The great horizon

Ghost (Trusting My Imagination)

23 years ago, my crew and I were to be on board "the great horizon". The ship was on her last voyage before retirement. After serving for 20 years. She was a British ship. The only that never recorded fault. It usually carried a British flag and an emblem. It was a lavish cruise ship almost like the titanic. A ticket was as at that time sold at $500. It was to through the ocean lane, south of the Atlantic Ocean.
I was a journalist at that time working with "Swiss Guard" TV. My name is Emily. It was my first travel experience through the ocean.
The ship was to leave its dock by 7:50am. As early as 5:10, we were up from the bed and by 5:50 am, we were at the station. I think I could count up to 538 people in a line as long as anything you could imagine. And that period of time was a time I would call rainbow fashion period where people could wear a green wig, a purple jacket, an Adolf hitler's mustache, a pineapple headed green belt, a free mouthed trouser and to crown it all, an Aladdin shoe. And with a line as long as river Nile, you won't be needing a torch light. White people looking like rainbow colored sun and blacks looking like kung-fu fighters. The choking smell of tobacco filled the air. Crying kids, yelling mothers and nagging fathers was little of what I could hear. Trucks of load running up and down. But even after every thing, everyone was willing and ready to fight for a ticket. Second class occupants paid $300. Third class occupants paid $150. By 7:00am loading began. The started with the first class occupants comprising of business men, wealthy men of societies, creme d'la creme of the nation, prince's and Princesses of the royal world I mean the British first class citizens- Kings and queen.
The second class occupants were next and included my team and I. I was number 301 so you can tell how many first class occupants they had. Third class occupants began at number 414 so not much 3rd class occupants.
At exactly 7:30am, the horn was blown ti indicate not just the sip leaving its dock but also signifying its last voyage. It's Aiden voyage was 20 years before the time I tell you about. So it was one of the longest sailing ships. She never lost her glory even after 20 years. Though it underwent modification and repairs through the years. As we all said our goodbye to families and friends in different languages, the shop began its journey. The first class citizen had already made food and assorted drinks and wine of different varieties. Classical music could be heard and of course, the had lovely ocean views. I sat in my well decorated and furnished suite maybe admiring the flowers in its vases and wondered how they could dance in a beautifully and In a  circular manner. I had a little radio by the side of my drawers and my black and white TV showing "Some like it hot". It was a movie starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon and for the record, it was the 8th time I was watching it and still not bored, the typical me. I was so interested in the movie and with the Cheval blanc wine which was in my glass cup made me think I was in heaven.
I was interrupted by a knock on the door. I reluctantly stood up to attend to my visitor. As I opened the door, I saw no one. I angrily shut my door and was about to take my position when all of a sudden, I heard a scream. The sound came from the 3rd class cabin. It was not really a scream. Someone was talking and continously saying "haunted". I opened my door and came out to search for the weird visitor. Just when I was about to turn my back, I saw a man without a head. That sight scared the shit out of me. I almost fainted. In my life, I never believed in two things: miracle and ghost. The latter I began to believe after I was sent to cover the story of the Woods murder.
The Woods were actually a family of five who had just relocated to a brand new duplex in a secluded area of the Hamlet, Oregon. Mr woods was an immigration officer while his wife was a nurse. Their 3 daughters on that fateful day were watching Marilyn Monroe's movie River of no return. And suddenly, the lights started flickering and eventually went off. Mr woods and his wife ran out of the kitchen. And turned on the torch lights. He first checked the control panel and nothing was wrong. Then when he turned around, he found out that his first daughter was missing. He questioned Annie and her sister about their elder sister whereabouts. They both looked surprise at how their elder sister disappeared within few minutes. Later annie said they heard sound coming from the tools room. Her dad ran to check if the first daughter was there. Just as he left, Annie eyes caught a movement. It was her sister with spade and blood on her face. Her dad ran inside out of fear and locked the door. And then a strong wind almost ripping them apart. And before she opened her eyes, her family members were dead. Annie later recovered from the incident. The eldest daughter called her friend from college. They only thing she could say to the girl was "I can't run for long, they are all dead. I am scared". Then the line got disconnected. Ashley had tried her line continously but it was switched off. Ashley said that her friend sounded like she was running from something. Ashley then informed the cops. When they arrived at the scene,Mr woods was seen on the chair with a spade in his heart. His wife was seen hanging face down, the last child was seen in the bathtub frozen to death. Annie The CCTV camera footage showed when the first daughter was killing her parents. She was actually possessed. A search party was organized to find the first daughter. And after two weeks of serious searching, we found her decomposed body and head was detached from her body. Her eyes were gorged out.
I ran to see a counselor just 2ft away.  "First time on the sea" He asked with a smile. "yes" I answered. He smiled before he said" it's nothing. Just sea fears. Regular things happen like nausea, headache and body pain, weird dreams like what you are experiencing now. In most severe cases, nose bleeding could happen".  And honestly I never saw weird things again. I learnt to never trust my imagination.