Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.
A/N: Yes, I'm finally able to log in again!! ::does a happy dance:: Joy!!! I was going to go on an uploading spree when I realized this is the only other chappie I have completed ^.^ Review!!
~ Kasagi Onaso
~! Switched !~
*S.O.S*
"How are we supposed to get on the boat?" yelled Erika to Lina up front. Lina shrugged a shoulder and half-smiled.
"We'll find a way."
"You had better find a way quick," gasped Alexis, casting a frantic look over her shoulder. "We're not going to have much time to work with."
"We'll make time," Lina chuckled, her eyes pools of ocean water. Thunder rolled overhead, a sound that drowned out all others, momentarily subduing the roar of the seeking police boat behind them.
"Storm's coming," Erika whispered into the swirling wind, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"'Red skies in morning, sailors take warning'," quoted Lina calmly as lighting flickered above.
"'Red skies…' What?" cried Alexis, entirely baffled by Lina's words which might have been words of wisdom.
"Calm down and enjoy the ride!" laughed Lina, her oceans glittering with sunken treasure as they rode in the SS Anne's wake. "It's not everyday you're running from the police!"
"It's not everyday we're stuck in a stolen pontoon boat with a psycho either!" screeched Erika but she was pulled onto a seat by a frightened Alexis.
"Pull over!" roared the officer behind them, the megaphone magnifying her anger at their futile chase against them. Erika dropped to her knees and began to crawl along the rain-and-saltwater-soaked carpet until she was at the back seat. Alexis followed out of curiosity and they both watched the officers struggle to ride their wild wake.
The engine gave an odd sputter, almost winked out, and started up again, almost bucking two of its three passengers off in the process.
"Could you be a little more careful?" snapped Erika loudly. It was silent up front and she tensed, her mind flashing warning lights like fireworks. "Lina!"
Silence.
"Damnit Lina!" snapped Erika, smacking the seat she knelt on, stood, and turned angrily towards the front.
The steering wheel vibrated crazily with no human hands to guide it. The gas pedal was skidding across the boat, broken from its place, and the speedometer was cracking with the immense pressure put on it.
The driver's seat was empty, occupied only by air, and swiveled around, this way and that, as they bumped over the huge cruise's wake.
"Lina!" screamed Alexis.
"Did she fall off?" Erika yelled, frantically making her way to the front. "Take over the wheel and I'll look for her!"
"We're going too fast! There's no way we can find her if she fell off!" cried Alexis but obediently slid into the seat and studied the wheel.
"'If'? What else could have happened?" said Erika, her chiding nearly drowned out by another boom of thunder.
"Uh-oh," said Alexis as Erika bent over the side of the boat. The pontoon swerved violently and Erika nearly fell into the churning waters.
"Watch it!" she snapped, her eyes panicked. "Control the boat, will you?"
"The wheel won't move!" Alexis screamed with partial fear, partial rage.
"What'dya mean 'it won't move'?" demanded Erika and shoved Alexis out of the seat to grip the wheel. Her face turned pale as the wheel refused to move.
"We're heading straight for the ship!" screamed Alexis, pointing ahead.
"Move, move, MOVE!" muttered Erika, trying to twist the wheel from its frozen position. The roar of the police boat was gone now and Alexis turned to see them, one with a megaphone held limply beside them, staring at their runaway pontoon boat with a look of immense horror.
"Look by my feet!" commanded Erika, gritting her teeth, her knuckles white.
"A lantern," whispered Alexis. The glass faces of the lantern were spider-webbed with cracks and the bronze frame was old and antique-looking. "'British Bronze, 1805'," she read, turning the lantern over.
"Get up," hissed Erika, pulling Alexis to her feet. "We're jumping."
"What?" cried a startled Alexis.
"I think," whispered Erika, staring gravelly at the quickly-approaching ship. "We're about to see the reenactment of the Titanic."
*****
The slow roar of a humming motor was barely audible above the booming thunder.
"I hear something," Ash said, rising from his seat to make his way over to the rail. His dark eyes searched the waves, which were now darker then the flickering sky, and his hands gripped the rail like a drowning man to a lifesaver. "Do you hear that?"
"It…it's a motor," breathed Misty, her eyes sparking.
"It's near," Ash added, nodding happily. "Very near."
"It seems to be going so fast," whispered Misty, touching her lips with surprised fingers. "Too fast."
"Don't be paranoid!" laughed Ash and bumped her shoulder with his affectionately. "There! I see them!"
"They're going too fast," Misty whispered, watching the boat as it zigzagged in and out of the huge boat's wake. "Ash look!"
"What's wrong?"
"There's no one in the driver's seat!" With a rising horror, Ash realized that she was speaking the truth. The seat swiveled crazily as the speeding boat wavered in the water and it was undoubtedly empty.
"There!" Ash leaned over the rail and pointed down at the pontoon boat. Erika's dark hair glinted in the sketchy lightning and her mouth was yelling, yelling something they couldn't hear.
"Vee?" whispered Eevee, winding itself between Misty's ankles.
"It's all right," she crooned and picked up the small creature.
"Erika!" Ash screamed, cupping his with shaking hands in hopes of magnifying his voice.
"They're not slowing down," Misty cried. "Why aren't they slowing down?"
"They're going to crash. Are you crazy!?" he screamed over the ship. Erika appeared to not have heard them and both she and Alexis scrambled to the back of the small pontoon boat.
"They're out of control!" Misty shrieked a moment too late. The pontoon boat was swallowed in the shadow of the immense boat before it and for a moment, all was silent except for the screaming of the pontoon's overheating engine.
A crash.
The force of the crash shook the SS Anne and Misty was thrown back into the wet lawn chairs.
"Misty!" cried Ash and there was a deafening explosion.
"Erika!" screamed Misty, her subconscious flaring and she felt like she was floating. "Erika!"
"Mist!" hissed Ash, pushing away the fallen lawn chairs to reveal Misty's crumpled form. "Are you okay?"
"They're dead!" she whispered shrilly, big multi-colored dots flashing before her eyes and specking Ash's face.
"Get yourself together!" Ash demanded, shaking the girl's shoulders violently. Her head flopped on her neck and her eyes were dazed as she touched her head. "Up we go!" he whispered and hauled her to her feet and laying her arm across his shoulders. The boat gave a violent lurch and it felt as if it was tilting…
'They're dead!'
Not yet, Ash thought determinedly and half-dragged Misty to the door leading down to the dining room where they had been before. As he opened the door, wild screams wafted from down the stairs and he felt sick and shut the door, shut it on the screams and on the fear.
"Let me go, Ash, I'm fine," Misty said weakly and struggled against his grip.
"No you're not," he growled and despite her protests returned Eevee to its pokéball. A siren rose from beneath them, vibrating the ground they stood on, and smoke billowed out of the corner of Ash's eye. How badly he wanted to look over the edge but he feared for Misty and backed away.
"Smoke," she whispered. "Ash, I see smoke!" There was a terrible groaning as if the ship was crying, groaning, and they sunk deeper into the water.
Thunder roared.
"I don't…I don't want to drown," she whispered. Ash pulled her closer, his eyes searching the deck for something useful. Anything useful…
"Life boats," he whispered and gently set Misty upon the ground.
They were bright orange and in perfect shape, as well they should be. Ash dragged it onto the deck and pulled the string. With a sucking vacuum noise it quickly inflated and Ash rushed to pull Misty up once more. He was mildly surprised to see her already standing as he approached her, though her legs looked about ready to give under her.
"Come on," he ushered. "I found life boats." Her lips pursed but she allowed him to help her over to the boat.
"How…how do we get to the water?" she whispered fearfully. Ash could hear people running up the stairs and his heart began beating fearfully.
They had to get off or the boat would be taken from them for sure.
"Jump," he said curtly.
"Nan?" she squealed, her eyes widening. He decided not to look at her as he began pushing the rubber boat to the railing. The water churned below the sinking ship and he could see the end of the flaming pontoon boat jutting from the side of the ship. Water sat cheerily above the water on patches of spilled gasoline and winked up at him.
"We're jumping. Come on!" he barked but she didn't move. The door rattled against the lock as people began to shriek.
'They're….dead!…dead!…'
"You've never been scared before!" he roared, angered at her cowardly actions. "Why now, huh? Why now?"
"I don't--"
"I'm going by myself then," he said though it pained him. He took a deep breath and set the boat on the railing, one leg ready inside it.
One…two…thr--
There was a gentle touch on his shoulder and a low voice:
"I'm coming too."
"Come on then!" he bid impatiently just as the door to the deck flew open. His reflexes took over; he grabbed Misty around the waist and threw both himself and Misty into the boat and they were falling hard and fast, cries of surprise, alarm, and anger bursting above them like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Much more action packed than those corny TV episodes, ne?? No offense, but those shows are so cheesy and there wasn't a way in Greece I was going to make this lyk that. Thank you everyone who has been patient (^.^) As known from It WaS, I was having trouble logging in but now, by some miraculous occurrence, I am now able to log in. I thought it was because my comp was so crappy he-he. Well, why are you still reading this?? Review!
79 reviews??? 80??
~ Kasagi Onaso