Page 28 of From Russia With Blood

Fuck. Was this all a dream? Arousal is soon doused by the cold reality of embarrassment. If Lizzy heard and saw me, that means the nurse did too. Glancing around, I see her out of the corner of my eye. She busies herself, but a smirk is there all the same. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Don’t worry about it. Apparently, I was louder than you when I came.”

Relief fills me for a moment but is soon followed by disbelief. “Wait. You too? What are they putting in these things?”

“It’s a simple concoction of nutrients, anti-nausea, and anti-fatigue medicine,” the nurse interjects, bustling over to me to remove the IV. The bag is already empty, and I missed most of it. “When the body is under high stress,” she continues, “anything that brings it back to homeostasis will make the body relax. You fell asleep and had, presumably, a wet dream. It’s far more common on party ships than you think. Now. How do you feel?”

I roll my head on my neck and pull up my shoulders. There’s no pain anywhere. “You really should sell this to the public. You’d never have a shortage of customers.”

Her lips curl up in what I can only describe as a feral smile for just a moment. The movement was so quick, I almost didn’t see it. Then again, I could still be feeling the relaxants from the IV. Her eyes, so glittery and hard, are soft and kind, as if an entirely different being resided inside her and peeked out for just a moment.

“Then how else will we charge so much for these cruises? No, it’s much better to keep this on board. If you two are feeling as well as you look, it’s time to get out of my station so I can bring the next two people in. You’re not the only ones that overindulged.”

There. Again. Her face ripples as if it’s an ill-fitting mask, only to smooth out again to something more human. This is insanity, pure and simple. This Halloween theme is getting to my head and nothing more. I pause to ask her another question when Lizzy, no doubt feeling better than she has since she was born, clutches my arm and yanks me towards the door.

“I’m famished. Let’s go get breakfast!”

As soon as she mentions it, my stomach gives a long growl, negating any argument I might have. The nurse smiles and shoos us on, giving us the green light to eat. “What sounds good to you?” I ask, stumbling behind.

“All the food!” Lizzy bounces on the balls of her feet, looking like she should be on a Christmas cruise instead of a Halloween one. Shaking my head, I let her lead me, all thoughts of monsters in nurse's outfits flying out of my head. Lizzy races in front of me, dragging me like a rag doll in tow. It’s everything I can do to keep from tripping over my feet.

Around us, people move at a much slower pace, all of them looking like zombies. The nurse wasn’t kidding. Right now, we seem to be the only normal ones. Glancing about, I search for either Jackson or Luka. Would they be just as tired? I shake my head, dispelling any notions of worry. They are big boys and can for sure take care of themselves.

Looking at all the food options, I pause, not sure which sounds most appealing right now. Normally, I’d go to Bean Boozled and infuse some caffeine into my body, but the IV did a really good job of rejuvenating me. If I had any more stimulation, I’d probably vibrate right off the ship. Glancing at the menu options for both that and Croissant, I settle for Bean Boozled but choose to forego the coffee this time. Tomorrow, I might grab a cup if I’m feeling a bit down from playing tonight, but I’ll decide that when it happens.

For now, I’ll eat my eggs and breathe in the heavenly scent that is freshly brewed beans. High on something akin to a sugar frenzy, Lizzy abandons my notion of a fulfilling breakfast and chooses Croissant. Maybe tomorrow I’ll indulge after the intense vibrational energy ebbs. For now, I’m craving protein by the mouthfuls. I honestly can’t remember a time I felt this hungry.

I fork in my eggs and chew thoughtfully. The stuff they gave us had to have something else in it besides what the nurse revealed. I don’t know of any magical concoction that would make bruises go away. Yet, every time I see Lizzy as she bounces by, I note the pristine state of her neck. Did I just imagine it?

Eggs polished off, I start in on my bacon, licking my lips as the grease drips down onto the plate. They’re just perfect, still pliable with some wobble in them and not brick-like as most restaurants serve. My brain feels like it’s slipping again as I slow down to a nibble. I don’t even have to ask the server for more food.

Plate after plate disappears only to be replaced with another one. Granted, the plates are mostly empty, but how much have I eaten? Looking around, I see couples deep in thought, costumes concealing most of their faces. They don’t appear to be looking at me, so maybe I’m not gorging myself as much as I think?

Though I’m still starving, I wave off the server as he attempts to put yet one more plate in front of me. This is ridiculous. Normally I have much better self-control. It doesn’t matter that I’m on vacation; I still need to watch myself and keep a tight rein over my body. Pushing away from the table, I look about, not seeing Lizzy anywhere. Knowing her, she’s probably back at the room sleeping off her Croissant-induced high.

Perhaps I should have taken a page from her playbook and eaten sugar until I was unable to do anything but crash. The problem is, sugar is far from what I’m craving. The taste of the bacon lingers in my mouth, begging me to get more. I want to sit down and have a whole plate of steak - rare. That alone is what forces me to leave the food and go find the bar I really wanted to go to last night.

Though I eat steak occasionally, it’s not even close to one of my favorite foods, and I never ever eat it raw. Maybe the concoction alerted my body to just how much I needed the extra protein. Goodness knows I rarely eat as healthy as I should. That must be it. With a firm nod, I ride the elevators up and make my way over to The Gee Spot.

A different bartender is there, and he regards me with a cool, detached gaze. It seems like the day crew is widely different from the night one. That or they just like to have more fun at the Karaoke Forever. Then again, it’s still early enough that he probably thinks I’m an alcoholic for drinking right now. Thrusting my arm out to him, he grabs his scanner gun and purses his lips before pulling up my drink info.

Thank goodness it keeps track of everything. Now he can’t judge me for wanting something a little strong, regardless of the time. He still remains silent as he punches something into his computer, no doubt noting the drink before I can play later. “I’ll have a hurricane, please.”

With a nod, he starts to mix the drink, and I watch him, transfixed by his movements. Drink in hand, I look over at Karaoke Forever, seeing if I can catch a glimpse of Lizzy’s lover. Surely people will still want to play even though it’s daytime. But there’s nothing. Not even a hint of movement. In fact, I’m the only one up here.

A shiver tingles my spine as the bartender watches me with an unnerving intensity. It’s like he’s waiting for something, but what it is, I can’t even begin to fathom. Forcing myself to shake it off, I take the drink and walk over to one of the humongous windows and stare out at the choppy sea. To think, just yesterday, I was about to piss myself at the thought of getting on a cruise ship, and now, I’m sipping a cocktail like it’s no big deal.

Draining my drink, I set the glass on the bar and wave to the man. He doesn’t even smile. His eyes never leave mine as he takes my glass and proceeds to wipe it down. Another tendril of fear slithers down my spine as the light strikes his face, giving his eyes a deadly glint to them. Snap out of it, Kat. You’re letting Halloween get to you too much. It’s nothing. Just a trick of the light.

I’m not entirely sure what to do. I want to leave, but something tells me not to turn my back to him. Luckily, the elevators aren’t too far away, so if I make a mad dash for it, I’ll have a chance at escaping. My pulse quickens as fear settles deep into my gut. Paranoia is sky high, turning my brain into a buzzing mess.

All I know is that I need to get away. I need to get somewhere safe, somewhere with people. Turning my back on him, I flee the space, jerking my head around every few seconds to make sure he’s not following me. He doesn’t even move. All he does is keep wiping down the glass with those creepy, methodical movements.

I want to go to my room and lock the door behind me, but try as I might, I can’t make myself move in that direction. Instead, I find myself pressing the elevator down towards the play space. It’s got to be the safest part on the ship, right? Dungeon Masters will be down there. Jackson or Luka might be there too.

My brain latches onto that thought, spurring my movements even faster. Nothing is safe except for them. Only Luka and Jackson can protect me now. I don’t even try to question my brain’s thinking. It feels only natural to run to them. Try as I might, I see nothing wrong with that logic.

The doors open, and I thrust myself into the space. Just as I thought. Several people are already in scenes, and men with black shirts and pants mill the space, keeping a close eye on those playing. I can just stay here until either of my guardians find me. With all these people, nothing can go wrong.