6 hours, 43 minutes since outbreak in London.
20 minutes since outbreak aboard MS HotS.
Lori stood at the cabin door peering out into the corridor. The problem with being in a cabin like this and hearing news like that from your captain was that the thought of having nowhere to escape to in the worst case scenario settled in, creating and compiling the unavoidable feelings of claustrophobia and anxiousness.
Not used to these circumstances, Lori had begun to feel restless and nervous, compelling her to find out what was going on. She had peered through the peephole to see nothing but staff and other guests walking by.
Shortly after having opened the door however, she noticed a crowd of angry and confused people beginning to amass towards the end of the corridor.
"Lori, come back in, baby. Shut the door", Rachel pleaded.
"There's a crowd gathering at the end of the corridor".
"Don't get involved".
"Maybe they have information or something, I should at least go and check, I might find out something crucial".
Rachel sighed.
"And what if you don't? What if there's a damn good reason the captain wants us to stay in our cabins?"
"And stay here none the wiser with nowhere to escape to if something major is happening? We might as well be seals in shark tank".
"Lori!"
"I'm going, stay here if you want", Lori insisted, slipping out of the cabin and venturing into the corridor. She marched down the corridor towards the crowds and heard raised voices as a particularly heated situation neared boiling point.
"Why hasn't the captain told us what is going on?" One man shouted.
"Yeah! This is some bullshit! Is he keeping something from us?" A woman snapped.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down, the captain will alert you when more news has been provided, until then, the only option is to wait", a security guard instructed.
"Wait? When the ship might be sinking? Wait until it's too late?" Another man replied. Lori stopped at the back of the crowd.
"The ship isn't sinking, I can assure you, but your safety comes first and as part of protocol it is our duty to make sure you are all in a safe space before we investigate, inform you of and resolve the issue and then resume the rest of the voyage as normal. This however only slows us down and endangers you", the security guard replied.
"You know something, so why won't you tell us?" A woman demanded.
"Ma'am, please".
A situation was clearly developing into something more than it needed to be here, the staff's coyness was doing little to alleviate the nervousness of those onboard and if anything, invited more questions.
Someone placed their hand on Lori's shoulder and she turned to find Rachel.
"Any news?" She asked.
"No, nothing. They're being tight lipped", Lori replied.
"I told you we'd most likely discover nothing".
"Yeah, but I can't stay in that windowless, escapeless, cabin with no indication as to what's happening, because if something is, we're trapped".
Rachel sighed.
"I'll stay with you until they do".
"Thanks".
YOU ARE READING
Cryptophobia - Hell & High Water
Horror(Book 2 of the Cryptophobia series) Just before London falls to its knees, the largest cruise-ship in the world, the MS Heaven of the Seas sets sail on its long 9 day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton towards the Caribbean. Having to...
