What Frightens Monsters?

(estimated 10 minute read)

Previously - Nick and Sydney deployed a life raft and escape was within their grasp, but Nick caught a whiff of heroism and decided to press his luck. 

    Sydney grabs his free hand. "Nick, no, don't do this. Let's just get on the raft and get away while we can." She points toward the mob of creatures edging in their direction. "We'll figure out something when we're safe on the water."
    "We can't ignite the fumes from a safe distance on the water. Neither of us can throw a flare that far, and if we find a flare gun, I don't think we can make the shot. If we try setting fire to the water, if that even works, we'll still be too close."
    "Then forget it." She tugs at him in desperation. 
    "The crew died trying to stop this ship." He gently frees himself from her grasp. "I can't let that be in vain." 
    "If we die it will be in vain." She chokes on a sob. 
    He kisses her tenderly, knowing the moments are precious as the zombies close in; but this moment is for the two of them. "We won't die," he says, even as his hand trembles against her cheek. He wants to say more, but that will feel too much like goodbye. 
    Instead, he turns toward his fate.
    The zombie mob closes in like the molasses flood. Nick jogs to the railing halfway between Sydney and the gang. He finds his bearings straight above the broken fuel door. A breeze cools the sweat at his hairline, and he sucks in a deep breath to attempt to settle himself. If this works, he may end up blowing a hole in the deck right below his feet. At that thought, his hands clench tighter to the rope, refusing to release it. He has to decide now; follow through with the plan or give it up and jump ship. Any further hesitation and he'll be lunch. With a determined growl, he lights the flares and feeds the line over the side. He backs away from the railing as the flares near their target. Any...minute...now...
    As the explosion rends the air and deafens him, he is also shocked at their luck. Just like in the movies. He releases another foot of rope, then ties it to the railing. Grasping the axe, he spins away from the railing to meet up with Sydney, but a small group of zombies block his escape. Although he can fight his way through them safely, in the time it takes to clear the path, the horde closing in from behind will overwhelm him. 
    "Syd?" he screams. There's only one reason they'd come after him from this direction. "Sydney!"
    "Use a flare!" she screams back. Every inch of his body relaxes, even while facing a horrid death. She's safe. She's alive. 
    "Get on the raft. I'll jump here." He returns to the railing and chokes on the toxic black smoke billowing from below. Visibility is zero. There is no telling what is in the water below him and whether it's safe, but he'd rather die in the water than at the hands of these things. 
    "Heads up!" Sydney hollers and a lit flare bounces on the deck toward the large group of undead. As it comes to a stop, so do the zombies. Those nearest the flare stumble backward, away from it, all attention diverted to the flame. Nick's arm is like jelly as he reaches for the remaining flare in his back pocket. It hisses to life and he tosses it near the other, but on the other side of the deck, successfully stopping the group's forward progress.
    "Syd, you're a genius," he breathes. When he turns back toward the others, they are practically upon him. He raises the axe, disappointed a clever one-liner doesn't spout from his lips, then buries it in the face of the nearest flesh-eating maniac. As he saddles up for the next, it halts in front of him and flails its arms around as if trying to scratch an itch it can't reach. It knocks back the two zombies on either side, then makes a slow 180 degree turn trying to reach behind itself. That's when Nick sees a lit flare shoved in its jeans, nestled in its butt-crack.  
    He barks a laugh, and swings at the next zombie in line, missing the neck and slicing into its collar bone. As he yanks the axe free, Sydney appears, lifting her own weapon and sending it into the zombie's skull. 
    "Come on," she shrieks at him, leaving the axe and running toward the open gate in the railing. Nick follows with no argument this time, but when they reach the edge of the deck, neither of them can take the leap of faith. "It's too far, Nick," Sydney warns. Then she begins taking off her shoes. 
    "How is that going to help?" he asks.
    "The instructions said take off your shoes so they don't puncture the raft," she answers. 
    "You're stalling," he chides. 
    "Just do it. And here, put your cell phone in my bag. Maybe we can throw it on the raft from here." He isn't ready to make the jump either, so he follows her instructions. Before tossing the bag over the side, he ties a coil of rope to it just in case, but it lands nicely in the middle of the raft.  
    "I think it's safer for us to jump feet first into the water. The raft is far enough away that we might hit it half on and half off."
    "Okay." Sydney nods, her lips a tight line. "Together?"
    "I'll go first. Then you can learn from me," Nick doesn't look at her. 
    "No, together," she grabs his hand. He slips free of her and shakes his head. "Nick," she begs.
    "I love you, Sydney," he says, and then he jumps.
    "NICK!" she screams, leaning a hand on the railing and searching the water for any sign of him. The pack of zombies is practically upon her, but that means nothing. She needs to see he's safe. 
    As soon as his head bobs above the surface of the water, she jumps in herself. 
    The water floods painfully into her nostrils and the life jacket is forced up to her ears. She's conscious, but her mind doesn't comprehend the situation as she looks around an alien world. Then the jacket does its job and she pops up through the surface of the water, coughing and sputtering saltwater, her eyes stinging. She faces out to sea, the sparkling water stretching off into eternity. Where the hell is the boat?
    "Syd! Over here!" She spins toward the sound of her name. Nick is already on the raft. He reaches a hand out in her direction and she makes her way quickly to him. She climbs up the boarding ramp and he grasps her life jacket, dragging her even faster onto the raft. Falling into his arms, they hold each other and laugh in relief, then collapse onto the raft to catch their breath. Sydney gazes up into the bright blue sky, shivering and giddy. 
    "When I was surrounded up there, I thought for certain you were dead, Syd." Nick admits eventually, rolling on his side to face her. Sydney glances at him.
    "They started coming out of a hallway, you know, just like the others," she begins, her teeth chattering. "But they turned straight toward you as if I wasn't there. When they just kept coming, I knew I couldn't use the axe so I thought of the only other weapon I had."
    "The flares," he smiles at her with adoration, but now she's staring into the sky.
    "I snuck to the doorway and I was going to shove the flare into one of their faces, but when I lit it, they all just stopped and stared at it. So I dropped it there and closed the door. I couldn't find a lock so I used rope and a lot of knots to hold it shut."
    "Monsters hate fire," Nick mumbles.
    "Just like in the movies," she smirks.
    They're interrupted by an enormous, second explosion. They both sit up and stare in awe at the fire and smoke erupting from the hole in the side of the ship. Flaming debris sails into the ocean as if launched from a cannon, and the shockwave is enough to send their life raft rocking. 
    "We need to get away from this ship," Sydney's voice trembles. Nick tugs a sheathed knife from his pack and lays down on the raft until he can reach the painter attaching them to the cruise ship. There is something extremely satisfying about sawing through that rope and finally being inexplicably free; free of the ship and free of the nightmare. As the rope swings back toward the cruise ship, Sydney claps and giggles insanely. The creatures wander aimlessly around the side deck. One of them finds the open gate and stumbles its way over the side, landing not far off. Seeing that, Nick drags the boarding ramp from the water and secures it inside the raft.
    "I wonder if zombies can swim," Sydney says. "I mean, if they breathe then they can drown, right?" Nick grimaces at her for tarnishing his relief at their escape, then digs into her pack for his phone. "Nick, don't google it." Her voice cracks. "I don't really want to know." 
    "No service," he tosses it back in the pack.
    "We should have brought the axes. We could've used them as paddles." Her eyes trail back to the ship's deck. A second monster shuffles toward the gate. 
    "I'm sure axes would be less likely to puncture the raft than my shoes," Nick quips. Before Sydney can bite back, he scurries under the folded cover on the raft and returns with two paddles. "Here you go. This raft has everything we need," he smiles, "except cell phone service." Sydney's mouth drops open, but she's lost for words. 
    She grasps the paddle and sits on the side of the raft. Nick takes his place on the opposite side and they begin edging as far from the zombie cruise as possible. They stare out toward the blue horizon where sea blends with sky, not caring where they're going, as long as they are leaving the ship behind.
    Neither of them notice a pale, human hand break the surface of the water and barely grasp the frayed rope dangling from the raft.

END

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©2024 Lauren K. Wells Do not reproduce or distribute without written consent from the author

This story was written with a human hand, a human mind and a human heart. Do not use this for AI.

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