"!!?" Chêne gasped as she bolted upright on the chaise lounge in Ciel's stateroom. She covered her mouth and rushed to the toilet. The closet they called a room that she and Sebastian had in there was simply too suffocating when she was already feeling so miserable. "Ugh..." she groaned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood up and washed her hands in the sink. Her dream had been fuzzy (probably because she was feeling so unwell), but certain elements had stood out. "That was some weird dream I had... Zombies on a cruise ship and an iceberg... That might actually make a cool movie..." She groaned again. On top of feeling a little dizzy and generally unwell, she had a headache again. "Maybe some fresh air will help...?" She pulled on a coat over her maid uniform and headed for the door. She never once suspected that the first half of her dream could be true.
=†=†=†=†=†=
'Chêne...!' Sebastian thought, eyes widening. If what Rian said was true, she could be in danger! "This is not good, Young Master."
" 'Not good' doesn't even begin to cover it!!" Ciel snapped. "One of those monsters is bad enough. And you're telling me... there are still... ten times as many as this!?" he said incredulously, looking at the rows and rows and rows of coffins they had stored in the stern.
=†=†=†=†=†=
"Well... I guess that's a little better..." Chêne said glumly, leaning on the railing. "Hm?" There was a suddenly a terrible stench in the air. "What...?" Something brushed against her. She turned to see what it was and saw a man wearing a blindfold who was missing a nose and several fingers. Wounds that weren't bleeding, slow shuffling, and a smell like something dead... Chêne couldn't believe it. A real, honest-to-goodness zombie. And there were more coming up behind it. The first zombie tried to bite her, but she quickly grabbed the railing to brace herself and kicked as hard as she could, sending it reeling back into the others, knocking two of them over. Unarmed, Chêne ran with all her might, keeping an eye out for something she could use, like an emergency fire axe or something, but she didn't get far. She skidded to a halt when she found herself facing another group of Zombies, she turned to run in a different direction, but there were zombies there too. She tried to run back the way she came, but there were more zombies. Chêne backed up against the railing, wondering how far down it was to the next deck.
"Help!!" she called out. "Help!!" She only heard screams in the distance in response. 'Sebastian...!' she thought anxiously, gripping the railing.
"Get down!!" a familiar voice yelled. Chêne looked up in the direction of the voice. Her eyes widened in shock. There, on the roof of the gymnasium, was a young woman dressed head to tow in purple and black widow's weeds with her veil pulled back to reveal platinum blonde hair and purple eyes. It was a face she knew very well. Chêne's jaw dropped.
"Lacey?!" Chêne exclaimed, not believing her eyes or ears. Lacey's skirt billowed in the wind. She was holding what appeared to be a gas-powered pole saw and wearing a mischievous grin.
"You got it!!" Lacey shouted, jumping down. She gripped her pole saw tightly in her hands and prepared to swing. Chêne immediately ducked, and was super glad she did. Lacey's grin was a little maniacal, and that meant no holding back on her part. Chêne saw black and purple boots land next to her before a black skirt settled over them and heard a sound similar to a chainsaw.
VRRRRRRREEEEEEEE!!
She covered her head and face as blood splattered everywhere. Bodies hit the floor, and she saw that the top halves of their heads had been sawed off.
VRRRRRRREEEEEE!!
More bodies hit the floor, also missing the top halves of their heads. Chêne counted them. It appeared all the zombies closing in on her had been taken out in two fell sweeps.
"Well, actually, you're so short I guess it doesn't make a difference whether you duck or not! Right, Chêne?" Lacey teased. He eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed. She was obviously excited to be there. "I really love this assignment! zombies!"
"Now I know I'm dreaming!" Chêne said. Lacey couldn't be there. "That's it. I'm still asleep. I only dreamed that I woke up."
"Nope, this fresh hell is reality!" Lacey said cheerfully with a big grin. "I guess I've got a lot of explaining to do, but... Let's take care of these zombies first." More were shuffling towards them. "I'm here to protect you, but I think we need to find you a weapon so you aren't so helpless. It'll be more fun that way. We should probably find your hubby, too. And Ciel, I guess."
"You know I married Sebastian? How about you explain as we go?" Chêne suggested, still staring at her friend like she had two heads.
"Sure, but I have to warn you, it ain't pretty," Lacey said, turning serious. "This whole ship really is being plunged into hell."
=†=†=†=†=†=
Lacey was right. The zombies were overwhelming the ship. Third-class, Second-class, First-class—it didn't matter. They spilled into every corridor. A man in third-class tried to beat them off with a chair. They chased the girl who was sitting with Ronald earlier. They attacked a waiter in the dining room. They came upon Francis and some other ladies by the elevators. They cornered a crew member in the mailroom. They attacked some gentlemen in front of Alexis. They devoured the passengers on deck. They made their way to the Marconi Wireless Room.
—^—^—^—
{Marconi Wireless Room...}
" 'To my dearest Mary'... eh? Ugh, don't go sending such uninspired drivel in a telegram," one of the wireless operators said. A new message started. "Nn?"
"What is it?" the other operator asked.
"A warning transmission from a vessel ahead of us," the first operator replied. "—What in the...!?" he said, startled. "This is awful! If the ship stays her course, we're going to..." He quickly jotted down the whole message and handed it to the second operator. "Take that to the captain right away!"
"Aye aye, sir!" he said, opening the door to leave. He was met by a snarling zombie that forced its way into the room.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{Orlop Deck, Cargo Hold (Stern)...}
Sebastian's head snapped to the side when he felt Chêne call him. But only once. He hoped it was a false alarm, otherwise... The alternative would be unbearable. But he reminded himself that he would know if she died, thanks to the bond that was formed when he gave her his blood. If she died, he would feel it.
"—Then the interior of the ship... is most likely crawling with droves of them," Ciel said.
"Oh no..." Lizzie said.
"Sebastian. Go ahead and get my aunt and family somewhere safe," Ciel ordered. "Then check on Chêne. She should be safe enough confined in my stateroom."
"And you, Young Master? What of you and Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian asked, despite his hurry to get to Chêne.
"We'll only get in your way," Ciel said. Lizzie was trembling and looking very pale. "I do have my pistol, so we should be able to manage for a while. Return at once after you've verified their safety!"
"Very good, my lord," Sebastian said, leaving at once.
"Now then," Ciel said, turning to face Rian, who was being restrained by one of Snake's larger snakes. "Let's hear what you have to say, shall we? But keep it short. Patience is not one of my particular virtues. First, how do you handle them?"
