their problems by banging stuff.
Kershaw went first through the freed exit and stepped right where he wanted. The corridor on deck 3 was alight with emergency lights and some original lighting are still working. The attractive wide corridor runs right between the aft dining room that is right now above the ballroom and the promenade hall at forward. He shouted, “Gwen! Are you there?”
His voice echoes through the silenced, wide corridor. Picking up just a short distance a voice responded. “Is somebody there? Hello!” Then multiple voices shouted back.
“Help! We need help!” This one was a girl but too young to be Gwen’s.
“We got an injured here!” This one was a male, adult sounding.
The rest of the party followed behind Kershaw and followed the voice. Just a few yards ahead and across the now starboard side, they easily spotted the disco lounge’s entrance with its neon lights flickering. Just in time before Kershaw could have entered, a human in dark green jacket and dark grey pants steps out of the entrance, he didn’t payed attention to the incoming assistance, helps escorting the injured lion-man who is supported by a lioness and a hyena-man in a tux. Two beagle girls, one in a single black cocktail dress with a single pink stripe and the other in a purple turtleneck shirt with jeans now cut, and one cheetah-girl in an orange cocktail dress, they followed them behind.
“Gwen?” Kershaw said right before his eyes. The daughter he raised as a cub as the only child he always looks for her since her mother passed away. With the feeling of relief and tension calmed down. The young lioness heard her name very clearly without doubts.
She looks at the elderly lion-man. “Daddy…?” She gasped. Her heart fluttered and ran straight at him. Bracing him with joy. “You came!”
“I’m here, baby. I’m here.” Kershaw hushed and whispered her.
“How are many of you?” Snowdon asked at the hyena.
“We’re seven of us.” He said. “Taking care of lovely young women here. The name’s Floyd Archer – the magician.” And introduced himself, shaking hands with the officer.
Stephanie and Jett curiously glimpsed at the newfound survivors. At total of seven, it was Stephanie whom suddenly gasped.
“Clover?”
Clover Forrest the beagle, since her cousin Pricilla slapped her right in the face and muzzle, she was too succumbed of the menacing situation that turned her mind isolated from anyone to come near her. It was until she hears a different voice than her fellow travelers of the cruise. Her sorrow-ness was clicked off and turned at the voice’s owner.
Confused of all people, “Stephanie?”
“Oh, my god! You’re alive!” Stephanie cried. She made up towards her.
“Are you okay?” Jett followed up behind her.
“I’m fine, really.” She assured.
“Oh, it’s you two…” Pricilla said sternly. “The sun-valley tigress and the singing tiger-boy.”
“Easy,” Jett said, “we’re in the same sinking boat, and now you’re calling nicknames?” Pricilla scoffed and turned up her back at them.
“Just ignore her.” Clover said. “She lost three friends back there–”
“Shut up!” Pricilla barked, half-tearing. “D-don’t you even dare to bring them up!”
“Is anyone a doctor?” Megan the cheetah said and gestures at the hurt, red-maned lion. “He’s hurt.”
Carolyn made way towards Red, the lion half-resting on the uncomfortable new floor next with Gwen. Asking where, Red explains he was pinned by the upper legs. Carolyn asked Jett’s and Sylvester’s handkerchiefs in their pockets.
“There’s some cuts and bruises but I’m want to clean them anyway.” Carolyn said. She ripped open the trousers to get a better look. Carolyn wasn’t impressed or worried. Only the left upper leg was hurt than the right.
“Russell…” Kershaw sat next to him. “Thank you…” And patting him on the shoulder.
Red could not understand his statement. “Sir… She saved me.” He assured him. Kershaw glanced at his daughter in so revealing. Just like her mother, he thought.
“Don’t worry, young man.” Carolyn said. “Once I’ll path you up, you will be walking back on track.”
“Thanks…” He said. Trying to ignore the pain of the left upper leg being treated. “You’re a nurse, right?”
“I was an intern back in college.” She said. “But I gave up medical school when I met my husband.”
Stephanie said to Red, “I’m studying to be a nurse, I never thought my skills would have a true meaning in the future.”
“You must be proud then.” Gwen said with a smile.
Isaac paid attention the bear-man wearing his formal night uniform of his rank as first officer. “Excuse me, officer, do you know what happened here?” He asked every demanding with an angry expression.
Snowdon faced the youngster without being affected of the many times that passengers complained about every shipboard inconvenience. “We’ve struck a rouge wave, kid, that’s what happened.”
“A wave!” Isaac baffled. “What the hell! That doesn’t make any fucking sense! Waves that large can’t just pile up further in the ocean until the coast!”
“It’s a different type of wave – a phenomenon one.” Sylvester said. “I’ve seen one before in my Navy days. It damaged and almost lost the carrier’s planes to the sea.”
Isaac may be the son of a yachtsman in Newport of the regatta competitions, but never been that further part of the ocean. “Did your men sent out an SOS?”
“I’m afraid that I’m out of touch with them.” Snowdon stated.
“Are they all dead?” Megan feared.
Snowdon, even the others preferred not to admit it, didn’t responded to that. “As the outside world are aware, the ship automatically is sending an emergency GPS beacon. They will know where we are.”
“Or dead before they can reach us.” Portia retorted. First time speaking like her doubtful self. Rico sighed annoyingly with his index and thumb fingers pressing between his eyes of his bridge.
They all heard her spiritless statement but ignoring her will be in order. Gwen wondered and asked the officer, “Do you know where exactly we are, Officer? I mean…the location?”
“Yeah, about that.” Ryder joined. “We must be close to the Hawaiian Islands, right?”
“But, it’s been only four…” Rico cut in and think straight. “…and now close to five days since we left Long Beach. “We’re supposed to arrive to Hilo by the sixth day.”
“I’m afraid we’re not even that close to shore.” Snowdon finally spoke. “We’re over thousands of miles away from land and, as far as I’m aware, we still haven’t crossed the Northern Tropic…or known as the Tropic of Cancer.” In two days they should have arrived the Big Island of Hawaii, but now Poseidon is floating dead hundred of miles above the imaginary line where the sun can reach its zenith by the beginning of the northern hemisphere’s summer. Learning the miles of how far they are or how beyond to be reached for rescue. Can they all make it?
“Say,” the hyena-man said, “what are you people going before you all came here?” He asked to everyone but focused on the polar bear.
But the little figure of a German Shepherd stepped up. “We’re going to the bow engine room where the bow thrusters are.”
“You all planning to get out of here?” Isaac asked. “What happened to ‘stay put and wait for help’?”
“We’re going to meet the rescue once we arrive there.” Sylvester said. “If you all want to come with us? That’ll be great.” The tiger-man finished and went ahead towards forward through the extravagant corridor.
Megan bravely said. “We’ll come.”
“What?” Pricilla reacted, turning at her.
“Spencer, Royce and Christine just died in front of us. They would appreciate if we save ourselves.” The cheetah responded.
“I’m coming, too…” Clover announced.
“We’re not going anywhere!” Pricilla yelled.
“Can’t you see we’re on a sinking boat!?” Clover yelled, “We’ll die if we stay behind. I knew I should have stayed in Newport, but noooo, you wanted to be close with Isaac!”
“Fuck off! I’ll slap you again!”
“Make me!”
It got too far, and Stephanie held Clover while Isaac and Megan held Pricilla away from each other. Both canines snarled at one another with devastating verbal nuisance in front of the group. Clover had the last straw, “I hate you! I wish you all your friends are dead and including you! I hope you die, bitch!”
“Shut up, both of you!” Isaac boomed. “Enough!” Both canines quieted. “We got more problems than what it is right now. If you two behave for once–”
“I’m the one behaving! It’s her!” Pricilla screamed, cutting him off. “We’re not going!”
“Oh, yes we’re going with them, and that’s final! I don’t want to hear both of you barking on each other and die exactly like dogs! I want you two to behave well and stick together, nothing more! Is that too much to ask?”
Hearing him to yell like that for the first time in front of Pricilla was stabbing-some. It really hurt her to see him like that. Pricilla the beagle wanted to whine, wanted to cry, and please for forgiveness. She settled down and relaxed her tensed body, “Fine…”
“Thank you, Pricilla…” Isaac responded.
“Are you guys done?” Portia cruelly said. “Good, because I’m tired of sitting here and waiting for nothing.”
The group ignored her and continued. Carolyn and Stephanie finished with Red’s left leg and he will be walking limply like Foxley for a while. Sylvester went ahead earlier and Snowdon, Kershaw, Ryder, and Archer searched through the small alleyways of every shipboard facilities. No signs of life. Carolyn asked the college youngsters about their parents’ whereabouts, but they are actually traveling in group without them.
“How do you all get to travel at such a young age? I know you are all in college, but, how could you all afford such a trip?” The older tigress said.
Megan said, “The cruise line’s brochure said eighteen and older can travel and my friend Spencer got us tickets for the trip because his father has close relations with the company. We thought we could spend a holiday away from winter as most of all of us do.”
“And now we’re in trouble…” Clover added.
“You must be Clover.” Carolyn said. “Stephanie have talked about you.”
“That’s nice of you…” She calmly complimented. “Are we really going to get out?”
“They’re still searching around.” Stephanie said. “Where did Dad go?”
Jett went through where his father went. He was staring at a double door with shinny handles. Strangely, during the earlier days of the cruise, Jett had walked around these parts and where left with the doors opened wide for the public. Why it was closed?
“Dad, whatcha doing?” He said.
“Just thinking…” Sylvester replied. “And you?”
“Um, does it lead to somewhere?”
“It leads forward to the main hall, but…” He paused. “What’s behind it?”
Jett scoffed, “Just open it.” He extends his hand, but it was swiftly caught by the wrist of his father’s hand before he could touch the handle. Jett gasped.
“Easy, champ.” Sylvester gave his son careful state of warning. “Watch…” He let go Jett’s hand and picked a water bottle given from Summers. He opened the cap and pour the liquid on the metal handles’s surface.
Sizzling. Hissing. Vapor. Burning hot.
Jett stepped back from the menacing obstacle. Speechless of a visual answer from his father. “It’s hot!” Jett startled when Sasha’s voice appeared behind him. He must have followed him.
“Sasha!” His father made towards him. “What are you doing?”
“Dad, this door is the way to the Promenade Hall.”
Parkinson did hear him but kneeled at him and scolded. “Please, don’t walk away like that from me again, okay?” Sasha apologized, and he continued. “I don’t want you going by yourself and away from the group. Do you understand?” The little pup nodded.
“Aaahh!!!”
Sylvester, Jett, Sasha and Joshua heard a scream from somewhere but was not anyone of the group. They looked at the door, hearing somebody owing in pain. “Ow! My hand!”
Sylvester tried to use his black tuxedo jacket, but he had already throw it away to cover a body. “Gimme your jacket!” Sylvester ordered Jett’s jacket. Quickly taking it off, donating it to him and using it to protect from burning his hands. Holding onto the handle and pull. “Damn it! It’s stuck!” He grunted.
“Help! There’s someone trapped!” Jett shouted.
Snowdon, Kershaw and others hurried. Sylvester shouted through the door. “Stand away from the door! I’m gonna bust it!” He kicked up with his right leg and bang right between the double door. It didn’t budge. Snowdon followed and together kicked the stuck doors with force inwards.
With relief, Sylvester feared about a fire spreading behind the door, but it turns out to be a flash-fire, heating the door as to forbid anyone near it. The group saw two people and hurriedly walking out of their cell. A young female human wearing a costume of hula dancing which was ruined and shredded which is covering very little of her body. And the other is a tan-furred, rabbit-woman in a dark-blue gown with a name tag on the left breast. Both looked tired and terrified but seeing more people before their eyes was a relief for the two of them.
“Oh, thank god!” The young girl cried. “We’re saved!”
Snowdon’s exclamation mark popped right above his head to see the cruise director Joyce Blake. “Miss Blake?” He wasn’t the only one, Foxley and Jennings felt the same. But Jennings could not believe right before his eyes at the other individual.
“Mr. Snowdon!” Miss Blake said. “You’re alive!”
“Lani?” Jennings spokes. “Is that you?”
The Hawaiian native reacted to what thought to be a stranger, but it was her friend Sidney Jennings. “Sid?” She gasped and ran right up to him and hug him. “Oh, Sid! I’m so happy to see you! Something crazy just happened!”
“Are you hurt?”
She released from hug. “I’m okay, I just burnt my hand.” She stated, and Jennings picked up his bottle water and pour it on Lani’s red-colored hand. The liquid was temperature, not cold from the fridge, but it relieved her hand at least. Seeing her costume ruined, Jennings gives his steward jacket uniform to her. “Oh, thank you…” It was over her size, it covered her whole slim torso.
“Is there anyone with you?” Snowdon asked.
“Just Lani and me…” Blake said. “Lani and I were in the Promenade Hall with the other passengers until the ship turned over. We couldn’t do anything, passengers were running in panic. I thought I was done for, but Lani found me when there wasn’t anyone around there. We were the only ones before you found us.”
“It’s all right, Joyce. You’re safe.” Snowdon assured.
“Wait…” Joyce started. “You were from the ballroom, right?”
“Blake, I…”
“What happened in the ballroom?” The rabbit doesn’t want to let it go.
Rico stood up, “Your colleague of a hotel manager doesn’t want to cooperate and made hundreds to stay behind.”
“Then, we have to go back! It’s safe there, right?”
Snowdon shook his head, “Miss Blake, Collins and the others decided to stay. We’re not coming back.”
“You cannot be serious.” She cried. “We have a job to do and we cannot leave hundreds of people all down there. Our jobs are to protect the passengers…” She kneels with hands on her face with sobs hidden. “They never trained me this kind of thing…”
Snowdon was lost to what to do with her, but Lani lower along with Blake to comfort her. “It’s okay, Miss Blake. It’s going to be alright.”
“Miss Blake, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Jennings said close to her. “They made up their choices to stay. If you quit, you’re bound as those in the ballroom. I know this is difficult for you, but there’s no other choice. Come with us.”
“Please, Miss Blake, we don’t want to leave you.” Lani pleaded.
The rabbit-woman quietly stands up with Lani. She sniffles and replied, “Alright... I’ll go.”
“I’m glad you did the right thing, Miss Blake. We all gonna get out of here, safe and sound.” Jennings said with a smile.
Settled, the group grew at twenty-six. Lani kindly introduced herself towards the whole group. Happy to join. Then Snowdon talked to the new members from the disco about their intentions of getting out to through the bottom of the ship towards the bow. To which Miss Blake and Lani reacted their heading towards the opened doors they had came from.
“Wait…” Lani started. “We all going where we’ve been to?”
“It’s our direction towards the bow.” Kershaw said to her.
“But there’s…” She stopped to which the whole group caught her attention.
“There is what, miss?” Kale Summers asked. He sensed a hint of fear of possible dangerous obstacle or something much worse ahead of them which he holds his left hand with Ryder the wolf.
“There’s a huge well where people had fallen…” She warned.
Rico verified her statement and specified. “You mean the atrium?”
“Y-yes… There’s water down below and the stairs broken. I guess I could say that it’s blocked…”
Snowdon asked the young girl. “Are you sure that is blocked?”
“I don’t know. I woke up at the other side of the atrium that I tried to walk around it, but it has been wrecked badly which I have to cross this weird, wrecked bridge and that was the moment I saw the statue right above me, all upside-down. That’s all I know.” Lani pressured her knowledge.
Zoey assured her, “It’s okay, miss, you don’t have to force yourself too much.”
“Are you kidding?” Portia strikes again. “She said it was blocked. No way out!”
“Are you deaf, lady?” Rico retorted. “She said she crossed the atrium on something. That’s a path.”
“Only way to find out, Rico.” Ryder said.
Maxwell added, “If it’s blocked, then we’ll have to go the other way, uh, towards the back of the ship and find a way up to the front, right?”
“There’s always a plan B, Mr. Maxwell.” Foxley said.
“I would like to see this ‘wrecked bridge’ you speak of, Miss.” Snowdon said to Lani.
“Of course.” Lani nodded.
The group marched through the opened doors. For the passengers, this area is a small boutique shop, full of broken glass scattered on the new floor from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. As a boutique shop, tax-free products from purses to jewelry are shinning the dimmed room by the emergency lighting.
“How many diamonds does it take to throw in the ocean…” Archer said.
“They’ve been there and done that. Lay it off, Sir.” Rico said.
“Just keeping the mood.” The hyena sincerely said. “Hey, I remember you!”
“Pardon?”
“You’re the spaniard at the bar the other day, right?”
“Ah, you’re the one whom gave me that half advice before you left. It sucked.”
“Well, sorry. When I came back, you were already gone.”
“I was drunk, what am I supposed to…”
“Oh, dear god…” The hyena-man stopped.
“What?” Rico wonders and saw the magician kneeling at a lifeless body.
Jennings cried, “Oh, God! It’s Kacy!”
“Kacy…” Gwen remembered. “She was the waitress whom ran away.”
Unlike the badly, blooded, dead shark-man that Stephanie was frightened of, the Caucasian female human lies almost peacefully with few blood stains on her uniform, but her head had a mortal wound behind all that blonde hair. Her eyes were closed long ago.
“I didn’t know it was her when we passed by.” Miss Blake said.
“There’s nothing we can do for her.” Foxley said, voice weaken.
Jennings rummages around her neck, taking off a necklace. “I hope I can bring this to her family if we get out of here.”
“Um, Sid…” Lani started. Jennings turns to her and asked what is it? She said, “Do you think I can borrow her shoes, I mean, I’m barefoot.” Jennings saw her feet with small cuts and bruises. Lani was performing the night for the party that she was wearing a hula dancing costume that didn’t included a pair of slippers. Jennings nodded and took Kacy’s low-heeled shoes.
“I not sure if you’re the same size.” Jennings said. Lani didn’t hesitated and put the shoes on, it was an inch longer than her size.
“They are fine. I hope Kacy understands my situation.” She stated.
“She’s now in a better place…” Foxley said.
The group quietly leaves Kacy’s body alone in peace. Foxley and Jennings have known Kacy since she began working on the Poseidon for over a year. It may not be much, but enough to know her what she likes or dislikes and openly talked about her family back in England. Mixed reactions as to what had happened to her, the families are facing sorrow-ness when they hear the news.
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Chapter 9th: Reunion
The disco party felt the massive jolting of the ship and the few previous earlier. The trashed lounge earthquaked aggressively, shaking off anything hanging on the new ceiling. Now Russell Westwood is freed from the girder, Gwen and Floyd help him to stand up, the group ran out to the exits before the place makes another electric explosion. Loud metallic bangs from the girders dropping, clanking, wrecking, and banging the debris scattered. They did not dare to look back.
Snowdon’s group were silenced but Portia’s hysterical screaming were driving everyone’s minds berserk. The storage room lagged one box falling from an inverted and stuck shelve, nearly hitting Rico but hit his left foot. The box spilled a dozen of water bottles.
Portia screamed again. “What’s happening!?”
Snowdon hold her tight by the shoulders, he kept her calmed. “Calm down. It’s just the ship settling.”
“What? Oh, God, what if we sink any further and nobody can find us?”
“No, we’re not gonna sink any further.”
“Ay, mi foot...” Rico pained.
“Welcomed to The Broken Ankle Club, my friend.” Foxley said to Rico without any amusement with a small hint of humor. It wasn’t funny at all.
Portia yet finished, “We’re all gonna die you lying bastard! I should have stayed with the others – not you!” She hit Snowdon’s chest multiple times with her fists without feeling a thing, but the white bear officer just stared at her down, blanked. Waiting for her to get it out of her system. “Malcolm’s dead because of you!”
“I’m sorry about your friend but there’s nothing else we can do.” Snowdon responded her.
“That poor man.” Carolyn frowned.
The group were speechless, had the hotel director been right? Wandering around the ship to death? Sylvester the tiger said, “We got to remain calm, people. We must keep on moving.”
“Sylvester, please! A man had just been killed!” Carolyn said.
“We have no time to mourn, Carolyn.”
“Mom, Dad’s right. We can’t just…” Jett tried fill in, but it was too much to bear.
“Foxley, Jennings, is there a door here?” Kershaw asked the stewards.
Jennings and Foxley look around the unfamiliar flickering storage room. Shelves still attached on the floor and now the ceiling with a lot supplies scattered. “Where’s the door?” Jennings nervously said comically.
“Don’t tell me we went all this way for nothing?” Maxwell the cat said. Hoping that there is a way out.
“Calm down, I know there is a door that leads to the casino.” Foxley clarified.
“Foxley knows this ship than I do. And I’m still using a map.” Jennings stated.
Foxley had been working on this ship for five years, enough to earn his topography right the back of his head. The fox-man pointed assuredly at a pile of debris. “There.”
Kershaw began to move the debris aside; boxes full of casino chips, bottles of alcohol and other. He found the brown colored panel that stood out than the all-white room of a storage. Clearing away, he automatically pulls the door handle…
“I’m outta here!” Portia shouted again. “I’m leaving!” She marched and shoved Rico out of her way, he nearly falls but was held back by Sylvester. Letting the hysteria taking her mind over, she pushed the lion-man, but he resisted, and she opens the door until her instincts told her to back out and scream and fall with a uniformed body landed on her. Her body flailed wildly, freaking out.
“AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!! GET IT OFF OF ME!!! OFF OF ME!!!!!” She panicked.
Kershaw pushed the human male body off of her. Leaving blood on her dress all stained. Portia is not making everyone easy. She whined, “Why this is happening to me?” Kershaw lifted her up without a reply.
“Miss, if you want to live,” Kershaw said, “panicking is not gonna solve your problems.”
“Let’s get going.” Snowdon ordered.
Kale picked up the dropped water bottles from the box that hit Rico’s foot and gave at each member for a resting and cooling relief.
One at the time, walking through the cleared door, survivors meet their unfamiliar location. Confident at where they are, Jennings and Foxley have been through the casino of deck 3 so many times onboard. Kershaw had been around during the earlier days of the cruise with other professional gamblers playing Poker and Blackjack. Slot machines still standing over their heads and some have bulldozed to rip its golden goods spilt everywhere on the room. Snows of cards and casino chips in every corner and some money bills. Roulette and Craps tables still attached to the ceiling and few trampled on the new floor. This is nothing what could Vegas have reached it peaks of wilderness at this level of catastrophe. Dazzling lights broken and flickering but still acting as if the games were still playing.
“Foxley, the disco is around this deck, right?” Kershaw asked.
“Yes, the casino is right next door across the hall.” The fox steward said.
“But where’s the way to go?” Zoey said.
“It’s right there…” Jennings spotted it as realizing that it’s blocked by a roulette table and other furnitures and a slot machine.
“Come on, men. Let’s clear it up.” Sylvester said.
Snowdon, Kershaw, Rycroft, Ryder, and Aubrey – she insisted to help – stepped up the vertical standing table guarding the group’s way. The slot machine came first, making playful sounds of ringing like a child’s toy. Chairs with a missing part each, one is found stuck in between the exit and the big table pinning it. Snowdon and Ryder tried to push it, then pulling it. Any attempts, the game table was firmly stuck.
“That chair has to go.” Ryder the wolf said.
“Forgetting I have an axe here.” Kershaw grunted. He pulled it out behind him and ordered everyone to back off. With both hands separated and hold firmly in place, he made his first swing at the stuck chair. Loud crashing bang of wood being mutilated. Then a second chopping to the chair, it broke in two and the heavy table game moved…
Towards them…
The group moved back even more than Kershaw ordered. It scared them how it was now leaning on like trying to get that soda can from a vending machine and shake it violently. It was menacing. Kershaw stand back, and the roulette table tumbled down with a crash on the new floor.
SLAM!!!
Card games flew by the blow of the impact, it rained down like snow. And for bonus, the famous spinning wheel popped out and rolled towards Sasha without harm, it landed upright as it topples in circles with rattling sounds.
“All clear, group.” Kershaw said.
Jett thought about the former fireman lion, He’s like those Russians who solve their problems by banging stuff.
Kershaw went first through the freed exit and stepped right where he wanted. The corridor on deck 3 was alight with emergency lights and some original lighting are still working. The attractive wide corridor runs right between the aft dining room that is right now above the ballroom and the promenade hall at forward. He shouted, “Gwen! Are you there?”
His voice echoes through the silenced, wide corridor. Picking up just a short distance a voice responded. “Is somebody there? Hello!” Then multiple voices shouted back.
“Help! We need help!” This one was a girl but too young to be Gwen’s.
“We got an injured here!” This one was a male, adult sounding.
The rest of the party followed behind Kershaw and followed the voice. Just a few yards ahead and across the now starboard side, they easily spotted the disco lounge’s entrance with its neon lights flickering. Just in time before Kershaw could have entered, a human in dark green jacket and dark grey pants steps out of the entrance, he didn’t payed attention to the incoming assistance, helps escorting the injured lion-man who is supported by a lioness and a hyena-man in a tux. Two beagle girls, one in a single black cocktail dress with a single pink stripe and the other in a purple turtleneck shirt with jeans now cut, and one cheetah-girl in an orange cocktail dress, they followed them behind.
“Gwen?” Kershaw said right before his eyes. The daughter he raised as a cub as the only child he always looks for her since her mother passed away. With the feeling of relief and tension calmed down. The young lioness heard her name very clearly without doubts.
She looks at the elderly lion-man. “Daddy…?” She gasped. Her heart fluttered and ran straight at him. Bracing him with joy. “You came!”
“I’m here, baby. I’m here.” Kershaw hushed and whispered her.
“How are many of you?” Snowdon asked at the hyena.
“We’re seven of us.” He said. “Taking care of lovely young women here. The name’s Floyd Archer – the magician.” And introduced himself, shaking hands with the officer.
Stephanie and Jett curiously glimpsed at the newfound survivors. At total of seven, it was Stephanie whom suddenly gasped.
“Clover?”
Clover Forrest the beagle, since her cousin Pricilla slapped her right in the face and muzzle, she was too succumbed of the menacing situation that turned her mind isolated from anyone to come near her. It was until she hears a different voice than her fellow travelers of the cruise. Her sorrow-ness was clicked off and turned at the voice’s owner.
Confused of all people, “Stephanie?”
“Oh, my god! You’re alive!” Stephanie cried. She made up towards her.
“Are you okay?” Jett followed up behind her.
“I’m fine, really.” She assured.
“Oh, it’s you two…” Pricilla said sternly. “The sun-valley tigress and the singing tiger-boy.”
“Easy,” Jett said, “we’re in the same sinking boat, and now you’re calling nicknames?” Pricilla scoffed and turned up her back at them.
“Just ignore her.” Clover said. “She lost three friends back there–”
“Shut up!” Pricilla barked, half-tearing. “D-don’t you even dare to bring them up!”
“Is anyone a doctor?” Megan the cheetah said and gestures at the hurt, red-maned lion. “He’s hurt.”
Carolyn made way towards Red, the lion half-resting on the uncomfortable new floor next with Gwen. Asking where, Red explains he was pinned by the upper legs. Carolyn asked Jett’s and Sylvester’s handkerchiefs in their pockets.
“There’s some cuts and bruises but I’m want to clean them anyway.” Carolyn said. She ripped open the trousers to get a better look. Carolyn wasn’t impressed or worried. Only the left upper leg was hurt than the right.
“Russell…” Kershaw sat next to him. “Thank you…” And patting him on the shoulder.
Red could not understand his statement. “Sir… She saved me.” He assured him. Kershaw glanced at his daughter in so revealing. Just like her mother, he thought.
“Don’t worry, young man.” Carolyn said. “Once I’ll path you up, you will be walking back on track.”
“Thanks…” He said. Trying to ignore the pain of the left upper leg being treated. “You’re a nurse, right?”
“I was an intern back in college.” She said. “But I gave up medical school when I met my husband.”
Stephanie said to Red, “I’m studying to be a nurse, I never thought my skills would have a true meaning in the future.”
“You must be proud then.” Gwen said with a smile.
Isaac paid attention the bear-man wearing his formal night uniform of his rank as first officer. “Excuse me, officer, do you know what happened here?” He asked every demanding with an angry expression.
Snowdon faced the youngster without being affected of the many times that passengers complained about every shipboard inconvenience. “We’ve struck a rouge wave, kid, that’s what happened.”
“A wave!” Isaac baffled. “What the hell! That doesn’t make any fucking sense! Waves that large can’t just pile up further in the ocean until the coast!”
“It’s a different type of wave – a phenomenon one.” Sylvester said. “I’ve seen one before in my Navy days. It damaged and almost lost the carrier’s planes to the sea.”
Isaac may be the son of a yachtsman in Newport of the regatta competitions, but never been that further part of the ocean. “Did your men sent out an SOS?”
“I’m afraid that I’m out of touch with them.” Snowdon stated.
“Are they all dead?” Megan feared.
Snowdon, even the others preferred not to admit it, didn’t responded to that. “As the outside world are aware, the ship automatically is sending an emergency GPS beacon. They will know where we are.”
“Or dead before they can reach us.” Portia retorted. First time speaking like her doubtful self. Rico sighed annoyingly with his index and thumb fingers pressing between his eyes of his bridge.
They all heard her spiritless statement but ignoring her will be in order. Gwen wondered and asked the officer, “Do you know where exactly we are, Officer? I mean…the location?”
“Yeah, about that.” Ryder joined. “We must be close to the Hawaiian Islands, right?”
“But, it’s been only four…” Rico cut in and think straight. “…and now close to five days since we left Long Beach. “We’re supposed to arrive to Hilo by the sixth day.”
“I’m afraid we’re not even that close to shore.” Snowdon finally spoke. “We’re over thousands of miles away from land and, as far as I’m aware, we still haven’t crossed the Northern Tropic…or known as the Tropic of Cancer.” In two days they should have arrived the Big Island of Hawaii, but now Poseidon is floating dead hundred of miles above the imaginary line where the sun can reach its zenith by the beginning of the northern hemisphere’s summer. Learning the miles of how far they are or how beyond to be reached for rescue. Can they all make it?
“Say,” the hyena-man said, “what are you people going before you all came here?” He asked to everyone but focused on the polar bear.
But the little figure of a German Shepherd stepped up. “We’re going to the bow engine room where the bow thrusters are.”
“You all planning to get out of here?” Isaac asked. “What happened to ‘stay put and wait for help’?”
“We’re going to meet the rescue once we arrive there.” Sylvester said. “If you all want to come with us? That’ll be great.” The tiger-man finished and went ahead towards forward through the extravagant corridor.
Megan bravely said. “We’ll come.”
“What?” Pricilla reacted, turning at her.
“Spencer, Royce and Christine just died in front of us. They would appreciate if we save ourselves.” The cheetah responded.
“I’m coming, too…” Clover announced.
“We’re not going anywhere!” Pricilla yelled.
“Can’t you see we’re on a sinking boat!?” Clover yelled, “We’ll die if we stay behind. I knew I should have stayed in Newport, but noooo, you wanted to be close with Isaac!”
“Fuck off! I’ll slap you again!”
“Make me!”
It got too far, and Stephanie held Clover while Isaac and Megan held Pricilla away from each other. Both canines snarled at one another with devastating verbal nuisance in front of the group. Clover had the last straw, “I hate you! I wish you all your friends are dead and including you! I hope you die, bitch!”
“Shut up, both of you!” Isaac boomed. “Enough!” Both canines quieted. “We got more problems than what it is right now. If you two behave for once–”
“I’m the one behaving! It’s her!” Pricilla screamed, cutting him off. “We’re not going!”
“Oh, yes we’re going with them, and that’s final! I don’t want to hear both of you barking on each other and die exactly like dogs! I want you two to behave well and stick together, nothing more! Is that too much to ask?”
Hearing him to yell like that for the first time in front of Pricilla was stabbing-some. It really hurt her to see him like that. Pricilla the beagle wanted to whine, wanted to cry, and please for forgiveness. She settled down and relaxed her tensed body, “Fine…”
“Thank you, Pricilla…” Isaac responded.
“Are you guys done?” Portia cruelly said. “Good, because I’m tired of sitting here and waiting for nothing.”
The group ignored her and continued. Carolyn and Stephanie finished with Red’s left leg and he will be walking limply like Foxley for a while. Sylvester went ahead earlier and Snowdon, Kershaw, Ryder, and Archer searched through the small alleyways of every shipboard facilities. No signs of life. Carolyn asked the college youngsters about their parents’ whereabouts, but they are actually traveling in group without them.
“How do you all get to travel at such a young age? I know you are all in college, but, how could you all afford such a trip?” The older tigress said.
Megan said, “The cruise line’s brochure said eighteen and older can travel and my friend Spencer got us tickets for the trip because his father has close relations with the company. We thought we could spend a holiday away from winter as most of all of us do.”
“And now we’re in trouble…” Clover added.
“You must be Clover.” Carolyn said. “Stephanie have talked about you.”
“That’s nice of you…” She calmly complimented. “Are we really going to get out?”
“They’re still searching around.” Stephanie said. “Where did Dad go?”
Jett went through where his father went. He was staring at a double door with shinny handles. Strangely, during the earlier days of the cruise, Jett had walked around these parts and where left with the doors opened wide for the public. Why it was closed?
“Dad, whatcha doing?” He said.
“Just thinking…” Sylvester replied. “And you?”
“Um, does it lead to somewhere?”
“It leads forward to the main hall, but…” He paused. “What’s behind it?”
Jett scoffed, “Just open it.” He extends his hand, but it was swiftly caught by the wrist of his father’s hand before he could touch the handle. Jett gasped.
“Easy, champ.” Sylvester gave his son careful state of warning. “Watch…” He let go Jett’s hand and picked a water bottle given from Summers. He opened the cap and pour the liquid on the metal handles’s surface.
Sizzling. Hissing. Vapor. Burning hot.
Jett stepped back from the menacing obstacle. Speechless of a visual answer from his father. “It’s hot!” Jett startled when Sasha’s voice appeared behind him. He must have followed him.
“Sasha!” His father made towards him. “What are you doing?”
“Dad, this door is the way to the Promenade Hall.”
Parkinson did hear him but kneeled at him and scolded. “Please, don’t walk away like that from me again, okay?” Sasha apologized, and he continued. “I don’t want you going by yourself and away from the group. Do you understand?” The little pup nodded.
“Aaahh!!!”
Sylvester, Jett, Sasha and Joshua heard a scream from somewhere but was not anyone of the group. They looked at the door, hearing somebody owing in pain. “Ow! My hand!”
Sylvester tried to use his black tuxedo jacket, but he had already throw it away to cover a body. “Gimme your jacket!” Sylvester ordered Jett’s jacket. Quickly taking it off, donating it to him and using it to protect from burning his hands. Holding onto the handle and pull. “Damn it! It’s stuck!” He grunted.
“Help! There’s someone trapped!” Jett shouted.
Snowdon, Kershaw and others hurried. Sylvester shouted through the door. “Stand away from the door! I’m gonna bust it!” He kicked up with his right leg and bang right between the double door. It didn’t budge. Snowdon followed and together kicked the stuck doors with force inwards.
With relief, Sylvester feared about a fire spreading behind the door, but it turns out to be a flash-fire, heating the door as to forbid anyone near it. The group saw two people and hurriedly walking out of their cell. A young female human wearing a costume of hula dancing which was ruined and shredded which is covering very little of her body. And the other is a tan-furred, rabbit-woman in a dark-blue gown with a name tag on the left breast. Both looked tired and terrified but seeing more people before their eyes was a relief for the two of them.
“Oh, thank god!” The young girl cried. “We’re saved!”
Snowdon’s exclamation mark popped right above his head to see the cruise director Joyce Blake. “Miss Blake?” He wasn’t the only one, Foxley and Jennings felt the same. But Jennings could not believe right before his eyes at the other individual.
“Mr. Snowdon!” Miss Blake said. “You’re alive!”
“Lani?” Jennings spokes. “Is that you?”
The Hawaiian native reacted to what thought to be a stranger, but it was her friend Sidney Jennings. “Sid?” She gasped and ran right up to him and hug him. “Oh, Sid! I’m so happy to see you! Something crazy just happened!”
“Are you hurt?”
She released from hug. “I’m okay, I just burnt my hand.” She stated, and Jennings picked up his bottle water and pour it on Lani’s red-colored hand. The liquid was temperature, not cold from the fridge, but it relieved her hand at least. Seeing her costume ruined, Jennings gives his steward jacket uniform to her. “Oh, thank you…” It was over her size, it covered her whole slim torso.
“Is there anyone with you?” Snowdon asked.
“Just Lani and me…” Blake said. “Lani and I were in the Promenade Hall with the other passengers until the ship turned over. We couldn’t do anything, passengers were running in panic. I thought I was done for, but Lani found me when there wasn’t anyone around there. We were the only ones before you found us.”
“It’s all right, Joyce. You’re safe.” Snowdon assured.
“Wait…” Joyce started. “You were from the ballroom, right?”
“Blake, I…”
“What happened in the ballroom?” The rabbit doesn’t want to let it go.
Rico stood up, “Your colleague of a hotel manager doesn’t want to cooperate and made hundreds to stay behind.”
“Then, we have to go back! It’s safe there, right?”
Snowdon shook his head, “Miss Blake, Collins and the others decided to stay. We’re not coming back.”
“You cannot be serious.” She cried. “We have a job to do and we cannot leave hundreds of people all down there. Our jobs are to protect the passengers…” She kneels with hands on her face with sobs hidden. “They never trained me this kind of thing…”
Snowdon was lost to what to do with her, but Lani lower along with Blake to comfort her. “It’s okay, Miss Blake. It’s going to be alright.”
“Miss Blake, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Jennings said close to her. “They made up their choices to stay. If you quit, you’re bound as those in the ballroom. I know this is difficult for you, but there’s no other choice. Come with us.”
“Please, Miss Blake, we don’t want to leave you.” Lani pleaded.
The rabbit-woman quietly stands up with Lani. She sniffles and replied, “Alright... I’ll go.”
“I’m glad you did the right thing, Miss Blake. We all gonna get out of here, safe and sound.” Jennings said with a smile.
Settled, the group grew at twenty-six. Lani kindly introduced herself towards the whole group. Happy to join. Then Snowdon talked to the new members from the disco about their intentions of getting out to through the bottom of the ship towards the bow. To which Miss Blake and Lani reacted their heading towards the opened doors they had came from.
“Wait…” Lani started. “We all going where we’ve been to?”
“It’s our direction towards the bow.” Kershaw said to her.
“But there’s…” She stopped to which the whole group caught her attention.
“There is what, miss?” Kale Summers asked. He sensed a hint of fear of possible dangerous obstacle or something much worse ahead of them which he holds his left hand with Ryder the wolf.
“There’s a huge well where people had fallen…” She warned.
Rico verified her statement and specified. “You mean the atrium?”
“Y-yes… There’s water down below and the stairs broken. I guess I could say that it’s blocked…”
Snowdon asked the young girl. “Are you sure that is blocked?”
“I don’t know. I woke up at the other side of the atrium that I tried to walk around it, but it has been wrecked badly which I have to cross this weird, wrecked bridge and that was the moment I saw the statue right above me, all upside-down. That’s all I know.” Lani pressured her knowledge.
Zoey assured her, “It’s okay, miss, you don’t have to force yourself too much.”
“Are you kidding?” Portia strikes again. “She said it was blocked. No way out!”
“Are you deaf, lady?” Rico retorted. “She said she crossed the atrium on something. That’s a path.”
“Only way to find out, Rico.” Ryder said.
Maxwell added, “If it’s blocked, then we’ll have to go the other way, uh, towards the back of the ship and find a way up to the front, right?”
“There’s always a plan B, Mr. Maxwell.” Foxley said.
“I would like to see this ‘wrecked bridge’ you speak of, Miss.” Snowdon said to Lani.
“Of course.” Lani nodded.
The group marched through the opened doors. For the passengers, this area is a small boutique shop, full of broken glass scattered on the new floor from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. As a boutique shop, tax-free products from purses to jewelry are shinning the dimmed room by the emergency lighting.
“How many diamonds does it take to throw in the ocean…” Archer said.
“They’ve been there and done that. Lay it off, Sir.” Rico said.
“Just keeping the mood.” The hyena sincerely said. “Hey, I remember you!”
“Pardon?”
“You’re the spaniard at the bar the other day, right?”
“Ah, you’re the one whom gave me that half advice before you left. It sucked.”
“Well, sorry. When I came back, you were already gone.”
“I was drunk, what am I supposed to…”
“Oh, dear god…” The hyena-man stopped.
“What?” Rico wonders and saw the magician kneeling at a lifeless body.
Jennings cried, “Oh, God! It’s Kacy!”
“Kacy…” Gwen remembered. “She was the waitress whom ran away.”
Unlike the badly, blooded, dead shark-man that Stephanie was frightened of, the Caucasian female human lies almost peacefully with few blood stains on her uniform, but her head had a mortal wound behind all that blonde hair. Her eyes were closed long ago.
“I didn’t know it was her when we passed by.” Miss Blake said.
“There’s nothing we can do for her.” Foxley said, voice weaken.
Jennings rummages around her neck, taking off a necklace. “I hope I can bring this to her family if we get out of here.”
“Um, Sid…” Lani started. Jennings turns to her and asked what is it? She said, “Do you think I can borrow her shoes, I mean, I’m barefoot.” Jennings saw her feet with small cuts and bruises. Lani was performing the night for the party that she was wearing a hula dancing costume that didn’t included a pair of slippers. Jennings nodded and took Kacy’s low-heeled shoes.
“I not sure if you’re the same size.” Jennings said. Lani didn’t hesitated and put the shoes on, it was an inch longer than her size.
“They are fine. I hope Kacy understands my situation.” She stated.
“She’s now in a better place…” Foxley said.
The group quietly leaves Kacy’s body alone in peace. Foxley and Jennings have known Kacy since she began working on the Poseidon for over a year. It may not be much, but enough to know her what she likes or dislikes and openly talked about her family back in England. Mixed reactions as to what had happened to her, the families are facing sorrow-ness when they hear the news.
Ninth chapter of Ship Wave fanfiction.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 120 x 90px
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