Heavenly Seas - Chapter Eleven

“This is your deputy captain speaking. Due to unforeseen incidents involving the disappearance of our Captain, Heavenly Seas will not be calling in Honolulu today. Heavenly Seas would like to assure passengers there are no strange creatures or illegal substances on the boat. But threat not, we will call in tomorrow and have another sea day. All excursions have been rearranged. Thank you for your understanding.”

Heath sighed. That was the place where his fiancée wanted to go on her honeymoon. He wanted to take pictures for her before the big day. The itinerary had changed so much, he wasn't sure what day he was in anymore.

Heath had befriended Lucas through catering classes on the ship. He didn't seem to know what day of the week it was, but when it came to international cuisine, he was in his element. He was different from the lost man his mother met the other day. He often called Heath a woman for his long hair. In the end, he decided to go along with it.

Murders were still taking place on the ship. The cabin crew were informed to keep it a secret. A lot of the passengers didn't know any better. Heath got a lot of his information through Theo, who got it from Rose. The only thing Theo was eating lately was candy floss with red gooey centres. He insisted it was jam inside, but the consistency was off.

He called in to see Josephine. When they first met she was an old lady, now she seemed to be in her mid forties.

“It's nice you've come to see me,” she said with a smile. “Not many people come to see me willingly.”

“Why not?” Heath squinted, and couldn't understand why. She was a lovely person who didn't harm anybody.

“They don't like witches here.”

“What are you working on at the moment?” Heath asked.

“I'm knitting a modem. Hopefully there will be a strong enough signal so Sook-Jo can call her friend in Kyoto.”

“I see…” The internet was notorious for being expensive and crap. “Well, I'm here because there's a missing boy named Apollo. Mother said he's dead.”

Josephine gasped, her work-of-progress rolled by her feet. “Apollo’s not dead!”

“He’s not?” Heath asked. It would have been the point where he asked her how she knew, but it was magic of course. Witches probably knew everything but told nothing.

“He’s on the ship,” Josephine said. “I’ve seen him multiple times.”

“Where is he?” Heath asked. This could be the key to bringing both his mother and Elaine peace.

“He’s trapped. You’ll see him trapped in a mirror.”

“A mirror?”

“Well, I don’t know which mirror. It could be anyone; there are thousands of mirrors on Heavenly Seas.”

Heath had lost the plot. A self-proclaimed pacifist that never broke the law, was now smashing mirrors. He didn't even stop when his mother walked in. Deafened by the racket of shattered glass, Elodie’s voice was nearly mute.

“Heath!” Elodie cried. “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING? I want some sleep!”

“Looking for Apollo Jinx!”

“WHAT?”

“Josephine said he’s in the mirror.” He has to come out eventually. He had smashed at least a hundred of them in the past few hours.

Elodie was at a loss for words. She ran towards him and cuddled him, plucked at his jumper. “Apollo is dead! The jumper has driven you loopey.”

“He’s not, he’s on the ship! Josephine said she saw him.”

“Of course, she's lost her doll Apollo!”

“She meant Apollo Jinx.”

“So why do you have to smash mirrors?”

“Apollo is trapped in the mirrors!”

“Apollo is dead.”

“How do you know?” Heath asked. “His body was never found. Why are they still searching for him now?”

“I just know!” Elodie cried. “They would have found him by now.”

“I’m going to find Elaine!” Heath ran. Apollo wasn't in the room. Maybe his soul was desperate to come out.

“No! Don’t run to that cow, she’ll ruin you!”

Thinking about it, he had no idea what he was looking for. Someone around his age or a little child crying for his mother. Heavenly Seas was adults. Women late into their pregnancy weren't allowed on board. Apollo would have been his age. Rose gave Theo the number of Elaine’s cabin when Heath was in the room. Their relationship was a strange one at best.

Heath knocked on the door. “Elaine?”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Heath.”

The door swung open. He was greeted with crossed arms. “Is this another one of your stay away from your mother or else?”

Heath shook his head. That would have been nice, also. “No…it’s about Apollo.”

Her stance became more friendly. “Come in. What about him?”

Heath entered her cabin and sat on her bed. “Josephine said she’s seen him on the ship.”

“Where?” Elaine asked.

“Trapped in a mirror. I've been breaking every one I see but I can't see anything. And last night this old man visited our cabin and started asking really random questions.”

“Do you know the man?” Elaine asked.

“No, Mum just referred to him as the filthy, dirty bastard that stole her liquor and cake.”

“Did you see what he looked like?”

“I didn’t. Mum said he used to be a police officer.”

“Lucas Fishman…” Elaine said with shuddered shoulders. “I know him, he’s a character. He’s got more love children than I’ve had manicures, but he lost a lot of his direct family. His surviving relatives want nothing to do with him.”

“He tried coming onto my mother, and she said no.”

“Wow, your mum the whore refused him. He must have been in a state.”

Heath grinded his teeth, and mirrored Elaine’s crossed arms. “Please… don’t call my mother that.”

“So if we keep smashing windows, Apollo could be set free?”

“I guess so!” Heath noticed the blood pouring in-between his knuckles. “I've smashed quite a few. It's a good thing my mother will pay for it.”

“Or you can blame it on the werewolves…”