floor, the flesh of the broken neck stretching to the point of tearing.
“ You must destroy the brain,” Joel said. “Or lead it to deep waters. The important thing to remember with Lurchers is they are supremely stupid and easily distracted.”
Joel reached into his pocket and came out with a cigarette lighter. He flicked it on. The Lurcher gave a grunt of surprise that could have come from a young child. It stumbled after the light as Joel led it up the stairs.
O n Light’s deck, Joel walked to the entrance gate, the Lurcher on his heels, still mesmerised by the light. Joel opened the gate and tossed the lighter over the side. The Lurcher, without hesitation or breaking its step, followed it. It splashed into the sea, its groans audible over the gentle lapping waves on the hull.
Jordan watched as t he Lurcher flailed, but was swallowed by the sea.
“ A little light goes a long way,” Joel said.
16.
Orange beams of sunlight burst through the afternoon clouds and lay across the world like a mother’s love. The sea was calm with a million dimples that came and went in an eternal show of affection. A flock of brown-breasted ducks flew overhead in V formation. A light breeze drifted unimpeded across the ocean to run its fingers through Jordan’s hair.
Joel and Jordan sat on a wooden door they’d torn from one of Haven’s bedrooms, empty bottles and cans strapped at either end acting as ballast. The welding kit sat between them. They each wore a welding mask and held welding sticks in tight gloved hands. Light’s hull reared up before them like a frozen wall of ice.
They lowered their visors , put the welding sticks into the water, and then turned the torches on. The flame was yellow and spat black smoke. They turned the nozzles on the side. The flame flared from yellow to blue to white. It hissed like a snake going for the kill. Jordan felt the flame’s heat on his face and arms, a heavy sweat breaking out.
The metal dribbled as they scoured two curved lines, small puffs of smoke whispering when the sparks dove into the sea. Within twenty minutes Joel and Jordan’s semi-circles joined. Jordan’s half was irregular and misshapen compared to Joel’s almost perfect circle. The hole was about the size of a large human head.
The sea lapped against the hull, sibilating when it kissed the white-hot metal. Joel coiled his leg and kicked at the circle over and over. The action caused their door-raft to push away from the hull in vicious thrusts. The pounding reverberated over the entire hull, sending out tiny ripples on the sea’s surface. The opening gave and fell into the engine bay with a loud clang . Water flooded through the hole and into the room like it was dying of thirst.
Joel lifted his visor, caught Jordan’s eye and smiled. “That wasn’t too hard, huh?”
Something grabbed Joel’s leg, his foot pulled into the hole. Rotting fingers and arms with muscles exposed to the shoulder grasped at Joel’s boot, pulling and tearing at the fabric.
“Jesus Christ!” Joel yelled, kicking at the flailing arms.
The groans floated up to them from the hole in the hull, echoing in the spacious confines of the engine bay. Jordan braced the raft’s weight and attempted to push them away from Light, but the Lurchers’ grip on Joel’s foot did not loosen.
A mad yellow bloodshot eye appeared in the hole. It rolled around until it found Joel, and one of the arms, a ragged slice of sinew without index fingers, shot out for his ankle. Joel picked up his blowtorch, turned it on, and pressed it to the arm. The flesh bubbled and popped and burst open to reveal the bleached white bones beneath. The arm lost its grip. Joel pushed the white-hot flame into the gaping eye. Before the flare even touched it, it melted and ran down a cleaved cheek. Joel aimed the torch at the hands holding their make-shift raft. Jordan curled his lips at the stench of burning flesh. The hands relented. They pushed away from the hull.
The
“ You must destroy the brain,” Joel said. “Or lead it to deep waters. The important thing to remember with Lurchers is they are supremely stupid and easily distracted.”
Joel reached into his pocket and came out with a cigarette lighter. He flicked it on. The Lurcher gave a grunt of surprise that could have come from a young child. It stumbled after the light as Joel led it up the stairs.
O n Light’s deck, Joel walked to the entrance gate, the Lurcher on his heels, still mesmerised by the light. Joel opened the gate and tossed the lighter over the side. The Lurcher, without hesitation or breaking its step, followed it. It splashed into the sea, its groans audible over the gentle lapping waves on the hull.
Jordan watched as t he Lurcher flailed, but was swallowed by the sea.
“ A little light goes a long way,” Joel said.
16.
Orange beams of sunlight burst through the afternoon clouds and lay across the world like a mother’s love. The sea was calm with a million dimples that came and went in an eternal show of affection. A flock of brown-breasted ducks flew overhead in V formation. A light breeze drifted unimpeded across the ocean to run its fingers through Jordan’s hair.
Joel and Jordan sat on a wooden door they’d torn from one of Haven’s bedrooms, empty bottles and cans strapped at either end acting as ballast. The welding kit sat between them. They each wore a welding mask and held welding sticks in tight gloved hands. Light’s hull reared up before them like a frozen wall of ice.
They lowered their visors , put the welding sticks into the water, and then turned the torches on. The flame was yellow and spat black smoke. They turned the nozzles on the side. The flame flared from yellow to blue to white. It hissed like a snake going for the kill. Jordan felt the flame’s heat on his face and arms, a heavy sweat breaking out.
The metal dribbled as they scoured two curved lines, small puffs of smoke whispering when the sparks dove into the sea. Within twenty minutes Joel and Jordan’s semi-circles joined. Jordan’s half was irregular and misshapen compared to Joel’s almost perfect circle. The hole was about the size of a large human head.
The sea lapped against the hull, sibilating when it kissed the white-hot metal. Joel coiled his leg and kicked at the circle over and over. The action caused their door-raft to push away from the hull in vicious thrusts. The pounding reverberated over the entire hull, sending out tiny ripples on the sea’s surface. The opening gave and fell into the engine bay with a loud clang . Water flooded through the hole and into the room like it was dying of thirst.
Joel lifted his visor, caught Jordan’s eye and smiled. “That wasn’t too hard, huh?”
Something grabbed Joel’s leg, his foot pulled into the hole. Rotting fingers and arms with muscles exposed to the shoulder grasped at Joel’s boot, pulling and tearing at the fabric.
“Jesus Christ!” Joel yelled, kicking at the flailing arms.
The groans floated up to them from the hole in the hull, echoing in the spacious confines of the engine bay. Jordan braced the raft’s weight and attempted to push them away from Light, but the Lurchers’ grip on Joel’s foot did not loosen.
A mad yellow bloodshot eye appeared in the hole. It rolled around until it found Joel, and one of the arms, a ragged slice of sinew without index fingers, shot out for his ankle. Joel picked up his blowtorch, turned it on, and pressed it to the arm. The flesh bubbled and popped and burst open to reveal the bleached white bones beneath. The arm lost its grip. Joel pushed the white-hot flame into the gaping eye. Before the flare even touched it, it melted and ran down a cleaved cheek. Joel aimed the torch at the hands holding their make-shift raft. Jordan curled his lips at the stench of burning flesh. The hands relented. They pushed away from the hull.
The
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