A Starless night

The ship shook, more violently than ever, waking me up with a jolt. I fell out of bed, the whole boat almost at a 50-degree angle. Things fell off tables, and the tables and chairs slid, as everything went sideways.

I tried to stand up, but it proved to be quite difficult due to the new angle of everything. Right when I got up, it started going back to normal, but I knew it wouldn't just go back to normal; it was going to turn again.

The boat turned back to the normal angle, the hull slamming into the water, making the boat emit a deep, metallic groan. But then, as I assumed. It started turning the other way, although only a quarter as bad this time.

I almost lost my balance, as everything started sliding again. After a while, everything came to a stop. But this was too still. We were on water, and there are supposed to be waves in the water. So why did this feel like land?

I ran out of the cabin, into the open. It was pitch black, no stars, no moon, no sun. Nothing. I walked to the edge of the boat. Looking down, I pulled out my flashlight. I turned it on and pointed it to where the water should be. But then, I didn't see any ripples or waves. I saw nothing.

"Hey, Gerald?! You better come see this!" Gerald walked out of his cabin. "The fuck you want?!" His deeper, gruff voice bellowed through the air. He had quite a colorful vocabulary. "Gerald, just come over here!"

Gerald grumbled angrily before walking up to me, asking what the hell I wanted. I responded, "Just look down!" He grumbled before going quiet. "Wait, what exactly am I looking at?"

"Theres no fucking water, gerald!" I felt angry that he wasn't paying attention. "Oh, OH SHIT!" He yelled in surprise. Then, the boat lurched again, sending us backwards and sliding still. "SHIIIIIIT!" Gerald screamed as we slid to the other side of the boat.

I felt my back hit the railing on the other side, the air leaving my body harshly. Gerald screamed, and then quickly got quieter. I knew he had fallen over the edge. I didn't hear any splashes. I knew something was wrong; either this was a dream, or this wasn't something natural. There was no water, no stars, no moon. The only light there was, was the light from the boat and my flashlight.

The metal boat groaned loudly as the weight shifted dramatically. Soon, the boat went the other way, but this time harshly, not a slow return, a quick, throw-like motion, throwing me back forward. I couldn't feel the ground below me as I felt the cool air on my face.

I was thrown, and the railing would be my final chance to live. I threw my hands down towards the railing, my wrists smacking into the metal painfully, making a thudding sound as I clasped my fingers around it.

My body stopped at the end of my arms' length suddenly, my shoulders screamed in pain as it felt like I was almost ripped apart.

Then, I fell over the side of the boat, my hands still grasping the railings. My shoulders hurt, and felt weak. I wasn't sure if I could pull myself up, but I did. My shoulders burning the entire way.

I rolled over the railings, my right side hitting the floor, and I rolled onto my back. I groaned in pain as my shoulders felt stretched too far. I stood up, knowing this probably wasn't the end of all of this

I muttered to myself, "I didn't sign up for this shit." I ran inside, slamming the doors behind me, hoping this would be safer than flying off the boat. I sat on the bed, which hadn't moved since it was nailed to the ground.

Then, I heard a scream. It was Gerald, but it sounded different, A note too high to be him. I've heard him truly scream before. That wasn't him.

I have always been paranoid and unsure of my surroundings, so I make sure in my head what something is before checking. I locked the door. And I peered through the window, but I couldn't see the end of the boat, the front light wasn't bright enough.

I reached for the backlight, light switch. But I hesitated, Did I want to see whatever was trying to lure me in? What if it wanted me to shine the light? What If it would attack? "Please, help me! Help me!" I flipped the switch, and I saw something that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

It was Gerald, But his eyes had been torn out, and black, tar-like ooze was slowly flowing out. His nose was crushed, his mouth was toothy, and bloody. His tongue was gone and so was his ears.

His hair was patchy, and patches had been torn out, leaving bleeding scalp behind. His chest was bare, several ribs poking out as it was dripping with blood. His guts were all spilling out, swinging with the natural movements of the boat, Or at least the movements that felt natural,

His right arm was near fleshless, His forearm almost entirely just bone, his bicep was showing, and his hands were mangled beyond recognition. His left arm was the same, and his legs were pointing every which way. his pants hid most of the gore, and damage.

He cried out again, but his voice sounded distorted, but not like a computer's distortion. It sounded like a monster, and his voice was mixed poorly. Both voices were distinguishable from each other. I saw his mouth moving, and I feared he was still alive, being tortured.

I didn't let my sight move from the sight, I was afraid that if I looked away, it would move, and attack. My only question was how did it mutilate Gerald so quickly? I saw him take a step forward, his knees bending backwards, and his forelegs bending to the sides.

"Help me, please!" He cried, but I knew that wasn't him. There were 2 voices, one of him, but too high-pitched, and another, a deep, gargled voice of sorts. I blinked, and then his face was right in front of the window.

In fear, I launched myself back with my hands, I fell backwards, landing on a box filled with wood for the shelves that we never put up. I felt it hit my spine, my ribs, and my sides.

I winced in pain, but I kept scrambling back. "Open the door, Harold!" Gerald always called me Harry, not Harold. I shook my head. "NOW!" I winced at the high volume. It was too high to be a human screaming.

I watched it smash Gerald's head into the window, cracking the bulletproof glass and splitting Gerald's skull in half. Blood sprayed onto the cracked glass, and I heard it thump again. Then again, and again.

Then, I saw it shatter, Gerald's body falling forward limply. I saw something wrapping around the back of the boat. It was a tentacle. A massive one, that was what had been shaking the boat!

I felt my face grow cold, as the boat lurched backwards, the direction I was looking. I fell forward, falling into the window. My ribs hitting the top, and my legs dangling, I felt the glass that was still on the frame stab into my thighs.

The boat went forward again, throwing me backwards. I felt the glass shards cut my thighs downwards. I hit the wall with my back, and I slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor. I looked at my thighs, there were 2 deep, long cuts on the right, and 3 on the left.

I was bleeding fast, and hard. I felt the boat tilt backwards again, almost as hard as last time. it went to a 90 degree angle. and I fell through the window, I tried to turn my body, to grab the railing at the end of the boat.

I grabbed it, my left shoulder making a tear sound, and a crack. There was an intense pain in my left shoulder, and a less intense pain in my right. I dangled there, unable to pull myself up, but able to hold on as tight as I possibly could.

The boat started tilting back to normal, and my body flew back onto the boat. The sun shined brightly above me, and I saw another boat. The thing had disappeared, and so was Gerald. I was alive, but barely.

I crawled to the cabin, using my right arm to pull me. I grabbed the radio, begging for help. Then everything went black.

I woke up, days later, after I went into a coma.