Hell over high water

Jean was in shock, looking past the people, past Mouse. She was staring at the arm. To her this was something common. She had studied on cadavers, but this was different. This was murder.

She quickly snapped back to reality and ran to Elizabeth, wrapping her arms around her. She quickly began to motion her towards the lounge. They needed a place to think. She didn't understand what had just happened in front of her own eyes. She didn't know what to do to make the child feel better.

"The captain, he had a first mate right?" she finally asked.

 

Roger crept down the hall towards the dining room, Dana following close behind. Dana had felt sick during dinner, so they'd gone to eat on deck, so the poor guy'd have something to puke on besides the little red-haired girl. Then they'd heard all the commotion and went back to investigate.

Roger found the dining room door and threw it opened. Something was smeared in big, coppery letters on the wall. Roger couldn't read it, but guessed it was something important.

On the opposite side of the room was the preacher and little girl they'd been sitting with earlier. They seemed pretty shaken up by something. What the hell was going on?

Dana slid in behind him. Roger looked back at him, watching as he read what was on the wall. A worried, cofused look spread across his face.

That can't be good.

"What happened?" Dana squeaked. "Is everyone alright?"

Roger crammed his hands into his pockets and started toward the little girl and preacher. He tried to keep calm, and did a pretty good job until he saw the arm.

"Shxt!" he screamed, jumping back. He lost his balance and crashed to the floor. Dana rushed toward him, but froze when he saw the disembodied arm.

Roger scrambled backwards across the floor like some kind of crab, then curled into a fetal position, wimpering a swearing. He wanted to do something, anything, but what do you do in a situation like this?

He looked to Dana, who stood frozen with fear. He wasn't pale or shaky like he was when he'd gotten sick, just shocked. Like he'd just been slapped in the face by a complete stranger.

 

Everyone seemed frantic, like they didn't know what to do or what was going on. Leon had to admit, he was scared out of his mind. He had learned that being senselessly afraid never got anyone nowhere. Calm organization was what was needed now.

"Y'all calm down," he said as he slipped the six shooter back into his belt. "We need to figure out just what the hell happened here. Let's all get to the lobby and sit down, sit down and calm down."

He gave another look to the dismembered arm on the floor. "None of y'all need to see this no more."

He pulled a table cloth off a near by table and draped it over the arm.

 

Jean gave Mouse a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back as quick as I can Mouse." she said. She motioned for her to sit on the sofa in the corner, and left towards the commotion. The arm was now covered, by the blood trail still remained. She looked at the two boys nearby, and quickly went up to them. They looked scared and confused.

"C'mon." she said, grabbing both their hands, and bringing them into lounge. She sat them next to Mouse, sitting in between the boys and her. She put her arms around them all. Hoping she was doing the right thing.

 

Roger blinked in surprise. The older woman from before, the one with the little girl, she was leading him out of the room. Roger turned to Dana, but couldn't read his expression.

The woman took them out to the lobby, where the red-haired girl sat on one of the sofas. Roger felt strange - scared and confused as hell, but it didn't fit. It didn't feel real.

He was suddenly pulled into a hug, along with Dana and the little girl. Roger looked up at the woman. Maybe she'd seen it - seen what happened. He considered asking, but guessed now wasn't the best time.

Instead, he leaned into Dana. The older boy didn't seem to notice at first, then glanced down at him. Still no expression. Was he in shock?

"What did it say?" asked Roger after a moment's silence.

"Hmm?"

"On the wall," said Roger, "What did it say?"

Dana twisted his head towards the dining room. Of course, he couldn't see the blood-stained wall from there. Roger followed his gaze, then turned to the woman holding them, hoping she would have some kind of answer.

 

Mouse was still dazed. Amid all of the screams and frantic shouting, all she could hear was the voice....

Dear child, won't you play my game?

She saw her mother again, but this time they were in a field of bluebonnets and her mother was running ahead of her, beckoning Mouse to follow.

"Come on, let's play!" She said, glancing back as the wind blew a strand of dark hair across her face.

Mouse followed her mom, desperately wanting to catch up.

"Mom! Wait!"

"Hurry!" Her mother said.

Mouse ran with all her might, then stopped. Something was in her way.

"Climb over it!" Her mom shouted, laughing. Mouse obeyed.



"Mouse! HOLD ON!"

She would have plunged into the ocean nearly 30 feet below had her silk dress not caught on the guard rail.

Mouse cried out in fear. She was almost over the edge now, and she clung to the steel beam next to her as both feet dangled toward the waves crashing against the sides of the ship far below.

"Take my hand!"

She recognized the reverend's voice, and although she did not want to let go of the steel beam she was hanging on to, she reached out one tentative hand, wondering just how her daydream could have taken her to the brink of death like this.

 

Dana saw the small girl run out of the room, but didn't think anything of it. He couldn't think of anything, really, except...

Jack.

Jack? Who was that? Dana couldn't seem to remember.

Roger said something to him, but he didn't catch it. He looked down at the smaller boy.

"Hmm?"

Roger asked again, something about the writing on the wall. Dana turned back towards the dining room. He couldn't remember exactly what was written on the wall, but whatever it was, it didn't make sense. Or maybe it did, but Dana wasn't smart enough to understand. Maybe it just wasn't meant for him to understand - a personal message to someone on the ship.

Roger followed his gaze, then turned to look at the woman embracing them. Through the thin material of his shirt, Dana felt the scab on Roger's chin rub against his arm. It was comforting, but he had no idea why.

 

Cain lay in his bed, thinking and drifting in and out of sleep. Suddenly, he heard a strange voice, and screaming erupted from down the hall. He frantically opened the door and headed down the stairs.

The janitor was no where to be found.

When he reached the bottom, he saw a severed arm laying on the ground, blood on the wall, and Mouse almost jumping off the edge of the boat.

"Dear God!" he muttered. He headed to the center, where most of the others were.

"Can anyone drive a boat?" he asked.

 

She attempted a smile at the boys, “It said, Hope one of you are blessed with the skills of a captain. You’ll be needing one.”

She saw the look of worry on their face, “If it makes you feel better, I’m sure he’s assumed a first mate.”

She knew that probably didn’t make matters better. Of course it didn’t. There was a dead man on the ship. To make matters worse, it was the Captain, whom surely had a family. She frowned, as her eyes met Mouse, whom seemed to not have moved from the spot. Not to mention a traumatized little girl…

Jean gently let go of the boys, and pulled Mouse into her lap. She still hadn’t responded, she was guessing she was in shock. Her face saddened dramatically, as she put her arms around the child, gently rocking and humming a tune she had once heard.

“I’m here.” She said, looking down at the motionless little girl, “I’m here Elizabeth.”

 

Armel took his violin from it’s case up upon the deck and played, at times he had strange urges to do so not knowing where his music came from. Tears swelled in his eyes as he played. The notes light and playful then spiralling down to a low morbid wail. He suddenly felt quiet faint and weak. His bow dropped to the deck and he slumped to his knees resting his palm on top of the bow. He looked towards the wheel house where the precious items the passengers carried were stored in a safe. Without thinking he wailed aloud.

“What do you want from me…” There was no answer.

 

Cain walked into the center of the group. He wiped his glasses and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself in the midst of this horrible situation.

"We need to look for the first mate, or...something. We just need to find out what the hell happened here. I'm going to check the wheelhouse, who's going with me?"

 

Pem looked up and nodded.

 

The two followed the blood trail to the wheel house. The firstmate was huddled in a corner shaking. The trail of blood just stopped at a big sticky pool.

"Where's the body?"asked Reverend Pem.

The first mate kept shaking. "I .... it .....wentttt ..... in ..... ttheerre." He was pointing at the gory puddle.

 

Cain felt his stomach lurch.

"It...went? As in...the body moved?" he asked, fear dripping from his voice.

The first mate nodded eratically, his breathing fast and shallow.

Cain looked at Pem, his face full of fear. "You got an explanation?"

 

Pem pulled out his hip flask and took a swing. "None that you'll like."

 

Cain gulped. "Should we...you know, pray or something?" He pushed up his glasses.

 

The Reverend shook his head. "Help me get the first mate out of here. If we can't bring him around ...."

Both Pem and Cain stared at the waves beyond the boat.

Pem whispered in Cain's ear. "Besides what went in, may decide you come back out again."

 

Leon came running up behind Cain and Pem, both of them turning to him quickly, looking as if they thought they were about to be attacked.

"Whoa boys...Its just me. Heard you fellas were goin' to the wheel house, thought I'd tag along seeing as I'm the one with the gun. Don't know how much good it'll do but its better than nothin', thats for damn sure."

Leon looked down at the frantic first mate and the pool of blood. He tipped his hat a little and whistled.

 

Mouse looked up at Ms. Bequem and saw the fear in her eyes.

"Ms. Bequem?"

"Yes?"

"Whatever killed that man...I think it wants to kill the rest of us, too."

 

She wasn't sure what to answer. She tried to put a smile on her face, and wanted to tell her it was nonsense... but she felt she might be right.

"Maybe we should go find the others." she finally said, biting her lip. She stood up from her seat, fidgeting with the nightgown in her hand. She held it out to Elizabeth.

"I know... this might not be the right time." she said in a nervous tone, "But I made you this, before all this... happened."

 

"Thank you, Ms. Bequem," Mouse said, touching the soft fabric.

"You can try it on before bed and if it fits you'll have something to sleep in."

Mouse took Ms. Bequem's hand then and they set off to find the others.

 

With Leon's gun trained on the bloody pool, Pem and Cain dragged the half crazed first mate back to the dining room.

 

They walked hand in hand towards the wheelhouse, when they passed Cain and the Reverend half-dragging a mumbling man. They quickly followed as they placed him on a chair in the dining room. She quickly ran for a waiter, getting hot tea for the lot of them.

She sat next to the shaking man, and looked at him worriedly, handing him a cup of the hot tea.

 

Reverend Pem covered the first mate with a blanket after slipping a bit of scotch into the man's tea. He quickly looked around the room. "Is everyone here?"

 

Leon had stayed behind. The bloody pool seemed to intrigue him. Granted, he had just as much clue as to what was going on here as the next guy, but he was up for figuring it out. He took a knee and dipped two fingers into the pool, bringing it back up and inspecting the red liquid before wiping it off on Mister Brown's tuxedo.

"What the hell is goin' on in this place," he said as he began making his way back to the dining room where the others waited.