At 8:45 AM on a crisp Friday morning, April 15, 2019, in Beverly Hills, CA Samantha Maywood burst into her parents’ room, her face flushed with excitement. She began to climb on top of their bed and jump on it. Her mom, Anna, was in the bathroom getting some things together for their trip.
“Hey, Momma!” Samantha exclaimed. “Are you excited for today? Are you more excited for the cruise than you were for Disney World?”
Anna stuck her head out of the bathroom, smiling and laughing. “Yes, I’m just as excited for this cruise as I was for Disney World,” she said. “But what did Mommy tell you about jumping on the bed? Get down, Sam —it’s dangerous.”
“Sorry, Mama,” Sam said, hopping off the bed. She ran downstairs to wait for her dad, who was in the shed locking everything up before they left. When Robbie came back into the house, Sam was already waiting for him by the door.
“Daddy, are you excited for the big day with me and Mama?” she yelled.
“Of course!” Robbie said, picking her up and lifting her as high as he could. “See how high you are right now? That’s how much fun we’re about to have together.”
Samantha laughed and giggled as Robbie put her down. Anna came downstairs into the kitchen where Robbie and Samantha were.
“We’re fully packed and ready to go,” Anna said. “I put the bags by the stairs so it will be easy for you to bring them down to the car when it’s time to leave.”
“Thanks, love,” Robbie said, kissing his wife. “Speaking of time, what time does the boarding start for the cruise ship?”
“It begins at 10:00 AM, so we have about an hour and 15 minutes,” Robbie replied.
Their conversation was briefly interrupted when Anna phone started ringing. She picked it up and told, Robbie “One second.” As she answered, “Hello, Mr. Maconie,” Robbie knew it was her boss on the phone. He looked at his watch; it was 9:10.
Mr. Maconie told Anna she had to come into work immediately. Anna protested, “You know I requested this time off to be with my family. It’s my daughter’s first cruise.”
“This isn’t my call,” Mr. Maconie said. “This came down from the big boss. It’s a big problem regarding test subject 293.” It could impact the ongoing study.
“Oh my god! Not that,” Anna exclaimed.
“Yes, now you get it. This can jeopardize everything we’ve worked hard for. It’s an emergency,” Mr. Maconie explained.
“Yeah, I see. I know Robbie won’t like this either. I’ll let him know and leave right after I send off Robbie and Samantha,” Anna said.
“Okay, and send my regards to your family,” Mr. Maconie said.
Anna hung up the phone, she sighs out, as she puts her thumb and index finger on her nasal root. She told Robbie and Samantha the situation, explaining that she wouldn’t be going with them anymore. Robbie face change he was a little upset, but he understood. Samantha was sad by the news.
Robbie comforted Samantha, “It’s okay to be sad that Mama isn’t going anymore, but we’re still going to have fun. We’ll get on all the best rides, stay up late, watch cartoons, and eat ice cream.”
Samantha laughed, “Yeah!”
Anna, heading upstairs to get ready, called out, “No ice cream!”
“Of course, dear, I hear you,” Robbie said loudly, then winked at Samantha and whispered, “Ice cream party.”
Samantha giggled and mimicked Robbie gesture, sealing their secret pact. Anna came downstairs and told Robbie she had called a cab. She asked for the car keys, and Robbie handed her the shed key.
Robbie brought the suitcases downstairs to the front door. The taxicab finally arrived, and Robbie told Samantha the cab was here. He began to put their suitcases in the cab while Anna showered Samantha with kisses on the front porch. Robbie stepped up and kissed his wife, telling her he loved her and that they’d see her soon.
As they got into the cab, they drive off, a couple of minutes later Samantha pressed her head against the window to get a better view of the ship. “Wow, it’s huge!” she exclaimed, grabbing Robbie hand eagerly.
Robbie paid the cab driver and retrieved their bags from the trunk. He hurried after Samantha, who had rushed towards the ship. “Hold up, Samantha!” he called out.
As they approached the ship, a man at the entrance called out, “Tickets, please!” Robbie handed over their tickets, and the man checked them. “You’re good to go,” he said.
Samantha, full of excitement, pulled Robbie forward. She accidentally knocked over a couple’s son. Robbie rushed over to pick his daughter up off the boy.
“I’m so sorry,” Robbie said to the parents. “Samantha, what do you say?”
“I’m sorry, Dad, and I’m also sorry for knocking you down,” Samantha said to the boy.
“It’s cool,” the boy replied.
The parents smiled and said, “It’s fine. Kids will be kids. Our son did the same thing on his first boat trip.”
Robbie extended his hand. “I’m Robbie, and this is my daughter Samantha.”
“I’m Richard,” the man said, shaking Robbie hand. “This is my son, Jack, and my wife, Julia.”
“Nice to meet you, and again, sorry,” Robbie said.
“It’s fine. Join us for dinner at table 9,” Richard said.
“Will do,” Robbie replied.
Robbie and Samantha went to the desk to check in. “Hello, may I help you?” the desk worker asked.
“Hello, my name is Robbie Maywood. I’m here to check in,” Robbie said, handing over their papers and ID.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
The desk worker typed on the computer for a few minutes before saying, “Everything is fine.” She handed Robbie his ID, paperwork, and the key to their room, 5B. “Enjoy your stay,” she said.
“Thank you,” Robbie replied. As they headed to their room, Samantha said, “Daddy, I want to go on the rides.”
“You will, but let’s put our bags down first. I’ll call Mama and tell her we made it, then we can get on a few rides before dinner,” Robbie said.
They made their way to the elevator. Robbie picked Samantha up to push the button for the 5th floor. When the elevator doors opened, they walked to their room. Samantha was excited as Robbie opened the door.
“Go put on your bathing suit,” Robbie told Samantha. While she changed, Robbie called Anna.
“Hello,” Anna answered.
“Hey, bae, we made it. She’s having a ball but wishes you were here with us,” Robbie aid.
“I know, next time,” Anna replied.
Samantha came out of the bathroom. “Want to talk to Mama?” Robbie asked.
Samantha grabbed the phone. “Hey, Mama!”
“Oh, my munchie, how do you like it?” Anna asked.
“It’s a big ship! We’re going to the water ride,” Samantha said.
“Okay, have fun. I love you,” Anna said.
“I love you too, Mama,” Samantha replied.
“Put Daddy back on the phone,” Anna said.
“Here you go, Daddy. Mama wants to talk to you,” Samantha said, handing the phone back to Robbie.
“Yeah, I know you’re at work, so I’ll let you go. I just wanted to check up on you. I love you. Talk to you when you get home,” Robbie said.
“I love you too. Talk to you later,” Anna said.
Robbie put his phone back on the charger. “I’m ready now,” Samantha said.
“Okay, let’s go,” Robbie said. They left the room to go on a couple of rides and swim before dinner, With the family that invited them earlier.
Robbie and Samantha finally finished their last ride and began to head upstairs to their room. They approached an elevator that was about to close. Robbie quickly put his hand in the door, causing it to open again. They stepped inside, and Robbie pressed the button for the fifth floor. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and a passenger got out. The doors closed, and the elevator continued upwards, finally letting Robbie and Samantha out on their floor.
As they left the elevator, Samantha started singing while they walked to their room. When they reached the door, Robbie told Samantha to get dressed because they were going to dinner. Samantha said, “Okay,” grabbed her bag, and went to the bathroom to get ready. Robbie quickly changed into something more casual and waited. He tried calling Anna, but there was no answer, so he texted her, letting her know they had just gotten back to the room and were heading out to dinner with the family they met earlier because Samantha had accidentally run over their son.
Robbie put his phone in his pocket just as Samantha came out of the bathroom, ready to go. They left the room and met the family downstairs, walking to the dining hall. Robbie looked around but didn’t see them until he heard someone call his name from afar. It was Richard, waving them over to his table. Robbie and Samantha walked over and sat down, thanking Richard again for the invite. Richard said, “Don’t worry about it.” Julia asked Robbie if it was just him and Samantha. Robbie replied, “No, my wife couldn’t make it. She had to stay back for work. We were sad when she told us.”
Richard asked Robbie if it was his second or third time being on a cruise. Robbie said, “Actually, it’s our first time. How about you?” Richard replied, “It’s our fourth time. We went when Jack was just eight, and now he’s twelve. How about your daughter? How old is Samantha?”
Robbie turned to Samantha and said, “They want to know how old you are.” Samantha said, “I’m 10 years old,” to Richard and his wife. Robbie phone rang; it was his wife. He answered it via FaceTime. “What did Samantha do?” Anna asked. “Long story, I’ll tell you when we get to the room. But I want to introduce you to a nice couple I met,” Robbie said to the couple. “Hey, this is my wife, Anna.” She waved and said hello, and they waved back. Robbie asked, “Are you still at work?” Anna replied, “No, I just got home. That’s why I called you, but I’m getting ready for bed. Make sure to FaceTime back when you and Samantha are back in the room,” said Anna. Robbie said, “Okay,” and hung up, putting his phone back in his pocket.
He ordered food for himself and Samantha. When the food arrived, they ate and talked a little more. The family asked Robbie how he was enjoying the first night and suggested they do some activities together. Robbie agreed. As he and Samantha got up from the table to go back to their room, Samantha said goodbye and thanked them. Robbie waved goodbye as they headed to the elevator and went back to their room. Robbie told Samantha to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. He tucked Samantha in and, feeling exhausted, pulled out his phone to call Anna. They stayed up for a few minutes, laughing and sharing a moment while Samantha slept. Eventually, Robbie told Anna he was tired and would talk to her in the morning. They said goodnight.
Later that night, the captain decided to take a shortcut. The co-captain expressed concern. “I don’t think that’s wise, Captain,” he said. “I’ve done it before,” the captain replied confidently. But this time, it was different. As the ship ventured into uncharted waters, all the ship’s devices failed at once. With no power, the water currents pulled the ship towards something big. The captain could do nothing but watch as the ship collided with something hard, rocking it violently.
Robbie and Samantha were fast asleep. Suddenly, Samantha woke up from the loud noise, which echoed through the ship, waking up every passenger, including her dad. “What’s going on?” Robbie said. The ship began to capsize slightly, causing water to flood in. They could hear people screaming. One of the workers called over the intercom for passengers to put on their life jackets. Robbie quickly got up and grabbed their life jackets. He put Samantha life jacket on first while she asked, “Daddy, what’s going on?” Robbie then put his life jacket on and turned to Samantha, telling her that he didn’t know what was happening but was sure it was nothing major. Robbie grabbed his phone, and they ran out of the room, heading towards the stairs since the elevators were down. They needed to find the lifeboats. Robbie looked at the map with his phone flashlight, but then the backup generator came on. The guy on the speaker told everyone to hurry to the lifeboats as the power wouldn’t last long. Robbie heard this, found the lifeboats on the map, picked up Samantha, and they rushed over.
They finally reached the dock, only to find a crowd of people waiting and pushing. “Dad, what’s going on?” Samantha asked, panic in her voice. “Where are we going? There’s nothing but water around us.” He looked down at Samantha, about to say something, when he was interrupted by a voice. “Robbie, get on the boat next to us, hurry up,” said Richard.
Richard, Julia, and Jack began to climb into the lifeboat as quickly as they could. Robbie went towards the other boat and ushered his daughter in, then got in himself as other passengers joined them. As they settled in the lifeboat, it began to be lowered into the water. When it hit the water, they started paddling away, trying to find land.
Samantha looked back to see the ship getting smaller and smaller on the horizon. Several hours passed, and they were still surrounded by endless water with no land in sight. Everyone was tired and hungry. Suddenly, a mysterious island appeared on the horizon. Everyone was ready to get off the boat, so they didn’t ask questions. They paddled towards the island, hoping it would be safe. As the passengers disembarked, mysterious figures emerged from the trees and began attacking people, brutally killing them. Robbie was shocked but didn’t think twice. He grabbed Samantha and picked her up in one motion.
He started to run towards the forest at full speed, trying to avoid the attackers and dead bodies. As he looked back, he saw Richard, Julia, and Jack being dragged out and killed by the figures. He quickly covered Samantha eyes to shield her from the horror. As Robbie continued to run, he saw other passengers being stabbed, cut up, and skinned alive. Shocked and horrified, he kept running to get out of the danger zone, jumping over obstacles while trying to keep himself and Samantha safe. Finally, they reached the forest and continued running, pushing through trees and branches far away from the danger. Samantha yelled out in a crying voice, “Daddy, daddy, stop! You can stop now!” Realizing the fear in her eyes, he came back to his senses and agreed to stop. “Okay, we can rest right here,” said Robbie, putting Samantha down. “I’m scared, Daddy,” said Samantha. “I want to go home.” Samantha started to cry.
Robbie put his hand over his daughter’s mouth as he hugged her and said, “Shhh, I know, baby girl. We just need to rest for now. Everything will be okay.” He tried to think of a plan and pulled out his cell phone, but there was no service. As Robbie looked around for service, Samantha scared she looks left and sees a tall figured in the distance, body wrapped in black ragged mummy like cloth with red eye staring at them then It starts running towards them at full speed.