We walked on in silence for a while.It wasn’t until I rounded the curve that the unmistakable scent of ash and blood hit me, and I faltered.I couldn’t see the boat through the trees on the shoreline, but I got a glimpse of the burnt remains of one of the Barbarabelle’s mainland gardens.
I didn’t think, I bolted forward.Boden called for me only once, but then he gave chase after me.Splatters of dried blood lined the worn trail, both rust colored from the uninfected and mossy green of the infected.
Panicked and out of breath, I finally reached the clearing on the shoreline.A shed for storage should have been there, along with wooden racks, which held the shuttle boats used to ferry us between the land and the anchored Barbarabelle.But instead, all I found was blackened earth and the burnt shells of boats stacked on top of each other.Charred shapes were scattered among the driftwood, and flies buzzed about in the stench of death.
My only relief was that the Barbarabelle was still there, floating placidly in the middle of the river.
“What is going on?”Murphy shouted behind me, but I barely heard xer.
With all the shuttles burned, there was only one way to get out to the steamboat and make sure my daughter was okay.I shrugged off my backpack, kicked off my shoes, and strode into the river.
The water was a shockingly cold juxtaposition against the warm summer sun, and it threatened to take my breath away if I let it.Instead, I concentrated on making my freezing limbs work as I frantically swam out.
Behind me, someone crashed into the river.Probably Boden, maybe the others.I reached the side of the steamboat and hauled myself up, cold and dripping, every muscle trembling.
There, on the deck, were more disturbing signs.Scattered and broken chairs, bloodstains smeared across boards, a single boot left by the rail.
“Fae!”I yelled.“Rafaella!Edie!”
I ran inside the boat, rushing through the opulent entrance and dripping wet all over the rugs.I kept calling for my daughter and Edie, and by then my heart was pounding so hard, I could hardly even hear myself think.
“Stella?”Harlow responded, and as I was racing toward the grand staircase she appeared at the top.“You’re finally back.”
“Where are Fae and Edie?”I asked as I jogged up the steps to meet her.
“They’re both fine,” Harlow assured me.“They’re in Fae’s nursery.”
“Thank you,” I said as I rushed past her.Then, almost as an afterthought, I asked, “What in the hell happened here?”
“It was a mess,” Harlow replied, but I didn’t wait any longer for her answer.
I ran down the hall straight to Fae’s room, and there she was sitting on the floor playing with toy blocks.She was bigger – my god, how she’d grown in the weeks I’d been gone, her downy auburn hair was even longer – and a lump formed in my throat at the time I’d missed with her.But mostly what I felt was relief.
Fae’s eyes lit up and she squealed when she saw me.I knelt down in front of her and scooped her into my arms.She squirmed at the cold, dampness of my clothes, but she let me hold her tightly to me, and I cried softly into her hair.
13
Stella
“So what the hell happened here?”Boden asked once the community of the S.S.Barbarabelle had convened in the grand dining hall.
Those of us who had just arrived – myself, Boden, Cole, Murphy, Bianka, Leandro, and Ryder – were sent down to the infirmary, where our resident medic Joseph Worrall began a new protocol.He checked our temps and inspected us for any bite wounds.
We’d all cleared, except for Cole, but he’d been sick for so long, it ruled out the lyssavirus.He stayed down in the infirmary with Joseph, while the rest of us were allowed to clean up before heading down for a boat-wide meeting.Including the seven of us recent returnees and newcomers, that was around fifty or so people in a room that could seat closer to a hundred, but I did notice a few faces were missing.
At one point, the dining hall had likely been the crown jewel of the luxury steamboat.Gleaming crystal chandeliers hung from molded ceilings, while gilded mirrors adorned the lavish rococo paneling.Of course now, the lights didn’t work, half the mahogany chairs had been broken, and there were blood stains and cracks on the mirrors.Not to mention that most everywhere on the boat smelled vaguely of must or soot.
Although the dining room did typically smell better than most places because it was right off the kitchen, where Oakley Cruz and his small team of chefs worked.Every day, they would cook lunch and dinner for all of the people who lived here.It involved a lot of fish and seasonal vegetables, but it was always delicious.
Oakley, his wife Sienna, and their daughter had lived in Emberwood before it fell, but after his brother Wilder was killed during the attack, they decided that the boat would be safer
While I had been gone, I had thought about Oakley’s porridges almost as often as I thought about Fae.Tonight, though, despite my appetite and cravings, his usual fare felt underwhelming.Typically, his fish porridge was made with fatty trout, ginger, and garlic, mixed with spring onions, zucchini, and sorrel mushrooms.Then he would top it off with fresh cilantro or parsley.But this time, it had thin cuts of fish with a simple broth and the only vegetable was canned corn.
I didn’t complain, but Murphy did give me a dubious glance after xe took xer first bite since I had spent so long hyping up his cuisine.I just gratefully ate my meal while Fae clung to me.
“What do you think happened?”Harlow answered Boden’s question rhetorically.“Zombies, same as always.”
She sat across from us, between her girlfriend Kimber and our friend Edie.One of her elbows was on the table, she languidly stirred her spoon in her porridge without taking a bite.
