Orom's Hub

[Orombur]

((I'm in a Creative Writing class at my school now, so I've actually got writing to post up here again. Here's one of my recent works.))

The Island

The warm glow of the fire brought more light to the already bright night, mixing with the full moon and stars to remove all traces of fear in the campers. Today was the day of one of their parties, and they were all determined to have a good time. Everyone was laughing and singing, enjoying themselves. Somebody had grabbed hot dogs from the tent and there were plenty of drinks to go around.

John grabbed a drink and opened it, taking a quick swig before staring into the fire, mesmerized by the dancing flames. Everyone around him was laughing, and the vague smell of cigar smoke drifted by. Tyler, a great musician, had grabbed his guitar from a tent and somebody jokingly said something about campfire songs, referencing an old cartoon that they had all watched when they were younger. John was glad he had decided to come out to the pond tonight.

He edged closer to the fire and stuck his hands out toward it, trying his best to warm up a bit. It was a cool night, not nearly warm enough by any means. October nights in New England never were, especially not around a pond. But the fire was roaring, and nobody could complain that much about the early fall chills on this night.

The fifteen of them had all broken up into their own conversations until Connor shouted above the din. He was a big guy, taller than everyone else and clearly much stronger than most too. Everyone looked up at him questioningly.

“Alright everyone,” he said, much more quietly, “We’ve got a good campfire going a few weeks before Halloween. Anyone know any good ghost stories?” A few people laughed, and there were shrugs all around. No one seemed too intent on telling a story and breaking from the way the night had been thus far.

“Nobody?” Connor sat back down in his green chair, and paused briefly. He continued before everyone went back to talking amongst themselves. “Crap, I was really counting on that. How about any regular stories? They’ve gotta be good though.” Another pause. “Oh come on, don’t make me tell one.”

There were a few more shrugs and a few groans until John stood up. “Yeah, I’ve got a good one.” Connor nodded, although there were a few apprehensive looks shot John’s way. He made sure that everyone was listening. Though there were a few upset faces, everybody was paying enough attention to hear.

“Alright, here’s a true story. This happened to me a few years ago, during the summer before our junior year.

“If you guys can remember, that was the summer that I first met a lot of you. I was introduced to a few of you through our old Chemistry class, but at that point I was still on the outside of the group. Well, that same summer, before I started hanging out with all of you, I had an interesting adventure with my old group of friends.

“One weekend, we had decided to get together at my house. Oddly enough, we figured out that that was the same weekend that my cousin, who had been going to college in Maine, would be back in state. He had been part of our group for a while, so we decided that two of us would set out to go pick him up from the island. He was up for it, so I set out with Henry to go get him.

“I think a few of you might know Henry. He’s really the only one from that group who I still hang out with. For those of you that don’t, Henry’s a big guy. Not big like Connor here, all bulked up, but more… outwards. He wasn’t the skinniest guy around. I used to think that he was tall, but I’m just as tall as he is now and still shorter than a few of you. But his beard makes him one of the more recognizable people around.

“Anyways, Henry had a personality the size of his gut. He’s an outgoing and funny guy. A lot of people like him, and a lot of people hate him. Nobody’s quite sure about him. But one of the more obvious things about him is his poor eyesight. He’s barely able to see street-signs until he’s past them when he’s driving. Luckily for us, I was, and still am, and eagle eye when it came to these things. My cousin was down on the island, so it would take a little while to get there and find him, and I would need to be on my a-game.

“We started off fine, making it almost all the way there with no trouble. We pulled into one of the lanes to get over the bridge. It was slow-going and one of the longest lines of traffic. Henry was getting impatient after a few minutes and asked me if we should move into one of the other lanes. I was hesitant, because I wasn’t sure which lanes were using the new payment methods, and we only had cash to get over and back. I knew if I didn’t say anything he would pull into the next lane, so I told him to wait it out in this one.”

“I think I might of heard this one before,” Connor interjected. A few of the others chatted amongst themselves again, but were shushed by the big man. “Not sure though. Continue, John.”

“Thank ya’ Connor. Anyways, not seconds after I tell him to stay put the board over the lane we were going to pull into flashes. A message coming up, saying the lane is officially closed. I felt like some sort of psychic, let me tell you. Henry just looked at me weird, obviously wondering how I did that. We both laughed as I paid our way onto the bridge.

“No sooner are we one the bridge than some asshole in a sports car flies by us. He was doing at least 70, weaving in and out of traffic. God only knows what his problem was. I remember Henry shouting something at him, but he was long gone into the few lanes of traffic ahead of us. Bastard almost sent himself, and quite a few others I’m sure, over the bridge. I’m still not sure what his problem was. All I remember is the fear I had for my life at that moment, sure that Henry and I were about to go over the rail of the bridge. We didn’t, as you clearly can tell by the fact that I’m still here.

“After that near miss, we were determined not to screw anything else up. We got off the bridge fine, and drove right into the scenic part of the island. All of a sudden, my cell phone rings. I pick it up and start talking with one of the guys. He was already over at my house, wondering where Henry, Ben and I were. As the two of us talk, I can vaguely hear Henry in the background.

“This is where my idiocy comes into play. Henry had no idea where he was going. I had the directions, and I was the one who used to live on the island. I should have been paying more attention, but as I’m talking on the phone, Henry drives right by the turn we were supposed to take. He had been asking me which way to go, but I was too busy talking to listen to him.

“Well, I hung up on my buddy and went back to paying attention. The fact that I used to live in this town surely meant that I knew where to go. How could my memories from when I was eight years old let me down?

“Pretty damn easily, let me tell you that. I had no clue where we were. I vaguely remembered the area, but other than that we were totally lost. I kept reassuring both of us that I knew exactly where we were. ‘I used to live right off of Broadway! If we can find that, I can take us right back to where we need to be!’ Yeah right. What an idiot I was.”

“We’ve all got those days.” Connor said, nodding. “Anything else?”

“Oh yeah, there’s more. Rather than call Ben, or my sister who lived on the island, Henry and I continued on the road we were on. Little did we know that we had actually taken the right way, but passed by a different turn. No sooner had I mentioned that so long as we didn’t get into the next town, we’d by fine, did we hit the next town. Henry pulled over, right into the parking lot of a beach. That must have been quite a sight. A minivan pulling into a beach in the middle of September. I decided that it was time to give Ben a call.

“Ben set us back on the right path. It took more than a little while to find where he lived, and the directions that I had would have taken us up the wrong side of a one-way street, but we got there without much more trouble. The three of us set back out for my house, with me using up the last of my cash for the bridge toll and filling Henry’s tank, the bastard. But we made it fine, and had a good night until Ben’s girlfriend came to take him back to the island.

“I guess that’s my tale of how I got lost.”

John sat back down and stared into the fire that had gotten much less fierce over the time of the story. He threw a small stick into it and watched it burn up, the flames engulfing the length and burning it to ash, the ashes disappearing into the bottom of the flame. It was amazing how fast everything had gone back to the way it had been before the story. All of a sudden, the party had returned to normal, until Connor spoke up again.

“Moral of the story?” A few people, including John laughed, knowing exactly what he was about to say. “Never let John be the directions guy.”

[Orombur]

Flash Fiction

The snow-covered forest, typically quiet, had been loud with the sounds of electric gun-fire and shouts that day. A group of teenagers had decided that this location would do for their airsoft game. It was the first of the year, and there was much excitement to get back into the game.

Things began to die down in the woods as the small group quickly grew cold and tired. They had taken a short break for food after the first game they played, but returned to play a few more. Now they stood in a group near the entrance, discussing the day.

“Everyone shoot at Gare-bear!” The group spun around to look at one member who was standing on the outskirts, fiddling with several dead trees in the forest. He heard what was yelled and looked up quickly. Nobody wanted to be shot, especially on a cold day like this one.

“Wait, he doesn’t have eye protection,” said Alex. Everyone lowered their weapons, not willing to risk hitting an eye for the sake of a joke. Garret breathed a sigh of relief before feeling another round hit his glasses. They had already been broken earlier after getting hit with one of the plastic shots. Now they were on the verge of shattering completely.

Garret shifted between several emotions rather quickly. Anger and frustration welled up simultaneously. He also feared the group turning on him if he went after Sean, the one who had shot him.

He walked up to Sean, glared and pointed at him, then walked back to the house without saying a word.

[Jenny (Reffy)]

- The Island
... wow that is one heck of a starting line! Have you tried reading that out-loud? Night-Bright-Light ... It's a tongue-twister and it did exactly that when I was trying to read it. Consider the flow.

The story became much smoother and easier to follow when Connor started talking. Not sure why!

For those of you that don’t, Henry’s a big guy. Not big like Connor here, all bulked up, but more… outwards. He wasn’t the skinniest guy around. I used to think that he was tall, but I’m just as tall as he is now and still shorter than a few of you. But his beard makes him one of the more recognizable people around. < The way that you described him made it difficult to really tell just exactly what he looked like. I had to pause and reread - and only then did it make sense when I made it to the next paragraph.

I must admit, once John really got into telling the story (particularly the bit on the bridge) I was pretty hooked. You did an amazing job at hauling me in and gluing me to the story, even with the massive amounts of dialogue and not much devoted to scenery or emotions ... so you can imagine the let-down when I find out the story didn't -actually- go anywhere. Sure, there was suspense and I certainly found myself waiting ... but nothing happened.

The ending was nice and I definitely read a story but nothing of much really happened. What was the mission you set out to do with the story? I did like the moral of the story bit and I suppose in a way John got "lost" on his way to telling a ghost story! :]


- Flashy
Okay. Enjoyable, yes. Short, yes. Impact - kinda lacking. I feel this could have been a lot shorter. It feels like you told us the same thing a few times: example: "had been loud with the sounds" ... and then later "things began to die down" .... and the same with "Now they stood in a group." A lot could be chopped. I know this is hard for a first time Flasher but take a really good look at your story and see the excessive word use. Descriptions in a flash should be one-liners, dialogue should be short or needed, and the impact should be bigger than life! The impact here ... there was emotion and I definitely got the feeling they were tired and I kinda liked the threat ... You set up a nice scene and then let it dribble out. I would have made more of the "glare threat" and less of the beginning. (In fact, with your permission, I might try and rewrite it so you can see what I mean?)

Just personal thoughts here. Sorry if any of this sounded mean, or anything >.> I'm just trying to help! Much love <3

[Orombur]

((All good points, Ref. The only thing about The Island... I had trouble coming up with an ending to that story that remained in character. Both of those nights actually happened, but I didn't actually tell the story at the camp-out (I'm the John in that), so I had to imagine how I would end it. I suck at actually telling stories, so the ending seemed appropriate. I'll go back and make the changes, and see if I can think of something better.

Mar 1, 2011 10:15:36 GMT -5 Jenny (Reffy) said:

(In fact, with your permission, I might try and rewrite it so you can see what I mean?)

Just personal thoughts here. Sorry if any of this sounded mean, or anything >.> I'm just trying to help! Much love <3

((Go right ahead! I'd appreciate it a lot.

All I'm getting on these things in class is that people, including the teacher, think they're good. It's nice to get something constructive! Thanks!))

[Jenny (Reffy)]

I think you need to make something happen with The Island. There was all of that excellent build up that went ... nowhere, and that was depressing! Good luck with the head-scratch on that one! I have no help for you there. I suck a ghost-stories.

Crappy about the teacher and students. It is much better to write alongside people who believe they are utter crap and want to improve a lot! Even if they aren't utter-crap-writers, if you get what I am trying to say? Know-it-all's never learn anything and never give each other a proper scrubbing to get better.

I kept things the same for your Flash, as much as possible ... was a good challenge, although it was easier for me considering I’m not “attached” to the story because it isn’t my baby.

264 words down to 169 :]

Hope this gives you some idea on what I meant with the review. The description still gives the same, the moment is still the same, the reaction still the same, but it has a bigger impact - I think. I may be wrong. I don't mind discussing this with you either!

Something I just learnt (with "Tea") you build a pedestal for the impact. Don't have the scenery or imagery over-take the actual moment: which in this case was the confrontation. (With "Tea" it was the reveal of cancer - not the time stopping!)

The normally quiet snow-covered forest had been interrupted by teenagers for the first time this year with the sounds of electric gun-fire and shouts for an air-soft game. The day’s excitement was drawing to a close as they huddled in a group, discussing the event.

“Everyone shoot Gare-bear!” The group looked at the victim of the cat-call, who was not paying attention. He held his hands up for protection; not wanting to be shot, especially on a cold day.

“Wait, he doesn’t have eye protection,” warned Alex. Everyone lowered their weapons, not willing to risk hitting an eye for the sake of a joke.

Garret breathed a sigh of relief before feeling a round hit his glasses, which were on the verge of shattering already. Emotions shifted quickly, with anger and frustration welling up simultaneously. Teeth grated, hands clenched, and gun at his side, Garret stormed up to Sean.

Without a word spoken he glared and pointed at Sean. The threat was made. Awkward silence reigned as Garret left.

[Orombur]

The Intrepid Explorer

“Hello?” I called out. I thought that I had heard something nearby. Anything would be welcome at this point. The cave was far too creepy to be in alone, yet here I was. Alone. In an underground cave. “Is there anyone there?” They had told me that this was one of the more popular attractions around. Why was I the only down here?

There was movement among the shadows to my left. I quickly shined the beam of my flashlight over there. I was expecting something, maybe bats or bugs of some kind, but there was nothing there. I don’t know why I kept letting myself think there was someone else down here. It would just keep setting me up for more disappointment.

It was at this point that I seriously considered turning around. The cave was just a bit too creepy for my liking. But then what would that make me? I would no longer be Nicholas Roul, intrepid explorer. I would turn into Nicholas Roul, bitch. Not exactly a title that you strive for. I couldn’t allow myself to even think anymore about turning around. I would keep going until I found the end or the other side.

I took another step forward and felt movement over my head. My instincts took over faster than I even knew I could react. The flashlight beam illuminated the high ceiling, showing several small bats flying over head. Bats were good. Bats meant that I wasn’t that far underground. A wave of relief washed over me, and I continued with newfound confidence.

With the bats and determination in mind, the darkness suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Sure, it was probably the darkest place I had ever been in up to this point. It was a strangely comforting kind of darkness though. I felt as though I were safe in this cave. Even more confidence flooded into me. Nicholas Roul, intrepid explorer.

There was more movement on the left. This time I didn’t even bother to shine the beam of the flashlight over there. I knew it was just the bats or my eyes playing tricks on me in the darkness. No, I was on a mission now, and I knew that nothing would be able to stop me. My mind was entirely focused on this task.

I started humming the Indiana Jones theme song as I jogged further into the tunnel. I was Indy, chasing down treasure and running from giant boulders. This was my thrill, and my mind started to wander. I didn’t notice the odd shadow in front of me until it was almost too late.

I stopped jogging as quickly as I could. There in front of me was a person-shaped shadow. There was actually someone else down here! “Hey,” I said as friendly as I could. “Nice to see someone else down here. I was starting to wonder whether the guides lied to me about this place.”
The person said nothing, but I could see the shadow turn toward me. There was an awkward silence that lasted much longer than any I’ve heard before. “Uh… You okay, buddy?” I shined the beam of my flashlight on his torso, not wanting to blind him. What I saw made me drop the light.

There was nobody there. Instantly, the light went out and I could see the shadow again. It started to slowly walk towards me. I backed up quickly, keeping my eyes on this strange shadow. It sped up, getting faster and faster with each step it took. I turned and ran like I never have before.

My legs were moving on their own. The only way I knew that I was even moving was the sound of my feet hitting the ground. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. All that I could think of was escape. I needed to get away from whatever the hell that was behind me. Already my legs were burning, but I willed them to keep moving. Faster, damn you, faster!

My speed wasn’t enough. The shadow caught up to me.

I felt an odd coldness that was mixed with a flood of emotions. All of a sudden I jumped between being sad, happy, and angry. Above all, there was the fear. It was an intense fear, one that made me shake and dropped me to my knees as I watched the shadow pass through my body and disappear into the darkness in front of me.

Nothing. There was nothing around me in this cave. No people, no bats, not even that shadow. I was hopelessly alone. The darkness was nowhere near as comforting as it was before. Nicholas Roul, bitch.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I turned back the way I had come and ran. I ran faster than… Well, faster than a madman running from shadows. The intrepid explorer mindset was gone. I was scared, terrified, of what would happen to me if I went any further into this cave. My life was not worth whatever was down here.

The thought crossed my mind that this cave was haunted. That sent another rush of adrenaline through my body, easing my tired legs a bit. Ghosts would be the last thing I needed in here. I remembered all of the horror stories I had heard. Images of doors slamming shut, ghastly silhouettes crossing rooms, and people being pushed around by unseen forces flooded into my mind. I gripped the sides of my head and screamed. I could not be thinking these things! They would only scare me even more.

I stopped running and sat down on the floor of the cave. What the hell was going on? Why would they send me here? What was wrong with this place? And most of all, what was wrong with me?

Tears started to form in my eyes. I tried to blink them back. It was almost funny how even when facing a situation like this I still thought I had to be manly. I smiled a bit as the tears poured out. Nicholas Roul, bitch.
There was sudden movement to both my left and right. I didn’t want to look in those directions. I just stood up and ran again. My legs were burning, but I would be damned if I let another shadow catch up to me. I could hear something mixed in with my own footfalls. It almost sounded as though metal were being scraped along the floor. A crazed axe-murderer, maybe? Somebody who had become trapped down here just like me?

I was losing my mind. This place would drive me to insanity and I would be stuck down here.

That was enough. I had to shut down my mind or I really would lose it. I quickly tried to force every thought out of my head and let instinct take over. Instinct was good. That I could trust.

More metal scraping along the ground. My own heavier footfalls. My heart pounding inside my chest so fast I thought it would burst. My ragged, shallow breaths as my lungs gasped for air. A new, odd clicking sound. The omnipresent darkness. I was dead, dead, dead!

“Kill me!” My scream echoed throughout the cave. I stopped running and stood in one spot. The metal and clicking noises stop. “Just kill me!” I raised my arms up and spun around, looking in all directions for my assailant. There was nothing. No noises, no signs of movement. Nothing. Just me, Nicholas Roul, dead man.

I threw my flashlight in a last ditch attempt to enrage whoever was after at. Once again, there was nothing. What I saw next sent a new wave of hope through my mind.

There was a tiny speck of light ahead of me. It looked far away, but it was light! The outside world! Against the will of my burning legs and lungs, I charged forward. I would make it out of here alive after all.

The metal noise started again. I didn’t care. The speck grew larger, going from just a dot to a beam of light. More and more beams joined it. I reached my hand into one of the beams. It felt warm. This was sunlight! The metal sounds stopped. I risked one look behind and regretted it immediately.

What I saw will haunt me to the end of my days. Behind me was a small army of what looked like insects of some sort. They were covered in rough scales, but had antennae and whiskers where their heads should have been. Long, scythe-like appendages jutted out in front of them, almost like arms. I knew where the metal sound came from now. They were a sickly gray color, and they all made that same, horrible clicking sound.

I put my head down and ran. I thought my legs were going to snap off at the same time my heart exploded.

In a few seconds, I was free. I broke out of the cave and into sunlight. Relief and joy flooded into my mind. I was safe! Nothing could touch me out here. Not the shadow from the cave, and especially not those demons. Freedom! Nicholas Roul, intrepid explorer!

Pain erupted in my head, and darkness overtook my vision.

~~~~

He had hit the kid hard. Not hard enough to kill him, but easily hard enough to knock him out. It had been a close one for the people of the island. Somebody had almost lived to tell their secret.

The bearded man picked up the unconscious body and carried it back to the cave. He placed Nick down at the end of where the light beams reached, not daring to go any further. The Nydod weren’t too picky about what they ate, and he would be their next meal if he wasn’t careful.

There were no signs of any of the insect-creatures around, but he was sure they would show up. The beasts always got their meal.

[ARSmith ((Wolfeh))]

ew u n00b

[Orombur]

It was a warm afternoon sometime in the late spring, perfect weather for a cookout. The family had all gathered on one side of the large duplex. They were tossing salads, pouring drinks, and, most anticipated of all, grilling burgers and hot dogs in celebration of the good weather. It had been a long winter the year before.

“Wait ‘till you see what I’ve got,” said Victor, laughing. Vick was the oldest member of the family. He had been a grandfather for 14 years now, and his youngest grandson had just turned four the year before. “Better than anything any of you could grill up.”

Inside the home the stove was running. A pot was sitting on top, boiling water. Vick went inside to check on it. Sitting at the kitchen table was his grandson Nate. He was trying to sneak some crackers before the meal while his parents were busy making the food. Vick patted him on the head and looked at him. “I won’t tell,” he said with a quick wink.

Nate smiled and Vick went back outside to his car. He opened up the trunk and grabbed the small cooler in the back. He felt the small amount water inside slosh from side to side as he carried it back up to the house.

Vick was already grinning from the thought of his cruel joke. He had gotten his granddaughter with this many times before. Nate would probably be just as scared as she was each time. That would get a good laugh, at least from him. To the older man, any chance to make a joke was one to take.

Nate was still in the house when Vick came back. He looked up at the cooler. “What’s in that, Pupup?”

“You’ll see,” Vick said with a smile. His parents were still outside, too distracted with the food to come back in for a little while. Now was the perfect time for his little joke.

Vick lifted the lid off of the cooler and grabbed the lobster that was inside. Nate looked at it, confused. He had seen them at the store before, but it was always in a tank of water. He wondered why his grandfather was holding one right now.

Before the four year old could think anything else, the lobster was just inches from his face. He now got a much closer look at it than he would have liked. He could see everything, from the small beady eyes on its head, to the odd whiskers it had, to the claws that were free to grab at this face. Vick never would have let that happen, but Nate didn’t know that. A sense of fear overwhelmed him. He wanted nothing to do with this creature. He turned and ran outside, as far away from the kitchen as possible.

Vick laughed to himself before dropping the lobster into the pot of boiling water, wondering if Nate was still close enough to hear it scream.

[Orombur]

Missing In Venice

It was a warm summer day in Venice, the Mediterranean climate as warm and comfortable as ever. There were a few clouds in the sky, but just enough to cause patches of shade, offering relief for those too weary from the heat. Every now and then a slight breeze would roll in off of the ocean, carrying with it the smell of fresh salt water. It was a perfect day of weather for the citizens of the Italian city. It was also the perfect day for a murder.

Detective Mario Ruggeri kneeled on the ground, inspecting the scene of yet another grisly murder. He had been called to the hotel after the sounds of a fight were heard, and arrived just in time to watch a man fall out of a window high above street level. Mario had run inside instantly, but was not able to find the killer. They had fled, leaving behind the unmistakable signs of a fight.

The hotel room they had been staying in was a mess. Chairs were overturned; a table was resting against the wall as though somebody had tried to throw it through, the shattered remains of the window were everywhere, and, perhaps most shocking, blood. There was blood all over the corpse, but he thought that had come from impact. Now it seemed there was more to the scene then met the eye. Try as he might, Mario could not find the murder weapon.

“How we doing here, boss?” Mario looked up at his partner, Stephen. Stephen was the brawn to Mario’s brain. He was a big guy, standing nearly a head taller than the average man and much bulkier too. An intimidating sight to crooks, Stephen had saved them from several battles just with his ex-military looks. He was the perfect partner.

Mario shook his head. “Nothing. No trace of who killed this guy. I’m not sure what to think.” He pointed at one of the wounds on the victim’s body, a gaping hole in his stomach. “He was impaled here, as far as I can tell. Then you’ve got the stab here.” A wound the size of a knife blade in the corpse’s left shoulder. “And of course all the damage from the fall. Whoever did this wanted this guy dead. They didn’t leave any signs, not even a goddamn murder weapon.” Mario looked back down at the corpse before looking Stephen in the eyes. “We’re dealing with professionals here.”

Stephen narrowed his light green eyes. “You don’t think…”

“That’s exactly what I think.” He closed his eyes, visually remembering the scene from months ago.

The rain was pouring from the sky, drenching Mario as he ran through the back alleys of the city. He and Stephen had split up not ten minutes ago, promising to meet up again soon. The bastards would not get away from them again. They could not, would not let that happen. Too much was riding on this, not only for them and the force, but for the city of Venice.

Mario nearly slipped as he turned a corner. He could see the tails of a coat whipping in the wind not too far in front of him. The detective ran as fast as he could, hoping to catch them before they disappeared. The distance between the two men was shrinking fast, and the criminal had yet to realize it.

The dark coat turned another corner, and Mario was right behind him. He found himself in a room he never knew existed. Apparently, the terrorist group had been at work in his city. A laugh erupted from his right. Mario grabbed his gun from his holster and turned to face his enemy.

He was a regular man and could easily pass for a citizen of Venice. Mario knew better. He was on dangerous ground here, and he knew it. “Your move, asshole,” he whispered through his teeth.

“Such fun, isn’t it Detective? Hunting me down, chasing me through the back alleys of the city, all while my friends prepare little surprises for you and your partner. Speaking of Stephen, how is he?”

Mario wasn’t surprised they knew him. He and Stephen were the main two on the force hunting this terrorist squad. The others didn’t see them as too much of a threat, not while the mob threatened a return. He and his partner knew better. “I’m sure he’s putting some rounds through your buddies’ skulls right about now.”

“Always the elegant one, aren’t we Mr. Ruggeri?” He moved backward, toward a statue of Neptune, Roman god of the ocean. “Much like this statue. So beautifully crafted for its time. Balanced, delicate, and strong, just like Venice.” He turned back to Mario, a smirk on his face. “Neptune and Venice will both see my power soon.”

Mario kept his gun pointed on the man. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

The terrorist laughed. “Ah, but that would ruin the fun!” He danced around the statue and with a swift kick, knocked it to the ground. “Just know that Venice and our good friend Neptune here have fates intertwined.” The smirk never left his face. “And now, game over, Detective.”

Mario didn’t remember anything else from that night, but Stephen said he had heard a gunshot and came running. When he arrived, Mario was the only one there, a bullet lodged in his left shoulder. He had immediately called for backup and rushed his partner to the hospital. That had been months ago, and Mario had been able to make a full recovery. Neither of them had heard from the group again. Until now.

“Can we be sure it really is them?” Stephen asked. “We’ve got the mob around too, and this looks like it could be their handiwork.” He knew that Mario was probably right. His partner just shook his head.

“It’s got to be them. Who else? This is a clear cry for attention. Why else go through the trouble of killing this poor guy so brutally?” Stephen nodded right as the two of them got a call from headquarters. It was John Terlizzi, a small guy who didn’t amount to much. He was a joke at the office, and Mario felt kind of bad for him. Terlizzi didn’t deserve as much as crap as he had to put up with.

“You guys remember that really weird case from a while ago? The one where that huge ocean liner went missing?” Mario said yes, he remembered it. He had done some research on it while he was recovering from the shot. The ocean liner HMS Churchill, a British ship named for the olden times before the breaking of the empire, had gone missing off the coast of Africa. It was on its way to Cape Town. The infamous Somalian pirates were the top suspects, but no one ever claimed responsibility for its disappearance.

“Well… we, uh… We found it.” Mario nodded, and then remembered John couldn’t see him nod through the phone.

“Alright, Terlizzi. What does this have to do with us?” John told him, and Mario looked up at Stephen, surprise and fear clear in his eyes. He hung up immediately. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

“Why?” Almost as if in response to his question, the metal of buildings behind Stephen began to creak and the ground shook intensely. He didn’t ask any more questions, just ran closely behind Mario. He looked back over his shoulder to see a huge ship barreling through the buildings of Venice. That was all the inspiration he needed. Stephen pulled ahead of Mario, panicking.

Building parts fell to the ground around them constantly, a reminder on how close the impending death was. Metal and stone all mixed into one quagmire of disaster. Everything in the path of the ship was decimated.

The two of them crossed over one of the bridges to a canal. The ship was gaining on them, and fast. They were dead if they couldn’t make it out of there. Mario noticed an odd sound. Even with her mighty engines in reverse, the ocean liner was pulled further and further into the canal.

Adrenaline flowing through their veins, Mario and Stephen continued running through the streets of Venice. The ocean liner kept getting slower and slower behind them, buildings that it cracked through causing it to lose speed. It eventually came to rest, a building nearly taken down finally blocking the path of the behemoth.

Mario looked at Stephen, both out of breath and wishing they could call it a day. Mario had other plans though. “You know what we have to do.”

Stephen nodded, trying to catch his breath. “Yeah, but I don’t like it.” Neither do I, thought Mario. They both looked up at the ocean liner.

Nearly an hour later, after getting clearance from headquarters and a helicopter to get on board, Mario and Stephen were on the leviathan. It was much larger than they expected, and they could see the damage it had done. This would cost Venice hundreds of millions of dollars to repair. Mario didn’t even want to think of the death toll from this. It would not be an easy disaster to recover from.

The two of them made their way through the ship, guns drawn, not sure what they would find. Everything was quiet on board. The cargo was completely untouched, and the crew seemed to have disappeared as well. They quickly made their way to the navigational center. If there were any clues to what happened here, they would find it up there.

They walked into the bridge of the ship to see a familiar sight. Mario recognized the man at the wheel instantly. “We meet again, Detective. I am pleased to see you survived our last encounter.” The head of the terrorist group bowed. “What can I do for you passengers this fine day?”

Mario was about to say something, but never got the chance. Stephen aimed quickly and put a round through the man’s head. Mario just turned and laughed his first laughter of the day. “Shoot first and ask questions later, huh?” Stephen just shrugged, and then laughed himself. “We could have brought him in… Ah well, he’s better off this way.” Mario looked once more at the corpse. “I only wish you could have let me ask him about the body at the hotel.”

Mario’s phone rang again. He answered, and John was on the other end. “Quit playing in the ship, we’ve got another job for you guys. Seems the mob’s acting up a bit. We need you guys over, stat.” He gave them the location of the hotel they were just at, surrounded now by rubble.

Mario looked at his partner and shrugged. “No rest for the wicked. Let’s go.”