THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA

  { PT.  3 } - CAPTAIN COSTANTINO AWOKE WITH  a start. There was something bothering him on this trip--a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. For days before the voyage, he had recurring nightmares of a raging fire on his ship, and each dream became more vivid. Now he was seeing the dead, mutilated bodies of his crewmen strewn around the vessel. Arms separated from legs, entrails lining the corridors and pieces of bloodied flesh papering the walls. He stood by the sink, splashed cold water on his face and stared into the mirror as he wiped his skin dry. The icy dread in his eyes perturbed him. He dressed and made his way to the bridge for a cup of coffee and a chat with his second mate. The ship's creaks and rumbles sounded like a hungry old whale with arthritic joints. The lights above him flickered, transforming the corridor into a dark, dank cavern. There was fear in the air. It smelled metallic. He reached the metal door and noticed that it was slightly ajar....