Trevor glanced back at me and winked. They both dove into the water and the rest of Sherry’s clique followed.
Reggie stared up at the sky then started taking his shirt off. “Well, we’re here now new guy. Might as well act the part.”
“Conner?” I asked.
Reggie grinned. “The guy that ran out when you showed up. Sherry’s twin brother.”
I nodded and looked away, trying to avoid the awkwardness. Sherry and Conner didn’t appear to be the same species, much less related.
“Get in where you fit in new guy,” Reggie said then followed the rest of his friends into the water.
“And then there was one,” I mumbled to myself.
It was amazing how quickly things had fallen apart. Somehow, I found myself standing alone on the pool deck, while everyone else was in the water, splashing around like it was the greatest thing on earth. This wasn’t the night I had planned, and this vacation was turning out to be everything I thought it would be.
The ship rocked side to side and I felt my stomach churn. I let out a groan and closed my eyes, wishing I was anywhere else. I was ready to call it a night, but Trevor was just getting started.
Reluctantly, I pulled a chair near the pool’s edge and took a seat. I rolled my jeans up and took off my shoes. That was as far as I was going.
“What’s up?” one of Sherry’s friends asked as she swam up to the wall. She was a fair-skinned redhead with braces. Her right arm was tattooed with a string of stars running from her shoulder to her elbow. A few untamed strands of hair fell down her forehead and she blew them out of her eye as she smiled.
“Nothing much, just hanging out.”
“Why don’t you get in? You going for the dark and mysterious vibe?”
“No shorts,” I replied and gave her a confused look. I thought it was obvious.
“Didn’t stop him.” She looked back at Trevor. He was hopping around the water in his boxers.
“Well.” I shrugged. “Darwinism.”
She screwed up her face then smiled. “My name’s Amber by the way,” she said and held out her hand.
“Daniel,” I answered and lightly gripped her fingers.
“Are you two really brothers? I mean you’re so different.”
Before I could answer the ship rose again into the air and splashed back down with a deep drone. The water in the pool sloshed up against the side and spilled onto the desk, wetting my feet.
Amber snapped her fingers at me. “Hello?”
“Am I the only one that felt that?”
“Is this your first time on a cruise?”
“Yeah.”
She laughed. “It’s normal. Last time we cruised the West Caribbean and it was twice as bad.”
“Twice as bad? That had to be like ten feet.”
“Stop being so dramatic. That was nothing, like I said its normal.”
“I don’t like it and none of it seems normal.”
She climbed out of the pool and sat beside me. I couldn’t help but stare at her body as the water rolled down her waist. Her stomach was smooth, and her bikini top was working overtime. I struggled to find an ounce of fat on her. I really needed to find out where they went to church.
“So, you’re a virgin,” she giggled as our eyes met.
I dropped my jaw then bit my bottom lip and looked away.
“A cruise virgin,” she clarified.
“Oh…yeah. Yeah I guess I am.”
“Come on,” she said then stood up and grabbed my hand. “I want to show you something.”
I grabbed my shoes and started to follow. Whatever she had planned had to be better than the pool.
“Amber!” Sherry called. “Where you going?”
“To show the new guy the Jesus water.”
“What?” I asked.
“Wait for me,” Sherry said. “We’re gonna come too.”
Sherry climbed out of the pool and Trevor trotted behind her like a homeless puppy. A few of the other kids followed suit and for reasons beyond me Chase and McKinsey decided to tag along.
“Reggie, you coming?” Sherry asked.
“No. I’m going to find Conner. This musical chair love fest is getting old.”
Sherry groaned as she leaned over and wrung out her hair. She glared at Reggie then closed her eyes as the water ran down her face. Grabbing her shorts, she hissed, “Whatever.”
Reggie headed the other way back toward the club. He was mumbling under his breath and making wild gestures with his hands. I didn’t know much about this group, but it seemed like they were a twisted knot of bullshit.
“Come on,” Amber called and grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry about those two, they’ve got enough history to teach a course.
I followed her back inside toward the elevators. Sherry, Trevor and a line of giggling teens were behind us. They were clumsy and loud, the perfect mixture to get us thrown in some secret cruise ship jail. It was bad enough I hardly knew them, but beyond that I kept thinking, what the hell is “Jesus water.”
I shot my brother a look, hoping he could sense my reservations. He held his hands up and smiled like everything was perfectly normal. Trevor never saw a problem with anything.
“Hurry up and squeeze in,” Amber said as the elevator slid open.
I shuffled to the back and Amber pressed up against me. She leaned her head back into my chest and looked up with an ear to ear smile.
“You’re gonna like this,” she whispered.
Everyone else crammed inside then Sherry hit the button for the top deck. It was a quick, but awkward ride that only made me feel more out of place. Trevor was in one corner with his face smashed into Sherry’s and Chase and McKinsey were in the opposite corner doing the same thing. Amber kept backing me further into the wall, grinding on me and everyone else seemed to be standing around watching.
The elevator beeped and the doors rolled open. I couldn’t get off the elevator fast enough. Although, if I could’ve had Amber alone, I would’ve stayed in there forever.
“Hurry up,” Amber snapped and took off running.
I followed her out past the atrium and toward the edge of the ship. She ran to the railing and leaned over, staring down at the water.
“Come on slow poke.
“Uh, I don’t know if I want to get that close.”
She looked down then looked back to me and laughed. “Come on. I’m not gonna push you off.”
I took a step closer then Trevor hurried by me with Sherry on his hip. They joined Amber at the railing and leaned across it.
“Don’t be a pussy dude,” Trevor heckled.
Hesitantly, I walked out to the edge and stood next to Amber. I made sure to keep my distance though. “Okay, what’s so important that I have to risk my life?”
“Come closer,” she said with a laugh. “Come on.”
I grabbed the rail and took another step. Sliding my feet, I moved to the edge and wrapped my fingers around the bar like a vice grip. “Okay…what?”
“One second…just, just keep your eyes down there.”
I looked out across the ocean at the moonlight, beaming off the surface. The water churned in the distance, bubbling like a monster bellowed underneath. As far as I could see there was the sea, in every direction until the darkness swallowed the light and was replaced with nothingness.
“There!” Amber suddenly shouted. “Did you see it?”
“What?” I asked and looked back at her.
“Oh! There’s another one,” Sherry exclaimed.
“What the hell are y’all talking about?”
I was starting to think they were having a religious moment that I just wasn’t spiritual enough to witness. A few more of them pointed and leaned over the edge, dangerously close to falling. I wanted to reach out and pull them back, but then I finally saw what they were talking about.
Out in the water, I could see streaks of fluorescent green and blue shooting through the waves. As the ships wake spread across the s
urface, the glowing lights darted out, exploding in vibrant hues through the darkness.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Jesus lights,” Amber giggled.
“Dude it’s fucking bacteria or some shit,” Chase added as he pulled McKinsey next to him. She smiled then looked out into the water.
“Who do you think you are Chase, Bill Nye? Stick to ramming your head up quarterback’s asses!” Sherry spat. “And it’s called bioluminescent phytoplankton, you idiot.”
“Jesus,” Trevor groaned. “Do you two ever take a break?”
Their bickering became garbled words as I continued to stare across the ocean. It was almost like I was looking into space, watching comets collide in the darkness. The sea was a black abyss, an empty void that went on forever. Maybe water wasn’t as bad as I thought.
The glowing ocean was mesmerizing and the rougher it got the more lights illuminated the depths. The ship bobbed up and down sending fireworks through the surf. As we crashed back into the sea, Amber wrapped her arm around my waist.
“Pretty cool huh?” she said, so close that her lips brushed against my cheek.
“Yeah, never seen anything like that.”
“Uh huh,” she mumbled, her hand forcing its way down my pants.
I froze and looked around. Trevor was staring at the ground as Chase and Sherry argued back and forth, McKinsey was talking with one of her friends and everyone else seemed to be in their own little world. Why not?
I looked back out at the water and Amber latched onto my neck like a leech. She bit my ear and started mumbling nonsense that I couldn’t understand.
“I’ve got a room by myself,” she crooned.
“Oh yeah?”
She grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me close. Suddenly, all the lights flickered on and a series of blasts from the horn cracked the night air. It was so loud, I fell back and covered my ears with both hands, clenching my jaw in pain.
“That’s not normal, is it?” I yelled over the high-pitched ringing in my ears. “I mean…that, that’s bad, right?”
I could tell by the look on Amber’s face that something was wrong. She was scared and her eyes beamed wide and whirled around, looking for answers.
“What is that? What is that?” one of the other kids screamed.
I turned back to the water and a gust of wind smacked me in the face. I blinked tears out of my eyes and strained to see. As I refocused, my heart suddenly snapped like a rubber band and I nearly collapsed.
The water was rising out of the ocean like a great wall. It looked alive, like it had purpose, like it knew what it was doing. The ladder of salty death climbed higher and higher into the night sky. A lumbering mass of sea, coming right for us.
“Run!” I shouted as my senses came back to me.
I grabbed Amber by the hand then looked up and made eye contact with Trevor. He didn’t hesitate, we ran back through the atrium and rushed inside. People were already stumbling around the hallway with confused looks on their faces. Warning sirens and flashing lights were going off everywhere.
“What the hell is going on man?” Trevor huffed as his eyes ripped around.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Did you see that thing outside? Was that a wave?”
No one answered me. Blank guises filled the room, reflecting my confusion. Everyone in the hallway was panicking, but no one was moving. No one could decide what to do.
“Where do we go?” Sherry asked. “They see that right? That’s not gonna hit us?”
I could barely hear her. People were starting to scream hysterically as more of the passengers were spilling into the hall. It was cramped and we were running out of room as mass hysteria consumed all reason.
“Come on!” I shouted.
I took off again, running alongside the wall of windows that separated the hallway from the walkway outside. I could see the massive wave cresting as it spilled toward us with death and destruction on its lips.
“Hurry up!”
We rounded a corner and rushed through the banquet area. A few people were still seated with drinks in hand, but the majority had left the room in search of safety. Even the staff had abandoned their posts.
Soft jazz wafted from the speakers like a sarcastic death ballad, but the room was awash with chaos. Tables and chairs were overturned, plates of food knocked to the floor and trampled over. It was every man for himself.
I sped through the double doors that led into the kitchen. There was another set of doors at the back, but we never made it that far.
I felt the floor tremble just before the towering sea made contact. With a horrifying crackle, the wave hit the ship broadside. I was thrown into a shelf as the boat rolled and dipped under the water.
I landed on my back and the rack beside me toppled over. I caught a glance of the thick, silver bowl just before it landed on my head and knocked me unconscious.
CHAPTER 2
ABANDON SHIP
“He’s probably got a concussion,” Amber said.
“He’s fine. We need to get him up,” Trevor retorted.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I could see both of them standing over me. Lights were flickering, and I was lying in a puddle of water.
I reached up and took Trevor’s hand. He pulled me to my feet then I grabbed his shoulder to steady myself.
“You okay?” he asked. For the first time, I could see a real look of concern on his face.
“I think so,” I replied as I reached up and rubbed my forehead.
Warm blood stuck to my fingers, but the gash was small. I blinked my eyes as my vision clouded then cleared again.
“Ouch,” I grimaced.
“Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” the speakers suddenly blared.
“What?” Sherry gasped. “No…no they can’t be serious.”
The announcement played over and over and each time it became a little more real. With a deep breath, I looked at Trevor and tried to swallow back my fear.
“We have to find mom and dad,” I said in a trembling voice.
“Where’s the spa?” he turned to Sherry and asked.
She was still mumbling to herself, her face was pale and slack, her eyes empty. Trevor grabbed her by the arms and shook.
“Sherry! Where’s the spa? Do you know where the spa is?”
She focused slightly and held her hands up. Mumbling, she shook her head from side to side. Trevor glared at her then through his hands in the air and groaned.
“It’s on the deck below this,” Chase suddenly jumped in. “Come on.”
Sherry reached out and grabbed his arm. “Wait!” she slurred. “Co…Conner, I need to find Conner.”
“I’ll go with her,” Amber said.
“Okay…meet back here. We’re all gonna meet back here,” Chase demanded.
“What about Pastor Michaels?” McKinsey asked. “What about the rest of the group?”
The ground suddenly shook and an echoing crack exploded through the room. The ship listed hard to the side and then it felt like we’d been dropped from a ledge.
“We’ve gotta go!” I snapped angrily.
“I’ll get them,” Chase said. “We meet here in five minutes.”
With that, everyone took off. Chase, McKinsey, Trevor and I went one way. Sherry, Amber, and six other members of their church group went in a different direction. I felt like it was the last time I’d see any of them.
Hurrying, we made our way out of the kitchen and toward the back of the ship. People were everywhere, screaming and crying. The staff was rushing passengers toward the lifeboats and we cut in between them and bolted into the stairwell at the back wall.
Water poured down the steps and I could hear it collecting somewhere below. The ship was sinking fast. I bounded down the stairs three at a time until I came to the next floor.
I snatched the door open and rushed into the hallway. It was crowded and teemed with disarray. A ship that had been so quiet and desolate an hour ago was now writ
hing with neurotic confusion.
“It’s this way!” Chase said.
I wheeled around and followed. It was great to have him leading the way. He bulldozed over people, clearing a path for the rest of us.
Pockets of passengers huddled in doorways, frozen with indecision. Others ran through the halls with reckless abandon, slamming into each other as they squeezed through the narrow hallways.
“Dad!” Trevor suddenly shouted.
I followed his eyes into a swarm of people that were charging up the hall. My dad’s silhouette was unmistakable with his giraffe-like neck and wild brown hair. He was running the other way, but skid to a stop when he heard Trevor’s voice.
“Guys!” he said in relief as we caught up to him. He grabbed us in a bearhug and sighed. “Where the hell were you?”
Chase tapped my arm. “I’ll meet you guys back upstairs,” he said then turned and ran down the hall.
“What happened to you?” my dad asked as he reached his hand out and touched the cut on my face.
“It’s nothing, I’m fine.”
He held his hands up and wrinkled his face. “You…you’ve gotta get out of here. You’ve gotta get to the lifeboats.”
“What? Where’s mom?” I asked. “Where’s Chloe?”
“In the room. I’m going to get them. You two just get to a lifeboat. I’ll get your mom and sister alright.”
“No! No!” Trevor said. “We stick together. We’ll go with you.”
“Damn it Trevor! Get your ass to a lifeboat. You get to a lifeboat and get the hell off this ship! I’ll get one for us, just go.”
“Dad, I got it,” I said. “Come on Trevor. We’ve gotta go.”
I grabbed Trevor by the arm and pulled at him. He snatched away from me and ran back for my father.
“Dad, I’m staying with you! I’m staying with you guys!” he shouted.
My dad grabbed him by the shoulders. “Listen to me Trevor! You’ve gotta get to a lifeboat right now. We’ll be right after you. There’s plenty lifeboats. We’ll be fine, but I need to know you guys are safe. Daniel get your bother on that lifeboat! You hear me?”
I nodded and grabbed again at Trevor’s arm. “Love you dad!” I shouted as I dragged him away.
My dad smiled then turned and raced back down the hallway. I pulled Trevor to the stairs and kicked the door open.
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 52