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Chapter Three
Hallways
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Onceuponatime, I was madly in love. On my thirtieth birthday, my fiancé surprised me with a cruise, all expenses paid. We flew down to Florida and stayed a few nights on the beach before setting the seas for the Caribbean. We laughed, drank, and made love. It was one of my favorite memories. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel the scorching sun. For a few blissful days, I had nothing on my agenda except a book and a margarita.
We’d decided on a destination wedding before we started the cruise. Our wedding was for us, and there was no need to make a big show of it. That time in my life was simple and serene. Things had felt like they were coming together and I’d been happy.
When we arrived at the port, the ship’s size and beauty shocked me. How could something so massive stay afloat? The seven days that followed were magical, and if I had a single wish in life, it would be to go back to that time, before all that happened recently, and before I knew too much about what the future held and who my fiance truly was. Ignorance had been my bliss, and it had shrouded me every day, blinding my thoughts and feelings.
That cruise ship would have been a snack for the monstrous vessel looming in front of us. The boarding dock was the size of a grocery store parking lot, and it was just where small boats boarded. What looked like a stadium full of people stood stories above us, holding luggage and belongings. The winds were strong then, and the air filled with mist from the waves.
The Titaniccame to mind, and I pushed the horrifying image away as quickly as it came. I knew that it sank, but all aboard, anyway.
“What’s your number?” the driver of the RHIB shouted. I stared at him puzzled for a moment, and then Lewis chimed in, “Forty-six.”
He grabbed a black marker and turned me around. I felt him draw on the back of my shirt. He flipped me forward and did the same to my front. He then branded Beau and Lewis with the same, 00046.
“And you all?” he asked the other couple. “Nine-hundred sixteen,” they responded.
The RHIB pulled to a water-logged dock, and there was nothing but megaphones and yelling and noise. The precious noise I was so grateful for moments ago pounded in my ears, making no sense.
We stepped out holding our bags, and I bent down to BeLew’s ears. “Same rules as the trail. No talking and I should be able to touch you at all times. Hold each other’s hands.” They nodded their heads and linked fingers. We walked forward, but there were no lines and no order to the madness. The couple had unloaded Sam and set him on the dock, then disappeared.
A man grabbed my shoulder and thrust me to the side. He was shoving people left, right, and forward. BeLew rushed behind me and I felt their hands on my belt loops.
“Please, he needs help. He can’t walk,” I shouted at no one and everyone at the same time.
“Move on,” someone screeched back through a megaphone at us.
More pushing, noise, and mist. I found an empty spot in the crowd of people and lunged forward. BeLew were still clinging to my waist. The shoving of the crowd was growing stronger, anger filling the air. The wind stung my face, and the small boats were bobbing violently in the water. We needed to get further into the ship and quickly.
I had no choice but to get BeLew in and go back for Sam. There were several doorways on the wall of the dock, but people were mostly wandering around, confused about what to do. Others were yelling about friends and family on the boats farther out than ours.
I led the boys to a hallway, and we jogged for a few minutes until I found a small enclave in the wall with some pipes. “Here,” I gasped. “Stay right here. Hands on the pipe. I’m coming back.” I dropped my bag and ran back to the docks.
The chaotic scene had worsened, but I could see Sam. Two teenage boys were standing over him and looked to be sifting through his pockets. I ran up, “What the fuck do you think you will find in there?” They stiffened. “You can keep it, but help me.” They looked at each other and left. Assholes. Not that I could have blamed anyone for being the worst version of themselves at that moment.
I grabbed Sam by his shirt and dragged him further towards the hallway. The rushing water covering the dock helped at first, acting as a buoy every time I pulled him towards me, but my shoulders burned immediately. I had to stop and shake out my hands with every second or third pull. He remained unconscious, and I cursed at him with each tug.
Someone came up and touched my arm. I turned to see the thieving boys. They had a plastic tarp from God knows where that had covered God knows what, but I didn’t care. I could hardly breathe from exertion. They moved him onto the tarp, grabbed hold of each side, and took my lead towards the hall.
Then the noise started, a huge creaking, and we all turned around as we entered the doorway that led to BeLew.
They were lifting the dock.
Screams followed bellowing indignation at the decision. Boats still lined up to board, but their time was up. And ours might be too if we didn’t move. The passengers rushed in our direction, an angry mob full of fear.
Shit.
We needed to run. The crowds would be behind us. I could see it on the teenagers’ faces - panic. We raced down the hallway, and I could hear people shoving in at our heels like thunderous cattle. “BeLew, grab a bag and start running forward. I’m right behind you,” I screamed. I saw one blonde head peek out from the wall, and then both tiny bodies stood out in the walkway, holding their bags, stuffed ducks shoved down their shirts.
The teenagers behind me yelled, “Run!” and BeLew complied, their little legs carrying them farther down the hall, looking back every so often. I grabbed my bag as I ran past where they had been standing, keeping my pace. I tasted blood in my mouth from my bursting lungs. This was the longest hallway I had experienced in my life, and I could feel the people catching up behind us.
Please, Lord, don’t let us get trampled.
Finally, we reached the end, where two men stood in front of ominous double doors. I could see their jaws drop in shock. They turned and propped the doors open and we ran through, bursting inside. We sprinted into the giant room of grey floors and walls with no windows. It resembled a prison, but it thrilled me to be out of that damned hallway.
