Happy Friday, you fiery felines!
Time for another chapter of Lava Cat Cruise Ship! ! You know the drill - if you missed the last chapter, find it here. And if you are new to LCC and want to start at the beginning, you can find the first chapter here!
Also, if you are looking to spend the weekend reading, consider becoming a paid subscriber to access the full ebook - AND the ebook for the companion novel, Zombie Shark Highway! Plus all the exclusive posts, tutorials and digital downloads! Its a full summer of reading!
I don’t share this Lava Cat Cruise Ship via email so as not to overwhelm subscribers and clutter inboxes. I only post and hope readers find it. Word of mouth is really the only way this story finds itself in front of eyeballs. So on that note, if you’re enjoying these parasitic sabers on the high seas, I would love if you told a friend, shared it with a reader you think might like it.
ANYWAYS, let’s get to the LAVA!
TWENTY ONE
Celia crept behind Melvin, Franklin holding tight to her hand as they made their way through dark hallway after dark hallway, hunting for Smilodons. Though every time they turned a corner, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that they hadn't crossed paths with one yet. She knew the creatures had to be stopped, that they were the only ones in a position to do it, but still she trembled at the thought of having to face them again. She'd killed one, but had she just been lucky? A second slower and her head would have been crushed by those massive jaws. She might not be so lucky the next time.
Melvin held up his hand, telling them to wait. Just ahead of him, the hallway appeared to open up to massive cavernous space, with towering balconies, dark shops and a grand glass ceiling that gave a view of the fiery sky. That Atrium. The main hub of the ship. Celia had always avoided it, trying to steer clear of all the passengers that would be shopping and eating and milling about in obnoxious fashion. But now, it was completely silent -- a ghost town -- that gave Celia the creeps.
Without warning, the floor shimmied beneath her feet, the whole world rocking sideways as the ship began to groan.
"What's happening?" cried Franklin.
Celia pulled him to her as the tremors intensified.
"It's coming from the back of the ship," shouted Melvin.
When she focused on the sound, on the feel of the vibrations, she had to agree with Melvin. Something had happened near the ship's back end. As quickly as they'd come, the shakes faded away, the sound fading to nothing. All was still and quiet once more.
"That felt like a collision," Celia said. "Did we hit something?"
Melvin nodded. "May have."
And then a snarl, somewhere overhead.
The three froze, Celia's eyes drifting up to the third floor balcony directly across the atrium from them -- a Smilodon.
"Celia," Franklin whispered.
She squeezed his hand, making sure she had a good grip on him, as another head popped up beside the creature -- a second Smilodon.
The cats' eyes narrowed, their red glowing gaze laser focused on the three of them.
Celia gripped her spear close.
The rumbling purrs from deep inside the cats echoed across the Atrium as Celia watched them slink over the side of the balcony, the first dropping onto a massive planter jutting out from the wall, the second standing on the top of the exposed elevator car that had stopped on floor two.
Melvin readied his spear. "Here they come."
Yes, they were coming. But there were two of them. Celia's palms began to sweat, her feet buzzing with the urge to run. Last time they'd defeated one of these things it had been her and Melvin again against one. Now, it was a more even fight. How could they possibly defeat two saber-tooths at once?
And then there were voices. Celia shook her head, not sure she was hearing right. It had been so long since they'd crossed paths with another human being on this ghost ship --
She could make out a few at first, echoing from somewhere to her right, and then the sound swelled to dozens -- terrified cries rising up from the dark innards of the ship.
And they saw them, hoards of frightened passengers and staff spilled out from the hallways on the North side of the ship, wailing and crying as they ran. Wherever they'd been hiding all this time, something had driven them out. Celia watched in horror as the creatures turned their gaze from them to the passengers, licking their lips in anticipation.
This was about to get bad.
"Wait stop!" Celia cried out to them, but the passengers kept racing forward, away from whatever had forced them out of hiding and straight toward the waiting Smilodons.
As they closed the distance, Celia could see half of them were dripping wet -- why were they wet?
She looked toward the halls they had spilled from, still more passengers emerging, and saw the water -- a steady stream of ocean creeping out into the atrium.
The Silver Queen was sinking.
A passerby hit her shoulder, another pushed her from behind. In seconds they were swarmed by men women and children all desperately trying to get to the other end of the ship, get away from the invading sea, and Celia was rocked this way and that, losing her grip on Franklin.
"Stop it! Stop it!" she begged them, but it was no use. They were all too frightened to notice her. By the time she'd managed to work herself free of the crowd, she was on the opposite side of the Atrium. She couldn't see Franklin or Melvin through the running bodies.
A roar exploded somewhere above her -- she was standing beneath the elevator car. The second Smilodon stood on top, licking its lips with excitement as it looked out on the crowd, watching the second of the two cats. It was down on the main floor now, prowling along the wall in shadow. It ignored the people racing by, the passengers too frenzied to notice the cat. It stalked with intense focus, a predator on the hunt.
Celia followed it's gaze to it's prey and her heart stopped -- Franklin.
The boy stood in the middle of the Atrium, crying as bodies rushed passed him, eyes searching helplessly for Celia.
If she ran for him, the cat would charge them both, would see her spear and ready itself.
She needed surprise.
And just like in the infirmary, an instinct kicked on, coming alive from some long dormant part of her mind, and she ran across the Atrium, through the crowd, spear in hand, over to a sunglasses shop. She hopped up onto the counter, sending pairs of glasses scattering onto the floor as she reached for the awning and pulled herself up.
From the top of the awning, she could reach the first balcony, and she hoisted herself as fast she could, pulling herself over and landing with a thud on the upper level. She ran, fast as her legs would carry her, her eyes on Franklin down below.
She couldn't see the Smilodon. Where was it?
She leaned over the side, and there it was, keeping close to the wall, close to the shadows, as it slunk ever closer to Franklin.
Celia's grip on the spear twisted. She would have one shot.
The Smilodon stepped away from the shadows, venturing into the main part of the concourse, it's eyes ever on the crying boy who still hadn't noticed it.
Celia lifted her foot over the railing, pulling the rest of her body with it. She clung to the balcony, facing out toward the Atrium, her knees shaking with fear. Did she believe in fate? She wasn't sure. But clinging there, looking at the floor below, she had to wonder. This was why she spent all those years on the highwire, she realized, this was why she performed in the Bertrand Brother's Flying Circus.
So she'd be ready for this moment.
One shot.
The Smilodon crept closer, it's massive back appearing directly beneath Celia.
Now.
"Franklin!" she screamed, forcing the boy and the cat to look up. "Run!"
As soon as she said the word, she jumped, spear pointed down.
The cat bellowed as she crashed into it, the spear driving deep into the creature's spine.
The Smilodon collapsed, and Celia rolled sideways. She jumped to her feet, ready to run but the cat was in no condition to give chase. It roiled on the floor, twisting and wailing in pain.
Franklin screamed from somewhere behind her, begging her to run.
But the Smilodon wasn't coming for her. It's writhing form began to slow, it's jerking movements stalling to a point that only it's front left paw scratched limply at the floor.
And finally, those red eyes -- Celia watched them grow dull, unfocused. Watched the life drain out of them.
Another one down.
A furious bellow exploded overhead and Celia glanced over at the elevator to see the second Smilodon, it's neck craned up as it screamed at the ceiling over the loss of it's friend. When it looked back out over the Atrium, it's eyes were on her, vengeance glowing in the red.
Still two more to go.