Soul Riders | Star Stable

Unchartered Waters| Chapter 22

Anne, Linda, and Alex stepped outside of the cave, it was still dark but the sky was growing slightly lighter. This gave each of them some hope that the seemingly endless night wouldn't last forever.

"Should we take the horses?" Linda asked.

"It might be too hard to fight with them, we have no idea how tight the quarters will be when we are inside the ship," replied Anne.

Alex nodded her head in agreement.

"Well... we kind of need a plan before we do this," Anne started.

"And that's why it's lucky you have me. I think we should portal onto the shore, a slight ways down from the boat," Linda said decisively. 

"Okay," Anne replied, she took a deep breath and started focusing her energy to make a portal but felt overwhelmingly dizzy and reached out for something to lean on. Her sight darkened for a moment before she looked up to see Linda's concerned face watching her. 

"Anne . . . are you sure your up for this?" Linda asked, her voice unable to hide her concern.

"Yes!" Anne said it slightly louder than she meant to, "I'm ... fine."

Alex looked slightly skeptical but did not voice her opinion.

"Well then whenever your ready," Linda looked slightly hurt and Anne felt guilty for replying so harshly to a caring friend.

"I'm sorry it's just a lot, being held hostage and fighting in a cold raging storm. I'm just feeling a little worn out and I'm sure you can both relate. This all happened so fast and sometimes it all feels so pointless."

"Well pointless or not, we were chosen for this, I have hope that in 24 hours we will be sitting outside with some lemonade or hot cocoa," Linda said it with a slight smile.

Feeling a little bit of comfort from Linda's words Anne close her eyes and made the motions to form a portal once again, after a minute a small one formed. Alex had to bend down so that she could enter it. Anne didn't know how many more portals she would be able to make tonight.

When Alex felt the ground beneath her feet she opened her eyes wide, she usually kept them clamped shut whenever she entered Anne's portals. All the swirling and the feeling of falling were enough to make anyone sick, but this time it was worse and Alex almost hurled when Linda was walking out and Linda was obviously feeling the same nauseous feeling. Anne came through a few seconds later and saw both of their pale faces and felt like she was letting them down.

"So," Alex began as she held onto a tree to help stabilize herself against the constant spinning of the world. "We should..." Alex blinked slowly a few times, "get our... buckets and yes."

"What?" Linda asked looking at Alex as if she was insane, Linda was starting to recover from the sickly spinning but Alex on the other hand still looked very much affected.

Alex took a few steps forward and then fell to the ground on her hands and knees. She tried to get up again but only fell back down and rolled over onto her back. The waves were crashing against the shore and relief came in the form of raindrops dripping on Alex's face. The rain was no longer raging and instead fell from the sky slowly and gave a calming feeling.

"Ugh, motion sickness sucks" Alex said slowly. "But I'm sure I will be fine," Alex started pushing herself up and tripped on some jagged rocks poking out of the sand.

"We aren't leaving here until you can walk in a straight line, the last thing we need is you wandering off the side of the boat," Linda replied.

Alex gave a small smile, "well if I ever wander off the side of a boat you know somethings wrong, the real Alex would only have one option. To jump."

"I know your a dare devil but I wouldn't dare jump off that, it looks as if highest point is twenty feet above the water. Not to mention the raging waves beating the sides of it..." Anne replied back. 

Alex began to push herself up again with more success this time, after waiting a minute while holding onto Linda's arm, she began to walk. After it was confirmed amongst themselves that Alex could walk in a straight line they set off towards the dark riders boat, it was tied with multiple ropes to a flimsy old dock that looked like it could give way if to much pressure was applied to it. The boat rocked back in forth in the swells of the ocean, the moon peaked slightly through the clouds and the rain fell in eerie slowness. 

When they got close to the dock they stooped down in the shadow of some bushes. "So how do we enter?" Alex asked.

"Well I think we should portal on, someone would definitely see us if we just walked on," Linda looked at Anne, "do you think your up for it?"

Anne nodded, though she had no idea. All she did know was that she had to be there for her friends, they needed her and in this moment solely depended on her.

"Okay," Linda said slowly as she thought, "lets portal there," she pointed towards a dark corner of the ship," its under the windows and I think we have a low chance of being seen if we go there." The ship was reminiscent of a platform dock ship, except smaller and not as tall, though still intimidating.

Anne needed a few minutes this time to form a portal, she felt like her body was filling with lead and a certain tingling numbness, different from what she was already feeling from the cold, was affecting her. Alex and Linda went first and Anne followed behind them. The inside of the portal was unfamiliar, it was darker and flickered like old lights beginning to burn out. The falling sensation was faster and felt slightly out of control. While a cold wind whooshed by their ears sending goosebumps up their limbs. 

When they finally reached the end they fell in a heap in the dark corner of the ship. Alex was crushed on the bottom disoriented and Linda was sandwich in-between her and Anne.

"Shhhhhh!" Linda hushed as Alex groaned from the sickness she was feeling and the weight that was on her. Anne rolled quietly off the pile and Linda did the same, offering a hand to pull Alex up. Alex gurgled before saying, "I think I'm going to be sick," and then bent over the side of the boat. They took a few minutes to take in their surroundings, they were on the side of the boat, under a small canopy. Suddenly a loud announcement issued from the speakerphone above them, "Assistance needed in lower decks," and ended with a crackle. 

"My guess would be to start our search below. . ." Linda broke off as she eyed a trapdoor a few feet away.

Alex mumbled, "and you say I'm the daredevil."

~~~

I just want to thank you all so much! 1000 views and almost 100 votes, I never expected this but I am so pleased you like my story!!

I'm back in school now so I get quite a bit of homework and I usually feel so drained when I get back home so that's why its taken me awhile to get back to writing. I have some school days going from 8:30 to 5 since I'm in musical theatre and with Covid I have 3 hour classes. So 3 hours of science and then 3 hours of gym. 

One more thank you because the upvotes and comments remind me to get back to writing :D

Stay safe, wear a mask, and have a great day!