chapter 2

2.
My name is Carver, Carver O. Fowl to be precise, though none have called me that in a long time. I used to live a good life on the coast before The Stink came. I had recently graduated vocational school to work for my families company, a good phase in my life, though short. The powers at be cared more for themselves than helping the common man, and with The Stink spreading over the land with rapid speed the crowds that held my ire all my youth vanished, and with them any chance of getting by. The family business folded quickly. If aid was coming we didn’t get wind of it. Being the orphan I wasn’t too surprised when the family split and fled without me, but it still stung. ‘Another mouth we can’t feed, especially one as voracious as yours’, was the given reason.

So I grabbed what I had and headed to the best place I could think of, the south. I reasoned it would be warm there at least. At first I did alright for myself. Hopped a magnet train and got out of the cold. Found work on and off for a while doing construction. I’ve always been good with my hands, so employment was never an issue. Feeding my big appetite though? You couldn’t guess from looking at my lean frame the vast amount I could put down. That had gotten me into trouble at times. When I get hungry I tend to think with my stomach. Taking a left out sandwich had gotten me released from a job or two. Still, the bigger issue was the things I did that weren’t work.

Sleeping in a park wears you down quick. I missed the comfort of my old life. I got impatient. I wanted a place to stay, a stable place, and I thought the guys on my shift were legit. How was I supposed to know they’d jack the price up double from the first month? How was I supposed to know they were connected in the organized crime world, that they would get violent?

Once I could tell people were watching me on my way home I made my move. I didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. Just grabbed my jacket and headed for the docks. I didn’t know what I’d do when I got there, I had only wanted to gather my thoughts. Didn’t want to keep running. That plan went bad too, just like everything else after losing the business. A couple of goons were prowling under cones of foggy street light, it was a miracle I saw them.

I was in a panic, had no idea what I was doing. I just kept my head down and kept walking, red tape and chirping dock assistants be damned. I jumped, hopped, and leapt across as many platforms as I could with no direction. In my mind, if I didn’t know where I was going, how could my pursuers?

Eventually the noise behind me got louder. They were onto me and I knew it. So I took one last leap to a new dock and tucked myself into a coil of rope. I must have fallen asleep there, because the first thing I noticed when I woke up was the light. Then the distinct lack of city and dock noise. And then-

“Christ!” I stood up and cried. With rope still coiled up to my knees I realized my blunder. I hadn’t fallen asleep on a dock at all, but on the back of a massive cruise liner. All around me were piles of ropes and scattered luggage that hadn’t been brought to guest rooms yet. I looked up to see a towering exhaust pillar, peering around I noticed two more behind. It was a huge ship, and quite affluent by the look of the modern architecture and designer brands of the bags.

I looked down at my own clothes. Tattered denim jeans topped with a white t-shirt that had long gone yellow, topped by a hand-me-down jacket that was two sizes too small. I looked around, saw no one, and sprung into action.

“I’m not going to jail,” was the dominant thought during this time. I might have been poor and wanted by the mob, but if I could get to a new city then I might be alright. I had no idea where this ship was going or how long it would take to get there, but one thing was sure. I was going down swinging.

The over trusting owners of the Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags hadn't bothered to engage their locks. I was able to find a male passenger's bag after four ladies, and in a flash I had shucked off my clothes and swapped with my new pals. He was a hair taller than me, and wider, but I didn’t have time to go sorting for the best fit when a crew mate slammed through the back door of the cabin.

“We should only have one more load, maybe two then- hey!”

I froze in my tracks halfway through clasping on a Rolex. Still crouched, I put on my best smile and spun toward them beaming.

“Yes? Can I help you?” I said, doing my best dopey rich guy impression. The worker cocked a brow but seemed more annoyed than suspicious.

“We’re happy to take your bags to your room sir, no need to come back out.”

I widened my smile, hoping my eyes would match its warmth and kept up the act.

“Oh I appreciate it, but not necessary. You see-“ I held my ragged jacket in one fist, thankful I had already kicked the rest of my old getup into the waves. “I was frigid in these things, just wanted a jacket. But I’ll take this back to my room, no need to make you do it when I’m already here.”

The worker nodded, seemingly buying it but also clearly not at ease. My breathing was stilted and short. My neck was already getting sweaty when I crossed the threshold. I felt a force preventing me from moving and looked back, sure a wolfish face would be waiting to bring me to my doom. What was there wasn't that worst case scenario, but the untrusting eyes that were there weren’t much better.

“Interesting jacket you got there, never seen the brand.”

I looked down at the garment still clutched in my fist. Compared to the rest of my attire it was downright slobbish with its cuts, patches, and stains, but I didn’t let it affect my smile.

“Kids right?” I said, leaning in for maximum effect, “they just get a favorite and cling on, no telling them otherwise.” I thought the excuse might be lame, the jacket was obviously an adult’s. Maybe it was my kind expression, the clothes, or that I was holding it in such a clumped up way, but they bought it. For the first time the worker’s face relaxed, and he beckoned me into the red velvet floored hallway. I nodded, heart practically about to explode, and scurried away luggage in tow.

“What do I do what do I do what do I do?!” I muttered under my breath. Entryway gave way to the vast inner part of the ship. My eyes leapt around the space trying to find any place to hide. There were fancy people, fancy music, tables of Champaign, it was overwhelming. I walked through ballrooms, concert halls, dining room after dining room, shopping centers, the ship was well and truly a whale of a vessel. I just kept my head down and kept walking. If I was doing something and not sticking out then I could buy time.

I caught a few stares, but an hour into my exploration I found my home base. A door labeled, ‘Airway’, at the back of a dining hall was left unlocked. In fact as I examined it, there wasn’t any lock at all. I pushed myself inside and whistled at the sight. Dozens of ventilation shafts were laid out in front of me alongside a maintenance area.

‘I could pick a different shaft each day, I’d have to be crazy unlucky for them to check the exact one.’ It was a good thought, but a wishful one. If anyone worked here they would notice signs. A moved tool here, a scrap of cloth there, it was only a matter of time. I was about to leave when I noticed something off about the walls. The metal material it was made of wasn’t solid. It was made of a leafy coiling pattern, but in between the metal was nothing but air.
‘A wall made of grates? Guess it’s worth a shot,’ I thought.
I took a deep breath and gripped one of the panels, pulling it up and back with one good tug. Dust showered over me, and despite a tickling in my throat I managed not to cough. Thankfully, it came free without so much as a clang.

To my delight, the grating had only been put there for structure, beyond was empty space analogous to a small bedroom. I might hit my head on the ceiling from time to time, but with the near darkness in the room if I kept quiet I’d be invisible, and with dining and bathrooms near by this was my best shot to remain undetected.

Luckily for me it worked well. For awhile. I timed my escapes from my cell deliberately. I’d only wear unsullied clothes from my stolen bag to leave the airway room, ducking into the bathroom or to go out and take a walk. It was easy enough to grab a free drink when you looked like you belonged. It was almost too easy. Just smile and laugh and people will think you’re anyone. I toasted, joked, and drank as much as I could get away with, hoping no one would notice that I was stealing all the peanuts and bar snacks. A week was a long time without a proper meal though. I only had enough clothes for another few days, if that, so I figured if I wanted to act, I had to do it now. I waited for my moment, worked up my nerve, and took a seat at one of the banquets I had heard through the wall.

That was my downfall. Looking the part, acting the part, part of me loved what I was doing. It was like living in someone else’s dream, and at some point I got too comfortable. That’s when I got really spooked.

A couple I had gotten a drink from early in my stay waved to me the moment I sat down. This wouldn't be a huge problem with so many people at the table, but I didn't want any attention whatsoever. I had been giving different names to throw them off. Multiple others I had met were at the table as well, even if they hadn’t spotted me yet. If any of them got to talking I was done for. I kept my head down, ignored the waving couple, and focused on the wonderful smells that wafted through the hall.

I managed to get through the appetizer undetected, but I knew it was only a matter of time. To make things worse my appetite, already big, became torturous. That’s when I made my biggest mistake yet.