DAYDREAMER

PART I: Welcome Aboard the A.U Voyager!

The cruise ship was barely visible in the midnight gloom, the only proof of its existence at all were the bright silver beams that came from the front lights, and the deafening horns that echoed through the pier, Lucia clasped her ears in response to the commotion; she hated loud noises, and this was a prime example of such. As the cruise drifted closer into the dock, its features became more prevalent under the lighting from within it. The bow was a dark grey with golden lining, elegantly crafted, the wording on the side of the boat glimmered brightly under the lights, Magnus could make out the words "A.U." the name of the ship. Its colossal nature had already dwarfed anything that they'd ever seen before, towering over the pier in mountainous glory. On the other side of the boat, there was a logo of a fish swimming around, chasing its tail fin, a homage to Trixibelle's fishing enterprise. The ship finally came to a halt at the dock and cars were starting to load themselves onto it, one by one. Everyone got out of the car and opened the trunk and began to collect their luggage, the cold midnight air cutting into their skin. Mr Wyatt appeared hesitant to pick up Cynthia's suitcase but carried it regardless. The cruise had two entrances, a bridge for the cars and a walkway for the passengers who didn't bring a vehicle. They dragged their luggage up the spiralling walkway, Magnus feeling uneasy glancing at the inky unlit waters that rippled below him. At the top of the walkway was a porter, dressed in a sleek jet-black tuxedo with a snow-white bowtie, not too dissimilar from the snowy landscape outside of the vessel, he had a long thick moustache which Aiden seemed to turn all his attention to. Noticing his scrutiny, the porter finally asked.

"Tickets, monsieur?" looking at Mr Wyatt with an outreaching palm. Lucia placed the tickets in his palm, and he read them, one by one.

"Ah, Ouais, you have booked for the exclusive quarters? Will you follow me, s'il vous plaît? I will help you with your luggage," he said smiling, he had a noticeable French accent, which didn't surprise them, it was a French cruise after all. Aiden and Cynthia both turned to their parents and gave them deep hugs, embracing them so tight, they were gasping for air at the end of it. After saying their goodbyes to Mr Wyatt and Mrs Lopez, they followed the porter into the ship, as the two parents appeared to sink into the midnight darkness outside.

Jake looked around the interior of the vessel, it was dimly lit by chandeliers and lanterns. There were incarnadine velvet couches set around the room, with a mahogany table that had marble legs, the floor was a shiny rosewood, with burgundy carpets. To the far end of the room was a large flatscreen television which was playing an old-fashioned movie and in the corner of the room was a pool table that had some refreshments which sat in front of the far wall, it had a wallpaper that was full of roses.

"C'est le salon, or the lounge, this is in the private quarters of the cruise, you have this to yourself," the porter mentioned, Jake and Aiden threw themselves onto the chair and began to sink into its soft velvety grasp.

"Allow me to show you to your chambers," he started once again, continuing to move down the ship. He stopped at a wooden door not too far from their lounge, the door had the number '404' engrained in the centre of it. The porter fiddled with his keys as he opened the door, revealing a large bedroom; to the far end of the room was a tinted window which looked out into the endless ocean, crimson curtains lining them, there was also a bookshelf next to the windows, filled with comic books and novels, which Cynthia helped herself to at once. There were 5 beds, each occupying one corner of the room, they had a bocote frame and feathered mattresses. Each bed had a small desk with a mechanical lamp decked with chocolates and other pastries. There were also separate doors in the room that lead to the bathrooms, kitchen and even a swimming pool. They were taken aback by the sheer luxury of it. Placing the luggage and keys on the floor, the porter headed for the door. Lucia stopped him, giving him a generous tip before sending him on his way.