[ CHAPTER 45 ] - ( THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA ) - { PT. 5 }


 { PT.  5 } - THE MESS HALL WAS a hullabaloo of boisterous crew-men most of whom were familiar with each other. The four of them dined with the Captain from pressed wooden trays on bolted-down Formica tables, oblivious of the man who sat quietly among the crew, studying their every movement. There's certainly more colour to your cheeks, Christiano, said the Captain. Yes. It seems I have found my feet. Well, if you're able to eat you're doing very well... How about I give you all a tour of the bridge after lunch. I have a bit of time? Actually, I'm going back to the cabin, said Frya. What about you three? Kurush looked at Christiano and Angelica for confirmation. Sounds good, he replied. They finished their lunch with small talk and laughter the funnelled corridor to embark on their tour of the ship. Are you sure you won't join us, Moosh-am? I'm not a baby anymore, Papa. She headed back to her cabin without another word. Maybe I should go with her, said Angelica. No. Clearly, she wants to be alone. She is much better since Christiano's prayer, but one little thing may trigger a memory, and she plummets again. Time is the friend of grief, said Christiano. It also selects the sweetest memories.                                  THE OVAL BRIDGE WITH its cockpit-style window faced a transparent sky and a halcyon sea that shimmered like a galaxy of stars. The interior lacked the outdoor splendour--the floor painted with the same putrid green that appeared throughout the ship. Two crewmen stood to attention when the Captain entered. As you were, he said. The first mate sat back down in his chair facing the navigational instruments and out to sea. Bleeping sonar devices and screens displaying automatic radar plotting, tracking aids and electronic chart display all added to the lay-man's confusion. Angelica looked at the screens and out to sea. Is it okay if I go out on deck? I've never sailed before, and it looks beautiful. Of course, replied the Captian, but please stay close to the bridge. I'll join you in a moment, said Christiano. Their hands parted with reluctance, and Angelica made her way onto a deck where she found a secluded spot away from the praying eyes of the bridge. She took in sights around her with the splendour of a child's eye, made a deep inhalation and leaned against the railings with closed eyes. The blustery wind welcomed her like a lover's embrace. Hello. The gruff voice came from behind her. She turned to the sound and was immediately taken aback by large, nebulous eyes and a zigzagging scar running across the man's cheek. H... ell...o.                                                                                                  ______________________________________________________                                                                                                                    

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA - [ CHAPTER 48 ] - { PT. 7 }

Image
  { PT.  7 } - Kristoff's eyes widened; his black dilated pupils covered their entire sockets. He raised the knives in the air. The reflection of the flames set the blades on fire. They flickered in his eyeballs. This kill is sanctioned by God. You carry an abomination, and you must die. Angelica maintained her composure, her fearless gaze focused on eyes that looked like empty sockets, ablaze. She looked across at his hands futilely quivering with determined force, yet Kristoff's arms remained suspended in the air. He stared at them as if they were alien, trying to move them with all the strength he could muster. He turned his dumb-founded gaze on Angelica. What are you? he managed to say before he found himself taking off through the air. Firmly attached to his hip was Christiano, ramming him with all the might of a bull. They landed several feet away on the sloping ground and wrestled in a tangled embrace as they tumbled down the deck. Christiano! cried Angelica, watching he
Read more

THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA - ( CHAPTER 48 ) - { PT. 8 }

Image
  { PT.  8 } - It's going to get rocky. Frya blocked the door and made her way to the helm. The next explosion tore the ship in two. The screeching metal carcass careened to an extreme angle sending cargo containers the size of coaches spilling into the sea. Frya frantically pumped the release lever, and the lifeboat slid off its davits. It nosedived into the water like a playful whale, submerging into the sea and causing crashing ripples around them before it sprung to the surface. It danced on the stormy waves as Frya steered the boat like a native seaman, taking them a safe distance from the swirling vacuum. Only the four of them had made it to safety. A tortured Angelica rose from her seat and pushed her way past Achilleus. She pulled the door open, slumped on the flood and looked towards the sinking mass before her. The ship's mast, now a flaming beacon of the ship's existence--the rest of its body submerged beneath the ocean. Christiano, she whimpered unable to steer
Read more

THE PRIEST OF SATAN MARIA - ( FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS EARLIER ) [ CHAPTER 49 ] - { PT. 8 }

Image
  THE TWO MEN ROLLED -  ( CHAPTER  49 )  -  { PT.  8 } - like tumbleweeds down the sloping deck, speeding through fore and knocking against sharp, unidentifiable obstacles--both maintaining their grips like two vices. Their descent to the ocean depths was shielded by a large cargo container loosely hinged in mid-air. It creaked beneath their weight as if this one more pressure was just too much to bear, and at any moment it would plunge into the sea and take them with it. Both men were indifferent to the danger. With Kristoff pinned to the ground, Christiano had the advantage; his hands clamped around his neck in an indomitable grip. The assassin's hands were cemented to Christiano's wrists, pushing against him with all his strength. The sweat on their bodies sizzled. The heat from the scorching fire was hazardously close. The groaning cargo container continued to hinge up and down like a seesaw. Each movement threatened them with imminent death. Sweat dripped from Christiano&#
Read more