Tuesday, 7:37 AM

Running through the crowd of people seeing their families off, Ace, Brigid, and Ashley race to make it to the entry ramp. A young man with short dark hair, waits at the foot of the ramp checking in passengers.

The young man, wearing all white, waves at the approaching family, "Welcome to Carnival! May I have your first and last name?" In the back of his mind, Ace thought to himself as he began to heave huge breaths, "never should have had that last cupcake."

"D-A-I-R-O-N is our last name." The man says in a thick, east coast accent.

The young man looks through the papers on his clipboard, scrolling down a couple lists. "Ah, here you go. Dairon, party of three?" with a chipper laugh at the end and motions the family onto the ramp.

The young man, perky and energetic, yells out, "Is anybody else boarding Carnival to San Francisco?" waving his arm and hand enthusiastically.

8:23 AM

After boarding as early as possible, giving the the time to settle into his room, Mr. Christopher decided to take a stroll around the ship. Noting various doors and hallways that don't seem to be too busy with traffic like other areas of the ship. Speaking with a clear and steady voice, the well dressed man states out loud to himself, speaking to no one in particular, a little above a whisper, "I've noticed there are only two halls and three doors that are not being used consistently. Both hallways lead to the dining area. Two of the three doors lead to the deck outside. I'm currently headed through the third door now," as he reaches for the door handle.

The man opens the third door to reveal a small closet filled with janitorial supplies. Behind him, one of the crew was directing passengers toward their rooms.

"Excuse me sir, are you lost?" A younger woman with white shorts and shirt walking toward the man, waving her hand in the air.

"Yes, I can't seem to find the restaurants.'' The man stated shyly, as if he were embarrassed. "This is my first cruise, and all the doors look the same," he continued.

The woman smiles, revealing sparkling ward the oncoming area. The young lady walks with the man, pointing with her left hand, the different signs and maps for directions and how to use them, and including small tips on remembering everything. They arrive at the entrance of Outback Steakhouse, one of the first of many restaurants.

"This is where they begin," she waves toward the multitude of restaurants from left to right, "but they won't be open until about 10:30 am."

Looking at the man intently, "will you be able to remember where they are from your room?"

"I'm sure I can remember where they are for later, and thank you so much for the help," he states kindly.

"That's fantastic to know, and if you are in need of any help with anything, you can ask any of the crew wearing the same style of clothes that I'm wearing. Have a great day sir", as she waves excitedly while walking away.

Watching the energetic young woman walk away, he states, "thank you for the tips", waving her goodbye. Turning away from the crew member and heading back to his room, Mr. Christopher states, "I've found the perfect spot where I can create the doorway for our exit," then his voice changed, becoming more serious, "but we must act swiftly, the amount of beings coming through will drain a lot of my aura, and I do not want to be at a disadvantage just in case." He concentrates on the passengers walking by. Some in a frantic hurry, some casually looking at all the different wall hangings while walking by. Each with a blurred outline of colors surrounding there entire bodies

On the other side of the earpiece, a raspy, guttural voice says, "Roger that." Mr. Christopher heads toward his room, taking off his suit jacket and gloves on the way. With a huge grin on his face as he arrives at his door, he thinks to himself, "what an epic event this will be." Almost a little too proud of himself, "my master will be overly pleased when we finish out phase one."

9:54 AM

After setting sail from Fort Lauderdale, and the gathering of the passengers for the tour, showing all the exits and briefly going over the emergency procedures, the Dairon family head to their room. Ashley noticed some passengers were already in their bathing suits while taking the tour. Brigid swipes the room key and opens the door. Followed by Ace, and then Ashley. The room was decorated with a sleek, modern, loveseat and couch. A mirrored coffee table and an almost too small kitchenette. The door to the bedroom was to the left of the living room and the door to the bathroom was to the right.

Brigid immediately changes into a floral, halter-bikini top bathing suit and black heels to match her shaw. As she steps out the bedroom, she watches Ace unbutton his pants, he also slid his shoes off, and sat his left foot, followed by his right one, onto the coffee table. Ashley, sitting on the loveseat, with powder pink Temu bluetooth headphones covering both ears, watches, as the two interact with one another. In the back of her mind, an unanswered thought still lingering, "why would a woman, as beautiful as her, marry a guy like him? My dad!"

Once they were done having a conversation, and both, simultaneously looking over to smile at Ashley, the woman kisses her dad on the forehead, and waves to Ashley while walking to the door, blowing them both a kiss with her right hand.

10:46 Am

"Yes dear, I am putting all the clothes you packed for me into the drawers now", Brent says with a grin. His wife on the other end of the line, nerves making the hairs on her neck stand, "that's really good. I just want you to be safe. I don't like being without you for too long of a period, you know that". The man smiles shyly, "aww, honey", pulling out the pair of swim trunks and placing them on top of the folded shorts she packed him in the dresser. "There is something weird to me about this business meeting. I feel it in my body", she begins, "I know I couldn't attend due to Mae's competition, but why wouldn't they just send two tickets anyway", showing an immeasurable amount of concern for her husband and business partner through her choice of words and tone.

"Why are you so nervous about the business meeting? I think it's going to go great", slipping on his orange house slippers after unpacking, "And due to the cruise being fully booked, they were only able to secure one ticket, but I promise that I won't have any fun, and next time I won't step foot onto the cruise unless it's both of us." With a smile on her face, Sui Yung, a middle aged woman who looks no older than 35, sat at her kitchen counter, talking to her husband.

Brent and Sui Yung have been married for 15 years and, everyday, Sui Yung finds that her love for Brent grows more and more. After meeting in a group for widows, the pair knew from their first date, they were meant to be together. From introducing Brent to Mae, and opening a business together, Sui Yung couldn't have been happier than what she was at this very moment.

11:05 AM

When he walked into his room, Mr. Christopher considered whether or not to change the well thought out plan.

"It is completely full proof," he states out loud to himself. "With all the contingencies and possibilities planned for, at this time and place, this strand of time has an unknown result. Therefore, we couldn't have chosen a better time to complete the ritual."

Having learned from the mistakes of the elders from the past, Mr. Christopher's master wanted every detail planned out before employing anyone with the delicate task.

Looking at his watch, it is currently fifteen after. While the sun is at its peak and the show begins within the Bermuda Triangle pulling every passenger's attention, that is when he will begin the first incantation.

Mr. Christopher lived his life during the middle ages, and like every other human, his life came to an end. Due to what the doctors then called gout or arthritis, but is now suspected to have been something called Reiter's syndrome, the last couple weeks of his life were excruciating. Having lived a fulfilling life, and being able to travel across the mass oceans to the unknown, Mr. Christopher was ok with dying. The pain stemming from his eyelids when he opened them and the bone twisting caused by his aches in his fingers, Mr. Christopher wished, pleaded and begged for his life to end. In May of 1506, he was finally able to rest.

"So this is the end huh", speaking to no one in particular and unexpecting a response.

"It doesn't have to be." The voice, clear and precise.

Unaware that there may have been someone or something else within the darkness, the man, hesitant to respond, shakily states, "pardon me", looking around in complete darkness, hoping to find where the voice is coming from, "who's there?"

11:55 AM

As he checked his uniform once more before leaving for his first shift, Fernando couldn't believe it. Working as hard as he has to provide and sustain what little he and his family does have, this marks the first day that feels like he has made the right decisions. Fernando Rodriguez has been the sole provider for his family since he was able to work in Tijuana, Mexico. Still remembering the day he and his family made the two day trek to cross the border, Fernando wondered where they would be if they had hesitated about the advice the hooded man had told him just the night before.

It was a rainy night in Tijuana, which did not happen often. Their power went out immediately, and soon after, the front door unlatched and slammed against the wall. Fernando gathered everyone into the bathroom. He was always the responsible and intelligent one. The storm came to an almost immediate stop. With the rain turning into a light mist and the wind to a mesmerizing breeze, the Rodriguez family looked at one another.

Fernando got up slowly, sitting his baby sister in his mom's arms and walked out the bathroom door. As quiet as a mouse, he tiptoed out of the bathroom and through the living room. With the misty rain lightly tapping on their roof still, and his family sitting in the bathroom waiting to know everything is safe, Fernando saw a shadowy figure move outside the kitchen window, heading toward te front door. He lanced around their living room looking for something to use as a weapon. Fernando grabbed an old bat signed by Beto Ávila, from when his dad was younger. As he creeps up to where he thought the figure might go, he thought to himself, "my dad still owes us a trip to a game", smiling, "after this storm, I'm going to ask him about it."

Fernando finishes the last touches on his new uniform. The chefs wear a white chef coat with an ascot. They wanted the chefs to have a group of servers and bussers to direct as well. Giving the chefs the duty of kitchen manager and a section of tables, they trained each server and busser how they wanted and how they should deliver the menu. With excitement he exited his quarters and headed to clock in.

Looking at his watch, "two minutes? I'll be there in thirty seconds!"

12:59 pM

"Attention passengers, if you look to your left, you will see the beautiful Tropical Storm Nicole within what is known as the Bermuda Triangle. This, folks, is rare as most storms avoid what is also known as the Devil's Triangle." With an almost maniacal laugh followed after, the intercom echoes loudly with the sound of the captain's voice traveling over the laughter from the passengers and the seagulls mewing. As the ship sailed by slowly, the storm became magnificently mesmerizing. The clouds swirled with intent and purpose, which excited the passengers.

You can hear the lightning and thunder communicating through booms of sound and light.

Passengers begin pulling out their phones and cameras. Snapping pictures and pointing toward the distant cluster of clouds and active flashes of lightning that brung the colors to life.

First, the pink-tinted clouds came to life. In an instant, the clouds folded into themselves. Reshaping into the form of a large bushel of roses. Orchids, tulips, daffodils, lilies, hydrangeas, and a plethora of flowers bloom within the beautifully shaped storm clouds. The passengers on the ship were all strangely amazed at the multitude of details they were able to see within the storm. The thorns of all the roses, prick and pierce the other flowers. The sweet fragrance of the orchids wafting over the ship. The bulbs of thousands of tulips, sprouting from inside the beautifully colored clouds. Some passengers yell out in their native language different names of flowers they were able to recognize.

As the flowers settled, blooming beautifully, a blood-red line creeps up the middle of the flowers. Like a rock slowly cracking in the middle. The piercing red light broke through the flowers with a fiery, explosion of heat. Crisping the leaves and stems to a burnt pink ash. The passengers watched, some with horror, others with amazement, as the immaculate flowers that bloomed just seconds ago, disappeared in a wildfire. The embers danced across the storm. Pulsing with heat like shockwaves across the stunned passengers faces. The storm, still vibrant with the strikes of lightning and roars of thunder, now twisted and reformed into a flaming masterpiece. With the temperature slowly rising, some passengers turned away. Shielding their eyes due to the streams of light that pierced the storm and fanning themselves to prevent overheating and dehydration.

"Is everything ready", speaking into his Bluetooth device.

"Yes sir." The voice on the other side of the line responds.

Mr. Christopher watches as the passengers are instantly hypnotized by the colors in the sky.

In Latin, the once well suited man, now dressed in what looked like a leather trench coat with seven gold studs going down a line in the front of it, speaks quickly, "let the show begin", smiling, as he steps out into the sea-scented air.