by B. C. Tweedt
He swung his head around just in time to meet Buzz’s fist.
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Smack!
Orion tackled Greyson and they toppled into the cascading water along the sloping ground.
A table careened over them and its chairs bounced toward them like a wooden avalanche. Greyson scrambled to his feet and narrowly avoided one as he put the first hit into Orion’s jaw; but he teetered off balance and fell onto Orion in knee-deep water.
His eyes burned as he went underwater and came out, frantically pulling at Orion’s clothes and avoiding his fists. His feet couldn’t find a decent foothold and more and more objects swirled into them.
As they fought, the one who gained the best balance took the advantage. They exchanged blows, threw each other down, wrestled for position and nearly drowned as the water rose.
Orion grabbed him by the shirt and swung him around with a splash. With a rip of his shirt, Greyson sprung free, throwing Orion off balance. Then, lunging through the water, Greyson jumped and punched, finding Orion’s crooked nose with a sickening crack.
Orion fell backwards onto a floating table, his weight dipping it just below the water. Before Orion could shake off the hit, Greyson was close behind with more punches.
With mad thrashing, Greyson found himself throwing punch after punch into Orion’s half-submerged body. He knew he couldn’t stop. This is when fistfights were won.
Orion was a punching bag.
Greyson let out his hate – let out his revenge as one possessed.
“Aaaghh!”
Water flung from his arms and fists like a sputtering fountain. He yelled out in fury until he was interrupted.
“Help!”
He stopped, fist suspended over Orion’s bloody face. The pooling water rose to the boy’s lips, pulling strands of blood into its blue.
“Help!”
Jarryd’s voice. Panicked.
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Jarryd had managed to kick Buzz away, but Buzz held on to his legs, trying to pull him from the balcony’s railing into the chasm’s pool. Jarryd held on with desperation. If he let go, Buzz would be sure to drown him.
His fingers screamed in pain, his knuckles cracked, and the skin on his calves burned as Buzz pulled with all his might.
His pinky fingers slipped first.
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The current swept Nick toward the restaurant, but it had slowed as the restaurant filled. He swam and swam, kicking hard against the current to help his brother, but it was no use. He was too far!
And then the gunfire started.
BANG! BANG!
Amidst the churning water, he heard the bullets miss and hit the water with little pluck, plucks.
He took a panicked glance up to the top deck where he could barely make out the blurry shape of the gunman with a pistol aimed downward, shaking from the rocking of the ship.
Nick let out a yelp and dove under.
BANG!
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Jarryd’s ring fingers slipped next. His forearms burned and he felt the last ounce of his grip fade.
NO!
Whiiiiizzzz…thud!
Suddenly Buzz let go. Jarryd regained his grip on the bars and hugged the railing like it was the side of a pool after a long swim. He turned to see Buzz drifting toward the restaurant with his hand covering a splotch of blood on his head where the ball bearing had struck.
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Greyson stood waist high in water at the restaurant’s window and lowered the slingshot. He was about to turn back to Orion when he saw Nick emerge for a breath. He saw Glasses on the top deck level squint one of his eyes for an accurate shot.
It was his last ball, but he had to. He fired it at Glasses, and it ricocheted off the railing bar directly in front of him. The boy jerked back with the pistol, and not knowing what had been fired at him, retreated from the railing.
“You alright?” Catching his breath from the fight, Greyson nodded at Nick as he paddled his way to the restaurant. Though Greyson’s feet touched, they wouldn’t for much longer. They had to get higher.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Avery inexplicably floating on the water as it tipped toward Jarryd’s side, moving fast and skimming over the water with hands out for balance. And then he saw it. She was surfing.
She deftly maneuvered the board, cutting through the waves and around debris until she swiped to a stop by Jarryd. Greyson watched them exchange words, treading water and holding onto the balcony railing as the water shifted once again.
As the ship tipped one way, the water would rise on their side, giving them the buoyancy and height to reach to higher levels. When the ship tipped back, the balconies would rise from the water, leaving them drier, but without the security of the water. And as the tipping grew more violent, they all knew at one time or another, the ship would choose a side and stick with it – turning on its side and taking them all under.
“Find us a way out!” Greyson yelled to them.
Avery and Jarryd nodded, and ran through the open balcony door.
The water rose to Greyson’s armpits as he glanced into the restaurant. A red glow flickered brightly some distance away, giving an ominous glow to the debris that rolled nearer and nearer to the chandeliers. Greyson could swim through and search for an exit, but it would be too late for the rest of them.
And then he realized. Orion was gone.
“Greyson!” Sydney called out.
Nick pointed just as Greyson heard the splashing water and Orion’s grunts.
Greyson cringed, preparing for the impact, but Orion wasn’t going for him. He had chugged through the water toward the balcony where they had last seen Sydney. She already was making her way to the adjacent balcony, fleeing for her life.
“Sydney!” Greyson and Nick both jerked into action, swimming and kicking as if downhill. Suddenly the ship’s creaks and cracks grew much louder, and the smell of smoke twinged their noses, burning a desperate urgency into their strokes.
“You…have any…shots?” Greyson asked Nick between strokes.
“No…all out!”
Greyson cursed under his breath. They’d have to do this the hard way. But eyeing Nick’s fanny pack, Greyson couldn’t help but to think that Orion didn’t stand a chance. It was two versus one.
As they found the first underwater railings, the water seemed to suck out from underneath them, leaving them kneeling and balancing on the railing itself. Orion dangled from the balcony above and Greyson reached for his legs, wavering on the thin railing as it tipped to the side. Just as his fingers hit Orion’s ankles, his feet slipped and he toppled onto the balcony below.
“Greyson!” Nick shouted, dangling from the balcony above as the water leveled out.
Greyson grimaced and held his left shoulder, which had taken the impact. He used the railing to lift himself up to standing, watching the water rush toward the other side of the ship, where Jarryd and Avery had disappeared.
And then he heard the grunting above him. Sydney had nimbly jumped to the adjacent balcony and Orion was grasping its railing, pulling himself over with a smile. Nick was a balcony behind, but climbing well.
Greyson had to be smarter this time. Use the water.
He began to count to himself as it smashed against the other side.
One…two…three…four…five. It began its retreat, leveling out.
Just as it leveled, he bounced to action; he rushed to the side and leapt from the railing of one balcony to the next. His foot hit the top rail and he stumbled to the balcony floor; but expecting the coming wave, he grabbed the railing, took a deep breath, and held on for dear life.
The relentless wave pounded him, but his grasp held.
One…two…three…four…five.
As he felt the current slow, he let go and swam upward with the rising water. When the retreating current began pulling him away, he kicked hard, pushing his body out of the water just in time for his arms to s
plash out and grab the balcony’s floor a level higher. The wave retreated, leaving him hanging without the water to hold him up.
He wrapped his arms around the bottoms of the railings as the ship tipped further than ever. He looked below as his legs dangled, several feet from the water.
“Ughhh…”
He was losing strength. He needed the water to lift him up if he hoped to climb any higher.
Another voice rang out. “Get away!”
Sydney was one balcony to the right, kicking at Orion as he tried to climb over her railing. He caught her leg and she fell backward. In a moment he was over the railing, looming over her.
“No!”
The wave hit his feet first, then his calves and waist. Waiting for just the right moment, Greyson pulled himself him up using the railings and jumped into the wave, swimming with every last ounce of strength.
The rising current took him where he needed to go. He turned just as it punched him against Sydney’s balcony’s railing; the water swept against him, pressing his cheek against the cold, metal railing and forcing him to watch as Orion dove on Sydney.
Orion straddled her, making her thrashing legs useless. He pinned her arms, even as the water lapped at her face, just shallow enough to allow her to breathe.
And then he slapped her.
“No!”
Orion’s gaze jerked toward Greyson behind the railing, and a cruel smile curled at his lips.
“Don’t!” Greyson cried, trying to pull himself up. But he didn’t have the strength, and the water was already retreating. It would come back higher next time. But he had to wait.
Sydney recovered from the slap, reached for Orion’s face, and clawed.
“Aaaagh!” Orion thrashed her hands away, slapped her again and then clutched her throat with renewed ferocity. Blood oozed from the wounds on his face, but he didn’t care.
“Stop it!” Greyson screamed as the water left him hanging. He gazed at Sydney’s face. It was bright red. Her eyes teared, and her gurgling, choking sounds sent a wave of despair through his body. Tears welled in his eyes. “Stop! Please, stop!”
Orion turned to him and smiled. He choked her harder.
Her face was turning blue and her frightened eyes stared at him. Her hands, once grabbing for Orion’s face, now slowly lowered to the floor. She reached for Greyson, her fingers curled and shaking, pleading for help.
No! No!
The water hit his shoes. Her hands jerked and the life slowly left her eyes.
Water rose to his legs, and he kicked at it.
He reached through the bars for her hand and cried out. “SYDNEY!”
Chapter 62
The water washed over Greyson’s waist, and he pulled and kicked with all his might – but it wasn’t enough. His muscles were jelly, his head thrashed with a headache, and he barely had the energy to hold on to the bars.
He reached for her hand and touched her fingers, but her hand washed away, floating limply in the wave. He had failed.
The tears of desperation and guilt poured out.
But when the water retreated, a new figure emerged from the railing behind Orion, moving stealthily through the ankle high water as the tide went out. He quietly approached and unclasped his fanny pack.
Nick had been stronger.
“Hurry!”
Nick lunged, swept his fanny pack’s belt around Orion’s neck, and pulled, yanking with a war cry so intense Greyson never would have thought it could come from Nick.
Orion wheezed and pushed backward violently, but Nick held on, pulling at the straps and tightening them around the bigger boy’s neck.
Sydney hacked out a gasping cough, clutching at her throat.
Greyson let out a joyous whimper. “Sydney!” He exclaimed through his tears. “You okay?”
She couldn’t reply. She rolled to her side, still hacking out shallow breaths and holding her throat as the two boys wrestled behind her.
Nick held on tight as Orion reached backward over his shoulders, pulling at Nick’s arms and awkwardly punching at his face.
Eventually, Orion tried to stand, but the next wave hit, enveloping them all. Once it had retreated, Orion was laying face first with Nick on top. Taking advantage of his weight, Nick straddled him with his knees on the ground, pulling at the fanny pack like he would a horse’s reins.
Orion’s face was blue, the veins on his temples throbbing and his eyes bulging red and desperate. His hands clutched weakly at Sydney’s legs, but she crawled away.
Greyson watched in fear as Nick gritted his teeth and shuddered out an angry breath full of terrifying blood lust. He thought of nothing but ending Orion’s life.
“No…” Greyson whimpered, still clutching the railing – his grip faltering. He glanced between Orion and Nick. “No! Nick…stop.”
He didn’t acknowledge Greyson.
“Nick, please!”
Nick turned, still tugging at the straps. Orion’s hands stopped reaching; his eyelids wavered. He was dying.
“Nick,” Greyson started pleadingly, struggling to hold on. “You…don’t want…the demons…I have.”
Nick’s eyes flinched and his brow lowered in thought. His breathing accelerated and he sucked at the saliva in his teeth, but just before the wave hit, a sudden release shuddered through him and he let the straps fall.
The wave hit hard, stronger and higher than ever, propelling Greyson up and over the tilting railing. He just managed to grab the top rail as the current flowed over him, pushing his body horizontally like a waving flag.
He held his breath and watched through stinging eyes as debris rushed by his head. The blast of water lasted longer – so long that he didn’t know if it would be the last one, but it finally relented, eroding away, leaving their bodies crumpled against the corner of the tilted glass doors and the balcony floor.
For a moment they just lay there, gasping out deep breaths. Greyson also watched the water receding toward the other side with despair. When it came back, he didn’t know if they could survive another bout. They had nothing left to give.
Nick looked over to him, his back against the doors. His eyes pleaded for sympathy – the guilt had already taken its toll.
But Orion was wheezing near their feet. He would live – at least for another few moments.
And then Sydney saw someone else and the gun he held. Across the churning chasm, Glasses leveled his pistol at them, standing in waist high water on a balcony. He had descended the stairs just to kill them, and now he had his chance. They were helpless – slaves to his aim.
He squinted his eye again for best accuracy, adjusting for the tilting ship as best as he could and wincing with the pain in his broken jaw.
But he never got off the shot.
A roar erupted from the room behind him. The dark shadow was large, loud, and fast. Only after it exploded from the open glass doors and knocked Glasses’ body through the railing did Sydney realize it was, impossibly, a waverunner.
Jarryd’s hair flung back as his waverunner sailed through the air with the railing’s debris until the underside hit the water with a skid. He deftly swung the waverunner around debris and hopped the waves as the water leveled and then shifted toward Greyson’s side of the ship.
Avery clutched at Jarryd’s back and pointed in their direction.
In a flash, Greyson had stood and yanked at his friends. They put their backs against the doors as the gravity pulled them back.
“Watch out!” Jarryd yelled.
They moved out of the way just as the waverunner slammed through the railing and then the glass doors behind. The sudden chaos sent them falling through the tilting room with a tidal wave of water, following the path of the destructive waverunner as it upended a bed, toppled a dresser, and lodged halfway through the bathroom wall.
Greyson flipped through the wave, hit the mattress and landed back-first next to the waverunner. The water gushed over his body as he lay lodged in the plaster, but the tipping shi
p soon dropped the rushing water to the carpet and toppled him to the floor with a thud.
The powerful water dwindled quickly and curled through the carpet, around the debris, and out the hole where the glass doors had been.
Jarryd and Avery shook the drywall from their hair and sat in stunned silence as their waverunner remained lodged in the wall.
Still suspended, Jarryd muttered in surprise. “Wallaby darned…”
Avery gave a tired laugh.
Shaking off the cobwebs, Greyson was the first to react. “Get up!” Greyson shouted, pushing himself to his feet using the soaked mattress. He found Sydney and Nick and pulled on them. “We’ve got to go! Now!”
He took another glance around, but Orion was gone.
They braced themselves as the room inclined the opposite way. Greyson grabbed the bathroom doorway and yanked on Sydney, who grabbed onto Nick. Jarryd and Avery yanked on the waverunner, trying to tug it free.
“Leave it!” Greyson commanded.
“No!” Jarryd objected. “We wait for the water and ride through the halls. That’s how I got it here from the casino.”
“We can’t all fit. Let’s go!”
Once the room began leveling out, they scrambled out of the room with the wave of water crashing through the doorway close behind.
Chapter 63
The ground shifted and the walls tilted as the abandoned ship lurched to the side. Gripping Sydney’s hand tighter, Greyson pulled her up another flight of stairs as the staircase churned beneath them. Suddenly the step was no longer a step as boards snapped apart underneath the carpet. Tripping on the gap, Greyson stumbled to his knees, pulling Sydney down with him.
Nick was right there, yanking them onward. “Get up or we die!” he scolded.
Suddenly there was a deafening explosion. Splinters blasted over them as a giant chasm ripped a path across the beautiful mural of an underwater castle, as if a giant were tearing the walls apart.
They covered their faces for protection from the splinters, but didn’t stop their frantic staggering up the shifting stairs. The plumes of dust and debris seemed to cave in around them, as if plunging them into a smoking coffin.