Chapter 4
Tranquility
Around 3:00, I decided to hit the mall. I'd spent the early part of the afternoon settling into my new room, and I figured it was time to emerge out of my little niche and explore the ship. And what better place to start then the center, where the mall was located?
My luggage had been delivered a couple of hours ago and now it sat neatly against the far wall in my bedroom. It had taken forever to find my yellow sundress, one that I had specifically picked for my first day on the cruise, when I would be shopping like there was no tomorrow. And currently I was twirling in front of the mammoth mirror in the bathroom evaluating how it looked on me. I had to admit. It looked cute, making me look like a little girl again. I spun and did a 360, making sure it was fine from every angle. The dress went down to me knees, where it fluffed out and made a beautiful skirt of lace. I wasn't a fan of yellow, but this particular day, I decided to accept it and deal.
My hair on the other hand, was a different story. Sure it was nice, long, and silky, but it still looked like it'd been the sight of an eagles nest. Leaving it down would be too sophisticated for the sundress, so I decided to put it up in a high ponytail and stick some yellow ribbons in it.
There we go...perfect... I thought stepping back and looking at myself after I finished.
I put on a pair of yellow flats and out the door I went, purse in one hand and my keys in the other. I locked up and started towards the elevator. Hopefully it wouldn't be crowded because I was in a rush to start my shopping spree. I didn't get ten feet from my door when I heard a scratching sound, like someone was dragging their nails against a hard surface. It sent chills down my spine. I shivered involuntarily and glanced around, unsure of where the noise was coming from. Maybe I was being too paranoid. I continued walking, but the noise only kept getting louder. I tried my best to ignore it. There was a muffled scream from somewhere up ahead. It. Was. Bloodcurdling.
Ok that's it!
I marched down the hall pissed and determined to find out the source of the sound. These people were gonna hear from me. Room 1601. I stopped in front of it, not sure what else to do. Suddenly from behind the door, I heard gurgling and then a sickening snap and all went silent. Eerily silent. I stood there, my hand frozen in mid air to knock. What the hell was that???!!
Should I knock? I wondered.
Maybe not. It could be someone just unpacking. And it would be rude to knock like that. Besides, I didn't want to add to my list of weirdness. Somehow, instinct told me I shouldn't be the one walking in on whatever was taking place. Whatever. I shrugged, turned around, and continued towards the elevator. Dismissing the majorly strange experience from my head, I decided to focus on the awesomeness of a bag full of cash and stores filled with top class merchandise. I could practically hear the Prada purses calling my name.
Stepping out of the elevator, I smoothly dodged the large mass of room-keepers and waiters shuffling around in the hallway. I was actually surprised. This hallway was so unlike any of the others in the ship. It had plain white walls with no decorations, a concrete floor, and millions of dirty dishes stuffed into numerous carts.
Wait...whoa whoa...room-keepers? Waiters? This couldn't be right.
I was in the wrong hallway, but I realized that a second too late.
"Um...excuse me Miss. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to tell you to leave. This area is for authorized personal only."
I flinched and turned around, half expecting to see a cop. I wouldn't be shocked if I did. You never know what kind of people you'll run into on a cruise ship. Instead, what I saw was something out of the ordinary. It was a guy, probably around seventeen or eighteen. He had long black hair that he wore loose and dark bottomless eyes. He had a beautiful gold tan and looked like he was maybe Mexican. Over all, he was die-hard gorgeous. And his expression clearly told me that he wasn't sorry. In fact, he looked kinda pissed. Like he had more important things to do than tell a spoiled loitering brat to get out of the way. Why did people always underestimate me?
