Book 1: Shattered Harmony

Chapter 25: Haunted

Drive

Chapter 25

Haunted

The boat swayed back and forth on the waves. Danny sat on the bed her eyes closed an a bucket on the floor in front of her. Zareth stood over by the burner. A kettle sat on it. The first mate wasn't kidding when he said they'd have rough seas ahead of them. The Captain had sobered up real quick.

"Here babe...try and get this down. Its no good to dry heave." Zareth ran his hand over her head. She was clammy to the touch. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "You know...I missed it." He said. Danny slowly looked up from sipping her tea. He had made it perfectly the way she liked it.

"Hum?" She managed

"Your birthday. I wasn't around." He said sitting back on the bed looking up at her. Danny nodded her head.

"I'm supposed to be 25, but I'm actually just a year old." Danny told him putting down the empty cup on the floor. She curled in and looked into his bright blue optics. Hers glowed bronze like Echos did.

"But that means I missed my baby sisters first birthday." He ran his fingers through his ungelled hair. It fell back into his face. "I'm sorry dannygirl."

"Its not like its your fault Zareth. You're here now and we can make up for it" Danny said yawning. She put her head on his shoulder. The clock said 9:15pm. It was about time they went to sleep. Zareth pulled the blanket back and he climbed in. Zareth chuckled as Danny got in with him even though their was a bunk.

"Oh its going to be like that again huh?" He said and felt her turn to put her head against his chest.

"I just feel safer this way."

"Danny baby we're in the middle of the ocean and I know these guys. They don't work for Gaya." He said

"Gaya?"

"Yeah." He said. Danny pulled away from Zareth and stood up.

"Well okay but if one walks through those do..." the ship listed to the side and crashed into something. Danny stumbled to the side and hit the ground hard. She sat up shaking the fuze from it. She felt herself being scooped up by Zareth. "Come on we gotta go." He said

Danny was pushed along by Zareth as she left the room. Apparently the other people had the same idea. They were all trying to get out at once. The floor was soaked and getting even worse. Finally after a bit of pushing through the people they got out on deck. Their were high waves, and rocks all around them. At least their was a moon. Danny was pushed toward the lifeboats. The boat was pushed sideways spilling a few people into the water. Danny felt the cold water hit her like a ton of daggers along her body. She was tossed to and fro. Her body felt like a rag doll in the water. She tried her best to stay above water. She looked around seeing Zareth not to far from her. She swam over to him and grabbed his hand pulling him away from the rocks. He turned and spotted her. Her teeth were chattering, he knew she wasn't human, but she still had the software to act that way...or maybe she really was cold?

"Danny we need to get you out of the wat..." Another monster wave crashed into them. Danny lost her grip and they both rolled. Danny hit one of the rocks hard it knocked the air out of her. It caused her to inhale the water. She began to cough, but the problem was she was under water while she tried to cough. It made her suck in more water. She couldn't get to the surface. She felt someone grab her middle and pull her up. Finally her face broke the cold air. Zareth lay Dannys head against his shoulder so she could breath freely away from the water. Yet she couldn't, her synthetic lungs were full of water. She could feel her body overheating. He had to get the water out of her, but how..." He swam for the rocks. He pushed her up onto one and crawled up beside her.