Fatal Trip

• Bernadette Collins, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2009

The waves were swelling up against the side of the boat, rocking my stomach uncontrollably. The half moon shone brightly between the clouds, the only light in the darkness.
Without any warning, a brilliant plume of fire rose up out of the centre of the boat, raising unearthly screams that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I quickly ducked, hoping not to be seen by any unfriendly eyes.
My breath came out in a mist, fogging the glass which I was looking through. I went through the glass panelled door, heart pumping fast as I searched the deathly quiet room. Cobwebs covered the contents, giving it an abandoned quality. Chairs and tables were upturned, legs torn off, resting far from their counterparts.
As I walked through, I passed a hole punched into the wall. Walking faster I went over to a door and opened; I hesitated in the doorway, unsure. A howl from behind rushed me into the room. A silent scream escaped my mouth. Horror stricken, I couldn’t move. The room was a massacre. Dead bodies were lying everywhere, concealing horrific wounds, blood spattered halfway up the wall; the other room looked immaculate compared to this one. Stuffing was torn out of the cushions, and tied to a chair. In the middle of all this was a dead man, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, face gaunt with hunger.
Feeling my feet again, I exited back to where I came from, closing the door. I rushed back outside, towards the fire, trying to find cover in the smoke. I had to get out of this nightmare.
Another bang and a burst of fire; this time there were no screams.
Throat aching, I ran through my cover; then looked for a lifeboat: anything. I passed even more dead bodies, sprawled across the deck as if thrown there. Another explosion sending me to the ground resounded in my ears, deafening me.
As I ran across the deck, I thought I heard laughter, shrill and slightly demented. I went faster, tripping a little on the floorboards. Unknown hands grabbed me and threw me overboard.