Flooded Earth - A Gay, Post-Apocalyptic Romance Adventure

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

I stepped shakily off the boat onto the wooden platform of the plaza and was instantly greeted by a throng of hands. They grabbed at my limbs and pat me for assurance that I was real. I couldn’t see where I was going and my head began to spin again in the confusion. I stumbled and nearly fell but a familiar hand held me up.

Looking up, I saw Judith. She held me up with her right hand but she wasn’t looking at me. Her gaze simply focused forward. Determined to get me through the crowd.

Looking around, I saw other familiar faces; Poofy looking sullen and worried, Dan’s wooden face who’s eyes were ringed from a lack of sleep, Crick who was poising questions to people I couldn’t see, Karen, who’s gaze flicked between me and Judith.

Noise was roaring all around me. Now and then I caught parts of worried conversations and questions.

“Where was he?”

“Is he alright?”

“Did you see the others?”

“Where are they then?”

I didn’t want to think about that. I knew where they were. My dreams had told me that.

As I steadied, I felt Judith grip me tighter and begin to pull me through the mass of people. As the crowd thinned I saw the familiar white and red of The Bessie loom into view.

Judith pulled me through the door of the booth and across a wooden bridge that joined to the side of the steam boat. A large rectangular panel, which blended into the ships exterior, blocked our path. Judith let go of my arm and pressed on a smaller panel to the left of the large one. It jutted backwards and slid to the left revealing a metallic device that resembled a calculator. She punched in four digits and the small panel covered the device once more. With a hiss, the large panel mimicked the smaller one and slid sideways to reveal a white door. Judith opened it and the intense smell of soap hit me like a wave. Judith grabbed my hand and guided me inside.

The boats interior was decoratively feminine, just like the outside. Dark wooden panels made up the floor and the walls were bright white with a red trim. I was stood in a wide hallway that gave access to a balcony through two French doors at the opposite end. The right of the hallway opened up to a large living space through two frames that looked like they should house double doors. On the left of the hallway was a grand wooden staircase. It was up these which Judith led me.

She rounded us around the banister at the top of the stairs. I was now facing a long hallway with multiple brown doors lining the walls. Judith pushed open the first on the right.

The room was moderately sized and decorated similar to the interior and exterior, except the white was cream. At the far end of the room were another pair of French doors that lead out to another balcony that encircled the boat. The glass doors were framed by lush cream and white spotted curtains. The view from the French doors was spectacular. Complete coverage of the plaza and a decent view of the piers behind it. Outside, I could see the crowd of people beginning to disperse. Some were forming smaller groups but most went to their individual stalls.

To the right of the door of which I’d just entered stood a small table next to a bed. The cream covers lay immaculately on top of the mattress. The bed stand was a deep mahogany, matching the dark floor boards. A chair, made of the same wood, stood at the foot of the bed. Its back rest faced the wall. On the wall, next to the bed, was a flashing screen like the one in our boat. This one was grander than our industrial ones. The edges of the screen were cream, like the walls, with curved corners. The text on the screen read: When would you like to wake up? The font was bold and curved to match the retro style of the monitor.