Kate and Sean

Untitled Part 4

By the second month at sea, the crew had come up dry on their latest catch. The last one they sold at a European port. Sean marveled over the fact that this type of fish wasn't popular in the United States, because apparently it was a huge hit in the UK.

The Captain and the crew decided to pass through a little known strait to try hitting the Arctic shelf in hopes of grabbing some mackerel. Within a few hours of hitting the strait, they found themselves run aground.

The crew scrambled to secure the vessel and repair the damage, before an impending storm rolled in. The waters were already treacherous and visibility was a few yards at best. None of the radio or satellite equipment seemed to be working. As night fell the storm picked up speed, it's temper flaring as if to punish them for even entering the torrid water.

The waves grew more violent, and with the boat firmly wedged on the stony reef there was no choice left. Abandon ship or be smashed into splinters along with it. The three lifeboats filled quickly with the twenty-two crew-members. The last boat was holding on for dear life as Sean tried to coax Kate into it.

Sean feared it was hopeless, trying to free her from her own fears and the railing she clung to. Finally Smokey yanked her from the banister and threw her tiny frame over his shoulder as he descended the starboard side.

No sooner than she hit the boat, a wave pummeled the ship so hard it flung Sean from the deck, into the water. The crew scrambled to pull him into the boat before the waves could toss them too far from the ship. He made it into the skiff and Kate now clung to him with no notice or care that he was soaking wet and freezing. They tossed through the night like a cork in a bathtub. Come morning they all awoke on a beach. Half of the ship lay in shattered pieces next to the dingy they were in.

   Sean could feel the icy water bleeding through the gravely sand as he tried to push himself upright. It was no use there was an immense amount of pressure on his back and before he could get his bearings his hands were tied behind his back. "Dude , what the fuck?"

He was tossed haphazardly onto a cart, and there were three other guys already strapped to it. Looking around from his awkward vantage point, he could see huge, hairy men. They had on leather pants, and shoulder armor and well as metal and leather breastplates. They all carried incredible spears. Sean questioned if he could even lift one.

As the beasts talked he could see fangs, dog like fangs, although the rest of their teeth looked normal. Ken was tied next to him and the color in his face was just gone, "They burned em. They burned the bodies. Our friends are gone, dude. I don't know what they're gonna do with us, I think we're food."

Sean's wits were not that lost, "If that were true why wouldn't they eat the ones they burned?" He tried craning his neck to get a look at the beast dragging them across the shore towards the woods. All he could see was the creature's backside and the occasional branches and leaves that were now whacking him in the face as they passed by. "Dude, have you seen Kate?"

"She was the first one they took, they tied her hands and tossed her over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes." Ken's voice was pitchy as he tried to whisper.

Sean tried to get his bearings on who was in the cart with them, "Who died?"

"So far, the captain, Steve, Sammy. Aaron. Those are the only ones I saw get tossed into the fire. I don't even think Steve was really dead. He was either faking it to stay alive, or he was too hurt to fight back. There was screaming when they threw him in. Dude, they didn't even look back."

Sean shifted in his bonds to see if he could reach his pocketknife, it was useless, the bonds were too tight. They were hauled through the forest for hours. It seemed like the journey would never end, then the dense black branches and leafy greens finally gave way to a very busy village. The beasts that were lugging them stopped and conversed for a few seconds then changed direction.