The Diary: Perdition Awaits Book 2

By Terry Beer

BOOK SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS:

A predator exists, one of flesh and bone, an inquisitive nature within the human mind to delve into lives of others. The Diary preys on one's needs to satisfy a curiosity, enticing those to open its cover and face their i

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Jun 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647534264

Book preview

1

The Chauntle Rod

Throughout one’s entire life, many acquaintances come and go, but the eventuality of meeting one individual having a major impact on one’s circumstances would be inevitable. That person or persona would play a part whether through an influential or derogatory capacity. Destiny has a funny way of showing the coming together of one to another, leading them on a prolific journey, whether to help or hinder, a decision which would fall at the feet of the beholder.

September would be such a time for Daniel Russell. Although many of these characters had entered and exited his life during this painstaking period, he was about to meet a weird yet wonderful human being. Elfie Odges had played a majestic role during their brief encounter, guiding him with true wisdom, giving him a positive mental attitude in order to play out this deadly game, but unfortunately, although with him in spirit, this would not be enough to combat the terror that lay in wait.

On exiting the whirlpool, entering a vast ocean surrounding him, Elfie the twig Odges had played an integral part in seeing him through. Having fallen into the waterfall, the twig had loosened from his neck. Danny had placed it in his mouth, gripping it with his teeth so as not to lose it. Was it destiny? Danny was unsure, as the twig began to act like an oxygen tube whilst he stayed submerged under water.

Fortune does favour the brave after all, he thought.

He was sure he was a goner once he took the death-defying stunt of leaping into the deep and ferocious waterfall. He began to surface the murky freezing cold waters, taking in the hundreds if not thousands of different species of colourful aquatic life portraying a land of tranquil desire whilst swimming around him. Being an animal lover to a certain extent, he could appreciate the visual beauty filling his eyes.

Above him, a commotion was in the midst of getting under way. At a fair distance from him, he could just about make out something being hoisted onto whatever lay above the surface. Upon a sudden feeling of his lungs filling with water, Danny closed his eyes, kicking his legs as fast as he could, hitting the surface with a vicious intent. As his head reached above the surface with water filling his eyes, a slight gust of wind caught him by chance, crashing him into a static iron mass lying dormant beside him. His head took a heavy blow, sending him again beneath the waves. The twig exited his mouth, sinking into the deep ocean below. Not being able to catch his breath, it gave him a rude awakening. Grabbing the twig before he lost sight of it forever, he put it back into his mouth.

Once again he surfaced, realizing he had drifted about fifty feet from his last position. Lying on his back, stabilizing his slight disorientated state of mind, he looked up into the sky above and was confronted with a ninety-thousand-ton cruise liner. Stunning artwork painted on the side of the ship reflected its colours from every visible angle, reminiscent of artwork painted all over the bodywork of many transportation vehicles.

A sign gave away the ship’s name: Chauntle Rod.

It was a remarkable sight, leaving Danny stunned for a moment. He had been on a cruise liner with his family many years ago and often wondered about the awesome vision of seeing a liner sink into the ocean blue whilst gazing at it from afar, a wish granted to some extent. Seeing one up close from the depths of the ocean was one of the scariest yet greatest visions he was ever likely to see. The more he stared at the colossal structure, the more it resembled a place of no escape, a land mass of the past following him into the sea.

He was wet and cold, the waters taking a huge toll on his body, sapping his energy levels quickly, so he had to get on board fast, knowing the ocean surrounding him had no mercy for the weak. Alongside the starboard bow, he noticed that the fourteen-thousand-ton anchor had been deployed, but only as far as the surface of the water, making him confused as to why, being an anchor without the scope to moor, why had it been deployed as such?

It was stranded in the middle of nowhere, but fortunately for Danny, it gave him an opportunity to make his way on board. At the third attempt, still clutching the twig with his teeth, he took a firm hold of the enormous chain, levering himself up onto the upper deck. As he climbed, he could hear a purring sound of the thrusters coming from the engine room, helping to keep the ship stable as it remained static on the ocean waves. The climb was ten passenger decks high, making it slow and exhausting. On reaching the summit, he eased his body over the rusted copper-plated railings and collapsed in an almighty heap on the filthy deck.

Lying flat on his back with just his underpants to keep him from total exposure, Danny closed his eyes for a short while, breathing in the potent sea air before reopening them. His energy levels were quickly returning to normal because as before, a new month had begun, with new challenges ahead.

Looking up, he spotted a clock hanging from the mast directly above him, reading 6 a.m. He sprang to his feet, coming face-to-face with the beautiful horizon yonder. The sun was beginning to rise over the colourful blue waters below. Danny did a 360-degree turn, inhaling the refreshing sea air once more, remaining stagnant to once again recall the one and only time he had been at sea with his family many years ago, a cruise which contained fond memories and happy visions, a book was about to turn completely on its head.

Removing the twig from his mouth, holding it firmly inside his hand, he glanced around. At first it seemed all had abandoned ship, something which didn’t last for long. In the distance, he was confronted by voices. A visual check confirmed that whatever he saw from beneath the waves below was in fact some sort of cargo being taken aboard by a few of the ships personnel, one by one passing the crates to each other, letting out a wierd chant of Yadda Vadda Vee Da Vadda Vo. Yadda Vadda Vee Da Vadda Vo.

The chant was enchanting and intriguing yet undecipherable at this stage. Should he take a closer look? The curiosity within us all made him seriously think about it until he was met by people making their way onto the deck from all angles. They all had towels draped around their shoulders and were heading straight for the pool.

Some things never change, he whispered to himself.

It was a large crowd, wanting to grab the best sun beds in the house to maintain a deniable vanity, a selfishness which would probably never be extinguished within us.

The upper deck where Danny laid claim was smothered with visual life in no time at all, and all he could do was try to hide his embarrassment at being rather short of clothes and all. Anybody resembling authority could be lurking about the ship, so being mistaken for a stowaway was possible. Feeling the urge to make his way below, he passed many passengers with a good morning, sir/madam, yet he received no reply, astonishing considering he was uncomfortably strolling about the ship half-naked. Searching for a small and secluded area, he needed to find some clean clothes and rest a weary body and mind. He had a lot of thinking to do, a re-evaluation with a new situation thrust upon him. The whys and wherefores couldn’t be ignored, having learned this the hard way during his torrid yet thoroughly exciting adventure to date.

Making his way through the huge vessel, hoping not to be detected, goose bumps covered his arms, and he had an eerie feeling he had been here before. His mind was running ragged, cottoning on to the shape of the structure, resembling a motel he had frequented months back, the nightclub where he first lost Elfie before he became a branch. Recalling looking up from the depths of the ocean, it resembled the hospital he witnessed on that fateful night back on New Year’s Eve. Things were conspiring against him for sure, but for the moment, fate was on his side, his presence being totally ignored by all and sundry who passed him by as if he didn’t exist. For a moment, he felt the need to question his own existence, a paranoia helping to keep him on his toes, which suited him just fine.

Room after room and suite after suite passed him by, without much luck. The interior of the vessel was far superior to the exterior. No expense had been spared in making sure every customer delved in the origins of paradise whilst on board the huge lady of the sea. As for the restaurants, they were a different matter entirely, leaving scars from a previous melancholy evening. Leftover uneaten food had been discarded all over the kitchen. The dining area wasn’t much better, with some munch-less food even covering the stylish crafted floor tiling. Bacteria was having a field day, growing and multiplying at a phenomenal rate, with personnel absentees to blame. Danny did feel rather peckish, but being surrounded by awful sights of rotten pizza, stone-cold curry, and so forth, he couldn’t afford to take stupid risks.

Walking into the storeroom of one of the kitchens, hanging up on a hook, he spotted some whites. Reaching for a double-breasted jacket, he saw that the name tag on the left lapel read Chef. Danny unhooked it, trying it on for size. It hung on him a bit, designed more for a person of rotund stature. This will have to do.

He couldn’t keep wandering around a ship of such magnitude in just his underpants. A chef’s uniform would do the job for now, hopefully making him inconspicuous to those around him. As long as nobody asked him any questions about recipes, he was laughing. There was so much to see, so much to wonder about, asking why fate brought him here. Caressing the twig in his hand, he vaguely remembered some of Elfie’s last words.

If you make it to the ocean, search out Pat Harris, a man you can trust with your life.

Elfie knew the ocean was next, for he had been here himself, a last piece of advice before succumbing to the vortex.

For now, Danny was content, knowing answers would be forthcoming as the month ticked on by, deciding for now to explore his newly found surroundings and make the most of what was on offer.

Passing through the gigantic ballroom made him stop and stare for a while. On the stage, instruments were left behind from members of the orchestra. Danny inhaled the silence, wondering what the atmosphere might be like once the playing and dancing commenced. Danny was never much of a dancer. The closest he had come to any ballroom was by means of enjoying his parents watching Come Dancing, hosted by Terry Wogan, on the television when he was a child.

Looking about, he saw that the ceilings were draped with at least two dozen crystal chandeliers; spotlights left on from last night’s performance looked nothing short of exquisite. Danny started to walk across the immaculately polished floor, stopping, taking a quick look around, making sure there wasn’t a soul in sight. Proceeding to prance around the floor, imagining he was Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, filled him with a moment of glee. A Ginger Rogers or a Cyd Charisse was definitely amiss, but he didn’t care. He was in his element.

Music started to play whilst he treaded the boards. Looking over at the bandstand, he noticed that it was still vacant. Beneath his feet, he spotted small pads underneath the floor, a triggering mechanism automatically starting the music for anyone willing to practise out of hours. Although he would have loved to stay and play all day, fatigue was setting in and he needed to rest his weary bones. Making his way to the exit door, he headed towards yet another corridor and with it a lower deck.

The lower he descended, the louder the noise of the ship’s engines could be heard. Eventually, he found himself in the servants’ quarters. They were totally oblivious to him being there as they carried on dealing with their duties

Danny tried a few of the rooms until he came across a small room. Looking through a small porthole window on the door, he saw that the room had not only a feel of being unoccupied but also vacated from the ship’s crew. The door was unlocked, so he entered at will. On the wall, a heater was pumping out excessive heat, a real godsend.

A small wooden bed in the corner of the room showed a framework full of splinters, riddled with woodworm and fit for burning. Besides the grubby floor, there wasn’t much option in the sleeping department, so he decided to make the best of what he had. Stripping naked, letting everything roam freely, Danny placed the chef whites and his pants on the heater. Having no change of underwear for the time being, he had a decision to make. Had the ocean given them a good washing or should he abandon them, choosing to go commando instead. Carefully lying down on the bed in a wholehearted effort to get some sleep, it would be an easy decision to make once his mind and soul were rested.

The mattress was pretty comfortable, all things considered. Closing his eyes, Elfie’s voice kept reverberating through his head: Search out Pat Harris, for you can trust him with your life.

It didn’t take him long to doze off, falling into a deep sleep quickly despite the aggravating sounds coming from outside the room. Rumbles and tumbles of a working environment eventually took a toll, waking him as a deep sleep lightened. It was late afternoon, and with it the patter of voices were close by. Lying down, thinking it wouldn’t be long before the voices would be on top of him, he dare not be discovered, something thus far which had been easier than first thought. Sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing his eyes, directly outside the door he could vividly hear giggling noises, and on rising to his feet, the door crashed open. He was confronted by two young women holding hands, dressed in maid uniforms. Each woman put a hand over her mouth whilst constantly giggling to one another. Had they never seen a naked man before?

Danny didn’t hesitate in covering his embarrassment once he cottoned on as to what they were giggling at. What made it ten times worse was that like every other full-blooded young male when waking, he had a full erection.

Oh my, what big parts you have. Wouldn’t you agree, Flo?

Flo sheepishly nodded her head. Oh, yes, Agnes, big parts all right, very big parts indeed.

Danny was a little annoyed, yet embarrassed even more.

Do you mind, ladies? A bit of privacy wouldn’t go amiss.

The women retaliated. Sorry, mister, said Agnes, the more outspoken of the two women speaking through her fingers. I thought this room was unoccupied.

Obviously not, replied Danny, grabbing his clothes and fumbling in a botched attempt to quickly dress. Is there any chance you can give me five minutes to try to salvage some shred of decency which remains.

The women turned around but gave the odd look over their shoulders. It wasn’t every day they would be subjected to such a sight, so they decided to milk it for as long as possible. Agnes kept one eye firmly on Flo at all times, whilst her other eye made the wander.

Danny carried on dressing, stumbling over his trousers as he tried to hurry what should never be hurried. Although he had tried his utmost all year to avoid the dark holes of hell, this was one of the few occasions where he would gladly bury himself away to avoid any other embarrassment of such nature.

Once decent, the giggling died down and order resumed.

So, mister, enquired Agnes, what are you doing in here? This room has been out of bounds since we set sail.

Danny didn’t have an answer, but he knew he would find it easier to bluff his way out of this situation with two feeble women rather than two burly men out to show their macho images to one another.

How did you know I was in here?

Agnes looked with both eyes at Flo before reverting one eye back towards Danny.

Actually, mister, we didn’t know. We assumed this room was empty, so we thought we would come here for a bit of privacy, if you get my meaning.

Embracing the heat being transferred from his dry clothes to his body, Danny didn’t quite grasp what Agnes was getting at, but it wasn’t too long before he understood.

The two young women entered the room hand in hand, closing the door behind them, both staring at Danny standing in total bemusement, reigniting a giggle once more. Agnes tenderly placed one hand on the cheek of Florence and proceeded to kiss her passionately. Florence in turn responded with total conviction, allowing Danny his turn in exploiting the situation for his own sexual needs, feeling a bit uncomfortable, to say the least, with this all being new to him.

You’re lesbians. Jesus Christ, you’re bloody lesbians?

Danny gave out a chuckle himself, brushing through his hair with his hands.

Agnes and Flo retracted their tongues from each other but continued pecking each other on the lips. Agnes looked at Danny from the corner of her eye. That’s right. Do you have a problem with that?

Danny was shaken but not stirred. No, no, no, not at all. Please carry on. Don’t let me interrupt you, ladies, for I’m not the kind of person who stands in the way of true love.

Agnes looked down at his zipper. Yes, I can see that, babe. You’re still hard.

Was Danny still embarrassed? Not anymore. The girls had not just seen but also admired his erection when he was naked, so it didn’t matter anymore.

Danny paused for a short moment, spreading his arms out wide before carrying on.

Natural, isn’t it, girls? A threesome is every man’s fantasy, so they say. Still, never mind my hard-on, I am more interested in what you two are doing here. I’m assuming this is your little love nest and you don’t want anyone to know, am I right?

Very astute of you, mister, replied Agnes. Flo and I work long hours on different shift patterns, so it is imperative that on the odd occasion when we share the same shift, we set a little time aside for ourselves. We are just beginning to get to know each other on a more intimate level, so we thought this room would be ideal—only a little room, I know—but our own little treasure chest all the same. We didn’t expect to find anybody in here especially a naked you."

Flo whispered into Agnes’s ear. And not a bad-looking one, Aggy, eh?

You’re not wrong there, babe, Agnes whispered back.

Both girls giggled once more, leaving Danny out in the cold.

Agnes momentarily broke hand contact with Flo to concentrate her glare towards Danny. What are you doing here?

The broken contact gave Flo an opportunity to break free from Agnes’s clutches, feeling uncomfortable in a situation that wasn’t really her. Had she been duped into being there? She didn’t know. Flo’s mind was weak, having a hard time remembering yesterday, let alone now.

Flo attempted to exit the room but was halted by Agnes grabbing her by both arms, slipping her hands down, gripping Florence’s hands once more. Agnes menacingly stared into Flo’s eyes, once again she was hypnotised by her lover-to-be. Danny was oblivious to what was going on with these two women, putting it down to Flo getting nervous about being spotted. Maybe being so young and of a nervous disposition, she desperately needed this job, doing anything to please. Flo had quit her education, to the disgust of her parents, for an opportunity to see the world, an opportunity which would turn out to be a disastrous decision for her.

Danny placed his finger over his lips, having a gut feeling he had found the leverage he was looking for.

It seems as if you two are not the only ones with a secret to tell. I won’t tell if you don’t, OK?

The two women, still hand in hand, looked at one another, forced into concurring.

Easing his way past them, heading for the door, Agnes released one hand from Florence, brushing Danny’s hand whilst whispering into Flo’s ear. Once again they both started to giggle, making Danny halt his stride. The strangest tingling sensation began to flow through his body, a touch of her hand acting as a relaxant. Agnes attempted to grab his hand but was unsuccessful. Even though Flo was smitten with her partner, Danny wasn’t, not giving it a second thought as he brushed her advancing hand aside to reach the door.

Leaving so soon, babe? asked Agnes.

Unfortunately, yes, replied Danny. Why?

Agnes put a caressing arm around Florence’s shoulders, giving a wink or two.

Well, without sounding too forward, we loved what we saw, if you get our meaning, and we are sure we could have a lot of fun, just the three of us. What do you think? I’m sure it would bring as much pleasure to you as it would us.

Danny was astounded at the mere suggestion. Could he believe his luck? Many times in the past, he had overheard his friends talking about their conquests over a drink or three, bragging that they had in fact had a threesome with two other women. He never believed them back then, and he certainly never believed a situation such as this would fall onto his lap so easily.

A tempting offer, ladies, but I really should be elsewhere, I think.

This was a genuine first for Agnes, used to the male population grabbing what they could when they could, without a moment’s hesitation.

Agnes once again broke eye contact with Flo, realizing she had found a larger fish to fry. What’s the matter, babe? Don’t tell me that you and that hunky frame of yours are not attracted to two beautiful, ripe sexually peaked come-and-get-me women. Placing her hand on Florence’s face, slowly slipping it down to her breasts, possessing one firmly in her grasp, she looked at Danny once more, trying to egg him on.

C’mon, babe, lose your inhibitions for once in your life. You won’t get an offer like this again. Rest assured we offer satisfaction with a lifetime guarantee. C’mon, you know you want to. It’ll be fun, I promise.

Although he felt a strong urge to delve into his sexual curiousness with these two most attractive women, he had to decline. Strong visions of Chloe continued to dominate his mind. He shouldn’t, he couldn’t—by gum, he wouldn’t—be unfaithful to her, no matter how horny he felt. He looked down at his zipper.

It’s not hard anymore, girls, so I’m afraid the moment has passed us by. Sorry.

Attempting to leave he felt a strong hypnotic presence in the room, an overwhelming power coming from the piercing eyes of Agnes.

Danny was desperately trying to break eye contact with her, but he couldn’t. An unsuspected ally in Flo came to his rescue, grabbing Agnes by her face, starting to kiss her with an intense passion. Danny had his chance and blew it. Flo was ready for sex, making sure Agnes got the message.

Agnes found it hard to control two minds at any one time. She already had Flo within her clutches, so she decided to let Danny off the hook, evidently clear who had the stronger mind.

Danny gave his head a shakedown and made some woeful excuse before leaving them, much to Agnes’s disappointment. He had an inclination that there would be much more pressing matters to attend to whilst on board. He couldn’t waste time on meaningless sexual encounters; he had to pursue his goal. Reluctantly closing the door behind him, he left his hand on the handle, pondering a sudden thought which entered his mind. These were the first two people to acknowledge his existence aboard the ship since his arrival. Why was this? What had changed? Time had changed. It was getting later in the day, visions becoming clearer, eyes less cloudy, making him more and more noticeable as the day wore on. He had to find answers quickly. Leaving himself open to subjective torment so early in the month would be unusual but could not be totally dismissive.

The lower decks were less inhabited than the upper decks. Using the service lifts and stairwells, Danny went about his task of searching for clues. Surely the dreaded book was on board somewhere. Why else would he have ended up here? He valiantly searched for anything, not just to give him an edge regarding future developments; he also needed something to help redefine his whole strategy.

Danny had a sudden feeling of being watched from all corners. Although he couldn’t see anybody in the vicinity, he knew they were about. Verbal gibberish dominated the background, emerging from the air ducts above his head, warning of an intruder, a young man becoming more and more noticeable by the minute. Noticing a small congregation of people hustling and bustling for a glimpse of the intruder at the far bottom of the corridor, he wondered what they were after. Had Agnes and Flo opened their mouths? Danny wasn’t in the mood to find out. Hastily he made his way to the nearest exit, pursued by a hungry crowd pushing and pulling at one another, with each one keener than the next to bring him down.

Danny ran down the stairs two at a time as fast as his legs would carry him, with voices becoming ever closer, not quick enough to get away, with deck levels fast running out. Deck nine, deck eight, deck seven … Danny lost track of the numbers as his feet gave way, attempting to take too many steps in one go. He fell down a flight of stairs, culminating in his banging his head heavily against the marble floor which lay beneath him. Two large bumps to the head in one day were enough to concuss anyone. Danny lay there staring up blurry- eyed, barely make out the large crowd hovering above him. Finally losing consciousness, he was there for the taking.

2

Patrick Simone Harris

Patrick Simone Harris was a strange but colourful character from a small country called Wales. He was one of seven children born slap bang in the middle of four sisters and two brothers. What made him unique from the rest of the clan in this strong God-fearing household was anybody’s guess. I suppose being born with ginger hair and pink eyes didn’t help his cause. There was even talk of his being the milkman’s son. To be fair, a small village unfortunately erects idle gossip. There was a small resemblance to the local milkman who had been delivering the milk on the same route for many years, with a huge reputation for being a randy old sod, so who could blame them?

Patrick knew people consistently made fun of him, but over the years, he learned to toughen up, using their own quips against them with a witty yet dry sense of humour. Sometimes this would anger his strict father, who would often chase him out of the house with a wooden stick in one hand and a few expletives coming from his mouth. Pushing people to their limits just made Patrick more determined, introducing practical jokes to his repertoire, especially when out on school trips with his classmates. He became relentless in his pursuit of tyranny, and when the village idiot died due to one of his vindictive escapades, the title was duly passed on to him. Patrick Harris, the village idiot, had quite a ring to it.

Every year to get their own backs, the villagers would club together on his birthday, and as a special treat for their revenge, they would tie him up to the old oak tree which had been in the village since the beginning of time, throwing small apples at him, all with his parents’ blessing, giving them immense satisfaction, but when Patrick turned sixteen, a new set of rules came into play.

The village held a street party on Patrick’s sixteenth birthday. He was now old enough to be banished, exiled to any other part of the world but theirs. Happy days had finally arrived for the residing hypocritical nature of the village folk, but that didn’t faze this young man. He had aspirations of delving into the big wide world awaiting his antics of such deluded humour. It would be a rude awakening for some of the people who failed to understand him, but to others it would be an almost refreshing bout of fun being in his presence. This was to be the case for Elfie Odges, followed by Danny as time moved on.

Being the centre of attention would be imperative, so it was only natural to do something that would forever gain everybody’s attention. He decided to shave his head bald because being ginger didn’t bode well with him at all. He learned to speak back to front fluently as he began to question everything going on around him. Everything wasn’t as black and white as people portrayed, and this manner would inevitably cause people to stand up and take notice of him. He knew he was only a small cog in a wheel of life’s evolution, but he felt the need to change people’s perspectives so they would learn to conform to his ideas and his ideal ways.

Wakey-wakey. A cold wet towel had been placed under Danny’s head to curb the bruising. A few slaps to the face was being administered as slowly Danny started to regain consciousness, lying with his eyes closed just for a moment, anxiously anticipating what awaited him. The blow to the head made his tear ducts flourish, which in turn made his eyelids sticky. Placing his hands on his eyes, he gave them a gentle rub before opening them slowly. Standing tall above him was a large man with a shaven head, wearing thick dark framed sunglasses. Danny jolted up, brushing up against the wall directly behind him, a sudden move which made him dizzy. Resting his head in his hands, trying to douse the pain, it was nothing more than a futile effort. Having taken a severe knock to his head, a whole box of aspirin wouldn’t have helped.

The man looked down at the helpless patient. Fine is everything, mate worry don’t.

Danny rolled his eyes, speaking with a murmur. What? Don’t you mean everything is fine?

The man laughed. Whatever.

Danny retracted his hand. Who are you … and what happened to the crowd chasing me?

The stranger held out a friendly hand to help the patient to his feet. Hesitantly, Danny decided to relent.

OK is everything. Here safe be will you.

Danny began to wonder if the bang to his head had dislodged something in his brain. The stranger was talking in a weird yet friendly way, but something wasn’t right. Danny began to caress his head once more.

Pat me call friends my but, Harris Pat is name my. Home my to welcome. Here safe be will you. Here down you bother wont’ they, me trust.

Danny stood staring at him, wondering if this guy was for real. Was this the man who he could apparently trust with his life? He must be, for Elfie said so, last words of a man before foreseeing his own death. Danny decided to keep schtum for the time being just to see how it would play out. If Elfie was true to his word (and he normally was), then he wasn’t in any immediate danger.

Are you OK, mister? Danny enquired. Was it me who took the bump to the head or was it you?"

Pat chuckled, shrugging his shoulders as if to say who gives a shit. Is that nice that’s? contempt with me treat you and life your save I.

Hold on a goddamn minute. It was all coming together now, with Danny’s senses revitalised. I get it, I get it. You are speaking back to front. Tell me, Pat Harris, why are you speaking back to front? Do you have a speech impediment or something?

Pat started to clap his hands. Typical, is that typical …

"What do you mean by typical? asked Danny. I was only asking a straight forward question."

Negative so be to have everything does.You not and front to back speaking am I think you makes what?

Danny had to take a moment to change the wording around to understand what this man was saying, especially in long sentences. Only about seven billion people, I suppose. We can’t all be wrong, can we? Anyway, even if your hypothesis is true, then no matter which way you look at it, rightly or wrongly, you are still speaking differently to the rest of the world, are you not? Why is that, Pat Harris? Were you dropped on your head at birth or something?

Something was beginning to click between the pair. Pat liked the sharpness of wit coming from Danny’s mouth, failing to take what he said as an insult because it never came across in a derogatory manner.

No, no, no, friend my all at it not that’s. Not it is made man only is speak we language the? Go isn’t stop and, slow isn’t fast that say to who’s example for. Morning good not and good morning, say we language native my in. Is that why me to explain? alive is dead and dead is alive that say to who’s because now right dead be all could we mean I, that than deeper even go could we suppose I. Who’s that’s man, who you tell will I?

Danny was struggling to take the gibberish in. Pat was speaking so fast and fluently he couldn’t make heads or tail of any of it. Still, he found it a fascinating way to speak, trying his best to decipher as much as he could, but the bump to his head made it difficult enough without the added complication of translation.

I’m sorry, Pat Harris. You did say your name was Pat Harris, didn’t you?

Pat nodded.

Did sure I.

Well, to be quite honest, Pat, I am feeling pretty groggy at the moment. I really need to lie down, so is there any chance we can debate this subject more thoroughly at a later date?

Pat knew he was wasting his breath, but he understood where Danny was coming from.

Problem a not really it’s. It need to going your cos rest some get to need you. Head the to bang heavy a taken have you. Tomorrow talk we’ll and rest up so, play to out come Vee Vada the when around be to want don’t you and anyway now late it’s.

Danny was out like a light before Pat had a chance to finish his sentences. Pat grabbed a soft cushion, placing it under Danny’s head for comfort.

The night came and went without much incident. Mid-morning when Danny awoke, he felt much fresher knowing a good night’s sleep was all he craved. He had a rather nasty bump on the head, yet another battle scar he would have to suffer, but if he was to survive this month, the chances were the scar would disappear anyway. A new challenge, a new month, often left all previous wounds behind.

Rising to his feet, Danny found himself in the engine room of the ship. Calling out to Pat a couple of times, he got no response, so he made his way along a jungle of pipes, machinery, and pathways to try to find him. In the distance, he spotted him, stopping and waiting until he arrived.

Did you have a good sleep? Pat asked from a distance.

Yes, thanks. You could say it was what the doctor ordered, Danny replied.

Well, that’s just dandy because now we have to sit down and discuss where we go from here.

Danny noticed something different about Pat, not visual but more verbal.

Well, it should be easier now you are speaking properly. What changed your mind?

Pat had reached him by now. Oh, I thought to hell with it. To be honest with you, I only do it to piss people off, but something tells me I have met someone for the first time in many, many years whom I can actually relate to on this godforsaken boat, so forgive me if I revert back to it every now and again, having become a bit of a hard habit to break don’t you know?

It didn’t matter to Danny, having met some weird yet wonderful characters in his life, although Pat was to beat them all by a country mile. The foulest of odour saturated, the air and Danny couldn’t help but whiff it. His nose began to twitch as he placed his hand over it. Pat stood there laughing at Danny’s inept mannerism.

What is that foul smell, Pat? Have you farted or something?

Normally a person breaking wind in front of another so soon after a meeting would feel a little embarrassed, but Pat wasn’t one to stand on ceremony.

Yes, sorry, about that, mate. Let’s just say it was just a wee tester for you.

Tester or no tester, that is disgusting. When did you die and go to hell? Danny paused. "What do you mean, a tester? If you are testing my sense of smell, I can assure you it’s in perfect working order, mate."

No, no, it’s not that. Pat stopped, realizing he didn’t even know the stranger’s name. What do I call you? What is your name? I didn’t get a chance to ask you last night with all of that commotion going on.

The two men exchanged pleasantries before moving on.

I had to make sure you were not one of them. I couldn’t afford to take any chances. I found it strange you appeared so suddenly close to their mating time, so I had every right in thinking they were setting me up.

Danny couldn’t wait to hear what creature wanted him dead this time. May I ask who they are?

Without hesitation, Pat snapped back. The Vadda Vee, Danny mate, the Vadda Vee. Behalf you on intervened I when night last you chasing were think you do who?

Danny raised his eyebrows to signify Pat was speaking backwards once more.

Sorry about that—a force of habit, I guess. Anyway, you may think those people last night were human, but they are anything but.

Danny interrupted. Let me guess—they were this Vadda Vee thing you are talking about. I mean, what kind of stupid name is that? Tell me, how do you know so much about them?

Pat allowed his bum to squeak a couple of more times as he sat down on one of the pipes. Danny followed, keeping a safe distance from the vile smell left behind.

It’s a funny story, really. You will laugh when I tell you.

Danny covered his nose once more.

You may be wrecking my sense of smell, but I can assure you I am all ears.

Pat began. I’m sure you have many questions, but I hope what I have to say will answer some if not all of them, so if you are ready, we shall begin.

Danny sat back like a child ready for a bedtime story.

"For starters, mate, welcome to the Chauntle Rod, one of the largest ocean liners in the world. By my calculations, I think we are stranded in the Pacific Ocean somewhere above the Mariana Trench. It’s the deepest part of any ocean anywhere in the world, you know."

Danny nodded his head, signifying he already knew that.

The ship suddenly stopped about a week ago, and then some funny shit started to happen.

Danny had questions already, but Pat was quick to hush him. Whilst me interrupt not do, please. Oh, sorry, Danny, I mean, please do not interrupt me whilst I’m in my stride. Now, where was I? Ship stops—funny shit, oh yeah. I was asked to come up from the engine room to help recover some kind of cargo from far beneath the ocean, taking an age to winch it up. I reckon it was brought up from the trench itself.

Why’s that? asked Danny.

Well, my friend, it seemed to take an eternity to winch it on board, that’s why, a summation, that’s all. Look, Danny, nobody really knows what the hell is down there. So much of the ocean goes unexplored due to government funding, which I find strange considering two-thirds or so of this world is full of water. Anyway, the crew were beginning to act somewhat strange, so I watched from afar. It was as if they had been possessed, taken over, or something to that effect. Over the last few days, many of the passengers also began to act strangely. I didn’t have a clue what the hell was going on until a couple of evenings ago. You’ll like this bit.

Danny raised his eyebrows.

"I was on my break, so I made my way to the kitchen. I really fancied a curry, and I do like my curries hot. The Vindaloo went down a right treat, but unfortunately it plays hell with my bowels, but I figured what the hell. A little bit of what you fancy every now and again does you no harm, right?

After my dinner, I was heading back to my quarters for a quick snooze when I was approached by this gorgeous chick. Wow, she was beautiful all right, make no mistake. You could say she made me an offer I just couldn’t refuse. I mean, you don’t get offers like that every day, do you, Danny mate? So I grabbed her hand, although I must say I felt the strangest sensation throughout my body when I did so. I rushed her back to my room for a quickie before she changed her mind. Danny, she was hot, man. We soon whipped each other’s clothes off and got down to it.

Danny began to feel a wee bit embarrassed yet envious, for his sexual encounters had dealt with nothing but misery during his life, although he did have an opportunity the previous evening yet turned it down, something he didn’t want to share with a stranger at this time. The strange tingling sensation he could relate to, but he decided to listen for the time being. Sometimes morals and principals can be a complete pain in the arse, don’t you think?

I don’t want to know all the ins and outs of your sexual conquest, Pat. Can’t we skip this bit?

Pat was having none of it, especially as he was getting to the good part. Believe me, Danny mate, you are going to want to hear the rest of it. This is where it gets interesting—oh, and messy. Anyway, for some reason, this woman was only interested in having oral sex. She specifically wanted me to give it to her, so I duly obliged. It didn’t take her long to get into it either, howling and screaming things like ‘Don’t stop; give me more; I need more!’ Her fingers were clasping at the bedcovers so tightly that I thought she was having some kind of seizure. To be quite honest, I had been under the impression from my previous partners that I wasn’t that good at oral sex, so for a woman to shelve those negative thoughts was a pump up for any man’s ego. Don’t you think?

Danny nodded his head. I suppose it would, yes. So what happened next. When is the good part coming up?

They both gave a smile towards one another as Pat continued. It’s coming; actually, that’s what she kept saying to me: ‘I’m coming, I’m coming.’ I thought that was great. Satisfying—I mean, really satisfying a woman, a real woman for the first time in my entire life was upon me—until it all started to go terribly wrong.

Danny raised his eyebrows again, eagerly awaiting the next bit. What do you mean that it all went wrong? How can you go from satisfying her to certain dismal doom?

It was time for Pat to feel a little bit embarrassed himself.

Unfortunately, the curry I had eaten was going right through me. Danny, I tell you, my bowels were playing havoc. Normally I don’t give a shit if I fart in front of women—hell, I don’t normally care if I do it during sex—but I had never been in this situation before. Normally when you are with someone for a time, you can get away with just about anything, but to fart in front of a stranger during sex for the first time, especially when you have finally hit a bit of form, is very embarrassing, let me tell you. Pat’s head dropped.

Danny felt only a slight need to console him, but he knew nothing about the man, bisexual for all he knew, not wanting to give out the wrong impression, so he just sat back and responded. So I suppose she got a whiff of your arse and was off like a shot.

Pat raised his head once more out of the doldrums and into delight, laughing aloud as he carried on. "You must be joking, Danny. It was nothing like that at all. What happened was I let out this huge ripper, one I’ll never forget till the day I die, a real stinker even for me, I can tell you. The smell smothered the room instantly, so I raised my head from her fanny to apologize to her, but she had gone totally silent. Suddenly, screams of ecstasy turned into screeches of torment … and then nothing. She stopped doing anything, lying there motionless, all so very weird. I checked her pulse but could feel nothing. I mean, there wasn’t one, Danny, because she was dead.

I didn’t know what to do at first, realizing I actually didn’t have to do anything at all. Wandering the room frantically searching for a viable reason as to how I could explain her death, it all unfolded in front of my eyes.

Danny had gone from a disinterested party to a man aching of intrigue, with questions flowing at will. So what happened? How did she die? Was it a heart attack or something else? Where is she now?

Pat had the answers if only he could get a word in edgeways. It turns out she was an alien, for fuck’s sake. Can you believe it, Danny mate? I was having the best sex of my life with a fucking alien. I learned after a while that they call themselves the Vadda Vee.

Danny wasn’t surprised in the least, having been there, done that, and got the whole home run, yet he was unaware of it at this stage, totally understanding where Pat was coming from, but he needed more. Calm down, Pat. Calm down and tell me how you knew she … I mean, it was an alien. What was the giveaway?

Pat took some deep breaths, palpitations at just the thought of it. "Well, it was lying there for a good few minutes when suddenly her whole molecular structure began to change. Her human form slowly changed into some form of silicone gel, solidifying into a giant wet ball, absorbing the rotten smell filling the room. Sparks flickered around its circumference, so I stepped well back.

"I reckon it was having a chemical reaction to my farts because out of nowhere, boom! A small explosion left rubbery shit plastered all over my room, giving me the feeling it wasn’t human. What do you think, Danny mate?"

I suppose that would be a fair assumption, dear boy, Danny answered.

Pat continued. I tell you something—they say timing is everything. Never were truer words spoken, I can tell you.

What do you mean?

I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that one single fart would save my life.

How do you work that one out, Pat?

Well, after my sexual encounter, I noticed a hell of a lot of sexual activity going on in a lot of the rooms all over the ship. The people going in were definitely not the same when they came out, that’s for sure. I figured out that the disease, the possession, the demons, or whatever the hell you want to call it, was being transmitted through none other than semen, whether it be fanny bashing or dick sucking. Everything to them is oral, with no penetration involved. Lesbians and homosexuals alike don’t care, and I’ll tell you something, else mate. When she said she was coming, it’s times like that when I’m glad she didn’t. I’ve always known I was shit inside the covers, so if she did come, then guaranteed I would be standing here asking you for a blow job, that’s for damn sure.

Danny roared with laughter, with Pat following suit. It wasn’t what was said, more a case of the way Pat put it across. Pat had said Danny would find the story funny, and eventually he did, although there was an element of seriousness about it.

When the laughter calmed down, Danny recalled the events of the previous afternoon. It was all coming together, a tingling sensation he felt when Agnes brushed her hand against his and her insistence on him joining the both of them for a fitness regime made up of passion, pausing whilst giving a thought for Florence. The more he thought about the two of them, the easier it was for him to make a conclusion. Agnes was the one who had the hold over her, obviously setting out to kill two birds with one stone. If she knew who her bigger fish to fry was, then Danny was sure she would have tried harder to snare him. It was a close escape indeed for him, but unfortunately not for poor Florence.

Pat Harris carried on, explaining himself in chapter and verse, speaking forward and backwards. Danny began to gain a huge insight into the world of the Vadda Vee and the Vadda Vo. Always lurking in the distance behind a twig, there would be a twog, a suffragist and there would be a suffragette, so why should the Vadda Vee be any different? The Vadda Vo were not interested in the Make love, not war bollocks, being far more interested in going beyond the realms of masochism, not interested in tender loving care but total unequivocal submission, a mating domination ending in nothing less than death. Pat had explained that the sperm released within the good of society would become a Vadda Vee, yet if released into a society spawning bad intentions, it would bring forth the Vadda Vo.

Every piece of information coming from Pat’s mouth would have to be studied intensely over the coming weeks because Danny knew a large storm would be brewing over the horizon. Elfie was right after all, a man who could be trusted was to lie in the form of a former village idiot, Patrick Harris. If he and his newly found ally were to make it off this ship alive, a reliance upon an alliance would be called upon at some stage.

3

An Eye for an Eye

In a few heart-stopping minutes, Pete and Rosina had become closer than he could have wished for or even wanted. The sheer idea that Danny was her father was ridiculous, although she was adamant it was so. A lot of crazy shit had happened to him since last evening, when The Diary showed up on the train, so who was to say she wasn’t telling the truth? Hearing her out was the right thing to do. Maybe her explanation, no matter how far-fetched, supplied the answers to many of his questions, treading carefully, allowing her to tell her tale in her own time, convinced that would come, but only with a complete melt of ice.

A few minutes past eight had passed, another hour begun. Having gotten off rather fortuitously in the last hour, having the small task of bringing Danny back from the dead was a sure-fire argument against this.

Pete had played the last few hours by ear, finding himself in some sticky predicaments and awkward situations. This hour was going to be no different except for his companion, a fellow teenager who instinctively knew her way around the complex. Rosina was born inside this hospital, a college of the future, the same college she had been attending when this whole mess began. Surely she could only aid Pete, keeping him away from complicated issues with a power she didn’t know she possessed at this time.

Waiting in the shadows was a more than worthy adversary, setting himself apart from the other creatures only because he insisted on being a lot smarter than they were, a renegade putting a huge dent in the plans of the Vestilite, but Jimmy was in the midst of making plans of his own.

Familiarising himself with his newly found surroundings, he could still visualise parts of the hospital building on a comparison to the grounds of the Cauldron. Ringing in his ears were the captive screams of the past pounding against the walls in a meagre effort to join him on the other side of time. The voices would have to wait for now, but Jimmy did not intend to forget about them. He would need many allies if his long-term plan was to succeed, with Herman Fritz holding the key to those plans.

Rosina sat on the bed clasping Danny’s hand inside her own, making up for nearly sixteen plus years of lost affection. Pete could do no more than stare, looking for the right words to start the conversation Rosina probably didn’t want to have. He was thinking back to when she explained about the one-handed man, recalling his name, Elfie Odges, an odd name in itself but a name which coincided with the man sharing his company hours past, a man who prophesised Rosina’s arrival, a man who set out to help Danny stay alive.

Is he going to be all right now, Pete? Rosina asked.

Who knows, Rosina? I would love to tell you that everything will be fine, but who’s to know what’s going on inside that head of his? You think we have it bad out here, but from what Mr Odges told me, Danny is fighting a torment twelve months strong. Hell, we only have hours to put up with this crap but he has a whole year of it. Can you begin to imagine the power held within that book?

Rosina looked up. Book? What book?

Pete was taken aback and a little stunned, for if Rosina had indeed met Elfie Odges, then why hadn’t Elfie mentioned the book at some stage of their conversation? Elfie had, of course, but she couldn’t remember at the time.

The Diary, Rosina, The Diary. Why do you think we are all here? It’s certainly not by chance. Some millennium this is turning out to be. I just wish I could turn back the hands of time and have last night’s New Year’s Eve bash all over again. Now that would be a mistake well and truly corrected.

Now it was Rosina who was confused! What do you mean New Year’s Eve? The last time I looked at my watch, it was November the first, the day after my birthday.

The conversation confused the hell out