Happy Friday, my fellow feisty feline fans!
Time for another chapter of Lava Cat Cruise Ship! ! As always, 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!
There’s only a couple chapter’s to go!!! LET’S DO THIS!
TWENTY TWO
A deluge. An overwhelming crush of water. That's what spilled into the Silver Queen where the lava plume had punched its way up through the ship. That -- and Eidon. He rode the rushing torrent, speeding through the Silver Queen's gaping battle wound into what was left of a series of staterooms.
The dinghy hit a wall, a large mirror still fixed to it reflecting Eidon's sopping, exhausted body. He leaped out of the dinghy, rifle held above his head. Clutter from the stateroom floated around his waist, the rush of the invading water pushing Eidon against the wall. He waded through, shoving a coffee table out of the way, to the door, opening it into the hall, pitch as night. He had to brave the dark, had to find Celia and Franklin somewhere in the murk.
As he trudged through the darkness, he could feel the water level dropping with every step. The ship was sloping, dipping down by the bow. How long before she sunk beneath the boiling ocean? Whatever the answer, he had to find Celia before it happened.
As the water shallowed to his knees, he was able to move quicker, but the splashing of his movements made it hard to hear. He stopped frequently, listening to the trickle of water and the groaning of the dying ship -- listening for them.
But what he heard -- distant screams -- belonged to no animal. That sound was human. A lot of humans. So many voices screaming somewhere deep inside the ship. His gut twisted -- was Celia's voice among them?
He began to run -- splashing be damned -- in the direction of the sound. If Celia was among those voices, he had to get to her. He had the rifle. What did she have?
As he rounded a corner a new sound froze him in his tracks -- the growl of a Smilodon.
His breath caught in his throat, his body shaking with fear as he lifted the rifle to protect himself. Down the hall he could see it -- see the glow of its eyes as it peaked out at him from an open door.
The creature hissed -- a sound like a braking Mack truck, compressed air and hydraulics and power.
Eidon cocked the gun.
The saber tooth roared, barrelling toward him, fangs glinting in the dark.
Eidon fired.
The kickback nearly sent him toppling backwards, the gun jerking up from the force, his bullet pinging into the ceiling, missing the Smilodon completely.
The beast, momentarily spooked by the blast, growled a low and threatening rumble, regaining its nerve.
Eidon cocked the rifle again.
And at the sound of the click the Smilodon bellowed, galloping toward Eidon, water flying up from its massive paws.
Eidon fired, willing his strength against the force of the blast.
There was a moan, and Eidon watched the creature pitch sideways, falling down dead in the flowing water.
Eidon collapsed against the wall, trying to slow his racing heart. He'd killed it. He'd actually managed to kill a saber tooth. How many more were left? He thought of the beast that chased him into the ocean, hit by a lava bomb -- one down. Now this one. That left three. Could he succeed three more times?
He heard the good captain's voice inside his head -- You have to.
Gathering his courage, Eidon left the wall, carefully skirting the body of the dead monstrous cat. He could still hear the screams in the distance. As he made his way towards the sound, he passed the open door that the Smilodon had poked its head out of.
When Eidon looked inside, he wished he hadn't.
It was lighter inside the room, a single porthole offering enough glow from outside to make out the metal slabs, the walls of drawers.
The morgue.
Two of the slabs were covered in plastic sheets, the unmistakable shape of human bodies lying underneath.
The third slab had been turned over, the body it held sprawled over the wet floor -- a silver haired, pruney old man -- its abdomen torn open. Bile rose in Eidon's throat. The Smilodon had been feeding here.
He grabbed the door -- he didnt want to see this, didnt want anyone else to -- and moved to close it.
Until the body twitched.
Eidon stopped, blinking at the dead man on the floor. Did it really move?
He stepped into the room, gun clutched in his hands. He eyed the corpse, waiting, but it lay there like what it was -- meat.
His mind was playing tricks on him. He was too exhausted. Too stressed. Too frightened. Whatever he thought he'd seen, he'd been wrong. This man was long dead.
And then it twitched again -- the head jerked violently, the elbows leaping up.
Eidon yelped and jumped back.
The body was lay motionless once more.
But he'd seen it move. He knew for sure this time. Eidon's eyes roamed over the open belly, red burger meat and intestines spilling out. How could the body have moved?
And then he saw it -- a flicker of the tiniest shadow by the man's ear.
Eidon stepped closer, squinting. He crouched down, peering into the cavity of the ear --
And a flash of grey slithered by the the lobe, disappearing back inside the ear.
Eidon scrambled back, heart racing -- the parasite.
The man twitched again. And again. Convulsing on the floor and Eidon sprinted for the door. He slammed it shut behind him, retching with sick.
The parasite had spread from the Smilodon. It had infected a human being. A dead one.
A word from one of the headlines in Dr. Troyer's binder flashed across his mind: zombified.
If even the dead could fall to these worms, the Smilodons could spread the parasite to anyone. How many had been infected already? How many more if the creatures got off this ship alive?
Eidon wiped the puke from his chin, taking off running towards the screams. He had to find Celia now. They had to finish this. Had to kill the Smilodons that were left --
-- before the Alaskan Princess arrived, and the cats had the chance to spread the parasite off the Silver Queen.