The Animator (Larry Stylinson)

CHAPTER FOUR - A SINKING FEELING

Smoke was beginning to spiral into the sky blocking out the cloudy blue stretch once again and the two boys stared in horror as it dispersed into the air taking away all the light and leaving the air around them heavy and thick.

Once the sight had set in Harry tore from the room and leaned over the balcony looking at the rising smoke which was starting to drift over to them. The acrid smell was already burning his lungs as he started to hyperventilate.

"Oh no," Harry all but whispered before he choked on the smoke and coughed painfully, his throat felt like it was burning and his eyes were stinging from it, he turned to look at Niall who had walked out with him and saw him holding his breath against the smoke, his face flushed.

They were quick to get back into the navigation room and shut the door behind them, but Harry had no idea what to do next.

"We should probably run for it," Niall spluttered, his voice sounding quite dry just from the minute they'd been stood out there.

"We're in the middle of the ocean, Ni." Harry said turning to Niall and frowning. "There's not exactly many places to run. Unless you can walk on water as well as read minds."

"Where's it even coming from?" Niall asked, ignoring Harrys sarcasm. Harry turned to look out of the window, which was quite difficult given the fact the smoke was now so thick it was hard to see anything. Niall question was a good one, Harry couldn't see the actual source of the smoke and that in itself was disconcerting.

His anxiety levels were now worse than ever and he was practically panting as he started pacing in the small room. The smoke had obviously been coming from below deck because before the smoke had completely blackened the air, they hadn't seen any flames.

"We need to get off this boat." Harry told Niall, it was obvious that if the boat was on fire, soon the rest of it would be too and they'd be burned alive inside it. It was not a way Harry wanted to go.

The question of how they'd get off the boat wasn't difficult. Harry and Niall often used the small wooden boat at the front of the ship to get to shore when there was no place to land, that was of course back when they were allowed off of the boat.

"We have to use the boat. We'll need to get as many supplies as possible and as quickly as possible. The ship is either going to burn up or sink and I don't want to be on it when it does either." Harry said walking over to the door, the smoke was starting to make its way underneath it and Harry was quick to pull his coat over his mouth.

"Ready?" He asked, his voice muffled beneath the fabric and Niall stared at him for a moment looking rather like he'd rather drown in the navigation room than go back outside.

"Not really," He said but lifted his own coat over his mouth like Harry had done and Harry opened the door as they both moved out of the room.

The further down the stairs they got, the lighter the smoke felt until they could almost see the ship around them. Harry hurried to the door to the rest of the ship and Niall grabbed his arm to stop him.

"We don't know where the fire is coming from, Harry. It could be a furnace down there." He said and Harry bit his lip as he very slowly opened the door to the stair well. It seemed free of smoke and they both cautiously stuck their heads through the door.

"Come on," Harry said pulling Niall in and dropping his coat, "We'll be quick."

They made their way down the stairs, keeping an eye out for anything remotely flame like and continued along the corridor to their bunk room. Harry grabbed his bag and pulled all his clothes out from where he kept them under his bed. He packed as many as possible, leaving enough room for other things they'd need and he looked over at Niall seeing him doing the same. Harry then grabbed the blanket off of his bed and stood up.