ã€ŠShadowed Waters: Book Oneã€‹


 Chapter One

    A flash of light. Bright as the sun.

    Sandy watched it rocket towards the ocean and disappear into the black with a thunderous splash. And then there was darkness. The stars shined above like needles and the deep rolled beneath.

    "What was that, Daddy?" Sandy asked.

    "Must have been a shooting star," Tom replied. He held Sandy in his arms and boy was she getting heavy. Five years old. He couldn''t believe it.

    A shooting star, Sandy thought. My first shooting star.

    "You know what happens when you see a shooting star?" Tom asked. "You make a wish."

    Sandy nodded. She thought of all the things she wanted. She thought of all the toys and candy. She thought of the great big slide on the ship. She thought of the hall near the stern, where she could dance for as long as she wanted. And then she thought of the darkness. Like ink on paper, it spread across her mind. The deep abyss that surrounded her. It swallowed the shooting star and it would swallow the ship too.

    Sandy tightened her grip around Tom''s neck and leaned over the edge of the ship to look at the ocean. It was dark. She almost couldn''t see it except for the faint reflection of moonlight kissing the tips of each wave. There was something frightening about it. Like looking under your bed in the middle of the night. Keep looking and you might find something. A face. A monster. Stare long enough and it will pull you in.

    "Careful Sandy," Tom said, "you don''t want to fall in."

    Something caught her breath, a cold hand that wrapped its fingers around her lungs. So cold it burned her chest. She couldn''t breathe. Sandy pulled herself back and kept her head close to her dad''s chest.

    They stood on the east side of the transatlantic cruise, slicing through the big blue in the middle of the night. The ship had left Florida the day before and they were en route for Barcelona.

    The ship was colossal. The vessel would have towered over the Titanic. It had all the food you could ever need and all the fun you could ever have¡ªa waterpark, rock climbing, and even mini-golf. It was a city that could float. I could live here forever, Sandy thought.

    Dozens of other people began gathering, peering out into the endless dark. They leaned over the railing and stared into the waters, searching for a sign of something. The cold spray of choppy waters settled on their cheeks.

    "There''s Mommy," Tom said. He placed Sandy on the deck and she tottered over. Her feet almost marched, as if afraid she would tip into the ocean if she stood too still.

    "There you are," Marilyn said while picking up Sandy. "What happened over there?"

    "A shooting star," Sandy said.

    "Something came hurling out of the sky. Maybe a meteor." Tom said. "It was big. If it had hit the ship¡ª"

    "What''s a me-tee-or?" Sandy asked.

    "A meteor is a shooting star, honey," Marilyn said.

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    "I forgot to make a wish," Sandy frowned. "What should I wish for?"

    "Don''t tell us. Or it won''t come true." Marilyn wiggled her nose.

    Sandy brought her finger to her mouth and pretended to lock it. She threw the key overboard.

    "Oh no, the key!" Tom said.

    He pretended to look overboard to see where the key had fallen but found something else instead.

    "Marilyn, take a look at this."

    Something was floating in the water. In fact, there were many things floating in the water.

    "What is that?" Marilyn asked, putting Sandy down.

    "Looks like debris," Tom said.

    Sandy saw it too, scattered across the surface. The debris bobbed in and out of the water like Tom did when they played Jaws.

    "Is that metal? Does metal float?" Marilyn asked.

    "I don''t think so, but I can barely see," Tom replied. "I don''t think it was a meteor, Marilyn. It must have been a plane that came down. It was on fire and crashed right into the water."

    "Was anyone on the plane?" Sandy asked.

    "I''m not sure," Tom said.

    Hundreds of people were now leaning over the railing, trying to put the debris together like a puzzle. Was that a wing? An engine? Was that the hatch?

    The ship came to a stop. The wake from the ship calmed and the propellers hushed. It suddenly became very quiet. Sandy could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The water grew still¡ªas if it was holding its breath for what was to come. The waves moved slow and sick, like stomach fluid in the belly of a beast. And then there was screaming.

    The crew began running down the deck shouting something incoherent. Sandy was too startled to understand. The ship lights painted their faces in dark shadows, growing more sinister as they ran by. Passengers began to follow them like a swarm of locust.

    "I''m going to help," Tom said, disappearing into the crowd.

    "Tom!" Marilyn shouted.

    Sandy felt that fear again, like looking under her bed at night¡ªexcept this time her father was being pulled in. Wet pale fingers would reach up from the ocean and drag him in. She needed to make sure he was okay.

    "I want to go with Daddy," Sandy said before her feet carried her away.

    "No, you stay right here with me," Marilyn said. "Sandy, wait!"

    Sandy was swallowed by the mass of people. Her little feet scurried across the deck in the direction her dad went. She threaded her way between frantic legs like a piece of yarn. Her shoes went clop-clop-clop on the wooden surface.

    Sandy followed more crew running below deck. She found a group of men hauling a lifeboat back up to the ship. Her dad was among them.

    The ocean was angry again. Now that Sandy was closer to the water, it no longer just rolled¡ªit tumbled, it crashed, and it rocked with an unmeasurable force. Rain began coming down sideways. Sandy couldn''t tell if it was coming from the sky or the water beneath.

    "Easy there," a crewmember said.

    The men in the lifeboat were holding onto something. Their uniforms were soaking wet. They tried to adjust their grip but whatever they were holding was limp and sagged further. Was it a fish? Had a shark attacked the boat? Oh no, this is Jaws, thought Sandy.

    "You ready? We''re going to pass him over."

    Tom and the rest of the men reached into the lifeboat and dragged a body out.

    "Christ," a woman said before emptying her stomach into the ocean.

    The body was in a white suit, the kind a spaceman would wear. His head was missing, the inside of his helmet was painted a dark red. The body''s neck was a stump. It looked like a cooked piece of ham, the kind Sandy loved to eat on Thanksgiving.

    "Sandy!" Marilyn grabbed her. "Don''t you ever do that again." Marilyn looked to the body and then to where the head used to be. "Oh my God."

    Tom looked up to see the two of them. "What are you doing here?" He was sweating, eyes wide and panicked.

    "Sandy ran after you," Marilyn said. Her eyes went back to the body.

    "Get out of here," Tom said.

    "Time for bed sweetie," Marilyn said.

    "What''s wrong with him, Mommy? Where is his head?"

    "He fell from a plane. He will be okay." Marilyn held Sandy tight against her chest.

    As Marilyn carried her away, Sandy looked back to the spaceman. A puddle of water formed around him and the body was still. Sandy saw something move in his suit. Faint, but it was there.

    "Mommy, the man moved."

    "He did not honey, he''s asleep."

    "He moved. I saw it."

    "That''s enough, we are going to bed now."

    Sandy looked back one more time. The body was still. Then she looked to the missing head.

    It looks like ham, she thought.

 Chapter Two

    Kerrie Fan and Neil Hanson sat across from each other in the dining hall, but it felt like they were miles apart. It was noon and Neil had already consumed six pi?a coladas. He sat slouched and his stomach bulged, attempting to escape from his polo shirt. His swim trunks were "vomit green," as Kerrie described it. Neil sat with his elbows on the table and gnawed on a chicken leg.

    "Do you have to chew with your mouth open?" Kerrie asked.

    Neil responded with a belch. He had a smug look on his face, as if he was proud of himself. Kerrie wanted to drive her fist right into his freckled nose. Wouldn''t look so smug then, would he?

    "You going to eat that?" Neil pointed to the unfinished burger on her plate.

    Kerrie lost her appetite¡ªfor both her food and Neil. It was the third day on the cruise and Neil had already embarrassed her. Neil had a few drinks too many the night before and wrapped the evening up by crashing into a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. Kerrie had helped him up¡ªregretting doing so afterward¡ªand brought him back to their room. She removed his wine-stained shirt and sat on the cold bathroom tiles as Neil''s puke splattered the toilet bowl. Oysters and red wine. Kerrie wouldn''t have either anytime soon.

    Their relationship was hanging by a thread and she thought a trip together could resolve it. Kerrie had been working nights as a nurse in Tampa Bay while Neil had been feeding on unemployment. Neil lost his job¡ªand that''s fine, Kerrie told herself¡ªbut he became a real ass in the process. Intolerable. Dependant. Couple that with Kerrie''s daily exhaustion and frankly I don''t have time for your bullshit attitude, they were a recipe for disaster. Things that Kerrie used to love about Neil became things she hated. Love turned to regret. Regret to resentment.

    But a vacation could solve their problems¡ªor so she thought. They could put all the stress behind them and enjoy spending time together as they used to. She could have never been more wrong. Now she was his caretaker and an embarrassment by association.

    Neil looked at Kerrie and back toward her food. He took her silence as a response and grabbed her plate, shaking the remainder of her food onto his own.

    "You''re a pig." Kerrie got up from her seat and left the dining hall.

    "Kerrie, what''s the problem?" Neil said as she marched out the door.

    The doors swung shut behind Kerrie and she felt she could finally breathe. She loved the smell of the ocean, the salt warming her senses. The water calmed since last night, a never-ending sea of liquid glass. The sky was clear and the sun heated the deck. Kerrie slid her sandals off to feel the warmth of the wood beneath her feet.

    The sun always worked wonders on her mood. Feeling the heat on her skin, like a warm bath, calmed her mind. It was part of the reason why working night shifts at the hospital became so hard. Kerrie was always predisposed to the blues. It ran in the family. But Kerrie was also a workaholic. "Idle hands bring idle thoughts," her mother always said. Kerrie always kept moving, she kept her hands busy to distract herself. But sometimes it was hard.

    Neil didn''t make anything easier for her. Kerrie felt like she carried all the weight on her shoulders. She worked, made dinner, cleaned the house, skipped out on sleep to take Neil to appointments and interviews¡ªbecause God forbid Neil got his license¡ªand then she would take care of herself, if she had the time. She was exhausted and needed this vacation, but it seemed the same old followed her on board.

    Neil came from behind, wrapping his arms around her stomach and kissing her neck. Kerrie felt his stomach gently resting on the small of her back. He smelled of pickles and she felt the crumbs on his fingers grate against her skin.

    "I''m sorry babe," Neil said. "I just didn''t want to waste any food."

    "It''s not about the food, Neil. It''s your behavior. You''re a mess and it''s embarrassing."

    "I''ve barely had anything to drink."

    There it was, that smug look again. Kerrie felt her fist tighten, her knuckles turning white like the ocean waves.

    "You''ve had enough, Neil." Kerrie turned to face him. "You''re slurring and can barely focus on me."

    "Come back inside, let''s have some dessert."

    "No, Neil. I will not. Not like this."

    "Okay. Okay. Listen." Neil wiped the smug look off his face. "No more drinks, I''ll sober up and we can enjoy a nice day together."

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    "No more drinks?" Kerrie was already ashamed for trusting him.

    "No more drinks."

    Neil placed both hands along her jaw and planted a kiss on her lips. Kerrie didn''t kiss back and when Neil pulled away, she smelled pickles again.

    She felt it, during that kiss. Something was missing¡ªthe connection that once tied them together¡ªand it made her sad. For five grueling years, Kerrie poured herself into the relationship until all that was left was an empty shell. They were going through the motions.

    "Shall we head to the pool?" Kerrie mustered up a smile.

    Kerrie watched Neil propel down a slide into the pool, his back making the same sound the squeegees did when she cleaned her car window. His splash stretched outside the pool and wet the feet of those tanning on beach chairs. Kerrie felt a wave of embarrassment rush through her body. She wanted to crawl out of her skin and slip away, but instead lowered her hat and sunk into her chair. Next to her, two women were chatting away.

    "Did you hear about the plane that almost flew into the ship last night?"

    "I was right there!" the other responded. "Stephen and I went for a walk towards the bow last night. I nearly jumped out of my pants when I saw it happen."

    "Sorry, did you say a plane almost flew into the ship?" Kerrie interrupted.

    "You didn''t hear it?" She wore pink sunglasses with heart-shaped frames. "It came out of the sky and landed in the ocean just ahead of the ship. And it wasn''t just any ol'' plane. It was a spaceship."

    The other woman wearing a sunhat leaned in, "And there was still a man onboard. He was wearing one of those spacesuits."

    "Holy shit," Kerrie said.

    Kerrie heard nothing last night. She was too busy rubbing Neil''s back as he shamelessly released a steady stream of black vomit into the toilet.

    "Did the man survive?"

    "Of course not, dear." Kerrie wasn''t sure if Sunglasses meant to sound condescending. "But they found the body."

    "I heard they were supposed to land at the Kennedy Space Center, but something must have gone wrong. Or is it Cape Canaveral?" Sunhat paused. "Anyway, the ship is heading back to Florida."

    "Did you know a cruise has a morgue? I couldn''t believe it when I heard it. But really, think about it. This ain''t the first time someone died at sea. They need a place to store the body."

    Kerrie was silent and processing when Sunglasses reached out, "Sharron, pleased to meet you."

    "Leah." The other lifted her hat and smiled.

    "Kerrie."

    "What brings you on this cruise? Vacation with the husband?" Sharron asked.

    "Boyfriend. He''s right over there." Kerrie pointed.

    Neil held a noodle in his hand and was whacking a kid in the head.

    "Well isn''t that lovely," Leah said.

    "How about yourselves?"

    "Just a little family fun," Leah laughed. "We''re sisters. Our husbands and kids are playing in the pool. Aiden is Sharron''s, he just turned eight. Kayla is mine and she just turned six."

    "I completely forgot their water wings. What kind of mother am I?" Sharron said. "Luckily for me, they have a kiddie pool."

    "Those two over there?" Kerrie pointed.

    "Sure are," Sharron said.

    ''They''re cute," Kerrie added.

    Kerrie could feel the conversation reaching its expiry date and attempted to get comfortable in her chair, but Leah leaned in further. Kerrie regretted opening her mouth in the first place.

    "Thoughts for any kids of your own?" Leah asked.

    "Not sure to be honest," Kerrie said.

    Kerrie hadn''t thought that far ahead. She could barely see a future with Neil let alone a kid. And this trip has made it painfully clear. Neil wasn''t the man she wanted him to be. He''s the same kid she fell in love with years ago. He has become resistant to change, unable to grow. And now Kerrie was falling out of love.

    "That''s alright, they sure ain''t for everyone," Sharron said. "I swear, over the last few years my migraines have gotten worse. It''s all the screaming and crying. Don''t get me wrong, I love them more than anything, but they''re going to be the death of me."

    "It could be worse," Kerrie looked towards the sky.

    "The spaceman," Sharron smiled. "Well said." Sharron raised her pink drink in the air, the little umbrella almost tipping out.

    Kerrie took the opportunity to close her eyes and catch up on some sleep. The sun broke through the thin skin of her eyelids, adding a deep red to the darkness of her mind like a bed of hot coals. And then she slipped away. Blackness.

    Kerrie rose to her feet and looked around. She searched for something or someone. There were no walls or edges for her eyes to hold on to. There was nothingness.

    Kerrie looked down and found a thin sheet of water beneath her feet. Any movement sent a continuous ripple to the shadows, like some great cosmic reaction expanding across time and space. Within the ripples, she could see slight glimpses of her reflection but there was no light here.

    Is the light coming from the other side?

    Kerrie reached down, her fingertips dipping into the water. It was viscous, almost resisting her touch. As she pulled her hand out, the black liquid stretched from the surface to her fingertips before breaking.

    Am I standing on the ocean?

    Kerrie suddenly felt small. An infinite world of darkness stretched out on all sides¡ªshe felt like she would be consumed by it. She felt that it wanted to consume her until she too became nothing.

    Kerrie was not alone.

    "Feed me," She heard it whisper.

    Kerrie felt its presence, like black tentacles reaching into her skull to prod her brain. She felt it coming. She heard it splashing through the water. Kerrie ran.

    "FEED ME. FEED ME. FEED ME."

    Her breath was loud and her heart raged like a marathon runner. Kerrie brought her hands to her chest, trying to stop her heart from bursting through her sternum and onto the cold, black water.

    Kerrie turned and saw him. He wore a spacesuit and his skin was pale. His eyes were white. The man stared at her and Kerrie could no longer run. Even if she could, she knew the man would be right behind her.

    His jaw slowly opened, like the door of a haunted house and from within a dark sludge poured out. The man screamed and Kerrie covered her ears.

    No. No. No.

    And then she woke up.

 Chapter Three

    Tom opened the bottle of ibuprofen, his hands clammy and trembling. The pills scattered across his palm before he threw a handful back and washed it down with a glass of water. His head was pounding. It felt as if a hammer was coming down just above his brow, cold metal against his skull. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Any harder and his head would split right open. He could picture it, blood streaming down his face and bits of brain matter hanging out like cooked spaghetti. At least the pain would end, he thought.

    Tom lay in bed, the setting sun casting shadows across the room. Even the fading light was already too bright for Tom''s headache. He shut his eyes to stop the pain from radiating across his skull. It felt like there was an elastic band wrapped tightly around his optic nerve. His eyes felt weighted and any movement made the pain worse.

    Tom caught something the night before¡ªthe night they found the man. After the ship came down in flames, Tom rushed below deck. The ocean was in a state of fury, chunks of debris scattered across the rolling surface. They almost missed the body until they saw an arm, a leg. The body would briefly appear before being swallowed back into the ocean.

    Two of the crew put on life vests and lowered themselves to the water. The body trailed alongside the ship and the two crew members were able to pull him on the lifeboat. The crew hoisted the boat back up as water crashed beneath. Tom''s heart stopped when he saw the body. The wind rushed through him and seemed to steal what warmth was left in his blood.

    What they found was not a pilot or a civilian. They found an astronaut. The situation seemed so farfetched, so implausible that Tom almost laughed. He wasn''t supposed to be here. He should have landed at the space center, walking off with a smile on his face, family waiting on the other side. But something went wrong, something unaccounted for. All the scientists and engineers ran their calculations and this man still fell within the margin of error. Something unexpected happened and now he was dead.

    Tom grabbed the man by the collar of his white suit and pulled him on board. The back of his helmet hit the deck with a thud and Tom staggered back at the sight. The impact in the ocean blew his head off. His fleshy neck came to an abrupt stop. Tom''s mind tried to fill in where the head should have been but all he saw was the deep red that soaked the back of the helmet. The blood pooled inside like a bowl of tomato soup. That was when he saw Sandy and Marilyn.

    The last thing Tom remembered was bringing the body to the morgue. When they laid the man down, Tom thought he saw the body move. And then he couldn''t remember anything else. Tom didn''t exactly blackout. It was more of a gap in his memory, like trying to recall what he did seven years ago. No matter how hard Tom tried, he couldn''t access the thought. The moments following bringing the body to the morgue had been erased. Tom later awoke walking back to his room. He felt ill, adrenaline no longer coursing through his veins.

    "How are you feeling?" Marilyn asked. She sat on the bed next to Tom and placed a hand on his thigh.

    "Not great," Tom said. "How''s Sandy?"

    "She''s fine and fast asleep." Marilyn peered out to the other room where Sandy slept. "I tried to keep her busy today. She is exhausted, to say the least."

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    "But how has she been with..."

    "I''m not sure she processed what she saw," Marilyn said. "I''m not sure she fully understood what happened."

    "They''re tougher than we think." Tom let out a smile, but it quickly faded.

    Marilyn stretched out on the bed and lay behind Tom. Her head sunk into the pillow and her long legs wrapped around his, moving like silk sheets against his own. She ran her hand up and down his arm, feeling the ridges of his muscles and the brush of hair, like a wheat field along a mountain line.

    "You''re tense," Marilyn said.

    "It''s my head," Tom said. He felt her breath on his neck.

    "Did you take any painkillers?"

    "A handful."

    "Tom..."

    "I can''t stop picturing him, Marilyn. His head was gone. I could see his spine protruding from his flesh like a piece of raw meat."

    "I can''t get it out of my head either," Marilyn said. "I''ve never seen a dead body before. Not like that."

    "How did that happen?"

    "I''m not sure but we are lucky it didn''t hit us. Did you know they''re turning the ship around?"

    Marilyn slipped her hand under Tom''s shirt, her fingers running along his ribs. The smoothness of his skin was interrupted by a lesion several inches long.

    "Careful," Tom hissed.

    Marilyn lifted his shirt to find a wound along his lower ribs. His skin was torn open.

    "What the hell, Tom. You need stitches. When did this happen?"

    "I don''t remember."

    "What do you mean you don''t remember? It''s huge."

    "When I was walking back last night, I felt a pain in my side. I looked down and saw my shirt had torn and was bloody." Tom sat up and positioned his back against the bed frame. "I thought the blood was from the body, but I must have cut myself open on something. I was so panicked I didn''t even notice."

    "We need to take you to the doctor."

    "I''m fine, Marilyn. It''s the headache that is killing me."

    "You could have an infection." Marilyn moved to her luggage and unzipped it. She revealed a travel-sized first aid kit. Tom watched in fear as she opened a pack of disinfectant wipes and lifted his shirt.

    "This may hurt," Marilyn warned.

    "That''s putting it lightly," Tom replied.

    The disinfectant came down like a searing knife, a sharp pain that would blow the dial off any scale. Tom''s whole body seized, the muscles in his neck bulging like electric cords.

    Tom screamed.

    "Just a bit more," Marilyn said.

    Suddenly the headache was not so bad. It felt like all the nerves in his abdomen caught fire. A thousand lines of pain all leading from his lesion and taking hold of the rest of his body. The fire simmered.

    "All done," Marilyn said.

    "Thank God," Tom said.

    "Don''t thank God, thank me. I''m the one that cleaned your wound." Marilyn smiled.

    Marilyn placed some gauze over the wound and held it together with medical tape. Tom flinched but the pain was nowhere near before. Tom could feel the steady drum of pain rising in his head again.

    "Tomorrow we will pass by the doctor before heading to the pool."

    "Fine."

    "Mommy?" Sandy called. She stood before the doorframe, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hands. "What''s wrong with Daddy?"

    "Nothing, honey. Daddy just has a little booboo. Head back to sleep."

    "Okay," Sandy said.

    Marilyn placed the first aid in the luggage and crawled back into bed with Tom.

    "I love you, Tom," Marilyn said.

    "I love you too."

    "And I don''t ever want to lose you. I can''t help thinking this way during times like these, but I am thankful I have the two of you and nothing terrible happened yesterday. I mean someone did die but I am grateful for us." Marilyn nestled her head on Tom''s chest.

    "You two are everything to me. You know that." Tom planted a kiss on her forehead.

    "I know."

    They lay in silence until the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Marilyn''s head rose and sank with Tom''s breathing. She could tell his breath was short. Marilyn ran her fingers over his chest, drawing circles with the tips of her nails. The circles made their way to his waist.

    "Maybe I could make you feel better."

    Tom was still. It seemed his breathing almost stopped. Marilyn got up to shut the door.

    And she did make him feel better.

 Chapter Four

    Metal as cold as ice pressed against his chest. It reminded Tom of that cold pocket of air when they pulled the body on board.

    "Take a deep breath," Dr. Keane said. "And another."

    Tom''s chest expanded but he felt he couldn''t breathe. Every inhale left him unfulfilled, like waking up five minutes before your alarm. The more he focused on it, the least likely it seemed possible. He tried again.

    Dr. Keane raised his hands to palpate Tom''s neck. His fingers rolled where his glands were, pushing into the soft tissue and checking for any inflammation. The fluorescent light flickered above.

    "Does this hurt?" Dr. Keane asked.

    "No."

    "Now for the headache." Dr. Keane grabbed a pen and began taking notes. "Do you feel pressure above your nose bridge?"

    "Yes, closer to the center of my forehead." Tom gestured.

    "Do your eyes feel weighted? Is the pressure worse when you bend over?"

    "Yes, and yes."

    Dr. Keane took off the stethoscope and placed it next to the notebook on his desk. "I''m just going to check your ears." Dr. Keane examined one and then the next.

    This type of human contact left Tom feeling uncomfortable, in a good way. The sensation was vague and indistinct, like a breath of cool air tightening the skin of his neck.

    "Your ears are good." Dr. Keane cleared his throat. "Alright, Mr. Tom..."

    "Miller. Tom Miller."

    "Yes, Mr. Tom Miller. I gave you twelve stitches and they should hold up just fine. The wound doesn''t look infected right now, so your head pain could very well be a sinus infection¡ªbut an infection nonetheless. We have some antibiotics for that. I''ll also give you some heavier painkillers than the ones you are already taking. They should tide you over if it gets bad enough. Only if it''s bad enough. You should feel the antibiotics kick in within the next day."

    "Thanks, Dr. Keane." Tom hesitated. "I had a question about what happened a couple of days ago."

    "Hot topic of the cruise," Dr. Keane said.

    "I was one of the people that helped bring the body on board. Is it possible I could have¡ª"

    "Caught some sort of sickness from it? I don''t think so. The risk of catching an infectious disease from a corpse is lower than most people think. And from what I could tell, the man died shortly before impact."

    How did he die before impact? Tom thought.

    "It''s just a sinus infection, Tom. You''ll feel better before you know it." Dr. Keane headed towards the door. "I''ll be right back with your medicine."

    Tom slid his shirt back on, his skin pulling where the doctor stitched him up. His head was still hammering away like an army marching towards its end.

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    Hopefully these pills help, Tom thought. I don''t think I can go another night without sleep.

    Tom felt like he couldn''t think clearly, a thick fog hanging over his thoughts. It felt like he was an observer to his own life, his soul slipping towards the astral plane to watch his body carry out its basic functions.

    The door swung back open and in walked Dr. Keane with antibiotics in one hand and painkillers in the other.

    "Take one of these with your dinner." Dr. Keane shook the pills. "And these once every six to eight hours. Do not exceed two in a day. I''ve written this on the bottles."

    "Thanks, Dr. Keane." Tom reached for the medicine.

    "I hope you feel better, Tom. Come back to me if your condition worsens."

    "Sure thing."

    Tom felt better once he took the prescribed painkillers. The thudding pain within his head faded.

    These pills are a miracle, Tom thought.

    Tom could enjoy the beautiful weather again, the bright sun no longer a blade of light piercing his pupil. Tom felt good. He would take it easy, stay out of the water for a few days to avoid opening the stitches.

    "Can we go to the pool now?" Sandy asked.

    "That''s where we''re headed, Sandy." Tom smiled.

    "But your father is staying out of the water," Marilyn said.

    "But I wanted to play Jaws," Sandy said.

    "Jaws will have to wait," Marilyn said. "Tom, how are you feeling?"

    "I feel better. The headache seems to be gone."

    "We''ve traded places," Marilyn said, massaging her temples to soothe the pain.

    "Is it bad?"

    "It''s fine but if it gets worse, I''m stealing some of your prescriptions." Marilyn winked.

    "We haven''t slept well the last couple of nights, you probably need some rest," Tom said.

    Marilyn dropped her sunglasses over her eyes as they reared the corner to the pool. Sandy skipped her way to the splash pad while they draped their towels over the beach chairs. For the first time in the last couple of days, Tom felt like he was on vacation again. The sun warmed his cheeks. He was no longer thinking about the body and the missing head. The fear that once wrapped its hands tightly around his neck loosened its grip. Tom was happy to be on a cruise with his wife a daughter. He was happy they were safe and healthy after what happened.

    Tom stretched his arms over his head, his skin along his ribs feeling one size too small.

    "Can you see Sandy?" Tom asked.

    Marilyn lowered her book. "She''s in the kiddie pool playing with Aiden and Kayla." Marilyn shifted onto her side to face Tom. "What did the doctor say about the pain?"

    "He said it was probably a sinus infection and the wound didn''t look infected."

    "Did you ask about the body, if you could have¡ª"

    "He said it''s not likely." The brief moment of peace was gone. Tom was thinking about the corpse again, the dead man. His pale skin slippery like an algae-covered rock. He wondered if the impact imploded the man''s head into his sternum. Tom heard a story of that happening when a man got hit by a train head-on, bits of skull scattered in his torso like shrapnel from a grenade.

    "Are you sure?" Marilyn pushed.

    "What did I just tell you?" Tom felt anger flash across his face. "I had just started forgetting about what happened. Do we have to keep talking about it?"

    "We have Sandy to think about here."

    "Don''t you think I know that?"

    Marilyn shifted upright and returned to her book. The conversation was over. No words were needed. Tom was in the relationship long enough to know sometimes no words were the loudest.

    Tom reached for his hat and covered his face. He tried to get back to his original mood, but he couldn''t shake the feeling. It felt like he had no control over his emotions. A stranger in his own body.

    Tom started thinking of the dead man again. He wondered what the man''s face had looked like before it shattered like a watermelon hitting the floor in the produce section. Tom''s mind began crafting its nightmare. He saw a nose and a mouth. Then he saw dark eyes¡ªas dark as the waters the night they found the body. The man''s face began to shift, his cheekbones and jaw gliding beneath the skin of his face, restructuring into something different, something alien.

    "Daddy, look!" Tom heard Sandy call from the pool. "Daddy!" But her voice began to fade into something distant as a louder sound began to take its place.

    Boom. Boom. Boom. Like a fist pounding a glass window.

    The pain was returning. Tom reached for more painkillers.

 Chapter Five

    Dr. Keane stared at what was left of William Reed''s face. William sat in the corner of the engine room. The mechanical space stood at least three decks high, a tall but watertight compartment. William''s body was propped up in the corner next to the main engines¡ªmonstrous blocks of steel, pistons pumping like the legs of a raging beast.

    William''s hand clung loosely to a flare gun, its orange color screaming against the metal floor. His jaw was slack and the skin below his eyes hung like wax. His face was a mess of cauterized flesh and bone. It looked like someone grabbed William by the back of his neck and pressed his face into a flaming grill. You could see the pain in his eyes, wide and untouched despite the burns beneath. If time stretched during the last moments of life, William must have lived through centuries of torment. An endless nightmare you don''t wake up from, until you just slip away. Dried blood ran down his neck and stained the collar of his shirt.

    "Where did he get the flare gun?" Dr. Keane asked.

    "He must have opened one of our emergency kits," Captain Higgins responded.

    Captain Higgins stood as a towering figure. Her shoulders were broad beneath her white uniform. Her jaw was sharp, jutting outwards like the propellers of the cruise. Her hair was fastened into a bun. Behind her, security personnel filed in and out of the engine room.

    Captain Higgins lowered herself to one knee and removed her hat. She reached for William''s shoulder and pulled him forward. His head rolled, like an apple falling from a basket, chin touching his bloodied collar. At the back of his skull was a hole. Blood splattered the wall behind him.

    "Is that where the shot exited?" Dr. Keane asked. His jaw muscles clenched at the sight.

    "A flare gun isn''t powerful enough to do that," Captain Higgins said. "The gun burned his face but the cannister couldn''t have exited from there."

    Dr. Keane lowered himself and slid on medical gloves. One hand grabbed William by his hair while the other fished the remains of the cannister from his mouth.

    "Was William one of the people that pulled the body on board after the crash?" Dr. Keane asked.

    "I have others witnessing him there. Thomas Dunn reported William was acting strange after that incident. William told him he was under the weather and hadn''t slept since."

    "That makes five of them," Dr. Keane said.

    "Five of who?"

    "I have four others who booked an appointment with me after coming in contact with the body. They all claimed to feel unwell and were fixated on discussing what happened, worried they caught something. William is the fifth."

    "What are we dealing with here? Post-traumatic stress disorder? Suicide?"

    "Likely," Dr. Keane paused. "But that doesn''t explain the entirety of these wounds. William needs to be examined by a coroner."

    "Before William offed himself, he was seen pacing just outside the engine room," Captain Higgins said. "Something about the engines drowning out the sound." She paused. "Who were the others?"

    "Three crew members and one passenger."

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    "A passenger? Do you think they''re at risk?"

    "Panic can be contagious," Dr. Keane said. "Like a parasite. It spreads and spreads until it takes hold of its host."

    Dr. Keane looked back toward the hole in William''s head. It was dark and hollow. In his profession, seeing a body was not uncommon. But the gruesome nature of this death hit him hard. Dr. Keane''s head ached, and his body was shaking. He wasn''t made of steel like Captain Higgins. He felt the stress vibrating through his muscles. Dr. Keane reached into his pocket for a pill. It danced across his palm before he dry swallowed it.

    Captain Higgins turned towards security. "Do we have any footage of what happened?"

    "We do," the man paused, "but William died in a blind spot in the engine room."

    "Of course he did." Captain Higgins headed towards the exit before turning around. "Dr. Keane you''re welcome to come along if you''d like."

    William paced back and forth in the security footage. He was in the hallway outside the engine room. The flare gun was in his hand.

    "Turn up the volume," Captain Higgins said.

    "There''s no sound," security said.

    William continued walking back and forth. His mouth stretched and his face shook. He was screaming. William grabbed the gun by the barrel and started hammering the grip into the center of his head.

    "What''s he trying to do?" Captain Higgins asked.

    Blood was streaming from William''s forehead and down his face. His eyes shifted across the hallway like a crazed animal.

    The footage switched to the engine room.

    William stumbled in. The arm with the flare gun waved in the air, the barrel sending passing glances to three workers. They cleared the room and left William to his demise.

    "That''s when they called for help," Captain Higgins said.

    William grabbed a handrail and drove his head into the cold steel. And again. He staggered back and made his way to the corner where his body was found. He disappeared from the footage¡ªeverything except for two legs that stretched into the frame from where William sat. A bright light ignited in the corner, pulsing outwards like the flames of a bonfire.

    They fast-forwarded through the footage until the flare flickered out. William''s legs lay lifeless, unmoved from the time he plopped himself down. Nothing happened after that.

    "Well it looks it was the flare gun," Dr. Keane said. "But it doesn''t make sense. The canister didn''t exit from his head."

    "I''m confused too, Dr. Keane. But this can''t happen again. I want this cruise in order. There have been two deaths too many. These aren''t deaths from old age or cardiac arrest. We''re talking exploding heads. Suicide. Panic. I won''t have it." Captain Higgins ran her hand across her face. "Can you follow up with the other crew members again and monitor their status?"

    "I''ll follow up." Dr. Keane said.

    "And what was the passenger''s name?"

    "Tom Miller. He''s here with his wife and daughter."

    "Why the hell was a passenger involved with bringing a body on board?" Captain Higgins looked at Dr. Keane''s hollowing eyes. "That question is not for you. I''ll have the guest care team check-in on Tom. We''ll get him another appointment with you."

    "Captain," the senior security officer interrupted, "these responsibilities are my¡ª"

    "This is my ship. I''d like to see to it myself."

    Captain Higgins was used to being in charge. She made sure her ship sailed smoothly. That became more difficult when people were killing themselves in the engine room. It seemed she carried herself with surety and conviction, but the emotion in her voice was not confidence. It was fear. Something was wrong. Captain Higgins felt it in her bones. Like a great shadow cast upon the ship. If she didn''t get things under control, the shadow would seep into her pores, seize her arms and drive the ship into the bottom of the sea.

    "What time is it?" Captain Higgins asked.

    "Three o''clock." Dr. Keane''s brow furrowed.

    "What?" Captain Higgins asked.

    "I don''t have any service."

    "This shit is right out of a movie." Captain Higgins stormed out of the security room.

    Before heading to his office, Dr. Keane returned to the engine room where they were preparing the body for the morgue. William lay in an unzipped body bag, like a sick butterfly rotting in its cocoon. He slid his gloves back on and lifted William''s arm. His veins were a deep purple against his pale skin, hundreds of lines ready to lift off his flesh and climb the walls like ivy.

    Dr. Keane found a lesion along William''s shoulder. It looked like someone took a knife and dug into his flesh.

    Dr. Keane''s face went pale. He reached for his own neck, hand trembling. He felt a lesion that ran down his spine. But he couldn''t remember where it came from.

 Chapter Six

    The lights painted Kerrie''s face in colors of anger and sadness, the two emotions she felt since the cruise began its journey. Neil slouched next to her, his stomach bulging even further than before. They sat with hundreds of others, captivated by the night''s show¡ªa series of circus performances.

    A man sat in the center of the stage. He was a large man, his muscles carved out from boulders. The stage lights reflected off his smooth skin, casting shadows across his body. From behind the curtain appeared another man. He was of similar size, his leg muscles rippling as he approached. He was almost as wide as he was tall. He placed his hand on the seated man''s head, gripping it like a basketball. Using the man''s head as the fulcrum, his body lifted in the air like a gymnast. The standing man''s body looked to be levitating in the air, his torso parallel to the ground, relying solely on the strength of his arm and core. Then his body pivoted upwards, his back arching until his legs stretched outwards like a star.

    The man held his position. The seated man''s neck shook, his traps ready to tear from its tendons and burst through the skin like a fire hose. Over two hundred pounds of pressure rested on his neck, veins almost rupturing at his temples.

    The crowd applauded. The man lowered himself to the ground and helped the seated man up. They bowed and left the stage.

    "Where were you today?" Kerrie whispered.

    "I don''t remember," Neil responded.

    "And for the next performer," the announcer said, "Blades of Fury."

    The next performer held four swords, two in each hand. The blades curved, their edges catching the light and reflecting back into the crowd. The man began tossing the swords in the air, the blades and shafts whirling like cyclones before returning to his hands. He moved with inhuman speed and dexterity.

    "Don''t play stupid with me," Kerrie said. "We are stuck on a boat and you still manage to ghost me? I called you. I texted you. Nothing."

    "I don''t have service." Neil waved his phone in the air.

    "Bullshit." Kerrie''s voice broke from a whisper.

    "Can you keep it down?" Neil leaned in. "Do I look drunk to you? I promised you I would stop drinking on this trip. I intend to keep my word. Give me your phone."

    "Why?" Kerrie said.

    "Just give me it."

    Kerrie unlocked her phone and handed it to Neil.

    "Do you know how phones work? Look." Neil pointed to the service bars. "You have no signal either. Your messages didn''t even send."

    "Then where were you?" Kerrie leaned back in her seat.

    "I told you I don''t remember."

    "How can you not remember? It was just today."

    "Listen, Kerrie, can we just enjoy the show?" Neil''s hand fiddled with something in his pocket.

    "Fine." Kerrie folded her arms. She wondered what was in his hand but was drawn back to the stage.

    The crowd''s applause roared and the next performer walked out. She moved slowly, her legs like a curtain in the wind. From the ceiling hung a ribbon, red and glimmering. The performer wrapped herself in it, the fabric twisting around every curve, raising her body higher and higher from the ground. She wove through the fabric like a spider in its web. Her body was suspended two decks high as she held various positions. She climbed higher for the grand finale.

    Like a ball of yarn, she released herself. The crowd lifted from their seat. Her body whirled and twisted freely toward the ground, the fabric unraveling from her body at an alarming rate. When it seemed she would hit the stage, she was caught by a piece of fabric during the last second. She stretched her arms outward and posed. The crowd gave a standing ovation and Neil began shifting in his seat.

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    "I''m going to the bathroom," Neil said.

    Kerrie didn''t respond.

    Neil shuffled over the people in their row, but instead of turning toward the exit, he headed toward the stage. Neil climbed the steps. When the announcer was about to introduce the next performer, Neil approached him and whispered in his ear. The announcer gave Neil the microphone and the crowd grew still.

    "Kerrie." Neil took a deep breath.

    Kerrie stood. Her heart sunk.

    "We''ve been together for five years and they''ve been the best years of my life."

    Everyone looked to Kerrie.

    The best years for you, Kerrie thought.

    "And I wouldn''t trade them for anything," Neil said. "During this time, we''ve grown so close together and have shared so many memories. You''re my other half and I can''t picture a life without you. Kerrie." Neil''s hand rummaged in his pocket until he pulled out a ring, the diamond catching the stage lights. He fell to one knee and Kerrie felt she would fall entirely. "Will you marry me?"

    Heads turned back toward Kerrie, like the knobs of a faucet. The crowd waited for her response.

    Her face was red. Her body froze. It felt like all the air in the theatre had been sucked out, a great vacuum that would hold this moment in suspension, unable to breathe and unable to move. Would it end?

    "Kerrie?" Neil called.

    "I can''t," Kerrie muttered. Tears ran down her face, stinging against her skin.

    Her heart pounded in her head. It felt like an oven. The silence in the theatre was deafening. Kerrie was going to tell Neil she was unhappy. But not like this. Not in front of all these people.

    "Sorry, I can''t hear you," Neil said. His face was pale.

    "I can''t!" Kerrie shouted.

    The ring hit the stage with a ding. Kerrie fumbled over a row of people before bursting through the double doors.

    Kerrie''s fingers wrapped around the railing as she watched the clouds. The sky was purple, the sunset leaving the waters shrouded in a state of twilight. The ship looked like it stopped moving, the vessel floating above the deep.

    Neil rushed out to find Kerrie. She whirled around and caught his breath before he could utter a word.

    "Marriage, Neil?" Kerrie yelled. "Are you kidding me?"

    "What are you so upset about, Kerrie? We''ve been together for five years."

    "I can count."

    "I thought we were ready. I thought this was the right time."

    "We aren''t ready for anything, Neil. I can''t believe you. And here I thought you couldn''t embarrass me further. Did you have to ask me in front of all those people? In what world did you think we were ready for marriage?"

    "I don''t know. I just thought¡ª"

    "You thought wrong. You don''t even have a job. How are you going to pay for a wedding? How did you even pay for the ring?"

    "I have an interview¡ª"

    "It''s not even about the job, Neil. There''s a bigger problem here. There''s something wrong between us."

    "What''s wrong, Kerrie? I''m trying my best."

    "Well, your best isn''t good enough. I''m carrying this whole relationship on my back. I am tired. I''m tired of this relationship. I''m tired of your bullshit. I''m tired of you."

    The words came at Neil like a sledgehammer to the gut. Kerrie watched him fall apart like shattered glass. No glue would be able to put the pieces together again. But Kerrie couldn''t stop. Her body surged with emotions. She would always tuck these thoughts away, like a creature kept to the shadows. It would brood in the deepest corners of her thoughts. She would feed it from time to time. But she let a part of it out and now she couldn''t close the door. The creature ravaged her thoughts, smashing and stomping on any sense of control and compassion. Kerrie had put up with Neil for too long and he would hear it. He would listen.

    "I love you, Kerrie."

    "I don''t love you anymore!" Kerrie tried to stop the words from spilling from her mouth. But they felt so right. It felt good to say even though they crushed Neil.

    "You don''t love me anymore?" Neil looked out across the dark waters. "Just like that? After everything we''ve had together? After everything we''ve put into this relationship?"

    "Everything we''ve put into this relationship? You mean everything I''ve put into this relationship. There is no relationship without me, Neil. I''m what holds this relationship together because you don''t put any effort into it."

    "How do I not put anything into this relationship? You really believe this relationship is all you?" His face twisted, sadness morphing into anger.

    "Neil, I feed you and drive you places. I clean our house and pay for our expenses. Would you like me to wipe your ass too?"

    Neil was about to open his mouth, but Kerrie cut him off.

    "You''ve taken advantage of me since day one. You put nothing into this relationship. All you do is take. You take and take until I have nothing left to give. Well, now I''m done, Neil. You''ve sucked me dry. This trip was a terrible idea and I wish I''d never come."

    The conversation paused, a period of silence that only lasted a few seconds but seemed to draw out like the horizon. When Kerrie opened her mouth, she spoke calmly.

    "I can''t marry you, Neil," Kerrie said. "I''m not happy."

    Neil nodded and walked away.

    Kerrie watched him go and felt a pang of regret for how it unfolded. But she also thought she would be happy if she never saw him again.

 Chapter Seven

    "Tom, talk to me," Marilyn said.

    Tom sat on the bedroom floor, hands clenching his head. His legs were bent, knees pressed against his chest. His white briefs blended with his pale skin. Tom''s undershirt clung to his body, drenched in sweat.

    "Please, Tom," Marilyn said. "Tell me what''s going on."

    His eyes tightened and his lips pulled back in a snarl. It felt like his head would burst, his skull cracking open to a geyser that would splatter blood across the walls.

    "The pain," Tom said. "Grab me the painkillers."

    Marilyn moved toward the bathroom, her legs moving like scissors beneath her nightgown. The bathroom light eclipsed around her body and cast a shadow upon Tom. It was long and sinister, ready to drag Tom away into the night to end his pain and replace it with darkness.

    Marilyn hesitated. Tom already took two pills in the last hour and exceeded his dose.

    Tom moaned.

    Marilyn returned to Tom with two more pills. She placed them on his tongue, and with both hands, tilted the glass of water against his shaking lips. Tom kicked his head back and the liquid ran down his throat.

    Tom''s headache had returned, stronger than ever. As the sun went down, the hammering shifted into something great and terrible, like two trucks colliding. Screeching metal and an unmeasurable force. It was debilitating. Tom couldn''t think or function. All he felt was the pain tearing through his body like a serrated knife. It shot down from his neck and ran through his entire body. Even breathing was a difficult task.

    "What can I do for you?" Marilyn asked. "How can I help?"

    She crouched in front of him, arms draped over her knees.

    He didn''t respond. His hands clenched tighter.

    "Tom, I think we should take you to the doctor," Marilyn said. Her voice was soft.

    "The doctor won''t do anything," Tom said.

    "But if the pain is this bad¡ª"

    "It won''t help!" Tom shouted.

    His hands scratched his head as if trying to rid it of insects that festered in his scalp. The veins in his arms bulged.

    "Make it stop. Make it stop." Tom chanted, rocking on the floor. "Make it stop."

    Someone banged on the cabin door.

    Marilyn froze for a moment and then scurried to the front. Holding her breath, she looked through the peephole. She could still hear Tom hissing in pain.

    The door banged again. Marilyn jumped.

    "Who is it?" Marilyn asked.

    "The guest care team. We just wanted to check-in on¡ª"

    "Now''s not a great time," Marilyn said through the door.

    "No problem. Have a great night ma''am."

    Marilyn looked back at Tom. He was hitting himself in the head. Just a bit harder and the pain would slip out, squirming on the floor.

    "Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop," Tom cried.

    Marilyn moved behind Tom and sat down. She stretched her legs alongside his own and wrapped her arms around his chest. She leaned back against the bed and held him close. His head rose and fell to her breathing. His body felt hot against her cool skin.

    "It''s going to be okay, Tom." Marilyn ran her hand through his hair. "The medicine will help. You''ll be okay." Her face stiffened and eyes swelled with water as she held back the flood.

    Tom''s breathing soon matched Marilyn''s.

    "Make it stop." He sounded defeated. "Please, make it stop."

    Like a river to a lake, Marilyn''s tears met with his already soaked hair.

    Tom needs to see the doctor, she thought.

    Marilyn knew the doctor wouldn''t help much, but it was better than this. He''d be able to have another look and explain what was happening to Tom. And with the ship headed back to their departure, maybe it would be best if they returned home and saw a specialist. It was too risky staying on this boat. She needed Tom to be okay. Sandy even more so.

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    When Tom calmed and the medicine kicked in, Marilyn helped him back onto the bed. She paused by the window to look at the lavender sky. The bellies of the clouds were stained pink as the sun faded away. Soon it would be dark. Marilyn noticed the ship stopped moving, the water rolling beneath like a bedsheet settling on a mattress.

    "What''s wrong with Daddy?" Sandy asked. Her head popped into the room, fingers peeking around the doorframe.

    "Nothing, honey." Marilyn walked toward Sandy, her steps feeling sluggish. "Daddy just has a headache?"

    "Are you sure?" Sandy asked. She stepped into the room wearing a red polka dot dress.

    "I promise." Marilyn smiled and crouched to Sandy''s eye level. "Why are you wearing your dress? I thought I put you in your pajamas."

    "I wanted to wear my dress." Sandy twirled. "It''s my favorite."

    "I know but save it for tomorrow. Let''s get you back in bed."

    Marilyn walked into the other bedroom and searched for Sandy''s pajamas.

    "Where did you put them?"

    "Over there." Sandy pointed. "Mommy, can I sleep in your bed tonight? I''m scared."

    "There''s nothing to be afraid of, honey." Marilyn picked Sandy''s pajamas from the corner.

    "I''m scared of the spaceman." Sandy pouted.

    Marilyn placed the pajamas on the bed and gave Sandy a hug. "Honey, the spaceman is gone. There''s nothing to worry about."

    "He''s not gone," Sandy said. "I saw him move."

    "He did not." Marilyn leaned back to look into Sandy''s eyes.

    "He did too!" Sandy screamed.

    "Hey!" Marilyn raised her finger. "No yelling. Time for bed." Marilyn reached for the pajamas again and then heard Tom in the other room.

    "Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop."

    "Stay here," Marilyn said, placing both hands on Sandy''s shoulders.

    Marilyn ran back to her bedroom. Tom was pacing back and forth, striking his palm against his forehead.

    "MAKE IT STOP," Tom shouted.

    "Tom!" Marilyn cried. "You''re scaring Sandy."

    Tom charged into the bathroom, his feet pounding against the floor. Marilyn didn''t know how to react¡ªit happened so fast. As his feet met the cold tiles, Tom rammed his face into the mirror. A crack ran along his reflection, looking like he split in two.

    "MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOP."

    Tom pulled his head back and smashed it into the mirror again, shattering it. In one swooping motion, Tom''s arm cleared the counter of every item. He grabbed both sides of the sink and began driving his head into the ceramic rim.

    "MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOP."

    "Tom!" Marilyn reached for Tom''s shoulder. His elbow flew back and caught her in the eye, sending Marilyn to the ground.

    "Tom, what are you doing?" The flood broke through, drenching her face. Her left eye raged from the impact of his elbow. "Stop it!" Marilyn cried.

    "MAKE. IT. STOP."

    Tom screamed a sound Marilyn had never heard before. The sound made her shiver and filled her with a primal fear, one that made her want to jump ship and swim. Swim as far away as she could, away from this. But she couldn''t leave Tom.

    Blood ran down the counter from where Tom was smashing his head.

    "Please, Tom." She crawled toward him, sobbing, and wrapped her arms around his leg. "Stop."

    And he did. His body swayed.

    Marilyn looked up, afraid to look into his eyes. Afraid to find that it was not Tom she was looking at.

    Tom''s face was raw. The center of his forehead was torn open from the impact against the mirror. His nose was bent to the right, a gash along his nose bridge. Swollen lips trailed a set of shattered teeth. Tom smiled, jagged edges that could tear the flesh from her bones.

    Then he laughed. It was a terrifying sound. No one should be laughing after this. The sound was more frightening than death itself. She would welcome the reaper if it meant never hearing it again.

    Marilyn scurried toward the phone. She saw Sandy watching from the doorway.

    "Back to your room!" Marilyn shouted. "Now."

    Marilyn ran for the phone and dialed guest services. She stood in the corner, watching Tom sit down and continue to laugh.

    Tom grew still.

    "Guest services, how can we help you?"

    Tom''s face lost all emotion. The feelings of pain, madness, and hysteria were gone. It was as if he died at that moment, and in a way, he did. His eyes glazed over. He stared into Marilyn, his eyes moving beyond her skin and into her soul, witnessing the cosmic fear that spiraled throughout her body.

    "Hello? Guest services, how can we help you?"

    Blood ran from Tom''s eyes. Two red streams met the rest of his bloodied face. Then his eyes were gushing blood. The force caused his eyes to tear from the optic nerve and fall from his face. They tumbled down his chest and rolled toward Marilyn like marbles.

    Marilyn dropped the phone.

    "Hello? Anyone there?"

    Tom sat lifelessly. His hollowed eyes were like deep wells, gateways to the abyss. Marilyn saw a flash of movement within the deep wells. Two tentacles appeared from the sockets, snaking their way from Tom''s head. They swayed in the air like the limbs of a sea monster. The tentacles grazed the floor and probed the furniture in the room.

    Marilyn''s blood rushed from her face. She heard swooshing and crackling from Tom''s head. His skull looked like it was shifting, moving like tectonic plates. The bones of his skull were coming loose, like a bird hatching from an egg. Pieces of scalp and bone tumbled from his head and off his shoulders until his head was cracked open like a basket. Four other tentacles emerged from where his brain should be, dancing in the air like a lightning storm.

    Tom was gone. There were some things you just knew. There was no saving him. That thing, that creature was not him. There would be time to mourn for him later. Her maternal instincts took over and she only had one thought. Sandy.

    Marilyn bolted toward Sandy''s room.

    "Sandy!" Marilyn called.

    Right when Marilyn pivoted through the doorway, a tentacle reached out and wrapped around her ankle. She was pulled to the floor, her chin hitting the ground and biting off the tip of her tongue. Blood streamed between her teeth.

    It dragged Marilyn back into her bedroom. Another tentacle darted toward her and pierced her back, the tip sharp like a blade. Marilyn felt it tunnel through her body like a worm. It slithered along her spine and burrowed its way into her head. She didn''t feel pain and began forgetting bits and pieces of what had happened. What she did know was that this was the end. A sense of acceptance calmed her face. This was it.

    Marilyn looked up to see Sandy standing in front of her, her red dress sprinkled with white dots. Her face was both innocent and terrified. Helpless. All Sandy could do was watch. Watch what happened to her father. Watch her father do the same thing to her mother.

    "Sandy," Marilyn called.

    A tentacle began wrapping around her neck.

    "Run."

    As Marilyn''s vision began to fade, she saw Sandy heading for the door. Sandy turned back one final time, making eye contact with Marilyn before everything went black.

 Recovered Document

    JOURNAL LOG C59

    ISS IN-FLIGHT ENTRY

    KIBO JE MODULE

    RECOVERED NOTES OF

    HAROLD SUTTON

    This may be my final entry from orbit. Our communications systems are down and an alien organism has breached the shuttle. I am afraid something terrible has happened. The organism has taken Tara as its host. Upon examination, the organism''s tentacles pierced Tara''s suit and took hold of her. She does not remember the incident. Her behavior appears to exhibit similarities to insect-pathogenic parasites in ants. Tara is not herself. I can see it in her eyes. Either by chemical release or control of the host, the organism has tampered with her memory of the incident. I believe the organism is responsible for interfering with our communications.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I have quarantined Tara but I fear it is too late. I am unsure if the organism has also taken me as host but my suit appears intact. We will be returning to Earth for further examination.

    Harold Sutton

 Chapter Eight

    Kerrie crouched in the corner of the stairwell. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, a few strands hanging loose. A cut ran along her cheek. Her breathing was heavy, ribcage expanding like an eagle spreading its wings. She held her heels in her right hand.

    Kerrie peered down to the next floor, the lights flickering below. She lowered herself down the flight of stairs, her eyes darting for any sudden movements. Screams echoed from the floors above. Kerrie exited the stairwell.

    This was her floor. The hallway was a long tunnel paneled with the doors of passenger cabins. Kerrie''s cabin was at the end of the hall, where it was safe. Neil would be there. Maybe they could put what happened behind them and be safe together. She would feel better with someone else, even if it was Neil.

    The flickering light was now above her. The light pulsed off the sweat on her shoulders as if electric currents rippled across the ceiling.

    Kerrie moved down the hallway, her bare feet sinking into the carpet. The hallway seemed to stretch further with each step, the air thinning along with it. She quickened her pace, the flickers fading behind her. She heard more screams above.

    Kerrie ran.

    Her ponytail trailed behind her, caught in a jet stream as the air rushed around her face. The balls of her feet sprang off the carpet, her legs lunging forward with each stride. The screaming from above became muffled as her heart pounded in her ears.

    She slid to a stop, the soles of her feet burning as they braked against the carpet. She searched for her key card, her clammy hand digging through her purse. When she pulled the key card out, it slipped from her fingers. As Kerrie reached to pick it up, a cabin door opened from behind her.

    A large woman stumbled out. She reached for Kerrie and grabbed her shoulders.

    "Help me, please." The woman spoke without emotion, devoid of any life. "My head. It hurts. Help me."

    "I''m sorry, I¡ª"

    "HELP ME." The woman slammed Kerrie against the door. "GET IT OUT."

    The woman shook Kerrie''s shoulders back and forth in quick succession. Kerrie''s feet squirmed, trying to get a sure footing.

    The woman''s eyes began to bleed. She placed her meaty hands around Kerrie''s face. Her palms were thick, like two couch cushions¡ªthe hands of a giant.

    "Is it in your head too?" The woman asked. "We must get it out."

    The woman slammed Kerrie''s head into the door.

    "GET IT OUT."

    She slammed Kerrie''s head again, a deep sound that threatened to rip the door from its hinges. Kerrie''s left hand reached up and tried to pull the woman''s hands from her face. Her head slammed into the door again, vision blurring. Kerrie''s right hand dropped one of her heels. The woman pulled Kerrie''s head back for another slam that would surely crack her head open. Kerrie took her remaining heel and drove it into the woman''s eye. The woman swayed backward and landed on her back like a plank of wood. Her head hit the floor with a crack and a pool of blood formed around her.

    Kerrie grabbed the key card, unlocked the door and slipped inside her cabin. With her back to the door, she slid to the floor.

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    The room was dark, and Neil hadn''t returned. Kerrie took a moment to breathe, the sweat along her spine feeling cool against the door. She felt safer with the door shut behind her, but would it be enough to protect her from the woman if she awoke? Kerrie had felt the door rattle behind her when the woman had sent her crashing into it moments ago. If the woman wanted, she could knock the door off the frame.

    Kerrie walked through the room and collapsed on the bed. The moonlight shone in, like a crystal pillar of light illuminating her skin. She lay still, her body sinking into the mattress as a series of moments flashed through her mind. She couldn''t wrap her head around any of it.

    This can''t be happening.

    She remembered Neil''s face crumbling like a stone to dust, carried away by the ocean wind until his body was a silhouette against the fading sky. His shoulders slouched and his hands were in his pocket. He didn''t look back.

    Then, she heard the screaming from the theatre. Kerrie made her way back to the performance to see what was happening, but she never made it through the crowd. People poured from the theatre in a stampede. She was knocked down by a man carrying a child, her face smacking against the cold tile. She lifted her head and a foot stomped on her face. Another in her stomach.

    Kerrie noticed the blood when she got back to her feet. The blood was everywhere. It soaked into their clothes. It painted their faces. A man crawled from the theatre and she stared into his eyes. They were the eyes of a man who had met his end, a man who looked death upon its face and saw what waited beneath his feet as the rope frayed. A bellowing darkness, its jaw unhinging to consume the entirety of the vessel.

    Kerrie saw a shadow reach from the theatre and pull the man back in. The man''s hands clawed at the ground and then he disappeared as the double doors swung shut. She second-guessed what she saw. It wasn''t anything human.

    That was when Kerrie headed back to her cabin, her legs moving on their own. Much like how her lungs breathed of their own accord or how her heart pumped to its own beat, she didn''t have to think about running. She just did.

    The rest of the cruise was filled with the same horror, as if a coordinated set of time bombs all went off at once, sending the entire ship into hysteria. Even as a nurse, Kerrie had never seen so much blood before.

    And now Kerrie waited for Neil. It would be best to wait for him. She couldn''t marry him but there was strength in numbers.

    She fell asleep and awoke to a screech from the cabin above. A chair skidded across the floor. And then a thump.

    It had been a couple of hours and Neil never came back. Kerrie sat up. Maybe she should find Neil and make sure he was okay. Kerrie regretted ever thinking she would be happy if she never saw him again.

    Kerrie moved into the washroom and danced out of her dress. She watched her reflection as she took off her earrings, her figure looking frail in comparison to that woman. Her shoulders were like doorknobs, rolling as she moved from one ear to the next.

    She ran the water, her finger testing the temperature. With both hands, she splashed the warmth over her face and washed the blood from the cut on her cheek. She looked into her dark eyes.

    You can do this. You can find Neil.

    Kerrie moved to her luggage and slipped on a pair of green khakis and a white tee. She put on her sneakers and looked at her phone before sliding it into her pocket with the key card, still no signal.

    Kerrie reached for the door and then stopped. She remembered what she saw upstairs. The blood. The screaming people. The shadow that reached from the theatre. She couldn''t leave empty-handed. She turned and grabbed a knife that came with last night''s room service and tucked it in her back pocket.

    Kerrie moved to the door and looked through the peephole. The woman was still lying on her back.

    Slowly opening the door, Kerrie stepped over the woman. She looked down into the woman''s bloated face, eyes open and an unblinking. Her jowls hung low, almost touching the floor. She realized the woman''s entire skull had cracked open like an egg.

    What the hell.

    Kerrie was equipped for the sight of blood, but this was horrifying. It was unnatural. She had never seen this in any of her patients, let alone her schoolbooks.

    When Kerrie moved back toward the stairway, she heard a sound. The rustling came from the maintenance closet.

    Kerrie stopped.

    It was in there. The thing that made everyone go mad. The thing that dragged the man into the theatre.

    Kerrie bent her knees and pulled the knife from her back pocket. The blade was smooth against the cotton fabric.

    Something banged against the door.

    Sweat ran down Kerrie''s temple.

    The handle turned, slowly as if the creature was still learning how to use it, and then the door swung open. A mop fell out, the stick hitting the hallway floor. And then out stepped a little girl. She didn''t look older than the age of five. She wore a red polka-dot dress.

 Chapter Nine

    "I''m not going to hurt you." Kerrie slid the knife back into her pocket.

    Sandy stood frozen, one hand on the door frame, ready to move back into the maintenance closet if it was unsafe. She wasn''t very fast or strong, like any five-year-old, but she was good at hiding. Sandy used to play hide and seek with Tom, but now she would never play with him again.

    Kerrie took a step toward Sandy with her hand out, a gesture that showed she meant no harm. Sandy recoiled.

    "What are you doing in the closet?" Kerrie asked.

    Sandy didn''t respond.

    "It''s not safe right now," Kerrie said. "Do you know where your parents are?"

    Still nothing. Something had happened to this girl. Something terrible. Kerrie could see it in her face. The least Kerrie could do was make sure she was alright.

    Kerrie took another step toward Sandy. Dropping to one knee, she met Sandy at eye level. Sandy''s eyes were like whirlpools, filled with the sadness of all who were lost at sea. Kerrie looked down to see Sandy''s feet were bare.

    "Is everything okay?" Kerrie asked.

    Sandy shook her head. The very motion brought Sandy to tears. Her bottom lip puckered and her eyes filled like two glasses of water.

    "I''m not okay either," Kerrie said. "Something crazy is happening on this boat."

    Sandy brought her hands to her eyes and rubbed away the tears. She let go of the door frame and Kerrie saw she felt a bit more comfortable.

    "My name is Kerrie." Kerrie stuck her hand out.

    Sandy looked at it and then reached out to shake it. Sandy''s grip was gentle and her wrist was limp.

    "What''s your name?" Kerrie asked, still shaking hands.

    Sandy was quiet and Kerrie gave her time to respond.

    "Sandy."

    "Well nice to meet you, Sandy."

    Kerrie let go of her hand. Sandy fully stepped out into the hallway and stared down the long tunnel, unsure of what waited around the corner.

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    "How about I help you find your parents? Beats sitting in that smelly closet."

    Sandy shook her head.

    "Why not?" Kerrie asked.

    "The spaceman got Mommy and Daddy."

    Kerrie''s body tensed, so much that Sandy noticed and stepped back. Kerrie felt her heart fall into her stomach. The spaceman. She thought of the man in her dreams, chasing her in the endless dark until she was face to face with him. A face that was drained of all life, pale and shriveled¡ªexactly how Kerrie imagined a floater to look. She remembered the darkness spewing from his mouth, wrapping around her skin to drain her warmth.

    But Kerrie knew what Sandy really meant. The creature that reached from the theatre to drag the man away. The thing that was in the large woman''s head. The thing that had the whole ship dripping in red as if it was paint night.

    "I''m sure your Mommy and Daddy are safe," Kerrie said. "Do you want me to help you find them?"

    Sandy gave Kerrie another signature head shake.

    Kerrie couldn''t leave Sandy here, especially with what was happening. Her parents could still be alive. At the very least, Kerrie could find someone to take care of Sandy.

    "How about you come along with me?" Kerrie smiled. "Two is better than one."

    Sandy was quiet. Kerrie was still a stranger. And after all the chaos that was ensuing, Kerrie didn''t expect Sandy to trust anyone.

    "Plus, it''s not safe here," Kerrie added. "I need someone to watch my back. Do you think you can do that?"

    Sandy nodded.

    "Awesome."

    Kerrie held her hand out for a high five and Sandy gave it a satisfying smack.

    "Here''s what we''re going to do." Kerrie leaned in. "We''re going to head to the top of the ship and look for help. Sound like a plan?"

    Sandy nodded.

    "But the spaceman," Sandy said.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep you safe."

    "No, look." Sandy pointed behind Kerrie and down the hall. "Spaceman."

    Kerrie''s head shot behind her to see tentacles stretching from the large woman''s cabin. They slithered over the large woman''s body like snakes. The creature was leaving the cabin and would soon find Kerrie and Sandy in its sight.

    "Don''t make a sound." Kerrie brought her finger to her lips.

    Kerrie wrapped her arm around Sandy''s chest and carried her into the maintenance closet. She yanked the door shut but the mop was blocking the way. Kerrie kicked the mop into the hallway and heard a shrill sound from the creature. She pulled the handle again and the door clicked as it locked into the frame.

    Kerrie held Sandy close in the maintenance closet. There was enough room from them to sit against a wall. It was dark except for the light slipping beneath the bottom of the door. It felt like time slowed. Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours.

    A shadow passed beneath the door and stopped at the edge.

    Kerrie held her hand over Sandy''s eyes.

    The shadow grew darker. Tentacles slithered beneath the door and into the closet. It was hard to make out how many, but one was enough to wrap around Kerrie''s neck and drag her away. She inched for the knife in her back pocket.

    After a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, the tentacles suddenly slithered back the way they came. The shadow disappeared.

    "The spaceman is gone." Kerrie removed her hand from Sandy''s eyes.

    They sat still until enough time had passed. The adrenaline felt like fire beneath Kerrie''s chest. She leaned her head back against the wall.

    "This is a pretty good hiding spot you have here," Kerrie said.

    "I know," Sandy said. "I''m the best at hide and seek."

    "I believe it. But I hope we don''t have to play it again."

    Sandy didn''t respond.

    "Let''s go," Kerrie said.

 Chapter Ten

    Kerrie and Sandy emerged from the passenger cabins onto the main deck. The night sky was covered in a blanket of clouds, not a star in sight. The wind rushed against Kerrie''s skin like sheets of ice, piercing the thin cotton of her shirt. Sandy looked up at Kerrie to see her hair dancing in the wind, dark tendrils twisting and splitting like the arms of the spaceman.

    Sandy leaned into Kerrie''s side, half of her face pressed into Kerrie''s hip. The cruise was in the same state of frenzy as when Tom pulled the body from the ocean. Fear pulsed through the air and seeped into the skin like radiation poisoning.

    Sandy flinched as a family ran past. The mother was carrying a baby and the father was dragging his son at a speed too fast for his little legs to keep up, his knees scraping against the deck. The mother''s eyes darted around, dark grooves carved beneath. She looked like she hadn''t slept since the spaceship rocketed down from the heavens. Her and the rest of the cruise.

    "Get up," the father said.

    "I can''t, you''re moving too fast," the boy responded.

    "Well move faster."

    The father held the boy''s arm higher, his skin twisting like a wet towel.

    "Ow!" the boy cried.

    More people hurried behind the family. Eyes wide. Mouths open. They were completely disoriented. They bumped into each other, fumbled with their belongings. Kerrie was sure they would soon be crawling over one another like ants scurrying beneath a great shadow.

    "Come here," Kerrie said. She reached for Sandy and picked her up. "Let''s see where everyone is going."

    They wrapped around the corner to find a swarm of people near the edge of the ship. The crowd was loud and pressed tightly against the railing like animals in a slaughterhouse. Before them was an orange lifeboat. It was suspended from cables beneath a pulley mechanism. The crowd squeezed into the lifeboat, pulling each other out of the way. A man knocked a child to the floor, another man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back. The shirt ripped from his shoulder to his ribs. Fists began to fly.

    "Let''s get you on this boat," Kerrie said, moving into the crowd from along the railing.

    "No, I don''t want to," Sandy said.

    "You''ll be safe," Kerrie said. "It''s a way off this ship."

    "No don''t leave me, Kerrie."

    "I''m sorry. I have to stay behind and find my boyfriend."

    Kerrie and Sandy pressed deep into the crowd.

    "Let my family in!" a woman cried from the lifeboat. "My son! Let my son in!"

    "You bitch," someone shouted.

    "Please let my children on."

    Kerrie wormed her way to the front of the crowd. A man was hoisting a child into the lifeboat. Sweat ran down his jaw and dripped from his chin. He turned back to the crowd. His eyes were glazed with fear or something else entirely, something greater, something darker.

    "Please take this girl," Kerrie said.

    "We were here first," someone shouted from behind.

    The man looked to Kerrie and then the raging crowd behind her.

    "Please, she''s lost her family. She needs to get on the lifeboat."

    Sandy shook her head and wrapped her arms around Kerrie.

    "Take her." Kerrie pried Sandy from her neck. "I''m sorry, Sandy. It''s safer for you this way."

    "Okay," the man said and reached for Sandy.

    "No!" Sandy screamed. Tears rushed down her face. "No! I want to stay with you!"

    She squirmed from the man''s hands and fell to the floor.

    "Sandy!" Kerrie shouted.

    Sandy vanished beneath the bodies and the shuffling legs. Kerrie pressed through the crowd, searching for the red polka dot dress.

    "How do we know someone on this lifeboat doesn''t have it?" someone cried.

    "The cruise hasn''t moved in hours, we need to get off!"

    "Stop. Stop. Stop."

    Someone pulled Kerrie back by her hair. She whirled around to meet dozens of contorted faces. Kerrie was knocked to the ground and someone hauled her back up.

    "WHERE IS SHE?" Kerrie screamed and shoved everyone back. Panic seized Kerrie by the neck and dunked her into a pool of anger. Her arms wanted to swing. Her legs wanted to thrash. She could hurt someone right now and she didn''t care. Rage was thumping in her temples, threatening to burst from her skull and completely level everyone.

    "Where is she?" Kerrie repeated.

    A woman pointed outside the crowd and Kerrie broke from it. She saw Sandy running down the ship. Kerrie called for Sandy, but she didn''t stop. Her skin was now hot against the ocean air. She weaved and pivoted around people that ran past. As Sandy turned a corner into the miniature golf course, Kerrie whipped out behind her and caught Sandy by the arm.

    "What are you doing?" Kerrie asked.

    "You''re hurting me," Sandy said.

    Kerrie let go of Sandy''s wrist and saw the white imprints she left behind.

    "Sorry." Kerrie took a deep breath. "Why did you run like that? I was trying to help you."

    "I don''t want to go," Sandy said.

    "But I have to stay on this boat. I have to find someone."

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    "I don''t want to go," Sandy repeated. "I want to stay with you. You said I could watch your back and you could watch mine." Sandy''s eyes swelled with more tears.

    "Hey." Kerrie pulled Sandy in. "I''m sorry, okay? I''m sorry."

    That was it then, Kerrie had to find Neil and keep Sandy safe. She wasn''t even sure she could keep herself safe, but maybe Sandy was better off with her than running across the ship by herself.

    "You''re one brave little kid," Kerrie said, looking into Sandy''s eyes. "But it may be dangerous. Are you sure you want to stay with me?"

    Sandy nodded.

    Boy, she really trusts me, Kerrie thought. How did I end up with this kid in the first place?

    "Okay, if you say so." Kerrie gave Sandy a hug.

    Kerrie and Sandy stood on the green of the second hole of the miniature golf course. What would have been bustling with kids trying to get their hole in one, was now deserted and ominous. Wires of festival-like lights draped over the course. Golf clubs lay across the turf and golf balls were scattered throughout like an Easter egg scavenger hunt.

    "Have you played mini-golf yet?" Kerrie asked, reaching for one of the putters.

    "No," Sandy said.

    "Here." Kerrie handed her the putter and kicked over a ball. "Give it a shot."

    Sandy took a step toward the ball and gave it a tap¡ªas gentle as you''d expect her to. The ball rolled slowly at first but gained speed as it hit a decline. The ball rolled around a bend and sunk into the hole.

    "Woah, hole in one¡ª" Kerrie saw a bloody footprint where Sandy was originally standing. "Your foot, Sandy."

    Kerrie picked Sandy up, the putter slipping from her hand and hitting the floor like the mop in the maintenance closet. Kerrie placed Sandy on an artificial rock and lifted her foot to find the sole sliced open.

    "Did you step on anything sharp when you were running?"

    Blood ran down to the heel, a river of red that dripped onto the rock.

    "I don''t know," Sandy said. "Do we have to cut it off?"

    "We will not be amputating your foot." Kerrie smiled.

    "Am-boo-tating?" Sandy asked.

    "But we need to get bandages and clean the wound."

    Kerrie exhaled and ran her hand through her hair. Where could she find a first aid kit in a time like this?

    "Stay here." Kerrie moved to the stand where they kept the putters, golf balls and scorecards. There were a few towels in the stand, but they were filthy. They were used to clean the equipment and the last thing Sandy needed was an infection. Kerrie dug through the shelves. No bandages. No first aid kit. Nothing.

    Kerrie looked to the sleeve of her white tee and grabbed the knife from her back pocket, slicing open the seam at her shoulder and tearing the rest of the fabric free. Kerrie slid down the white ring of fabric from her arm and split the ring open with the knife. She placed the knife on the stand and moved back to Sandy.

    "This should stop the bleeding for now." Kerrie crouched and wrapped the fabric around Sandy''s foot. "We need to find something better." Kerrie tightened the material, the white already soaked red. "Does it hurt?"

    "Not really," Sandy said.

    "Good." Kerrie sat next to Sandy. "What a day." Day. Night. Week. Time seemed to blend, pause and accelerate all at once. How long has it been since the crash happened?

    Kerrie could still hear the crowd of people screaming by the lifeboat. She sat in silence with Sandy, the wind howling over the ship, sometimes hushing the yelling passengers in the distance. Kerrie looked down at Sandy and wondered if she was always this quiet or if she was hurting.

    Of course she was hurting.

    She lost her parents. Kerrie couldn''t even fathom something like that at her age. Yet there was something strong and resilient about her.

    "How do you know the spaceman got your parents?" Kerrie broke the silence.

    Sandy was quiet.

    "I saw," Sandy said.

    Kerrie nodded.

    "The spaceman might have gotten my boyfriend, but I have to make sure."

    "I''ll help you find him." Sandy looked up, eyes fierce and true.

    "Are you sure?"

    Sandy nodded.

    Kerrie looked ahead and saw a cut-out piece of wood next to the miniature golf stand. Painted on it was a kid trying to putt a ball on a green surrounded by water. Shark fins poked from the waves. That''s how I feel right now. Trapped.

    "How did you know to wrap your shirt around my foot?" Sandy asked.

    Kerrie broke from her trance. "I''m a nurse."

    "Really?"

    "Really, really."

    "Does that mean you give needles?" Sandy''s mouth hung open in shock.

    "Yes, really big needles." Kerrie laughed.

    "I don''t like needles," Sandy said.

    "I''m not sure anyone does." Kerrie smiled. "But lucky for you, we just need to find some disinfectant for that foot. That''s going to hurt a bit though."

    "Better than a needle."

    "Yes." Kerrie ruffled Sandy''s hair.

    "I know there''s a doctor''s office on the cruise, why don''t we check there? I wish you had some shoes though, I may have to carry you."

    The passengers from the lifeboat were getting louder. Then there was screaming. It became hard to tell which screams warranted more concern than others, but Kerrie''s gut started twisting. She let out a slow and controlled breath, trying to calm her mind. It felt like an electric current ran through her body, her muscles jolting at any sudden sounds or movements. She felt rigid and on edge.

    More screaming. Kerrie heard something hit the water with a heavy splash. The lifeboat? Are the screams getting louder or closer? People ran past Kerrie and Sandy covered in blood. A man followed them, he was stumbling, and his face was dripping red. He looked at Kerrie and Sandy.

    Kerrie stood and moved in front of Sandy.

    The man made his way toward the miniature golf, his right leg limping. He rubbed the blood from his eyes with both hands. Kerrie had never seen someone covered in so much blood. He turned from them and walked to the stand, muttering and grunting something incoherent.

    Kerrie reached for the knife in her back pocket, but it was missing. She saw it glimmering on the counter in the stand, right where the man was rummaging through its shelves.

    "Never ends," the man muttered. "Never ends."

    He grabbed one of the towels from the stand and wiped his face. He rubbed the cloth over his forehead, across his cheeks, and along his jaw. He started using the other towel and threw it to the floor.

    "Why me?" he said. "Nobody even cares."

    Blood still streaked his face, but he was no longer dripping in it. His white eyes looked up at Kerrie from the stand, catching her staring at him.

    "Do you have a problem?" He asked, stepping out from the stand.

    Kerrie stepped back, shielding Sandy.

    "You don''t get it," he said. "You don''t know how it feels."

    Kerrie watched the knife, sitting next to the man''s arm.

    He reached up, holding his palm against his forehead. His teeth were clenched, white against his red face.

    "It hurts so bad." The man moaned and leaned his head against the stand. "I want to smash my head open. I want it to stop." His eyes met the knife on the counter, and he reached for it, his bloody fingers wrapping tightly around the metal handle. "Or maybe this could end it?" He held the knife up, examining it. "This could end my pain."

    He stepped toward Kerrie and Sandy. They stepped back again.

    "Is there a problem?" The man raised his voice. "Is my suffering too much for you?"

    "There''s no problem." Kerrie''s voice was shaking.

    "See, there it is." He pointed the knife at Kerrie. "I see it in your eyes. I see it in everyone''s eyes. You want nothing to do with me. You just want to let me suffer. Let me die. It''s easier for you that way."

    "Sandy, run," Kerrie muttered the same words Sandy''s mother did during her final moments.

    Sandy''s feet pattered across the course. Kerrie kept eye contact with the bloody man.

    "How would you like it if I carved you open?" The man with the knife began walking toward her. "Then it could slither inside of you too. Then you could understand my pain." His white teeth flashed at her like a wolf standing over its kill.

    Kerrie reached for a putter from the ground and held it like a baseball bat.

    "You going to hit me with that?" he said. "Go ahead."

    "Stay back." Kerrie''s voice cracked. "I don''t want to hurt you."

    "I''m already hurt. I''m already in pain." He walked closer, a few feet away, the knife pointed toward Kerrie''s chest.

    "Please!" Kerrie cried, cranking the putter back.

    "End my suffering," he said, raising the knife. "But you''re going to¡ª"

    Kerrie''s body twisted as she swung the club in an arc, the head of the putter cracking right through his temple. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his knees buckled. The knife hit the green. Kerrie''s eyes flooded and she screamed, pulling the club out from his head. His body collapsed forward, and she brought the club up one more time and slammed it into the back of his head. His skull gave a crunch and pooled with blood. Kerrie let go of the club and stepped back, tripping and falling right on her tailbone. The impact rattled up her spine.

    Kerrie stayed seated and watched the blood pour from the man''s skull. Tears trailed down her face. She heard Sandy''s feet approaching from behind her. Sandy wrapped her little hands around Kerrie''s arms and tugged at her.

    "Kerrie?" Sandy called.

    But Sandy''s voice sounded distant. So far away.

    "Come on, Kerrie." Sandy pulled her again. "We need to go."

 Chapter Eleven

    Dr. Keane ran into one of his examination rooms and shut the door. His heart was thumping, an old engine trying to keep up but the parts were aged and worn out. Every breath caused his sternum to ache. His shoulders hunched forward, thin like a coathanger. His skin was pale, purple veins striking through like the roots of a sick tree. He was old, but he seemed to have aged ten more years in the last few days. Hell, he didn''t even feel alive anymore. Consider him a walking corpse, a shell of who he once was. Slivers of muscles stretched from joint to joint, allowing his skeleton to stay in motion.

    He turned toward the examination table and grabbed it by the foot of the bed. He was able to pull the table an inch before his back felt like it would snap in two. He rested on one arm and took a breath. He moved to the head of the examination table instead. There was just enough room between the table and the wall for someone to sit with their knees to their chest. Dr. Keane crawled between the space until he was on the ground. With what flexibility he had left, he brought his knees up and placed both of his feet against the wall, his shoes leaving bloody prints on the white paint. He closed his eyes and harnessed as much strength as he could and then pushed off the wall. His quads flexed, becoming rigid beneath his slacks. His bottom lifted from the ground and his back pressed into the examination table. His muscles bulged from his neck, thin wires supporting what was left of his leathered, swollen head.

    The examination table began to slide. Dr. Keane continued to push until the table was blocking the door. When he couldn''t push anymore, his body went limp, his back crashing into the floor. His chin rested against his chest, neck bent against the table. His skin was damp, the kind of sweat that didn''t drip, thick and clinging to his body. He felt like an oven, every organ was in overdrive.

    Reaching up for the corner of the table, he pulled himself to his feet like someone learning to walk for the first time. Everything comes full circle. I''m exiting this world the same way I came in. Using both hands, he pushed the examination table a bit further to completely block the door. Moving to the front of the table, Dr. Keane seated himself against the drawers. Nothing will get in now. But more importantly, nothing will get out.

    "It''s better this way," Dr. Keane said to himself. "It''s what''s best."

    Moments before, Dr. Keane had just closed his office. He had a few appointments in the evening¡ªfollow-ups with crewmembers that came in contact with the body¡ªbut they never showed. After giving them some time, he closed the office and headed back to his cabin for the night. He felt terribly ill. His head was pounding and he felt drained. He needed to sleep. He needed to sleep for days. But something kept telling him he wasn''t just tired, that this wasn''t just the flu. He thought of the body they found in the ocean, head completely ripped off from the impact. He thought of the crew and Tom Miller that hauled the body onboard and the headaches that followed. He thought of William Reeds'' melted face from the flare gun, his brain matter exploded across the engine room. And then he began connecting the dots with the mysterious lesions. Dr. Keane reached back to feel his own, swollen and sensitive to touch, running along his spine. How were the rest of the crew? How was Tom? Would Dr. Keane soon find himself in the same unbearable pain, one so bad he would rather choose to end his life?

    Dr. Keane had walked across the main deck, the sky purple as ever. It brought a smile to his face. No matter how awful things felt, there was always some good he could find in the world. Well not for everyone. He passed a woman and a man. They were yelling at each other. Dr. Keane couldn''t catch the entire conversation but what he did hear was the woman yelling that she couldn''t marry him. The man grew quiet after that. What could someone say to those words? The man walked away from the woman, turning toward a flight of stairs, while she leaned against the railing, looking out across the ocean.

    But something stopped Dr. Keane in his tracks. Screams and lots of them. They were coming from the theatre. What was tonight''s show? A hell of a thrilling performance, Dr. Keane guessed. But he knew that was wrong. He knew those screams were different. He could feel the terror emanating from them, the horror clawing at his chest, sending his heart racing. He turned, seeing the woman heading to the theatre, and followed closely behind her. Then the people started spilling out like water breaking through a dam. Red water.

    People and blood, those were the two things he took in. Everyone emptied the theatre and trampled out onto the deck. Dr. Keane pushed through the crowd, moving against every bone in his body. He watched the woman get knocked to the ground and he decided to move along the wall instead. Dr. Keane was a bit more fragile than she was at her age. The screams cut through his mind like a knife, magnifying his headache to an incredible scale, his body almost collapsing under the pain. He held onto the wall for a few seconds until the searing feeling subsided.

    He looked through the theatre doors, trying to catch glimpses as they opened and closed. Then he saw something that connected the final dot in his mind. The body, the crew, Tom Miller, the headaches, the lesions¡ªhis face went pale. A lifetime of experiences never prepared Dr. Keane for what he saw. A man approached the theatre doors, his legs and limbs moving as if wading through molasses. From his neck came not a head, but a storm of tentacles. They swung and twirled in the air, reaching for people and tearing their limbs apart. A man crawled toward the theatre doors and the creature reached out with its long tentacle and dragged him away. Dr. Keane ran his fingers along the back of his neck, the lesion now scabbed but the pain as fresh as ever. The headache seemed to worsen. He knew he would soon be walking around like some great tentacle beast.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Dr. Keane started moving with the crowd. Some people immediately headed for the lifeboats, others went back to their cabins to gather their belongings. Dr. Keane headed back to his office, it was significantly closer than his cabin. His headache grew heavier with each step, his body grew wearier. He knew what was to become of him. The thing was in him. Feeding on his brain. Feeding on what makes him human until he was no longer one. He was a host and he was a threat to others. When did the creature slip inside of him? Has he caused it to spread to others? I can''t remember a thing. It''s taken a hold of my mind, my memories. That thing. It came down in the crash. It came from space.

    Dr. Keane would lock himself inside one of the examination rooms, where it was safer for everyone else. Where the creature couldn''t get out. It was better that way. It was safer that way.

    And now Dr. Keane sat against the examination table, blocking the door into the room. No one could enter. No one could exit. Now he would wait. Wait for the pain to get worse. Wait for it to be unbearable. Wait for it to maybe go away. Maybe he was overreacting. No, it''s in me. I feel it, I hear it inside my head. He could take medication to ease the pain. He knew what doses could cause him to slip away if he wished. But would it let him slip away? Or would his body continue to move against his will? An empty vessel with no other purpose but to feed until there was nothing left to give. Then it would spread to someone else and feed on them too. Not in this room.

    Hours passed and Dr. Keane sat in the same spot against the examination table. He was clutching his head, a puddle of sweat forming beneath him. The pain only worsened. He knew then the pain wouldn''t be leaving anytime soon. He dry swallowed some painkillers, the same ones he gave Tom, but they had no effect. The pain was so excruciating the only way to stop it would be to slip from consciousness. And he felt like he would several times already.

    Dr. Keane looked to his watch. The sun would be rising soon and then the ship would be lit up in all its bloody glory. Bodies would be littered across the ship. Countless people would be infected. This creature, this alien, reproduces or even multiplies at an incredible rate, far beyond the speed of any living organism on earth. After millions of years, the state of life on earth is still primitive in comparison. Our bodies are no match for such a thing. Perhaps our minds, but even then...

    Flashes of white light. That''s what Dr. Keane started seeing as the pain magnified, pulsing out from the center of his skull. It felt like an infection brewing in his head, causing his brain to swell, filling with puss and blood until it popped like a pimple. A pain so concentrated, a pain so real, Dr. Keane felt it had manifested a physical form. He reached out as if to swat it away, but his arm went limp after the attempt.

    Steps. Did he hear footsteps? A voice. Someone speaking. Just outside the door. And something dragging on the floor, just outside the examination room. Dr. Keane lifted his ear curiously, trying to hear anything. But it went quiet. No more steps. No more of that dragging. Then he heard something else, the door handle. It twisted and released. Twisted again. The door moved slightly but was blocked by the examination table. Dr. Keane pressed his back against the table, holding the door shut. It''s not safe, he wanted to shout. But what if they too were infected. What if it was the creature? It was too risky. Way too risky.

    The handle released. Dr. Keane had a few seconds to relax before something slammed into the door from the other side. The examination table shifted. Dr. Keane scrambled on the ground to inch the table back against the door. The thing outside rammed into the door even harder, but this time Dr. Keane was pushing back. The table didn''t budge and the door hadn''t opened enough to peek in.

    Whatever was on the other side of the door began moving. He heard the footsteps again and that dragging. Dr. Keane pictured the lifeless corpse walking, tentacles dragging a body behind it. It moved toward the other examination room and everything grew quiet. It was another ten minutes until he heard the steps leaving the office. Was it waiting for me? Was it hoping I would open the door and welcome it in? I''m already a dead man, but I''d rather be a host than a victim.

    Regret immediately rushed over Dr. Keane as the pain worsened, so bad he could barely open his eyes. He started hitting himself in the head to make it stop. Perhaps this pain could ease another. If he hit his head hard enough, maybe the pain on the outside would help him forget the pain on the inside. He crawled across the floor until he was before a counter, reaching up for the bottle of painkillers. He popped the orange bottle open and emptied it into his mouth, his teeth mashing through bitter white pills, chalky and crumbling beneath his teeth.

    The pain quickly became bearable. Then he couldn''t feel much at all. His breathing was short. His vision was fading. His body was cold. But the pain was gone. He reached up onto the counter and grabbed his notepad and pen. He should share what he knows about the creature. He should leave something behind.

    He brought the tip of the pen to the paper and froze. Dr. Keane was gone. But the thing inside was not.

 Chapter Twelve

    Sandy had both arms wrapped around Kerrie''s neck. Her feet hung by Kerrie''s waist, one of them fastened in a red cloth that was once white. They watched as people continued to swarm over the main deck like wasps. Families running with children. Clothes dripping in blood. People controlled by fear and panic. Kerrie felt it, it was contagious, itching at every part of her body, buzzing beneath the surface of her skin.

    Crowds of people gathered at the other lifeboats, but Kerrie knew they were just as dangerous. She pictured being trapped in a tight vessel, tentacles bursting from a skull and threading through everyone''s body like a sewing machine. They''re rushing to a dead end, she thought. We''ll find Neil and then we''ll get somewhere safe. They''ll send help for help. The government. The military. Someone will come.

    Kerrie noticed crewmembers gathered around a man wearing a chef hat and a double-breasted jacket that was surprisingly still white. In his hand, he held a butcher knife, the blade swaying in the air with his heaving chest. He swung the knife toward the crewmembers, warning them to stay back.

    The chef stood next to one of the lifeboats and activated the release mechanism. The boat swung outward and lowered to the surface of the water. A crowd of people waited behind the scene, growing furious at the chef.

    "Put the knife down," a crewmember said. "Don''t do this."

    "If I''m going down, we''re all going down!" the chef shouted. The knife danced through the air in a fury of swipes, as if demonstrating how to cut the highest grade of beef. "No one is getting off this ship."

    "People need the lifeboats," another crewmember said. "Stop releasing them."

    "We''re in this together," the chef said. He clutched his head with his free hand. "It''s in me. It''s going to be in all of you."

    A crewmember took the opportunity to tackle the chef to the ground.

    "I said stay back!" the chef cried.

    "Don''t look, Sandy." Kerrie turned Sandy''s head away.

    The chef was on his back and the crewmember was on top, wrapping his hand around the wrist that held the butcher knife. The crewmember pinned the wrist to the deck and tried to pry the knife free. They struggled for a bit, a battle of strength and stamina. Then the chef launched his head forward, his brow crashing into the crewmember''s nose. The crewmember recoiled at the impact and the chef swung the blade into his neck, slicing to the bone. Hot blood spilled onto his double-breasted jacket. The crowd of passengers screamed and dispersed across the main deck. The chef rolled the body off and stood back up.

    "This is what happens when you don''t listen!" the chef shouted, running down the deck to the next lifeboat.

    "Let''s go this way instead," Kerrie said, changing direction.

    They moved up a stairwell until they were a few decks higher. Kerrie saw the faintest hint of light peeking from the horizon. It was hard to tell from all the clouds, but the sun would be rising soon.

    They passed one of the swimming pools, its crystal-like water glowing in the darkness. Not a body in the water, not a ripple passing through its frozen surface. Kerrie wanted to jump in and sink to the bottom. She wanted to hold her breath for as long as she could and just hang in limbo. Away from everything. Away from this. The cool water against her skin, calming the adrenaline that scorched through her veins. She wanted nothing more.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Kerrie wished she could press pause and give herself the time to feel. Her world had turned upside down. The fissure that had formed between Kerrie and Neil was enough to occupy her brain for weeks. But when you started adding in the blood, death and parasitic creatures hatching from people''s skulls into the equation, it was too much to handle. It was too much for anyone to handle.

    But Kerrie had to be okay. She had to keep pushing forward. It was a talent she had acquired from years as a nurse. To turn yourself on and support the wellbeing of others, even when you are not okay, is no easy task. But she had learned to do it. And she will do it. It''s how she gets by. If it takes some extra effort to lift a smile toward Sandy, she will do it. If she has to lie and tell her everything will be okay, she will do it. It was the least she could do.

    Something near the pool caught Kerrie''s eye. She placed Sandy on one of the loungers and reached for a pair of sandals. They were pink, flowers scattered across the straps. They looked like they would fit Sandy.

    "Try these on." Kerrie smiled.

    Sandy lifted her foot and Kerrie crouched to slide the sandal on. She adjusted the straps, tightening them, but not too tight. Kerrie did the same with the other. Sandy wiggled her toes, the cloth still wrapped around her foot.

    "What do you think?" Kerrie asked, lifting Sandy to her feet.

    "I think they''re pretty," Sandy replied.

    "Me too. They''re a little big but beggars can''t be choosers." Kerrie took a step back. "Test them out."

    Sandy walked alongside the pool, the lights from the water shining up and glimmering against her red polka dot dress. The toe of the sandals dragged while she walked. But they will do. Sandy pivoted and ran back to Kerrie.

    "I like them." Sandy smiled.

    "Good. Now we need to fix that foot of yours."

    Kerrie held Sandy''s hand as they turned down a hallway. The hallway was quiet, so much so that it was uncomfortable. Kerrie had become used to the screaming. Used to the blood. Used to the violence. The silence felt wrong, it felt dangerous, as if something lurked around the corner.

    They passed several unmarked doors until they came upon the office of Dr. Keane. Kerrie grabbed the door handle and the slab of metal swung open.

    "Looks like we made it," Kerrie said.

    They stepped inside the waiting room. The walls were painted mint green and the floors tiled grey. The reception counter was close to the door, a fern resting on top. A table sat in the middle, littered with old magazines. Florescent lights flickered from the paneled ceiling. The entire waiting room was empty. Kerrie felt like a trespasser, and she was, but that was the least of her concerns given what was happening on the ship.

    They moved past the reception and toward the examination rooms. The sound of footsteps and dragging feet filled the silence. Kerrie approached the first door and reached for the handle. The handle turned but the door wouldn''t budge. Kerrie tried again, making sure to twist the handle all the way, but still the door wouldn''t move.

    She lowered her shoulder and threw her body into the door. She felt it slightly move before banging into something heavy. Kerrie dropped her shoulder a second time but still no luck.

    Kerrie felt Sandy tap her leg and looked down. Sandy was pointing to the floor in front of the door. It was hard to see against the grey tiles but there it was. A bloody footprint. Kerrie''s eyes traced the floor and followed a series of footprints that started from the entrance of the office. Someone was in there. Someone barricaded the door so no one could get in. Or nothing could get out.

    Kerrie raised her finger to her mouth."Shhh." And waved at Sandy to follow her to the next examination room. We will leave that door alone. But let''s be quick, in and out.

    The second examination room opened with ease. She placed Sandy on the examination table and went to work. There wasn''t much thinking involved with it, Kerrie had done it a hundred times and a hundred times more. She untied the cloth around Sandy''s foot like a ribbon, the fabric falling to the grey tiles. She cleaned the wound first, then disinfected it. Bubbles foamed across the cut. Sandy hissed in pain, her leg jerking away. Kerrie pulled it back, covering it with an antibiotic cream and wrapping it in gauze. The medical tape was the final touch.

    "All better," Kerrie whispered. "Now we just have one more thing to do."

    "Your boyfriend," Sandy whispered back.

    Kerrie nodded.

    Kerrie slid the sandal back on Sandy''s foot and placed her on her feet. They followed the bloody footprints back the way they came. Kerrie headed to the only other place she expected Neil to go after what happened between them. After she told him she couldn''t marry him. Where else would he have gone anyway?

 Chapter Thirteen

    Static. That was all Captain Higgins heard as she held the two-way radio to her ear. The static seemed to grow louder the more she spoke into the radio, practically mocking her. She pictured a snake hissing on the other side, a narrow grin, forked tongue slipping out to display its complete satisfaction toward the captain''s dilemma.

    "I repeat, the body has been contained. A crewmember has also died." Captain Higgins spoke slowly in hopes of every word making it across the transmission. "The ship has rerouted back toward our departure. We need immediate assistance."

    The static crackled. Again, nothing. Her grip tightened over the radio, the plastic cracking under her strength. Why won''t any of our communications work?

    She stepped away from the two-way radio and stood in the center of the bridge, the navigation room of the cruise ship. Giant glass windows paneled the bridge with a one-eighty-degree view of the ocean. The stern peaked out from below like a giant knife slicing through the dark waters.

    Her body stood as a silhouette before the purple sky, shoulders broad and head tilted high, her hat seated nicely on her bun. Trails of clouds stretched across the sky, but a darker set of clouds approached from the horizon. The ship was headed right to them.

    Surrounding Captain Higgins were a hundred blinking lights. Red ones. Green ones. Yellow ones. There were countless buttons, dials, and knobs. Numerous screens, scales, and meters. The bridge was where Captain Higgins and her crew managed the direction and speed of the ship. It was where they controlled the ship''s mechanical, electronic and communication systems. It was where the magic happened. Or where the nightmares happened, depending on who was in control. But today is starting to feel like a nightmare and I have this feeling that it''s only just begun.

    The bridge was usually operated by several other crewmembers, but it was just her and Thomas Dunn tonight. The rest had reported feeling ill and she wanted none of that behavior from William Reeds in this room. Not in here. She looked over to Thomas, his back curved, shirt hanging from his shoulders, as he sat hunched over a nautical chart. Captain Higgins walked over to him.

    "What''s wrong with you?" She had a way with words.

    "Huh?" He looked up, blinking in confusion.

    "Why the dreary face?" she said. "Why are you moping in my bridge? Why are you staring at that piece of paper?"

    "I uh¡ª" Thomas looked down. "I''m just not feeling well."

    "Why not?" She raised her eyebrow.

    "I have a headache."

    "Of course." She threw her hand in the air. "Everyone and their damn headaches. Maybe your head is going to explode too?"

    He tried to speak but she cut him off.

    "It''s fine. Go and rest." She exhaled. "I want none of that nonsense in this room."

    Thomas shuffled out of the bridge. It was just Captain Higgins now. The blinking lights in the bridge sparkled around her, growing brighter as the night sky darkened. The lights from the equipment shone like stars, making her feel like she was in space. She wondered what it was like up there. It wasn''t too different from the sea. Vast. Endless. And so much more to be explored. Maybe in another life. Then she thought of the astronaut and how he came burning out of the sky. Maybe not. Then she thought of the stump he had for a neck. Definitely not.

    The radio hissed, static scraping through the air like steel wool. Her eyes darted across the room and she hustled back to the radio.

    "...ship...not...any...please...for..."

    Captain Higgins placed her ear against the speaker. Trying to decipher the message. She was only getting bits and pieces. Good for nothing equipment. I thought the radio was supposed to be reliable.

    "...stop...do...continue...further...wait...assistance"

    Her face twisted in confusion. That didn''t make any sense.

    "...stop the...do not...further...wait."

    Stop the ship. Do not continue any further. Please wait for assistance.

    Captain Higgins stepped back from the radio. I''ve had it up to here with this shit. She walked to the control systems and halted the engines. The ship began to lose speed, the needles on the dials dropping as the ship slowed. The stern began looking like a dull knife, the ocean slicing past it instead.

    Stop the ship? For how long? When would assistance arrive? The bridge was starting to feel like it was where all the nightmares happened. This is the second time since the body came down that she had to stop the ship. Captain Higgins has directed countless trips on this ship and never has she experienced something like this.

    Without the ship moving, Captain Higgins grew restless. She always had something to look forward to, the next checkpoint that awaited on the horizon. But now she had to wait until assistance arrived. She was a sitting duck. Why do we need to wait in the middle of the Atlantic for help? Something is not right. Captain Higgins felt completely useless, like a log floating downstream, waterfall waiting around the bend. If she didn''t escape the strong current, she and the rest of the ship would find themselves plummeting below.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Captain Higgins thought back to the astronaut that fell from the sky. His corpse. The unexplained illness and psychotic behavior spreading across her ship like wildfire. Something is going on here. Something confidential. But this was her ship. And shouldn''t she know what the hell was going on? It was certainly her business. And if anyone should have a say on what was going to happen, it should be her.

    Captain Higgins reached for the phone and pressed it against her ear. "This is Captain Higgins." Her voice deepened, not intentionally, but when she took command, her voice did as well. "Can you send two crewmembers to stand watch in the bridge immediately. My night crew is ill and I need replacements. The ship has halted and I simply need them to keep an eye on the systems."

    If she was going to get to the bottom of this, she would go straight to the person who felt the most unwell. Ava Castillo had been exhibiting the same symptoms William Reeds displayed in the security footage. Ava was in charge of handling the electronic systems in the bridge. She was Captain Higgins'' finest until she started driving her head into the equipment. Security was called and they placed her in a holding cell, for her own wellbeing. The last thing Captain Higgins needed was having Ava get ahold of another flare gun and cauterizing her face.

    Captain Higgins left the bridge before her staff arrived. This ship isn''t going anywhere anyway. She descended several decks until she approached the hallway that led to the holding cell. This section of the ship felt institutional, like a prison, but there were usually a couple of security guards stationed at the mouth of the hallway leading to the holding cell. The hallway was deserted. Captain heard screams from above. What the hell is going on? Captain Higgins quickened her pace and turned into the room with the holding cell.

    She froze. Two security guards lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies in the positions of chalk drawings at a murder scene. A puddle of blood soaked into the floor beneath them. Their faces were mauled and the torso was punctured in a series of craters that looked like they were made of swiss cheese. Blood splattered across the wall.

    Captain Higgins looked past them and into the holding cell. No. No. No. Ava stood in the holding cell, her forehead leaning against the bars, her hands wrapped around them as if pleading to be released, except she wasn''t breathing. But how could she? Her head was completely gone. Like a roman statue, she stood like a human carved from stone, headless. The rest of her brain matter, bits of skull and hair were stuck to the walls around her, pieces hanging between the bars of the holding cell like a grenade went off. How could this happen?

    Human heads didn''t just explode. It wasn''t a thing. Captain Higgins wasn''t a medical professional, but it didn''t take years of school to figure that out. It couldn''t happen. Could it? Then again, what happened to William Reeds wasn''t normal. What happened to him wasn''t possible. But yet it happened. What are we dealing with here?

    Captain Higgins stepped toward the control panel of the holding cell and released the door, the bars sliding open. Ava''s headless corpse tipped to the ground, blood leaking from her neck. Captain Higgins stepped into the holding cell and looked around at the mess. How in the hell?

    Her hands were shaking. She clenched them into to fits to stop her muscles from tremoring, her knuckles whitening, bones ready to burst through her skin and cause a gory scene of their own. Captain Higgins wished she stayed in the bridge, a world where she felt comfortable, a place where she knew what to do when shit hit the fan. But this...this is something else entirely.

    Captain Higgins stepped back out of the holding cell, her lungs screaming for air. Her heart pounded in her ears, the pressure feeling like she was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Was her head going to explode too?

    She couldn''t take it. She needed to leave. Captain Higgins whirled around and froze. Something crawled across the ceiling like a spider, countless arms allowing it to move toward her at incredible speed. She couldn''t breathe, the creature seizing the air in her lungs.

    The closer it got, the more it looked like something from the sea. Its long arms moved like tentacles, jointless. Something from the deep. But Captain Higgins knew that wasn''t true. She knew that it came down in the crash. She knew it was the reason for everything. Yet her body remained still, as if accepting her fate.

    The creature leaped from the ceiling, its belly flashing rows of sharp teeth threatening to tear her to shreds. But it didn''t bite her. It knocked her to the ground, the tentacles wrapping around her body, tightening around her neck. She was always a fighter, but in this instance, she lost all will. Why draw out her death and make it more excruciating than it needed to be? The fear was paralyzing, stripping her of title, recognition, and authority¡ªturning her into nothing more than the average person. That''s all she was to this creature. It didn''t recognize her as anything but its prey. And at the end of the day, that''s all she was.

    She felt a tentacle pierce the soft flesh beneath her jaw. A terrible pain seized her mind as the creature wormed its way into her head. Her vision closed.

    Captain Higgins opened her eyes, looking at the ceiling. Why was she lying on the floor? How long had she been unconscious? There was red everywhere. Paint? No, blood. She looked to her left and right and saw the dead security guards. Her body shot up into a seated position. What happened? Her eyes widened as she relived the scenario for a second time. She turned back to see Ava''s headless corpse. And more blood. Everywhere. Captain Higgins jumped to her feet.

    She retraced her steps. She came down to check on Ava and came across this scene. Yes. But then she blacked out. She couldn''t remember a thing. What happened to me? Did I fall and hit my head? She felt a pain coming from her neck and her fingers reached for the raw flesh beneath her jaw. She pulled her fingers back and saw blood on the tips. What the hell.

    More screams from above.

    "What is happening on my ship!" she shouted.

    Captain Higgins bolted from the holding cell and down the hallway. She ran up a stairwell, two steps at a time, launching herself up by leveraging the railings. She peered out from the stairwell and onto the main deck. People were running wild, blood covering their clothes. Her jaw hung open. Everything was falling apart.

    The wind rushed past her and lifted her hat from her head for a brief moment, but she caught it and placed it firmly back over her bun. I don''t think so.

    She saw a woman walking toward a crowd of people, cornered against the railing of the ship. From the woman''s head hatched an army of tentacles, reaching for its next victim.

    Captain Higgins needed to get back to the bridge. She needed to call for help. This was beyond anything she was capable of controlling. This was pure chaos. It was unbelievable. The headaches. The astronaut. Goddamn aliens. Are you kidding me?

    She exited the stairwell and turned toward the bridge to find a man blocking her way. His back was to Captain Higgins, legs wobbling as if the ship was rocking from choppy waters. The man approached a woman and her child, yelling at her. He looked like he would attack them¡ªthe cherry on top of Captain Higgins'' worst day ever.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Neil sat slouched on a barstool, his elbow resting on the counter. A glass of whiskey stared up at him, the backlit countertop sending golden waves rolling across his face. His hair dangled from his head. The fabric of his shirt pulled tightly against his stomach. Broken bottles were scattered across the counter like eggshells. Behind the bar, a pair of feet poked out, belonging to who Kerrie believed to be a dead bartender.

    Neil turned his head to meet Kerrie''s eyes. She didn''t recognize the person behind them. The Neil she met years ago had faded, deteriorating as the years passed until the last little bit was snatched away when Kerrie refused to marry him. He was broken, yes. But there was also something wrong. He looked sick. His skin was pale, droplets of sweat glistening under the bar lights. Neil turned back to his drink and lifted the glass to his lips, the liquor slipping hot like fire down his throat. A fire that he wanted to breathe back onto the ship and set it ablaze.

    "Why did you come?" Neil asked, his face twisting with disgust at the thought of giving her a chance to explain herself.

    "Have you seen what is happening on the ship?" Kerrie responded, looking back to the pair of feet peeking out at her.

    Sandy watched Neil from Kerrie''s side, her eyes unblinking.

    "That''s not the answer to my question," Neil said. "Why are you here?" His jaw clenched, muscles sliding beneath his skin, making his face look like it had a life of its own.

    "I came to make sure you were okay," Kerrie said, realizing the irony of that statement.

    "What is it to you if I''m okay?" He raised his voice and turned back to Kerrie, his eyes burned into her with resentment. "You can''t marry me remember?"

    "That doesn''t mean I don''t care about you," her voice faltered, unsure of the reason why she came, why she even bothered. She could have stayed somewhere safe, she could have been off this ship already.

    "You said you''re carrying this relationship on your back, so why are you coming back to me?" Neil said. " You''re tired of my bullshit. You''re tired of me. Those were your words, did you forget Kerrie? You don''t love me anymore. Those were your words, not mine."

    "I''m sorry, I¡ª"

    "I take advantage of you. All I do is take until you have nothing left to give." Neil said. "Then why are you here Kerrie! What do you want from someone who is so terrible? Why are you crawling back to me? If I''m so awful why did you keep me around in the first place?"

    "I just wanted to make sure you were okay and thought we could¡ª"

    "Well, now you''re the one who thought wrong, Kerrie." Neil stood from the barstool and knocked his glass to the floor, shattering and sending pieces of glass tumbling toward Kerrie''s feet like diamonds. Diamonds are forever, but Neil and Kerrie were not.

    The alcohol fuzzed his senses and his body swayed like a palm tree during heavy winds. Kerrie thought he would tip over.

    "You know what¡ª" Neil paused and held his hand over his mouth. "You know what your problem is? You are full of yourself. You think you''re the greatest thing. Even if I had a job right now and wasn''t in the position I''m in, you''d still find something to be unhappy about. The truth is I would never be good enough for you. You know what, I think you keep me around so you can feel better about yourself."

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    "That''s not true Neil and I''m sorry for how everything came out. I didn''t mean to say it like that. It''s just when you asked me to marry you, I¡ª"

    "I don''t want to hear it, Kerrie." He took a step forward and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "And look at you now, you''re coming to me for support during all of this. How dare you." He looked to Sandy as if noticing her for the first time. "Who''s that?"

    "Listen, I''m sorry for coming." Kerrie grabbed Sandy and turned from Neil.

    "Don''t turn your back on me!" Neil shouted. "You don''t get to do this. You don''t get to tell me you won''t marry me and then come groveling back for help. It''s not fair Kerrie." He took another step toward them, knees unsteady.

    Neil opened his mouth to say more but nothing came out. He stood frozen. And then he doubled over and puked onto the deck. His puke was red, blood spilling from his mouth like water from a faucet. It splattered off the floor and onto his legs.

    "Neil." Kerrie brought her hand to her mouth, Sandy stepped behind her.

    He stopped puking, thick blood oozing around his feet. He looked back up to Kerrie but he was gone. There was nothing behind those eyes.

    His stomach seemed to move under his shirt, growing in size as if speeding through three trimesters to give birth to something vile and terrible. His belly button poked out for his shirt, the hem riding up his stomach as it continued to expand. Red scars lined the stomach, like the stripes on a watermelon, as it stretched like a balloon.

    No. Please, no, Kerrie thought.

    His skin stretched so thin you could see his veins riddling beneath the surface. Neil lurched forward, trying his best to support his expanding stomach as it drooped to the floor.

    Then he started screaming, the scream of a man experiencing the world''s most terrible pain. His stomach split like a pair of jeans that were too tight, a wave of blood and the collection of his insides spilled out onto the deck like a pinata, the type of candy that the kids would leave behind.

    Kerrie turned to cover Sandy from the sight. Her eyes clenched trying to stop the tears from flooding her vision. She looked back to see him on his hands and knees, hovering over a pile of intestines and organs. Some of his intestines hung from his abdomen and onto the floor, some of them...moving. No, they were tentacles. One of them reached toward Kerrie like a whip, whistling through the air as it snapped around her ankle and began dragging her across the deck.

    "Kerrie!" Sandy screamed.

    Kerrie didn''t have the knife anymore. She didn''t have the putter. But she did have some fight left in her. Her hands clawed against the floor trying to stop the creature from pulling her in, but it was too strong. She flipped over and reached for the tentacle wrapped around her ankle. It was slimy and cold, exactly how she imagined the arm of a squid to feel. But she couldn''t get her fingers under it, she couldn''t peel it off. A second tentacle reached out and pinned one of her arms. She twisted and threw her body in every direction but she couldn''t move.

    Neil''s body stood, not with his legs, but with the tentacles propping his corpse up, hovering over Kerrie as she was held in place. His body had split open like a ripe fruit, spilling its sweet juice all over her, soaking into her clothes, turning her skin red.

    A third tentacle wrapped around her neck. She couldn''t breathe, her vision slowly closing. There was nothing she could do. No way to escape it this time. It finally caught her, like it did everyone else. The end.

    A fourth tentacle reached toward her stomach and pulled back, like a snake readying to strike its prey.

    Right before Kerrie blacked out, she saw a stream of water rocket into the creature. The force of the water was so strong it sent the creature hurling off Kerrie''s body and across the deck. The impact of the water had soaked Kerrie beneath, the icy liquid waking her senses. She coughed, the pressure of the tentacle now released from her neck, and staggered to her feet. She turned around and saw a tall woman holding a fire hose, an unrelenting force of water exploding from the nozzle. She wore a captain hat and her uniform was tucked into her pants. She stood with her knees bent and legs wide, her hands holding the hose like a cannon, pointing it toward Neil''s monstrous body.

    "Are you okay?" Captain Higgins asked.

    Kerrie nodded and grabbed Sandy, too shocked to utter a word.

    "I''ll take you somewhere safe." Captain Higgins dropped the fire hose and beckoned Kerrie and Sandy to follow.

 Chapter Fifteen

    The rustling of leaves. Kerrie opened her eyes to find the blue sky above. A tree towered over her, its branches like arms reaching for the clouds. She lay in its shadow, the grass cool against the back of her legs. The grass tickled her palms, slipping between her finger. She grabbed a handful and watched it fall back to the earth.

    She felt comfortable. She felt all right. She never realized how much she loved the color green, a symbol of life and growth. It was nice to look at, it eased her mind. She had seen too much red, felt too much death, too much decay. But now she felt relaxed. She took a deep breath, imagining the plants around her breathing as well. The air filled her lungs, making her feel lighter, making her feel that if she took a deep enough breath, she would lift off the ground.

    Kerrie stood and looked across a park of rolling fields. Birds sang from the branches. Some outstretched their wings and dipped across the sky, the wind carrying them somewhere safe. She felt the earth beneath her feet and dug her heels into it. The ground felt firm. Secure. It held her in place, promising to never let her go. She didn''t want to go.

    Behind Kerrie was a bench, a man sitting with one arm draped across the back. He wore a white tee, the sun beaming off it, almost too bright to look at. She recognized the shape of his head, the way his shoulders hanged. She knew the curve of his arm and how his hair ran up from his neck to the top of his head. It was Neil. This was where they first met.

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    Kerrie walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. His head turned but it wasn''t him. The stranger smiled at her as if he had been waiting for her, as if he had known her his whole life. He placed his hand on hers. The touch felt familiar. It felt like someone she had once known. His smile was one that had once lit up her world. And when he spoke, his voice was smooth, a sound she had heard a hundred times before. She wanted to stay, she wanted to be with him, sit on the bench, sit by his side.

    But she didn''t know him. It wasn''t Neil.

    His face began to fade. His mouth sealed tight. His nose sunk in. His eyelids closed and filled the wells in his face until he was a blank canvas. Kerrie felt a pang of sadness at the sight of losing something familiar, something she had used to love.

    She took a step back and tripped over a rock, the world spinning before her. The leaves rapidly changing colors, from green to orange to brown. The sky turning grey. Her body tumbled from a cliff, jagged rocks rushing by until her body plunged into the ocean. A surge of cold water smothered her vision and everything went black.

 Chapter Sixteen

    Captain Higgins had watched the man''s stomach, large and bulbous, split open and rain a slithering terror upon the woman and child. She turned and drove her elbow through the emergency break glass, hauled the fire hose out of the cabinet, and unleashed a fury of water on the creature.

    After creating some distance, Captain Higgins led both of them back to the bridge for safety. Both doors were locked, she made sure of it. And when it came to the windows, they were stronger than the average piece of glass. No creature was getting in.

    They eventually fell asleep and Captain Higgins watched her ship from above. Daylight took the sky, the sun muffled by grey clouds. The ship and all its horrors were lit up on full display.

    There weren''t many people left on the ship. There may be some hiding below deck, but the majority had been slaughtered or escaped in one of the lifeboats. If the military let them.

    Captain Higgins pulled out her binoculars and peered across the ocean. Several naval ships surrounded the cruise, their military-grade vessels floating on the horizon like steel sharks. Numerous lifeboats floated near them, their orange paint easy to spot among all the grey. They didn''t let them pass. I wouldn''t be surprised if they''re not letting anyone leave. Not until they are fully examined. Not until the threat is removed.

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    There was not much choice in the matter. It was better to risk being stopped by the military than to be hunted by the creature. Humans were capable of some nasty things, but better the devil you know than the devil you don''t.

    Not that escaping mattered to Captain Higgins. Her time was up. It didn''t take her long to figure that out. Once the headache started hammering away like a nail in the center of her skull, she knew she was next. That''s where everything started. The headaches. That''s why William took his life. That''s why Ava''s head was missing. That''s why Captain Higgins had a lesion under her jaw, running down her neck. She didn''t remember anything, but she knew the parasite was in her, controlling her thoughts. She tried to access her memory but it was foggy, like trying to search for something through murky waters.

    She brought her fingers to it again, the wound lighting up in pain at the slightest touch. There was no more blood, the skin sowing itself together with its magic, sealing the creature inside until it wanted out. Captain Higgins would be lying if she said she wasn''t scared.

    But she didn''t want to give it the satisfaction. She wished she had something more powerful than a flare gun. She wished she could stop the son of a bitch in its tracks.

    She looked to the woman seated on the floor, head against the wall, and the child, head snuggled against her chest. The least she could do was help them off the ship. They looked all right, no lesions on their body. They could make it. But it wouldn''t be easy.

    Time is of the essence. Especially when you started considering the naval ships. I''m going down with this ship. But they''re not. I have to lead them to safety. I''m the captain and this will be my final trip.

    Captain Higgins adjusted her hat.

    We have a few hours at most. I''ll need to wake them soon.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Captain Higgins reached down and shook the woman''s shoulder, feeling boney and frail beneath her hands. She put up a good fight against that creature, but she really had no chance.

    "Neil?" The woman muttered in her sleep, her face twitching.

    Was he the host to that monster? Captain Higgins pictured the creature, long black cords escaping from his abdomen.

    She shook her again and the woman''s head shot forward, eyes wide, breathing heavy. The woman held her hand over her chest, feeling it race as if it wanted to hop right out of her sternum and make a run for it.

    "You''re safe." Captain Higgins said.

    The woman looked up at her, still disoriented. "I just had the strangest dream."

    "Can''t be as strange as what''s happening on this ship," Captain Higgins responded.

    "Right." The woman blinked and looked around the bridge, a lot of buttons and gadgets that meant absolutely nothing to her. "I forgot to say thanks for your help. I would have been¡ª"

    "Don''t thank me yet," Captain Higgins cut her off. They were not safe, not really.

    The child stirred in the woman''s arms, her eyes opened slowly like curtains to another world. Her dream didn''t appear to be as strange as the one the woman had. Perhaps she had dreamed she was back at home, before all this. She looked up at the woman and then to Captain Higgins.

    "Good morning," Captain Higgins said. She took a step closer and crouched, sticking her hand out. "I''m Captain Higgins, but if that''s too much you can call me Sarah. That''s my first name."

    "Nice to meet you." A little hand reached out. "My name is Sandy."

    "That''s a great name. Can I have it? I think it would really suit me. Captain Sandy Higgins, what do you think?"

    "That''s my name." Sandy smiled. "Yours is Sarah."

    How this girl finds a way to smile during these circumstances, I have no idea.

    "I''m Kerrie," the woman said.

    "Are you her mother?" Captain Higgins asked.

    Kerrie shook her head.

    "That''s what I thought," Captain Higgins said. She turned back to Sandy. "Have you ever been to the bridge on a cruise?"

    Sandy shook her head, confused.

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    "It''s not the kind of bridge that goes over water." Captain Higgins turned to all the equipment. "It''s where we control the ship. It''s kind of like a cockpit, where a pilot flies a plane."

    Sandy''s eyes took in all the lights, screens, and buttons.

    "Want me to give you a tour?" Captain Higgins waved Sandy over.

    Sandy stood to her feet and followed Captain Higgins around the bridge, sandals shuffling across the floor. Kerrie got up and followed closely behind, interested in how everything worked. It was like a foreign language, all the equipment and technology meaningless to her. Captain Higgins started from one side of the bridge and moved to the other. She explained all the buttons, what they did, how everything worked.

    "But don''t touch that one," Captain Higgins said. "That''s the eject button. It''ll send you flying off the ship."

    Sandy took a step back and held her hands behind her back, just in case they had the uncontrollable urge to press the big red button.

    "I''m just kidding." Captain Higgins smiled.

    "Oh." Sandy smiled, a little unsure about which part Captain Higgins was kidding about. "But why isn''t the ship moving?"

    "The big people told us to stay put and that help is on the way."

    "Where are they?"

    "Here." Captain Higgins reached for the binoculars. "Have you ever used one of these? You just look through these two holes and you can see really far. Tell me what you see." Captain Higgins passed Sandy the binoculars.

    Sandy rolled onto the tips of her toes and looked out across the ocean. Kerrie watched her and looked back across the water, trying to spot something. They were small but she could see ships in the distance.

    "Big boats!" Sandy shouted. "I see big boats!"

    "Let me see," Kerrie said, taking the binoculars from Sandy.

    "Hey!" Sandy cried.

    "The military," Kerrie said, looking toward the steel giants that surrounded them. "But why are they out there?"

    "I don''t think they''re letting anyone leave, not easily at least. You see the lifeboats by the ships?"

    "Barely." Kerrie squinted. "They stopped the lifeboats. But why?"

    Captain Higgins opened her mouth but Kerrie answered her own question. "They''re not here to help us." She turned to Captain Higgins. "What do we do?"

    "You need to get off this ship," Captain Higgins said.

    "Are there any lifeboats left?" Kerrie asked.

    "They''re all gone."

    "Then how will we get off? We can''t swim in the middle of the ocean."

    "There''ll be some containers on the ship still holding inflatable liferafts. They aren''t as apparent as the lifeboats and without a crewmember explaining, the average passenger would have run right by them. I''ll help you release it to the water and take you down the gangway where you''ll have to jump."

    "You''ll help us? What about you?"

    Captain Higgins pointed to the wound on her neck. "You see this? It''s in me, that creature. My head is killing me and I don''t have much time left."

    Kerrie took a step back. "How do you know?"

    "There are just some things you know. I can hear it. I feel it. It''s in my head."

    "But what if the military can¡ª"

    "I''m as good as dead."

    "Maybe they know how to fix¡ª"

    "I don''t think you''re really getting it." Captain Higgins pointed to the ships in the distance. "They''re not there to help us. They''ve surrounded us to make sure that whatever is on this ship doesn''t make it past them. If it means losing a few people in the process, that''s fine. As long as it''s for the greater good. My time is up but at least you and Sandy can make it out of here."

    "What do you mean¡ª"

    "They''re going to take the cruise down, Kerrie."

    They all looked up to the sound of a roaring jet engine that tore across the sky, their eyes following the sound to the windows, a fighter jet slicing through the clouds. The steel bird did a barrel roll and curved upward, the grey blanket swallowing it whole. It was the last thing Kerrie needed to see to fully process the situation.

    "We don''t have much time." Captain Higgins walked to the door and unlocked it. "Are you ready?"

 Chapter Eighteen

    Giant slides twisted and turned from behind the bridge like the sewer system to some ancient city. The slides reminded Kerrie of the creatures that spread across the ship, the tubes bending and curving, reaching down for anyone who was left crawling across the deck, blood leaking from their bodies like a hole in a water tank. Kerrie couldn''t imagine a creature that size.

    The parasites had only taken a few days to slaughter countless people. They had evolved with one purpose, and one purpose only. Feeding on anything that moved. In a way, they were not too different from humans¡ªconsuming and destroying everything in their path to greatness. Humans were on the other side of the equation now and it didn''t feel great.

    A drop of water fell from the grey curtain that stretched across the sky, splatting on Kerrie''s nose. She looked up to meet the clouds above her, rumbling like the stomach of a god hungry for more blood. A second drop. A third. It was spitting and Kerrie knew the rain would get heavier soon. She felt the tension in the air, the weight of another ocean floating above her, ready to come crashing down. They would have to move fast.

    The sound of a jet engine ripped across the sky as if it was splitting open, the blue above the grey tearing a gateway to another dimension. One where more slithering creatures could fall from and feed on anything that breathed. But the jet was nowhere to be seen, masked behind the looming clouds. Waiting for the command to fire away.

    "Stay close," Captain Higgins said, looking up at Kerrie and Sandy as they descended the stairs from the bridge.

    "Aye aye, Captain," Sandy responded, held tight in Kerrie''s arms as they moved toward their escape. She leaned in closer to Kerrie, hands wrapped around her neck. It was the safest position she had come to know since leaving her parents, their bodies a savory meal for the alien that slipped under Tom''s skin. Marilyn and Tom were the main course. Sandy would have been the dessert.

    "The capsules containing the inflatable liferafts are on the main deck," Captain Higgins said.

    They were on the opposite side from where they encountered Neil''s monstrous body, but they had to keep their eyes open for any other threats. They ran toward a stairwell that would lead down to the main deck and the inflatable liferafts.

    "Wait," Captain Higgins said, pulling behind a wall, the spiraling slides now hanging above them.

    Kerrie trailed behind Captain Higgins, peeking from their cover and down the deck. A creature walked near the stairwell, black and vile, legs moving as if it was playing the piano. This was the first time Kerrie had seen one in its entirety, detached from its host. It looked like a lab experiment¡ªpart arachnid, part octopus, part parasite. It looked exactly how movies and books described alien life to be¡ªa terrifying existence meant only to destroy human life.

    Kerrie watched Captain Higgins run her hand under her jaw, feeling the wound, the mark where the creature had supposedly entered her. A chill wriggled through Kerrie''s body, causing the hair on her arms to stand. To think the creature was inside of Captain Higgins, consuming her, and that she would become what happened to Neil and all the rest. Kerrie felt terribly sorry. But also terribly scared. Let''s hope that thing doesn''t escape her body any time soon, at least until we are off this ship.

    "We can''t go that way," Captain Higgins said, looking to Kerrie. "We''ll go through the food court and back out onto the main deck."

    They backtracked and passed through glass doors into a marbled hallway. The white floors were swirled with whisps of grey, marked by splatters of blood. The walls were off-white and decorated with seashell lamps, their golden light spilling up and across the ceiling. It felt like they were walking down the hallway to a great ruler of the sea¡ªor a terrible one.

    They approached a glass elevator and Kerrie put Sandy down, giving her arm a break. Sandy walked up to the elevator and pressed the down button. Down was the only way to go. Let''s hope we''re not going down to hell, Kerrie thought.

    The elevator rose and the glass door slid open, smooth like a blade on ice. They stepped in and Captain Higgins pressed for the first floor. She pulled her hand back realizing there was blood on the metal buttons and looked at the red smeared across her finger. She wiped it on her already bloodied shirt. Both Captain Higgins and Kerrie were covered in blood that had dried from their encounters. Blotches of brown and red were scattered across their clothes as if they were satan''s dalmatians. Kerrie''s skin looked as if she climbed out of a trench where she had spent months rolling in blood, sleeping in muck. The smell in the elevator became rotten and Kerrie really took in how filthy she was. She had been stepped on. She had been bled on. The smell of Neil''s insides mixed with her sweat into a sour and stomach-wrenching stench.

    The elevator continued to descend, a capsule moving through a glass tube, peering down at the food court below. Multiple levels cascaded down before them, each floor containing different restaurants. French. Mexican. Japanese. Italian. The court was massive, like an arena to a sporting event. Except it was a ghost town. There were no waiters walking between the tables. There were no chefs cooking in the kitchens. There were no flames blazing on the hibachi tables. Plates and cups were scattered here and there. Bodies lay on the floors. Some slumped in chairs. Some nestled between the tables. And as they passed from floor to floor, they saw more and more bodies.

    The elevator slowed at the main floor of the food court and the door hissed as it slid open. All three of them stepped out, their heads tilting to all the restaurants above, a circular room towering high to a glass ceiling, dull light casting below.

    "See those doors on the other side?" Captain Higgins pointed far across countless tables to a pair of double doors. They had no handles, the type of doors to swing open. "Those are staff doors but they lead right up to the main deck."

    "Looks far," Kerrie said, eyes darting around. The sheer size of the food court was overwhelming. It was hard to notice every little detail. There was so much space and so many places to hide. It felt like they were being watched.

    "We don''t have much of a choice," Captain Higgins said. "We will move quietly and swiftly."

    Kerrie nodded and picked Sandy up. The last thing they needed were her sandals dragging across the floor, drawing the attention of someone or something. They walked across the massive room, the glass ceiling creating shadows on their faces. They weaved between tables, hustled around chairs, stepped over bodies.

    They neared the edge of the court, passing a buffet-style restaurant, the food kept warm from the heating lamps. Kerrie''s stomach rumbled. She had been too stressed to realize how hungry she was. She needed to eat. Even if it was just a little.

    "Do you mind?" Kerrie asked.

    Captain Higgins turned around and Kerrie tilted her head toward the food. Captain Higgins looked back around the food court. It was silent like the dead of night. "Quick."

    Kerrie placed Sandy down and leaned into the buffet table, reaching for what appeared to be a chicken slider. She passed it to Sandy.

    "I don''t want it," Sandy said.

    "Just a bite," Kerrie responded.

    Sandy held it with both hands and examined it before chomping a quarter of the little sandwich away. Sandy paused and took another bite from the slider. And another. Kerrie grabbed a slider of her own and swallowed it in two bites, barely chewing it, the slider moving like a rock down her throat and through her chest. It was dry and stale. She needed something to wash it down.

    Kerrie stepped behind the counter, opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water. She brought the bottle to her lips and felt the cool water flush down into her stomach.

    "Want some?" Kerrie passed the bottle to Sandy who obliged and drank quite a bit for her size. Sandy passed the bottle back. There was enough water for one more sip. "Mind if I finish?"

    Sandy shook her head.

    Kerrie took a big gulp and looked to Captain Higgins. She was leaning over a table, one hand resting on it for support while the other hand was pressed against her head.

    "Are you okay?" Kerrie took a step toward her.

    "I''ll be fine." Captain Higgins grimaced.

    Kerrie could tell the pain was a lot worse than Captain Higgins let on.

    "You sure you don''t want to come with us?" Kerrie said unconvincingly. She knew Captain Higgins couldn''t. She knew she was done. But maybe she needed to lie to herself. Maybe she needed to try and believe someone could come back from something like this. What if it was in her too and she didn''t know? There had to be a way. Or maybe it''s too late.

    "I think we both know there''s no coming back from this, Kerrie." Captain Higgins turned and waved her hand across the entire food court as if displaying all those who had already perished. "It''s better that you and Sandy get off the ship while you can. It''s safer that way. And plus, this is my ship after all. If it''s going down, I''m going down with it." Captain Higgins mustered a smile. Kerrie could barely give her one in return.

    "Well, I guess let''s start moving again," Kerrie picked Sandy up.

    "Spaceman!" Sandy shouted, nearly falling out of Kerrie''s arms as she pointed at the opposite end of the food court.

    Kerrie''s hand moved to Sandy''s mouth, pressing firmly over it. "Shhhh!"

    Kerrie looked to where Sandy had pointed to find a creature dangling from a railing above. It stopped moving and looked directly toward them. Several more creatures emerged from behind the railings on the second and third floors, looking across the empty space toward their next meal. One of them screeched a battle cry and they descended from railings, draping down from floor to floor until they were level with Captain Higgins, Kerrie, and Sandy.

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    "Run!" Captain Higgins said, bolting toward the door that now seemed farther than it did before.

    Kerrie followed right behind, moving as fast as her legs would let her with Sandy in her arms. They emerged from the tables and were headed straight for the double doors. Kerrie''s heart pounded. Her breath ripped through her throat. Her back hurt. But all of that was masked by the primal fear laying siege on her entire body, every cell from every organ wanting to fall to the floor like a bag of marbles and scatter from the stampede of monsters behind them.

    Kerrie looked back toward the creatures, a dark cloud propelled by hundreds of legs dancing toward them like centipedes. They moved at an incredible speed and Kerrie felt it was only a matter of time until one of those tentacles reached out and grabbed her, fastening around her ankle like a rope and dragging her away. And this time for good. You only get so many chances and Kerrie was on her last life.

    The doors that had once seemed distant were only a few strides away, the two slabs of metal approaching them like the grill of an eighteen-wheeler. Captain Higgins charged through like a battering ram, both doors slamming open and into the walls, nearly tearing off the hinges. The doors stayed open long enough for Kerrie and Sandy to pass through, shutting behind them as Kerrie turned to the stairs. Her arms burned, Sandy becoming too much to carry. Her legs felt like gelatin, wobbling up each step, knees almost buckling. But her legs decided to keep moving, climbing the steps two at a time until they exited onto the main deck, Captain Higgins'' elbow driving into the metal bar that opened the door.

    Kerrie stumbled out with Sandy slumping in her arms and met the rain that was falling steadily now. Across from her was another door but to her right was a railing and the endless ocean. She turned back to Captain Higgins who whirled around and closed the door shut, pressing her back against it. The creatures slammed into the door behind her, one after another like a sledgehammer. Captain Higgins was knocked forward, but she bent her legs and pushed back with all her strength, arms stretched wide, holding the creatures behind the door.

    "Over there!" Captain Higgins pointed with her eyes, her face pulling tight. "The giant white container."

    Kerrie hustled to the edge of the ship where she found a white metal cylinder that hung over the water.

    "This is the liferaft?" Kerrie asked, looking at it suspiciously.

    "Yes," Captain Higgins grunted. "Below...there''s a handle...pull it."

    Kerrie put Sandy down and crouched, reaching toward the handle and pulling the mechanism. The container released, rolling to the water and cracking open, the liferaft spilling out. Kerrie leaned over the ocean and watched it inflate.

    Kerrie turned back to the sound of the creatures hammering at the door. A tentacle had reached out from the other side and when Captain Higgins pushed back against it, the door sliced the tentacle in half, falling to the floor and squirming like a giant worm.

    "There''s a gangway one deck below. It hangs off the side of the ship and over the ocean. You can move down a deck from the stairwell around the corner. You''ll need this key."

    Captain Higgins tossed Kerrie the key and pressed back into the door, every muscle in her body threatening to rip from her skin. But she wasn''t going to last much longer. The door was slowly opening, tentacles slithering out from around the frame.

    "Kerrie, now!" Captain Higgins cried.

    "Thank you," was all Kerrie could say as she turned from Captain Higgins, Sandy back in her arms, and rounded a corner to the deck below.

    She heard the door slam open and the little monsters moving across the deck above, their cries like nails on a chalkboard. Kerrie wondered what they would do with Captain Higgins, someone who was already infected. Would they consume her knowing one of their own was inside or would they watch her suffer until it hatched from her brain?

    Kerrie told herself to stop thinking about it.

    There it was, the gangway. Kerrie unlocked the gate and looked down. It hung out from the side of the ship, a metal staircase that descended several decks and simply hung over the water. Kerrie assumed it would normally connect to a dock of some sort, but out in the middle of the ocean, the final step would send someone plunging into the deep. Below the gangway was the inflated liferaft, floating alongside the ship. They had to jump down. They had to jump now. But they would have to swim a bit and she wasn''t sure she could make it with Sandy in her arms. Kerrie knew how to swim, but when it came to holding someone else while doing so, it was an entirely different ball game.

    Kerrie turned to the wall and began opening several cabinet doors. We need a life jacket for Sandy at the very least. But the cabinets were all empty. Kerrie put Sandy down and ran across the deck, opening more cabinets. The last one contained a stack of orange life jackets.

    "Yes," Kerrie said, finally some luck.

    She grabbed two and ran back to Sandy.

    "We need to put this on," Kerrie said, feeding Sandy''s arms through the holes and fastening the buckles. Kerrie slid on her own. It was amazing how quickly you could move during circumstances like these.

    Kerrie picked Sandy up and turned toward the gangway but something caught the corner of her eye. A woman stood further down the deck, facing the opposite direction. She was looking for someone. Her back was bare, two thin straps hanging from her shoulders to hold up her powder blue nightgown, the satin fabric blowing in the wind, the color darkening from the rain that was coming in sideways. Her back had a long lesion that ran down her spine and her skin was marked with streaks of blood. Her bare legs stood beneath. She turned around to face Kerrie and Sandy.

    "Sandy?" the woman said.

    Kerrie took a step back.

    "It''s me, Mommy." Marilyn took a step forward, arm reaching out. Her palm was red, hand tremoring. "Who are you and why do you have my daughter?"

    "Mommy?" Sandy said, confused to see her mother standing before her.

    Kerrie didn''t know what to say. Sandy had said her mother was gone, that the spaceman had got her. But here she was. Walking and breathing, looking for her daughter. Kerrie should certainly give the woman her child, right? Kerrie should certainly allow her own mother to hold Sandy in her arms again. But something wasn''t right.

    "It''s me, honey." Marilyn smiled, lips quivering, eye twitching. "Give me my daughter, please." She looked into Kerrie''s eyes. "Give me my daughter."

    Marilyn pulled her hand back and fell to one knee, screaming. One hand clutched the railing while the other held her head.

    "It hurts. It hurts. It hurts." Marilyn said to no one at all. "It hurts so bad."

    It was in her. Marilyn scratched at her head as if trying to claw the creature out. She tore handfuls of hair from her scalp, the wind carrying it away like a spider web. "My daughter. I want my daughter." She looked at Kerrie and pulled herself back up.

    Kerrie took another step back, the entrance to the gangway now at her side.

    "WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH MY DAUGHTER," Marilyn screamed, more of a statement than a question. How could Kerrie take her daughter? What gave her the right? Marilyn''s face shook, her emotions controlling her instead.

    "You''re not Mommy," Sandy said, tears running down her face. "You''re the spaceman."

    "What do you mean?" Marilyn looked like she would cry. "It''s me. It really is. It''s your Mommy. You have to believe me." Marilyn leaned forward only a few steps away.

    "I''m sorry, I can''t let you have her," Kerrie said. "Not like this."

    "Who are you to say?" Marilyn said. "She''s my daughter. I won''t let you take her from me."

    "I''m sorry¡ª"

    "She''s mine," Marilyn said.

    Kerrie expected her to say more but Marilyn''s body suddenly grew still. Her eyes stopped moving. Her arms hung limp. And then a black tentacle slipped from her nose, thin and stretching into the air. It wiggled around before slipping back inside like slurped spaghetti. Marilyn regained control of her body again and took in her surroundings. She looked back at Sandy as if making sure it was really her.

    "Please, my daughter," Marilyn said.

    "No, you are not well." Kerrie stepped onto the gangway.

    "GIVE ME HER." Marilyn roared and reached for Sandy with both arms, but nearly fell when Kerrie moved out the way and began running down the metal stairs, the gangway rattling over the rolling waters. "COME BACK."

    Marilyn moved down the stairs behind them and was gaining on them. It was too hard to move with Sandy in her arms. Kerrie had only one choice. Instead of making it to the end of the gangway, she rolled over the metal railing with Sandy instead.

    "Hold on," Kerrie said, pulling Sandy close.

    Sandy let out a scream as they rushed to the water, their bodies crashing into the ocean with a heavy splash. Kerrie let go of Sandy and felt the water envelop her. Her life jacket brought her back to the surface. She coughed out water. Wiped the hair out of her face. Rubbed the salt out of her eyes. She heard Marilyn screaming from the gangway above, but she paid no attention. The ocean from the cruise looked relatively flat, but when you were eye level with the water, it was hard to see anything. Kerrie bobbed up and down. Waves rose and fell. She turned around and saw a glimpse of Sandy''s orange life jacket before another wave obstructed her vision. She saw another glimpse of Sandy, head tilted back, spitting out water. Kerrie made her way over.

    "You okay?" Kerrie asked.

    "Yes." Sandy coughed.

    Kerrie grabbed Sandy by the back of her life jacket and began kicking her feet, swimming toward the liferaft. She looked up and saw Marilyn screaming and stomping on the gangway, but it was hard for Kerrie to hear with the water lapping her ears.

    As Kerrie reached the liferaft, she saw Marilyn descend the stairway.

    Kerrie guided Sandy to the ladder of the liferaft and helped push her up. Sandy rolled in, her legs swinging over like a cartwheel.

    Marilyn jumped from the gangway and disappeared into the ocean.

    Kerrie grabbed both sides of the thin ladder and pulled her body into the raft, tumbling over its edge like a giant wall. She coughed up more water and stared at the dark clouds above, the rain occasionally falling into her eyes and causing her to blink.

    She looked over to Sandy. Her eyes were puffy. Her mouth was frowning. Sandy was seated, looking back up at the colossal cruise. It looked even bigger from the water. A floating city.

    Kerrie looked at the liferaft and saw two paddles she could use to move toward the naval ships, but it would take forever. Better than up there. She looked out across the water to where Marilyn had jumped but she was nowhere in sight, consumed by the deep.

    "I''m sorry about your mom, Sandy," Kerrie said, but Sandy didn''t respond.

    She reached for a paddle and neared the edge of the liferaft. As Kerrie brought the paddle over the water, a hand reached up from the ocean and grabbed the edge of the raft. Kerrie jumped back at the sight, almost falling out and into the water. The fingers were white, like the hands of a dead body, water running down from the tips and spilling into the liferaft. Another hand reached up, both clenching the edge and pulling Marilyn''s head into view. Except it wasn''t the face they saw above. Four tentacles spilled from Marilyn''s mouth, reaching and curling around her face like an octopus. Another smaller tentacle was snaking from her nostril.

    "Cover your eyes, Sandy!"

    The tentacles turned toward Kerrie and tried to wrap around her arm. Kerrie shuffled back and flipped the paddle around, grabbing it with both hands. She looked down at Marilyn''s hideous face and drove the butt of the paddle into the center of her forehead. But the creature wouldn''t let go, trying to crawl inside the lifeboat with them. Kerrie pulled the paddle back again and hammered Marilyn in the head. And again. The tentacles reached out and wrapped around Kerrie''s leg. She felt them tighten, constricting around her flesh. Kerrie nearly tipped over but she regained her balance and drilled the paddle into Marilyn''s throat, crushing the tentacles within. The tentacles let go of her leg and turned toward the paddle, wrapping around it like a braid. Kerrie twisted the paddle further into Marilyn''s throat, the creature screaming from within. Kerrie met its cries with more force until Marilyn''s icy hands slipped from the raft.

    Kerrie leaned over a saw Marilyn was hanging onto the ladder by a tentacle. She brought the paddle over her head one last time and slammed it into Marilyn''s face like an ice pick. Kerrie heard Marilyn''s nose crunch beneath the paddle. The creature let go and sunk into the ocean. Kerrie watched the pale face disappear into the darkness, green water swallowing Marilyn''s features and the tentacles that slithered from her mouth.

    Kerrie let go of the paddle and collapsed onto her back. Her chest rose and fell, letting her know she was still breathing. Her pulse jumped on her neck, letting her know she was still alive.

    Kerrie screamed at the sky and the sky answered back. Kerrie sobbed and the sky emptied.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Kerrie had been paddling for quite some time. Hours passed, the current moving against her. The distance they made did not seem like much, but it was just enough. The rain had stopped, the grey clouds still overhead. Kerrie took a break and sat against the edge of the liferaft with Sandy and stared at the cruise, no longer looking up.

    It was then the fighter jet came roaring across the ocean and curved away, explosions jumping across the ship like fireworks. Their faces lit up as each missile hit. They watched the ship sink.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    It was nearly night. The sinking ship had sent a current that carried them away. But Kerrie was starting to believe this was where they would die. At least we tried. She fell asleep from exhaustion, her body sprawled next to Sandy.

    She awoke the next morning, Sandy looking up at her. She heard a motor and saw a smaller boat emerging from the wall of fog. The belly of the boat skidded across the waves and slowed at the liferaft. Kerrie looked at the soldiers, tired and starving. Their faces were as uninviting as the steel ships they came from. They held assault rifles, black like the creatures that sunk to the bottom of the sea.

    From one monster to another. I wonder what they''ll do with us.