Jacky: Review Please! FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS WELCOME. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WILL NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
GHOST: ACM
Tancred leapt from his bed.
Kicking off the bedsheets with his feet, Tancred swung out into the hallway in his old green sweater and boxers, his woolly socks soaking as he glided through the crowd with ease.
"What's going on?" he gasped, as Lysander emerged from Cabin No. 5, Gabriel Silk and Jason Markwy on his tail.
"I don't know," Lysander replied, taken aback. "I heard a scream."
"We all did," Jason grumbled, flattening the wrinkles and creases from his brand-new striped pajamas. "That was loud!"
Gabriel nodded with agreement. "Even May can't even scream that loud!"
"That's saying something," Lysander grinned.
"C'mon, let's see if we can make it up to the front," Tancred urged, seizing Lysander's wrist. Lysander grabbed Jason's wrist, who in turn motioned for Gabriel to join the chain-train.
The boys lurched their way painfully up to the inner edge of the pack, receiving a multitude of indignant shouts and threats along the way as they pushed and shoved up to the scene of the crime.
Emma Tolly stood, absolutely stricken, alongside Billy Raven. The two were supporting an unconscious Olivia Vertigo in their arms.
Tancred scowled as he noticed Reid Rubix. Emma, her impossibly-straight, sleek blond hair was tucked beneath a woolly sleeping cap. She wore a T-shirt and spotted pajama pants. Tancred's eyes, as they traveled down her outfit, hit home.
Her fingers were loosely intertwined with Reid's; his scowl deepened.
But Tancred's anger vanished the moment his eyes found the object of attention.
"It's Clifton Carp!" Tancred flinched at the speaker's shrill voice, but he leaned in closer, whispers tickling his ears.
Clifton Carp, the mousy-haired, jeering jokester from Cabin No. 1 lay motionless, and Tancred was willing to bet lifeless even, on the wooden ground. His pajamas were drenched with the murky water that had surreptitiously washed aboard, and his eyes were open wide, as though taken by surprise.
"He's DEAD!" Jane Wilson's sharp voice cut through the still air, breaking off the whispers and hushed gasps. "Clifton Carp is dead! And you've killed him!" Her forefinger was directed at Emma Tolly.
"Leave her alone!" Tancred shouted, against his own will. "She never killed him; I know she wouldn't!"
Emma shot Tancred a grateful, weak smile and he felt his stomach flip. But he forced himself to maintain a straight, unbendable face and kept his gaze on Jane Wilson.
"He's dead, and she was with him," Jane reasoned, in between gasps. The crowd had fallen silent. "Billy Raven is too young to know anything, and Olivia Vertigo is out cold! My guess is that Clifton Carp hurt Olivia, and Emma lost control."
Before Tancred could utter another heroic retort in Emma's defense, Reid Rubix stepped in, his hand still clutching Emma's.
"Hey! Don't talk to Tancred that way! No one wants your assumptions, Wilson. We're all one-hundred-percent sure Emma didn't kill Clifton Carp."
Tancred felt obligated to smile at Reid. The kid returned the smile with a shrug, a grin and a thumbs-up.
Tancred sighed. Why did Reid have to complicate matters? Reid was friendly, relaxed, and his heart was in the right place. Why couldn't he slip up for one moment? Why couldn't Reid Rubix have two left feet, or a loose-hinged tongue?
"What's going on?" Manfred Bloor's cold drawl interrupted as the Headmaster's son, accompanied by Dr Bloor himself, stepped into the empty ring where Clifton Carp's body rested.
He seemed to understand the issue immediately. He glanced hurriedly at his father, who nodded resolutely, and turned back to face the students.
"Who did this?" Although Manfred was clearly trying his hardest to remain a calm resolve, his voice shook. Tancred felt a shiver course through his veins, and he couldn't help shuddering as Manfred overlooked the scene with distaste and a hint of horror.
"Emma Tolly did," Jane Wilson leered. "She and Billy Raven were here, with Olivia Vertigo. It seems Olivia fainted. Billy's too young to know a thing. There are no other options for Emma, sir."
"Jane," Reid snapped, leaning forward to stare at the frowning girl, "You have another option."
"What are you talking about?" Jane scowled.
"Shut the hell up."
"ENOUGH!" Dr Bloor's chilling voice startled Tancred. "Emma Tolly, you are proven innocent until further notice. As for the actions taken by the Admin, you will all be questioned on the murder. It's for security issues, and no inquiries can be delayed. Appointments will be made, and you will attend. Goodnight. Manfred, ask Shawn Leopold to dispose of the body. Mr and Mrs Carp will be notified."
Mr Leopold, the well-loved janitor and long-time caretaker of the kids and halls of Bloor's Academy, had apparently tagged along on the cruise. He bagged the carcass and dropped Clifton Carp into the garbage bin attached to the cleaning cart he carried around twenty-four/seven, unperturbed. He steered it away, winking and waving to the children as they filed back into their cabins.
Tancred avoided Emma's eye as she followed him into the cabin.
Olivia Vertigo awoke to the fresh scent of newly-cleaned white linen sheets.
She was lying on a pristine bed, her hair mussed and mousy-brown once again. She assumed the nurse, Mrs Firth, had washed the raccoon-tails from her hair. Sighing, Olivia propped herself up on her two elbows, leaning against the wall as she surveyed the room.
She had never been here before. The ship's Infirmary was a large, tidy room with sorted shelves and labeled boxes. Everything was neat and organized. Charlie wouldn't have liked this room.
A cart preceded Mrs Firth into the room as she entered. She was a squat, portly lady with red-orange hair tucked messily beneath a hairnet. Her outfit was simple and spotless, latex gloves stretched across each palm.
Mrs Firth scrutinized Olivia with a beady eye. Her face, completely uncalled for, broke into a wide smile.
"You look absolutely fine, Olivia, darling," Mrs Firth crowed. "You're free to go!"
Olivia mumbled her thanks as she darted from the Infirmary. Back into the muddy corridors of below-deck, Olivia sprinted to her cabin to find Amelia Vance sulking in the corner.
"What's up, Amy?"
Amelia Vance looked up, surprised. "Oh, hello, Olivia. How're you feeling?"
"I'm fine. What's been going on? I don't remember a thing."
Amelia Vance refreshed Olivia's memory, beginning from her stroll with Billy Raven and Emma on deck the previous night. She explained how Emma had inconveniently stumbled upon the dead carcass of Clifton Carp with a smirk.
"You think Emma killed him, too?" Olivia shrieked. "Emma would never do such a thing!"
"Whatever," Amelia Vance shrugged. "It's not up to me to decide that. It's up to the security guards. They've been patrolling the hallways all morning; Dr Bloor is forcing the students to schedule appointments with the guards. Inquiries have to be made."
"That's bunk!" Olivia screamed. "They can't possibly think—I'll convince them—I'm a good actress, they have to believe that Emma didn't do it! Billy would know; I have to go find Billy!"
"Oh, you're not going anywhere," Amelia Vance sneered. She reached into the bedside cabinet and withdrew a slim knife. "Emma Tolly killed Clifton Carp. Nobody wants a murderer aboard, Olivia. You'll just have to endure the punishment."
"What punishment?" Olivia breathed, inching toward the door.
"Not a punishment," Amelia hissed in what she considered to be a reassuring tone. "It's more of a reward. It's time, Olivia Vertigo, to reap your reward. You've been a very bad girl."
"Amy—this isn't like you—what—why are you—?" Olivia fumbled with her words as she staggered backward.
"My apologies, Olivia," Amelia leered. "But nobody must know Emma Tolly was innocent."
Amelia advanced. Olivia gasped.
Emma Tolly, Fidelio right behind her, strode into the cabin. "Olivia, Mrs Firth told me you're free now. How do you feel?"
Fidelio nudged Emma in the back sharply. Emma glanced upward to see the puny, dwarf-sized Amelia Vance tickling Olivia's throat with a knifepoint. Gasping, Emma hurried forward, oblivious to Fidelio's protests.
"Em! Get back here!" Fidelio raced down the hall, looking for an open cabin. It seemed, however, that nearly everyone had already left for morning brunch on deck.
He rammed on the nearby cabins, hoping beyond hope someone would be late. He was lucky. Tancred Torsson opened his door with confusion and anger.
"What do you want, Fidelio?"
"It's Olivia—and Amelia Vance," Fidelio gasped, leaning against the doorframe.
"What about them?" Tancred asked, unamused. "Are they bickering?"
"More than that," Fidelio panted. "It's Emma, she—"
Tancred was heading for Olivia's cabin in seconds. They burst into the room, but it seemed as though the problem had resolved itself.
Amelia was rocking on her heels, her eyes wide with anxiety and her hands pressed to her mouth. She seemed to be suffering from shock, and the expression on her face was one of pure worry and apology.
"I'm sorry, Olivia, I'm not sure what exactly came over me and—"
Olivia perched by her bedpost. Emma, directly below her best friend, sat on the ground, her hand held to her cheek. Fidelio noticed immediately the color change and difference. Her left cheek, flattened by her palm, was unbelievably pale. The other, in contrast, appeared to be utterly flushed.
"What's going on?" Tancred muttered, lightly removing Emma's hand from her face. An enormous, bloody gash occupied much of Emma's left cheek. Her palm was caked with the fresh blood she had been trying to hold in.
"Let's get you down to the nurse," Fidelio suggested.
"NO!" Amelia screamed. "Mrs Firth will ask who did it. Please."
"Amelia, this was all your fault," Olivia countered. "Why don't you endure your own punishment, and reap your own reward?"
"Because—because that wasn't me," Amelia stuttered. "I swear. Please. You have to believe me. It was controlling me; I couldn't help it!"
"I believe you," Emma whispered from the corner. Tancred raised his eyebrows.
"Em, she nearly—"
"I don't care what she did," Emma said, grimacing as she stood. "She's repenting."
Tancred felt anger surge once more through his body, but Fidelio shot him a warning glare and a sharp nudge. He nodded stiffly, following suit as the three girls headed onto deck for a spot of late brunch.
"Emma Tolly, Olivia Vertigo, Amelia Vance, Tancred Torsson and Fidelio Gunn," Dr Bloor rumbled, causing all heads to turn in their direction. "Where in the heck of the entire Red Sea have you five been?"
His eyes narrowed at the sight of Emma's bloody gash. Nobody spoke. No one dared breathe.
"Well?" Dr Bloor snorted. "I'm waiting. Isn't anyone going to tell me?"
"Olivia and I broke the bedpost, sir," Amelia Vance invented wildly. "Emma came to help, and when she couldn't fix it she called for Fidelio, who was in the bathroom. Tancred was waiting to use the bathroom so he came to help as well."
Olivia couldn't hide the fact that she was impressed. Amelia could lie nearly as convincingly as she herself could.
Dr Bloor contemplated this explanation. "That would explain this," he mused, "and then some. Now, hurry and grab some brunch; we're preparing for the Roundaboat game."
"You mean Roundabout, sir," Fidelio corrected politely. Dr Bloor shook his head.
"No, I meant what I said, Gunn," he snapped. "It's a boat game, where you tell stories one by one round the circle. Stories, legends and tales appropriate for our setting. Manfred, begin."
"Have you all heard of the Flying Dutchman?" Manfred growled ominously, but only titters and snickers greeted his question.
"YES!" the crowd roared. Manfred shrugged nonchalantly toward his father.
"Sorry, Father, I haven't any other seaworthy legend to tell of. Your turn."
Dr Bloor shuddered. His eyes rolled around in his head, displaying the red-veined whites. Emma shivered at the sight, as Dr Bloor's eyes reversed themselves to their normal position.
"Sorry about that, children," Dr Bloor amended. "Something took over. But I have an entertaining tale I'd like to share. It's short, yet to the point. It's a little history lesson for all of you. The name of this ship, as you well know, is Indigo, but long ago, even before Manfred here was born, it was The Woindigo. The "O" in the name was a natural mistake. It's supposed to be the "Windigo". Not many of you know of the Windigo, a mythical spirit that possesses humans. The ship's customers soon became consumed with cannibalism, the very effect of the Windigo's possession. Soon, the Captain ate his first mate, the second-in-command, and then he lunged for his sailors. Eventually, pandemonium erupted. So, everyone was killed but the Captain. The Windigo, sensing that his work was done, left the Captain's body. The Captain was too weak to live. But the Windigo, as it sailed through the air hungrily to find another ship to feed upon, carried with it the evil spirits and souls of the first mate, the second-in-command, and et cetera. The Captain, energized and newly refreshed, survived. He remembered everything now: the malicious Windigo, the feelings, his age, his whereabouts, and his name."
"Excuse me, sir," Helen Basset interrupted, "what was the Captain's name?"
"Some people say it was Alistair Carter Malone, or André Carlow Mase. All they knew was that he went by the alias of ACM," Dr Bloor continued. He recoiled, as though struck in the head with an invisible fist. "Some people even go so far as to label the Captain as a female."
Dorcas Loom hissed. Everyone knew her to be a reactively large feminist.
"Anyhow, the legend has lived on. Many believe her spirits continue to roam the hallowed halls of this creaky ship. The letters THEWO were removed from the title to become Indigo, and that's how our ship received its name today."
A foghorn blew in the distance. Manfred leapt to his feet.
"Father, it's getting late. The students should be in bed by now."
Dr Bloor came to, snapping from his reverie with a painful crack of his neck. "Wha—oh, you're right, Manfred. Absolutely. DISPERSE!"
The children filed toward the staircase, and Emma followed with reluctance, lost in thought as she allowed Billy to guide her semiconscious self through the hallway down to her cabin.
"Goodnight, Billy," Emma murmured absently. Billy smiled as he turned to his cabin.
"Goodnight, Em."
Emma entered the cabin, gazing around at the yawning faces with wonder and incomprehension. She felt as though she were simply in the wrong place—but at the right time. Where then, should she be?
Emma turned around, glancing down the corridors thoughtfully. She glimpsed a tall, slim figure by the foot of the stairs. What would Manfred Bloor do if he caught her out of bed?
Emma wanted to race back into the cabin, but again that sense of misplacement struck her. She took a slow, shaky step, repetitively until she had reached the front of the landing below the stairwell. The figure was not Manfred Bloor.
She gasped.
"Tracy Morsell?" Emma whispered, eyes widening in disbelief. Her wavy, blond hair rippled down her back; her grey eyes were cold, her smile unpleasantly smug, and her stare was unnerving.
"Hello, Emma Tolly," Tracy muttered icily, scowling. "What're you doing on this cruise ship, in the same cabin as Tancred Torsson?"
"Tracy, need I remind you that I don't like Tancred anymore?" Emma said exasperatedly. "I don't exactly have a boyfriend, but I have a boy who cares enough about me to make up for the disappointment Tancred gave me."
"Tancred upset you?" Tracy seemed bored. "He wasn't meant for you, Emma Tolly. His cold heart and evil ways are to be matched with a girl like me."
"Which reminds me—why are you on this ship?" Emma snapped. Tracy grinned, showing her teeth with menace and deliberation.
"It's my endowment, Emma," Tracy smirked. "Manipulation. I controlled the coast guard to allow me passage on the ship. I controlled Clifton Carp, and forced him to commit suicide so you would be returned to the Academy, sent far away from Tancred. I controlled Amelia Vance, to hurt Olivia, to provoke you."
Tracy's smirk widened as she surveyed Emma's gash. It had dried, but a ropy scar had replaced the blood. Emma didn't know which was more unsightly.
"And lastly," Tracy resumed, "I controlled Dr Bloor. You might have noticed a few contrivances the Headmaster seemingly overcame. I had to punish him for that sexist Captain remark."
"What—What do you mean?" Emma stammered, taking a step backward. Tracy chuckled.
"Clueless as ever, the endowed are," Tracy sneered. "Anyhow, I invented the legend of this boat. The Captain's ghost, ACM, that's actually me. It's to warn each and every single passenger that I'm here, always watching."
"You're TM, not ACM," Emma corrected.
Tracy mimicked the sound of a game show buzzer. Emma recognized the noise. It meant she was incorrect.
"My given name was Attracea Candace Morsell. Ah-Trace-Ee-Ah—what an ugly name! I shortened it to Tracy the moment I switched schools."
"What did those letters THEWO mean?" Emma asked, suddenly curious. "I mean, they were in the story for a reason, right?"
"Maybe not so clueless after all." Tracy seemed satisfied. "It's an acronym for Tracy's Here, Emma—Watch Out!"
Emma screamed. Tracy lunged.
Emma managed to grab the back of Tracy's purple collar. She held on tight as the wild third-year spun round in circles. At last, the tiny fragment of fabric Emma was clutching on for dear life separated from Tracy's purple shirt, and Emma was flung to the ground. The moment her head met the wooden floor, Emma opened her eyes.
She was in bed, beneath the sheets. Her forehead had merely collided with the backboard of her bed.
Had it all been a bad dream?
Rubbing a new goose-egg deep within her veil of untidy blond hair, Emma opened her fist. A fragment of purple cloth sat between heavily-clenched fingers, as though freshly torn from its owner.
Emma squinted closely at the fragment. Could it be real? Tiny letters were forming on the fabric.
T ... H ... E ... W ... O ...
Emma screamed.
Jacky: PLEASE REVIEW. I'd like to know what you all thought.
You: Uhm....
Jacky: Look back to where Emma first encountered Tracy. Her second sentence, mentioning an unidentified boy, is about Reid.
You: I figured.
Jacky: Hintie- AANKH. it's false. nada. untrue. wrong. I'll explain next chapter. Meanwhile, Please Review.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.