Adrift

by Trimboli, TJ

  Her eyes met Kendra’s and she could see the warmth welling up in her.

  Kendra mouthed, thank you, to her.

  Valentina smiled.

  A door at the back of the auditorium slammed and they looked to see Doris calmly but quickly walk towards the stage.

  Kendra knelt down to meet Doris.

  Valentina could barely hear Doris’ muffled voice. She spoke quickly and was gone.

  Kendra rose, turning to her. “Bobbi escaped up through the vents.”

  Valentina said nothing. She wasn’t surprised to see Bobbi had escaped. She always knew the girl to be as resourceful as they come.

  “What should we do Mother? We should stop for now until this matter is taken care of.” “NO!” Valentina said. “We continue. These people need to see us united. Bobbi isn’t going to make a scene. Chances are she’s taking the food she stole to wherever she’s hiding Trent.” She turned to the man cutting her hair. “You speak for the men. Before you came here, what floor were they on?” Valentina asked.

  “When I last left them, they were on the fifth floor, your honor. Bobbi had us going floor by floor, all the way at the top. We were to check every nook and cranny before moving onto the next floor.”

  “And that didn’t concern you?” Valentina said.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “She had you start all the way at the top to buy time. He’s on the first floor.” She paid it no mind, but she could see Kendra smiling in the corner of her sight. It made her feel good to know that she could inspire such emotions in others. Kendra was obviously proud of her deductive reasoning. “Double the guards. The first group continues at the fifth floor, moving down. The other goes down to the first floor working your way up. We’ll smoke them out.” “What would you have us do when we catch them?” the man asked.

  “Bobbi’s husband is a murderer and he must be done away with,” Kendra chimed in.

  “No. He may be a murderer but we will not be savages. He will still stand trial. Bring them in alive.” Valentina said.

  The man nodded handing the scissors off to one of the other men. He walked off.

  “Are you sure this wise Mother? The last trial did not go exactly as one would hope,” Kendra said.

  “Believe me, I have not forgotten. We will not hang a man again, we are not a lynch mob, but that doesn’t mean other methods cannot be applied. If Trent is found guilty, we will banish him. Give him a life jacket and send him on his way. If he wants to live, he must live with the other murderers on land. If not, he will have plenty of time to reflect on the lives he’s taken as he floats in the abyss with the souls he’s taken.” Valentina said stoically.

  It was dark territory she was talking about entering.

  The thoughts seemed to entice Kendra. She grinned. “As you say, Mother.” She turned back to the crowd.

  Valentina looked at the two disciples with straight razors. “What’re you waiting for?” she asked.

  “This will hurt,” one replied.

  “Get on with it,” she said sternly.

  The disciples set to work shaving the last of her hair off. Without shaving cream, the work was agonizing. With every scrap, they broke skin, splotches of blood running down her face. She winced against the pain but refused to let on to the people the true extent of the pain. The blood dripped down her breasts, her arms, bathing her. She felt like Carrie at the prom, and just like Carrie, all eyes were firmly centered on her.

  “And now, Valentina Domashev will confess her sins before all of you. She will speak true

  Lord, for if she doesn’t, may your judgement cast her down to the Hell she belongs to…”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  TRENT

  In pitch darkness he sat, tugging on his shackles. He spent the better part of the afternoon attempting all sorts of ways to free himself. He banged the pipe with his feet hoping he could break and bend it. Then he found it was a half cocked idea if he ever had one. He found a slippery substance in one of the drawers, oil he hoped, basting his wrist to slip through. The task left him disappointed and sticky. His last idea was to break his thumb, it was in fact the first thought that came to mind when she chained him up but soberly he found he didn’t have the testicular fortitude to go through with it. Instead, he left it as a last resort and now here he was, all out of ideas and no booze to dull the senses, so he spent his time tugging on the cuffs praying they would magically break apart to save his thumb.

  “Need a hand?” a familiar voice muttered in the darkness.

  “Noah?” Trent asked.

  A spark from a lighter ignited, illuminating a small portion of the room. Noah stood over him shaking his head. “Look at you. You look terrible.”

  “You spend the afternoon shackled to a pipe and we’ll see how you look when it’s all said and done.” Trent spat.

  “Someone’s a little ornery this evening.”

  “What’re you even doing here? How’d you find me?” Trent asked.

  “Whole ship’s looking for you my friend. Lucky for you, it was me who found you and not one of Kendra’s zombies. Besides, we never finished our discussion from earlier.” He knelt down beside Trent.

  Trent couldn’t hide his disdain looking away from him. “We have nothing left to talk about.

  I already told you I’ll have nothing to do with that room.”

  “You already have everything to do with that room or do you still really believe every time you black out, you don’t hurt anybody?”

  Trent stared at him trying to judge the veracity of his words. He did his best to dig well into the fabrics of his mind but every thought, every picture, of those drunken nights were smudged.

  A picture with key pieces of it missing. He wanted very much to believe he didn’t hurt anyone, he never hurt anyone before in his life, what would suddenly force such a cosmic shift in his nature?

  Unless he’s lying. He could be trying to play you, force you into doing just what he wants you do to. C’mon Trent, think. It wasn’t so long ago you were good at this sort of work, snuffing out the liars from the saints.

  “I never hurt anyone,” he muttered, half believing the words himself.

  Noah laughed. “Please, cling on all you want to that magic thought in your head that maybe, just maybe I’m still a good person. It’s a load of crap, Trent. That old you, it’s gone, just like the old me is gone. It doesn’t exist anymore along with every rule and restriction on what we could and couldn’t do once upon a time. You want food? You take it. Whose gonna stop you? You want alcohol. You take it. Whose gonna stop you? You want a woman? You take her. Whose gonna stop you?”

  “I’m not a rapist,” Trent defended.

  “Rape is a four letter word that has no bearing on our lives anymore. Look around you Trent. We are cavemen once more. And cavemen don’t concern themselves with what’s considered rape, or legal, or right or wrong. Cavemen survive. They hunt, they fight, they fuck. And anyone who stands in their way will fall.”

  “I will never do what you do. I’d rather die,” Trent said resolutely.

  Noah smiled. “If that were true, you would have told your precious wife about that room.”

  “All that would do is get her killed,” Trent countered exasperated. “You can do whatever you want now, that much is true but you leave me the hell out of it. Let me die in peace.”

  “Have it your way my friend. Here I thought you’d be one of the good ones. It’s only a matter of time until those two, Kendra and Valentina, get us off this ship and to land somewhere and when they do, we’ll repay them the only way we know how. I was hoping you’d be by my side when we do. Oh well, such is life. I’ll just go find some pussy to drown my sorrows in. If only I wasn’t so tired on the snatch, we have on tap. Maybe I’ll pay a visit to the upper decks and find me something new to munch on…maybe there’s a certain law official who can read me my rights.” He sauntered his way to the door.

  Trent snapped up in the blink of an eye,
the cuff rattling against the pipe pulling him back from ripping Noah’s head off. He reached out as best he could to get a hold of him but Noah stood just out of reach grinning at his efforts. “If you even lay one finger on her, I’ll fucking tear your heart out and serve it to you for breakfast!” Trent roared.

  “Harsh words coming from a man who assures me he hasn’t killed anyone.” Noah replied.

  “You can have anyone on this ship. Why her? WHY!” he shouted.

  “Because Trent. We are all animals and it’s by being animals that we will survive this atrocity. Kendra told us all that God was punishing us for our wicked ways, and she seems to think that by coming together we can overcome and prove to him we deserve a second chance but she’s wrong. Look at history…we’ve had chance upon chance, upon chance. There are no more chances. Welcome to the de evolution of the human race. Get on board or suffer the consequences,” Noah finished and flicked his lighter off plunging the room into darkness.

  Trent screamed tugging as hard as he could on his cuffs. Blood seeped down his arm. From outside the room, Trent saw the faint flicker of a candle. He ceased the futility of escape backing himself into the corner, taking cover underneath the desk.

  Please don’t be one of Kendra’s goons. Don’t come in here, don’t come in here, don’t…He sang in his head repeatedly.

  The candle came into view held by a figure walking into the room. The figure looked around. His eyes adjusted to the harshness of the flame to see her. “Bobbi?” he asked ducking out from under the table.

  “It’s time,” she told him.

  “Come here and unhook me, quick!” he shouted.

  She walked over pulling out the keys. Before she could even find the right one, Trent snatched them out of her hands.

  “What’s going on Trent?” she asked.

  Trent undid his hand from the cuff, the freedom from which was pure ecstasy. He rubbed at the mark on his wrist.

  “TRENT!” she shouted.

  He snapped out of his trance remembering what just occurred between himself and Noah.

  He jumped up grabbing Bobbi’s hand. He led her to the door, then looked out both ways. Empty.

  She wrested herself free. “Trent, look at me.”

  He did as he was told. He could see the frantic nervousness in Bobbi’s eyes. “You are in danger.”

  “What else is new?”

  “No, not like before. There are people on this ship who want to harm you in a very specific way.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “I-it’s—t-they…” Trent stuttered trying to figure out a way to break it to her but nothing came to him. He turned from her punching the door. “We need to get off this ship.” “I agree,” Bobbi replied. “Follow me.” She headed down the hallway.

  Trent followed. The pipes creaked, dripping water as they took turn after turn. Trent had no idea where they were or where they were going. “How are we going to get off this ship?” He wondered aloud.

  “I have a boat. It’s all set up to take us and the sick off this hell hole,” she replied taking a left turn.

  He followed her step for step. “Why the sick?”

  “The council decided to euthanize them so I no longer sit on the council.” They took a right taking the access hallway all the way down to the end. To their left was a stairwell. Bobbi smiled. She walked towards it but stopped when she noticed Trent had stayed put. “Come on. We don’t have a lot of time.”

  “I know you Bobbi. There’s no way you’re going to leave the rest of these people behind.” He watched her struggle to come up with the words to say to him. “That’s cause I’m not. You and the sick are going to get off this ship and get to safety and when I find a way, the rest of us will join you.”

  “Bobbi, I won’t leave you behind,” Trent said walking up to her.

  “Why not? You already did once,” she said matter-of-factly.

  Trent took a step back. That one stung. “I deserve that but this time, it’s different. There is a man who—”

  “Who what? Wants to kill me? There’s no difference this time. You’re sick Trent and the longer you stay on this ship, the worse you’re becoming.”

  “I’m not sick. I’m—”

  Chatter perforated their ears. They turned to the stairwell to see three of Kendra’s disciples descending to their level.

  Bobbi grabbed a hold of Trent’s arm dragging him back the way they came. No matter which way they went, the disciples followed. It was as if they had a homing beacon on them. They made two lefts and a right and came up to a dead end. At the end of the hallway was a mechanical door. They stopped in their tracks.

  Bobbi looked around for another way to go but there was none. To her right, a door laid open and Bobbi saw a vent in the corner. She ducked inside to go to work on the vent but Trent paid her no mind. He stood transfixed on the door in front of him. Something about it seemed familiar to him.

  Where your wildest dreams come true. He heard Noah say in his mind and then it hit him.

  He was jettisoned from his thoughts as Bobbi grabbed him, pulling him into the room.

  She slammed the door shut before turning back to the vent. She had popped the grate off.

  “What’re you doing?” he asked.

  “It’s okay. Someone showed me this before. We’re going to go into the vent and take it up to the infirmary level. It’s the only way to evade them,” she said as she sat down readying herself to enter the vent.

  Trent took a step back almost losing his balance. Just looking at the vent was enough to send his claustrophobia spiraling out of control. The vent looked two sizes too small for him and he could just picture himself getting stuck in there, no way out, left to rot. “No way. I—I can’t do it.

  I can’t.”

  Bobbi jumped up from her prone position. “Listen to me. This is the only way to escape, do you hear me? It’s alright. I’ll be in there with you every step of the way.” She said soothingly.

  Trent shook his head. He took another step backward feeling light as a feather. He toppled into the desk almost falling over. Bobbi grabbed him but he pulled himself off of her. “We can’t.

  I need to get out of here. I need to—I need to.” He trailed off looking out the door.

  There was Noah, smiling at him as he passed the door on his way to his wild room of ecstasy.

  “I need to prove to you I’m not crazy!” Trent shouted. He latched onto Bobbi pulling her gun free from its holster.

  “Trent!” She roared but it was too late.

  Trent was out the door.

  She raced out of the room to spot Trent at the dead end spinning the metal wheel that hung on the door. “Trent, stop. We need to get out of here.” She said gunning for him.

  The latch unlocked and Trent pulled on the door disappearing into the room. He pulled the gun on Noah and shot. The bullet seared right through him colliding into the wall. He heard Bobbi come in behind him but he paid her no mind. He looked around the room expecting to show her all the atrocities that had gone on earlier but it was barren. Not even the furniture that once adorned it was left, and so too had Noah vanished. Trent struggled to grasp what was happening. He searched the four corners of the room looking for Noah but his efforts were futile.

  There was no one in the room except for Bobbi and himself.

  She slowly walked up to him putting her hand on his shoulder.

  “He was here,” Trent pleaded to her.

  “It’s okay Trent. It’s all right.”

  “He’s real. I know he is.” “Give me the gun Trent.”

  Slowly, he dropped his arm handing her the gun. “I don’t understand.”

  Trent looked to Bobbi for answers but she had none. He saw her staring down at her gun. She popped open the revolver studying the chamber. It was empty. It took him a moment to realize what he had done. “I used your last shot?” She nodded.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Bobbi looked up at him and he could see her stif
ling back her tears. “It’s okay. Still have my hatchet, right?” She said trying to force a smile. “Come on. We need to get out of here. They’re waiting for us.” Putting the gun back in her holster, she left.

  Trent had never seen her droop her head so low, as she walked away. He knew in that moment—he had truly lost her forever.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  VALENTINA

  She stood naked as a board as three men surrounded her shaving her bare. If my mother could see me now. She cleared her throat and continued her expulsion of sin. “I have laid with many men, pre martially. I have taken the Lord’s name in vain, multiple times. I have…” She struggled to truly come clean. She glanced over at Kendra to see her staring at her. She could see Kendra’s eyes pleaded with her. Valentina took a deep breath.

  Everything you never told anyone.

  “I had an abortion,” she blurted out.

  She turned to Kendra to see a faint smile. She nodded for Valentina to go on.

  “…I was sixteen at the time and telling my father was not an option. Neither was raising the child with the boy who started it all in the first place. I was twenty five weeks pregnant,” she said tearfully.

  Cries of shock rung out from the audience but no one moved a muscle. They hung on her every word.

  “I think about that child every day and the life it could of had. Although, now in hindsight, it seems I spared it an even worse fate…” She trailed off. Then Valentina gathered up her courage to continue, “I judged an innocent man guilty and sent him to two life sentences in prison. Two men visited me and told me that if I didn’t sentence what was clearly a scapegoat, then they’d come back and kill my children. I did what I had to do to protect my children.”