It was one night at the beach when a teenage boy washes up onto the shore, breathless, dazed and confused. No one knew who he was or where he'd come from. And Rowan Mercetti was willing to find out. But, she hadn't planned to set herself up for dang...
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The yellow ball of fire changed to hues of orange, and then almost tangerine. It merged with the sky, like juice-mix dissolving in a glass of water. The fiery golden orb rose up from the horizon spreading its magnificent rays of light everywhere.
He watched the sea, lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves on sand. His eyes were steady to the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckoned the stars. His lips bear the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that he is enjoying his thoughts, whatever that may be.
He wrapped himself in his long cloak, lifting himself from the railing. He strayed up and down the deck like a grey ghost, the wind took fronds of his hair and made them into lashes that beat his face and blew over his head. Gazing around the boat he noticed the boat was cream colored with natural wood trimmings, a wooden deck, brass lamps under the canopies.
The music is thumping so hard his bones are vibrating he can feel the anger, the fear and the frustration leave his body. Music fills the air like residue from the rain, the sound rushing in and around every person on the deck. Some react to the beat, others continue to chatter, but it speaks to them in some manner.
The Jacowski's had boat parties regularly and everyone who knew them and were allowed to attend, attended with a plus one. He sipped his champagne, trailing his piercing gaze off into the sea. They were far from the shore now, the citizens on the shore were little inklings, black dots, unable to make them out, and vice versa. Even if someone had gotten sea-sick, they were far to deep into the sea to parade back to shore.
Voices babbled happily like a mountain river.
"I got new makeup, Derek." A woman peers to her husband, his face resolutely unimpressed. "Is it a natural look?" She wondered, he can't see it and so she's wasted time and money - two things he hates. He never sees the before version.
"Yeah, I like it that way." Derek says opening his eyes wider, keeping the smile. He nods and takes a sip of his alcohol, offering no ongoing conversation of his own, so she began again. "It's Valentines tomorrow, so I've booked a helicopter to take us to a mountain top, there's gonna be a table, great food." She smiles, hoping her joke will raise his spirits. Instead he huffs.
Tuning out the dull conversation, he stuttered away, noticing how scattered everyone seemed. The party was more of a kick-back, with no more than twenty-five people.
The once salmon and purple sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black that engulfed the town. A canopy of luminous stars materialized among the ocean of blackness. The ocean glistened, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars.The faint wind brushed against the water's surface, the ripples ruffled the stillness of the surface, and shattered the reflection of the boat.
He observed the hostess, Audrey Jacowski, and her beautiful, blonde tresses complimenting her black cocktail dress. Audrey hardly ever showed emotion beyond fatigue. She showed a polite interest in the lives of her family, of her boyfriend, and otherwise kept herself to herself. He noticed Audrey roll her eyes in frustration at her boyfriend. Their arguing had a dull exhaustion to it, like they'd been over the same bitterness too many times before.
The argument was cold. Every word over pronounced, slicing rather than tumbling through the dry air. The love hadn't gone, it had been distorted into a close mimic of hatred. But today was different, everything her boyfriend said was wrong, when she voiced the frustrations of her day he exploded, with words that pulled no punches.
Her boyfriend after-all, knew her better than anyone, loved her more than anyone, but in these infrequent failures to suppress his rage at the world he tore into her like only a lover can. He knew her weak spots and deepest pains - she was an easy target. He watched her face change to hurt and anger.
Audrey slapped him across the face and tossed her drink into his face and it only served to bring his own fury to a higher boil. Her boyfriend grips her arm aggressively shoving her fragile body into his, careless to whomever might see. Audrey flinches and he whispers into her ear, tightening his grasp on her pale arms.
The man glances around examining the party, everyone was still talking and dancing among themselves. No one made out the the two figures fighting underneath the night sky, except him. Audrey struggled to abandon her boyfriend's aggressive grip, suddenly his hand shoved her away and she fell with force from it.
Audrey's glass shattered against the deck as she landed with a thud. Her scumbag of a boyfriend, gazed around and stepped over his frail girlfriend's body.
That was the last time he had seen Audrey Jacowski's boyfriend, throughout the entire party. In fact, that was the last time he had witnessed Audrey Jacowski.
At first he did not notice it.
And shortly he did, notice more and more people were disappearing on the boat. It was like a spook. One minute they were there and the next they were gone. Vanished. It was as if they were able to dissolve into the very air itself and blow away with the breeze.
Like millions of red flowers blooming, the droplets of blood fell to the floor and created a path. But as he lowered his head in suspicion of the stillness of the boat, he staggered back at the sight of the red liquid on the floor. The color swirled in his mind, making him feel light while curiosity aroused in his mind.
His glistening eyes followed the line, almost forcefully, like it had a mind of its own as some would say. The red liquid however, was still flowing through the tiny cracks on the deck. It was heading towards him, and every limb in his body screamed for him to jump off the boat. He did not listen though.
His breathing shallow and loud his palm covered his mouth as he spotted the captain's lifeless body. Blood gushed with sickening determination from the captain's neck, as if his own heart sought to pump it from his body.
That's when he realized everyone wasn't dining downstairs, or sleeping in the bedrooms on the boat.
They were dead and he was the last one left.
And the only thing he knew was there was a killer on the boat.
