Chapter 6: The Propeller Nightmare
The haunting events aboard *The Ocean’s Legacy* had escalated to a new level of terror. Josue and Larisa's failed attempt to help Callista’s spirit had left the crew and passengers in a state of panic. They knew they had to find a new way to stop the vengeful spirit, but time was running out.
Josue and Larisa were in the ship’s lounge, trying to catch their breath and think of their next move. The lounge was packed with terrified passengers, some of whom had barricaded themselves inside to avoid the possessed.
“We can’t keep going like this,” Josue said, his voice filled with frustration.
“Callista’s spirit is getting stronger, and we’re running out of options.”
Larisa nodded, her face pale with worry.
“We need to find out more about what happened. There has to be something we’re missing.”
Before they could discuss further, a loud, panicked scream echoed through the corridors. Josue and Larisa exchanged a glance, knowing they had to investigate.
They rushed out of the lounge and followed the sounds of chaos. As they neared the outer deck, they saw a group of passengers and crew members trying to restrain several possessed individuals who were thrashing and laughing maniacally.
“Stop them! They’re going to jump!” a crew member shouted, his voice filled with fear.
Josue and Larisa pushed through the crowd, their hearts pounding. The possessed passengers were struggling violently, their eyes filled with a crazed light. One of them, a young woman, broke free from the crew’s grip and sprinted toward the railing.
“No! Stop!” Larisa screamed, but it was too late.
The young woman reached the railing and, with a horrifying laugh, climbed over and leapt into the churning waters below. The ship’s propeller roared, and the terrible sound of flesh and bone being shredded filled the air.
“Oh my God,” Josue whispered, his face pale with horror.
Another possessed passenger, an older man, broke free next. He, too, ran toward the railing, his laughter mingling with the screams of the onlookers.
“Someone stop him!” Josue shouted, but the crew was overwhelmed.
The man jumped, and the sickening sound of the propeller cutting through him echoed through the ship. The passengers were in a frenzy, their fear turning into hysteria.
“We have to stop this!” Larisa cried, tears streaming down her face.
Josue turned to the crew.
“Get everyone inside! Barricade the doors if you have to!”
The crew scrambled to follow his orders, herding the panicked passengers back inside the ship. As they did, another possessed individual, a teenage boy, broke free and made a run for the railing.
Josue sprinted after him, his heart racing. He reached the boy just as he was about to climb over and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him back.
“Let me go!” the boy screamed, his voice distorted by Callista’s haunting laughter.
“No! You’re not going anywhere!” Josue shouted, wrestling the boy away from the edge.
With the help of another crew member, Josue managed to restrain the boy and drag him back inside. They slammed the door shut, locking it tight.
“We can’t keep doing this,” Larisa said, her voice trembling.
“We need to find another way to stop her.”
Josue nodded, his mind racing.
“We need to figure out what Callista wants. There has to be a way to put her spirit to rest.”
As they regrouped in the safety of the ship’s interior, the gravity of their situation became painfully clear. The possessed passengers were becoming more violent and unpredictable, and Callista’s power was growing.
“We need to find more information,” Josue said, determination in his eyes.
“There has to be something in the ship’s records or logs that can help us.”
Larisa agreed. “Let’s start with the captain. Maybe he knows something that could help.”
They made their way to the bridge, where Captain Richards was coordinating efforts to keep the passengers safe. His face was drawn and weary, the stress of the situation weighing heavily on him.
“Captain, we need to talk,” Josue said urgently.
Captain Richards looked up, his expression grim.
“What is it?”
“We need more information about Callista and her mother,” Larisa said.
“There has to be something in the ship’s records or logs that can help us understand why this is happening.”
The captain nodded.
“I’ve been going through the logs myself. There are some old reports that might be useful. Follow me.”
He led them to his quarters, where he had spread out several old logbooks and reports on his desk. The pages were yellowed with age, but the information was still legible.
“Here,” Captain Richards said, pointing to a specific report. “This is the security report from the night Callista and her mother died.”
Josue and Larisa read the report carefully. It detailed the events leading up to the tragic night, including Callista’s mother’s gambling addiction and her increasingly erratic behavior. It also mentioned several instances of passengers reporting strange occurrences and sightings of a young girl near the pool area.
“There’s more,” the captain said, handing them another report.
“This one is from a few weeks after their deaths. Several crew members reported seeing Callista’s ghost near the pool and in the corridors.”
Josue frowned as he read the report.
“It says here that the sightings were dismissed as hysteria and the crew members were reassigned.”
“Typical,” Larisa muttered.
“They tried to cover it up.”
Captain Richards sighed.
“Unfortunately, that’s true. The ship’s owners didn’t want any bad publicity, so they swept it under the rug.”
Josue set the reports down, a sense of urgency gripping him.
“We need to use this information to figure out how to put Callista’s spirit to rest.”
Larisa nodded. “We need to find a way to communicate with her, to understand what she wants.”
Captain Richards looked conflicted. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stop this, but we need to be careful. We can’t risk any more lives.”
Josue and Larisa spent the next few hours poring over the reports, searching for any clues that could help them. They discovered that Callista’s mother had been deeply troubled, her mental state deteriorating rapidly in the weeks leading up to their deaths.
“It says here that Callista’s mother was seen arguing with her reflection in the mirror,” Larisa said, her voice tinged with sadness. “She was clearly struggling with her sanity.”
Josue nodded, deep in thought. “Maybe Callista’s spirit is trying to reach out to her mother. If we can find a way to facilitate that, it might help.”
As they continued to search for answers, another panicked scream echoed through the ship. They rushed out of the captain’s quarters and followed the sound to the lower deck, where a crowd had gathered.
“What’s happening?” Larisa asked a crew member.
“It’s another possessed passenger,” the crew member replied, his face pale. “He’s trying to jump into the propeller.”
Josue and Larisa pushed through the crowd, their hearts pounding. They reached the edge of the deck just in time to see a middle-aged man climbing over the railing, his eyes filled with a terrifying mix of fear and madness.
“No! Stop!” Josue shouted, but the man didn’t respond.
He jumped, and the horrifying sound of the propeller shredding his body filled the air. The crowd screamed, and the panic spread like wildfire.
“We need to get everyone inside!” Larisa yelled, trying to be heard over the chaos.
Josue and the crew members worked frantically to herd the passengers back inside, but the situation was quickly spiraling out of control. The possessed were becoming more aggressive, and the fear among the passengers was palpable.
As they finally managed to get everyone inside and lock the doors, Josue turned to Larisa, his expression grim. “We’re running out of time. We need to find a way to stop Callista, and fast.”
Larisa nodded, determination in her eyes. “We won’t give up. We’ll find a way to end this.”
But as they looked out over the dark, churning waters, the haunting laughter of Callista’s spirit echoed in their ears, a chilling reminder that the nightmare was far from over.