Ark Of Hope: Beyond The Dark Horizon

by Roger David Francis

  Cassie didn’t disagree.

  Chapter 5

  The sight and smell of the corpse sent Jade reeling backwards.

  The organ music cut off abruptly and a voice rang out sharp and clear, “What on earth do you think you’re doing?” A plump middle aged woman wearing a dog collar came striding towards her. She looked angry.

  “Good gracious me, girl,” her voice boomed, “Who gave you permission to take the lid off a coffin?” She sounded outraged. Wearing a long black cassock that swished across the floor she looked like a giant bat bearing down on her and Jade cringed when the woman’s eyes bore with fury into hers.

  “I’m sorry,” Jade stammered. “I thought I heard a voice coming from inside.” The moment she spoke the words she realised how foolish she sounded. The woman vicar had reached her and was putting the coffin lid back on. She looked incensed and then her expression relaxed and she gave a tight smile.

  “This isn’t a joke you know.” She muttered. “These poor souls have lost their way; they’re waiting to be collected. It hasn’t been an easy job putting them together, it’s been like a jigsaw puzzle, finding all the right bits and pieces, I had to cheat a bit, some of them have other people’s legs and arms but I managed eventually to put them all back together and I don’t suppose they mind.” She frowned. “Curious, were you?”

  “No, of course not.” Jade was mortified. The woman vicar reached her hand into the coffin and Jade heard a small clatter of bones.

  “That’s better,” the vicar remarked, satisfied, clicking the lid into place. “They should always have their arms crossed over their chest.” She clicked her tongue, “This is my first time as Chaplain on a cruise ship. I thought it would make a nice change from trying to educate the Godless wonders in my last parish, how wrong was I? Her expression darkened. “This lot just attended services to pass a pleasant couple of hours before Bingo started.” She sighed, “I didn’t sign up for this though. Years it’s taken me to sort through the debris. It’s a good job I have my faith to keep me going.” She whipped her head around and glared at Jade.

  “You really are a naughty girl,” she hissed, “but still, I suppose, no harm done. Some people get spooked looking at dead bodies; you’re obviously not one of them.” She gave a sly chuckle, “Will you and your friends be coming to evening service later?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  The vicar scowled. “Of course not, silly of me to expect it. You young people nowadays, it’s all rock and roll and drugs. I suppose you’re like the rest of them, panting after the Cockroaches.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jade said, bewildered.

  “Of course you do. Selfish, the lot of you, only interested in sex. You never stop fumbling with each other’s bits. If you’d seen as many dead bodies as I have you’d soon lose interest.”

  “I think I should go now,” Jade said.

  The vicar puffed her cheeks out, “You can’t, didn’t I say? The Cockroaches are coming, you don’t want to miss them.”

  Jade felt confused. She glanced around her uneasily, surely the woman wasn’t serious, cockroaches?

  “Dead and gone? Black cucumber? You don’t know much do you? Those are their two best numbers. They’re supposed to be playing their new one tonight, number one in the charts, ‘Only you’, even I find myself having a little frolic in the pews when they’re performing.”

  “I really have to go,” Jade said, feeling faint. She wondered if the woman was really a vicar, from the way she was talking it seemed unlikely. The idea that this woman standing beside her dressed in a long black cassock had spent all her energy on fitting hundreds of corpses together with various body parts was outrageous and Jade could only imagine she’d made it up. “I need some fresh air,” she added lamely.

  “Oh no, young lady, not so fast, I think you owe me. You can help me wash some of the bodies. They’ve took a bit of a beating, still, you look a good strong girl. They’re not all bones you know, some of them still have skin and hair and,” she lowered her voice, “other body parts still intact. I don’t like cleaning their genitals, nasty job, you can do that while I polish the bones.” She made a harsh barking sound deep in her throat, “You need to fetch the carbolic soap.”

  Jade began backing away, “I don’t think so.”

  The vicar swung her head round and glared at Jade. “I do. Now, I’m going to get my screwdriver and take the lids off the coffins, but first I need my bottle of brandy. This isn’t a job for a sober person to undertake, the smell takes your breath away. Don’t go away.” She moved off, the hem of her cassock beating the floor like a witch’s broom.

  As soon as the vicar woman was out of sight Jade made a dash to the sliding door, a couple of times knocking into the coffins. She couldn’t help noticing that some of the coffins were open and beside them were an array of bones arranged from the smallest to the largest. Jade had always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles but she didn’t think she’d be doing one again for a very long time. She pulled the door open and ran outside onto the deck.

  The sun was shining through white fluffy clouds and a man and a woman lay sprawled out side by side in deck chairs. The man held his hand up to her.

  “Stop running,” he ordered her in a harsh voice. “You’ll tip the bloody ship sideways.” He shook his head in disgust.

  The Princess May tilted slightly and Jade stood where she was, shivering.

  “Are you entering the beauty pageant this afternoon?” the woman inquired sweetly.

  “No.”

  “Good, you look like competition and I don’t like competition.”

  Jade stared at the woman. She was rail thin with a long horsey face, about fifty years old. Her pink bathing suit had holes in and was stained with age. The man was about twenty five wearing baggy shorts. His chest was bare and thick with knotted muscles that glistening with deep streaky orange suntan. He was sneering.

  “Not much chance of that, Mother,” he said. “She’s too fat, not like you, you’re perfect.” He cast an admiring glance at his mother and she smiled contentedly. “Of course,” he went on, “the competition might not even happen, who knows? We could be hit by an iceberg or there could be a fire in the engine room, isn’t that right, Mother?” He yawned suddenly and Jade saw that most of his teeth had gone leaving small bloody stumps in his mouth.

  “Quite right, Desmond, no one knows what’s in store for them. Anything could happen just as I’m walking onstage to a round of applause.” She stretched and stood up, her thin legs quivering. Both of her thumbs broke off and rolled on the deck. She tutted, “I need to go and get ready before anything else drops off me.” She said annoyed. She shot an angry glance at Jade. “You don’t seem to be falling to pieces,” she accused.

  “Don’t worry, Mother,” Desmond said, “Even without your nose you’re still perfect.”

  The woman smiled as her nose twisted around, fell off her face and slid onto the deck. “Thank you, dear,” she murmured. “Do you think I need to go and change into another swimming costume, I’m not sure that pink suits me.”

  “Everything suits you, mother,” Desmond told her and then turned to Jade, looking her up and down. His eyes suddenly narrowed. “My God,” he said, his voice suddenly high pitched, “you’re wearing my t-shit, the one mother bought me. I’d put it out ready to wear for the Mr Muscle competition later today.” He looked outraged. “Take it off,” he ordered in a strangled voice.

  “You’re kidding, right? You think I’m going to undress in front of you?” Jade was appalled.

  “Perhaps she fancies you, Desmond, wants to wear your shirt next to her skin, that’s what young tart’s are like, they’ll do anything to snare you.” The thin woman smiled slyly.

  “She doesn’t fool me, mother,” Desmond replied. “I know I’m a good catch. She can keep the shirt; I wouldn’t want to wear it with her stinking body odour on it.”

  “Good boy,” the woman twitted.

  Desmond st
retched his arms out and yawned. “Please don’t steal our deck chairs,” he said sternly to Jade. He struggled to his feet and his chin slid sideways splitting his cheekbone staining his face with yellow pus.

  Sickened, Jade watched them leave through the door, the man’s foot tilting as if it was about to fall off. Jade bit her lip, feeling nausea rising in her stomach. When she looked back the deck chairs had disappeared. The sun dipped out of sight and the black clouds rolled back throwing a sullen shadow across the deck.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  Jade spun round and the little girl with the auburn ringlets was standing behind her, her polka dot dress swinging. She was smiling.

  “Who are you?” Jade asked curiously.

  “I told you, Hope. I know who you are, friends of Poppy. Everything will be all right.”

  “I’m not sure that’s true, nothing is what it seems. Are you a ghost?” Jade could hardly believe she’d asked the question.

  Hope shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Do you want to stay with us?”

  Hope grinned. “No, thank you. I think your friends are coming.”

  Jade turned her head as Brett and Cassie came hurrying towards her. She glanced back but Hope had disappeared.

  “Everything all right?” Brett asked.

  “Not really, what about you?”

  They exchanged glances. Brett said, “We’ll tell you later. Let’s get Robbie; we have to find a way off this ship.”

  “Wait,” Jade said as Cassie put her hand on the door. “The last time I was in there it was full of coffins.”

  Cassie blinked. “Did you say coffins?” She pulled the door across.

  The dining room was the same as they’d left it; the food on the table still steaming with heat, the half cigarettes still burning in the brass ashtrays. Robbie was sitting at a table still shovelling food into his mouth.

  “Dear God, Robbie; haven’t you eaten enough?” Cassie watched him in amazement. She turned to Brett, “Can’t you stop him?” she asked.

  Brett shook his head frowning.

  “It’s so good,” Robbie said through a mouthful of fried chicken pieces. “I got Gary to cook them especially for me. Great bloke, nothing’s too much trouble for him.” He winked, “He’s a friend of the Chefs, if you know what I mean.”

  “The waiter?” Cassie was confused.

  Robbie lowered his hand down and stopped chewing. He looked thoughtful. “He’s not just a waiter, Cas; he’s my guardian angel.”

  “Did he tell you that?” Brett asked watching Robbie closely.

  “He didn’t have to; I just know he’s looking out for me.” Robbie laughed. “He has this friend, another Chef, Beatrice, who fancies him. He doesn’t fancy her though, she’s fat, but he calls her Queen B to get round her, and when he wants a special dish made up she’s only too happy to oblige. He told me none of the other kitchen staff will go near her because she smells of lard. He’s quite a character, is Gary, he makes me laugh. So, why don’t you all relax and I’ll get him to get Beatrice to cook you your favourite food, just say the word. Gary will do anything for me.”

  “Since when did you and the waiter become bosom buddies?” Jade asked.

  “Since he introduced me to Carter.”

  “Who the hell is Carter?” Brett snapped.

  Robbie continued cramming food into his mouth seemingly unaware that huge amounts of grease was running down his chin and spilling on to his t-shirt.

  “Carter,” he mumbled, “is a nick name for these little beauties.” He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of black pills. “Do you want one? Go on, food tastes amazing and everything looks brighter. People seem more intelligent than they really are, even you, Brett.” He guffawed and wheezed out, his breath stinking.

  Brett leaned over him and snatched the bottle from his hand. “I’ll take these,” he said and shoved them into his pocket. Robbie was so high on drugs his eyes were swivelling about in their sockets. There was only one thing for it.

  “Stuff Carter and stuff the waiter,” Brett growled and balled his hand into a fist and punched the side of Robbie’s head watching as he slumped down. His eyelids fluttered for a moment and then he was still.

  Jade gave a small scream. “You didn’t have to do that, Brett, he’s sick.”

  “And he’s not going to get any better until the effects of those nasty little pills wear off.” Brett replied grimly. He thought he’d like to get his hands on Gary Wurner, smack him around a bit, dirty bastard, dealing drugs on a cruise ship. “I think that shitty waiter must have mashed drugs into the food. Watch yourselves, you ate some of it.”

  Cassie and Jade exchanged worried glances.

  “There was a man in the toilet,” Jade told Brett. “I think you should go and check.”

  They watched him go and Cassie said, “I want to go home, back to England, away from this.” A tear ran down her cheek. “I’m scared Jade, and I feel sick.”

  “I know, so do I.”

  Cassie took a deep breath “The ship’s moving, where are we going?”

  “I wish I could answer that,” Jade said.

  Robbie groaned and his eyelids fluttered for a moment and then his head slumped forward.

  “I’m going to kick that waiter where it hurts when I see him again,” Jade muttered. “How do you feel?” She asked Cassie.

  “I’m okay, I think it was only the meat the waiter tampered with, I didn’t eat any.”

  “Neither did I.”

  Brett came back shaking his head. “There’s no one there,” he told Jade, “he must have gone. I think we should make our way to a cabin and get some rest, give me a hand with Robbie.”

  Between them they struggled out of the dining room, half dragging an unconscious Robbie through the door. They chose the first cabin they came to and laid him on the double bed.

  Brett slid the bolt across the door. “The safest thing for us to do right now is to stay together in here,” he said.

  Someone groaned and they all looked at Robbie but he hadn’t moved. The groan came again, louder this time and Cassie gave a small scream.

  “It’s coming from under the bed,” Jade yelled.

  “Stand back,” Brett advanced on the bed. “Who’s there?” He shouted. There was no answer but the groaning noise continued. “Come out or I’ll drag you out,” Brett threatened.

  A hand fluttered from underneath the bed. “Don’t hurt me,” A young woman’s voice floated into the room.

  They watched as slowly someone began emerging from under bed; first the hands and arms and then the body. The young woman, no more than a teenager, stopped halfway.

  “I can’t go any further,” she told them. Her long brown hair was tangled up around her face. Her cheeks were bruised and her eyes were red rimmed. “You’ll have to pull me out.” she told them.

  Brett took one of her hands and began tugging her from under the bed. She lay in the middle of the floor and began weeping, great gulping sobs.

  She had no legs.

  She ended at her waist which was a bloody stump.

  “I don’t know how it happened,” she wailed. “One moment I was dancing to the Cockroaches and the next thing I knew I was under your bed.” She looked down at herself and shrieked. “Where are my legs? What have you done with my legs?”

  Cassie felt helpless tears running down her face. It was unbearable. She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “We’ll help you,” she said awkwardly.“

  “How?” the teenage girl screamed, “Are you going to sew my legs back on?” And suddenly she was scurrying backwards under the bed, her torso lurching from side to side. “Leave me be!” she shrieked.

  “We have to get her out,” Jade said, her voice trembling, “find someone to help her.”

  Grimacing with disbelief and horror, Brett knelt down and looked under the bed. For a few seconds he didn’t say anything then he stood up. “She’s not there.” He sai
d; his voice flat.

  “Not there?” Cassie stared at him as if she hadn’t heard right. “What do you mean, she’s not there?”

  “Look for yourself.”

  Frightened, Cassie peered under the bed. She turned her head and looked back at Brett, her face pale.“How can she just disappear?”

  “I don’t think she was really there in the first place,” Brett said slowly, and then watched in disbelief as a ginger cat slid from under the bed and sat staring at them, its head tilted to one side.

  “Do you know what I think?” Jade whispered. “There must be an opening under the bed to the other side.”

  “Other side?” Brett looked perplexed.

  “She means the spirit world, Brett,” Cassie said.

  “I don’t know.” A few hours ago Brett would have dismissed the idea as ludicrous, now he wasn’t so sure. “It might be better if we got out of this cabin, found somewhere else.”

  Robbie moaned and opened his eyes. “What’s happening?” He mumbled.

  Jade sat down on the bed and took his hand. “How are you feeling?” She felt sorry for him, he looked awful like he’d been on a three day drinking binge. He was far from all right but if she could stop him eating any more of the food on the ship he should recover. At least Brett had taken the bottle of pills from him, what had Robbie called them, Carter? She’d never heard of a drug named Carter. She thought of the polite young waiter and shivered in disgust.

  “Bloated.” Robbie’s mouth pulled down and he licked his lips, grimacing.

  The ginger cat sprang onto the bed and tried to wedge itself against Robbie. Jade grabbed it and flung it across the floor.

  “I don’t feel so good,” Robbie moaned.

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “Christ, what have I been eating?” He rubbed his stomach and groaned.

  “Everything. You’ll be okay.”

  Robbie climbed awkwardly off the bed and swaying slightly stumbled to the toilet door. “I might be a while,” he mumbled and vanished inside.