Jan. 16, 2026

Best of 2025: Ship of the Cannibal - Ghost Ship Survival Horror Story

Best of 2025: Ship of the Cannibal - Ghost Ship Survival Horror Story
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Weekly Spooky horror podcast brings you a high-seas survival horror nightmare for our Best of 2025 series—equal parts ghost ship, creature feature, and “you’re trapped and nobody is coming.”

Chance and Luka are stranded after a shipwreck—clinging to a container in open water while the ocean churns around them. But rescue doesn’t arrive… and when a drifting vessel appears out of the fog, it feels like a miracle. A derelict ocean liner. A ghost ship. A place to rest, warm up, and wait it out.

Except the ship isn’t empty. The corridors are wrong. The cabins are shredded. The galley has been ransacked down to the metal. And the scraping in the walls isn’t the sea—it’s something living, swarming, and hungry. What starts as a lucky break turns into a full-blown claustrophobic horror story about bad choices, worse timing, and the terrifying moment you realize the lifeboat might not be yours anymore.

If you love ghost ship horror, monster infestations, ocean survival stories, and relentless “can’t escape” tension, this one is a year-round must-listen—especially with headphones on in a dark room.

Ship of the Cannibal Rats — by David O’Hanlon

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

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📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!

🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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Hello, my spookies, it's time for another dive into the

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best horror stories of twenty twenty five. Tonight's pick is

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the kind of story that makes you grateful for solid ground.

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Imagine surviving a shipwreck, floating under a sun that doesn't

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care if you live or die, until a shape appears

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in the fog. A ship away out a second chance.

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But when you climb aboard, you notice the silence is

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too perfect, The corridors feel wrong, that smell, the galley

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is stripped bare, and the walls, the walls sound like

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they're breathing. Because some vessels don't get haunted by ghosts.

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Some get claimed by something smaller and meaner, but most

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of all far more persistent. So enjoy this story, my spookies,

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and make sure you're subscribed for a new scare every Wednesday,

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all year long. Now let's set sail for some terror.

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The Ship of the Cannibal Rats by David O'Hanlon. This

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fucking blows chance, grumbled, could be worse, Lucas said, comfortingly,

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How could this be any worse? The shipping container rocked

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not so gently in the waves. A few others bobbed

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around them, amongst the assorted equipment and the corpses of

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the ship's crew. Dorsal fins of migrating blue sharks darted

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between the bodies. Occasionally they'd drag one down or just

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chomp off a piece, sending the other sharks into a frenzy.

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A thick fog had persisted since two days prior, and

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the sharks fins looked like ghosts flitting around the floating buffet.

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The ship's captain McHenry bobbed in the water with his

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eyes still open. For whatever reason, the sharks wouldn't eat him,

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and every so often he floated just right to cast

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his undead gaze on the stranded men, as if to

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ask when they'd be joining him. It could be raining again,

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Luca offered, you know you're right, chance, let his head

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fall back on the container with a thud. It would

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suck if drinkable water started to fall from the sky.

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It's only been thirty hours since we had a drink,

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after all, thirty two, and I'm working on that. Luca

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walked to the edge of the container. It wasn't uncommon

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for McHenry to lease space to smugglers. He'd seen the

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crates hastily loaded in the middle of the night. It

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didn't look like the drugs they normally picked up weapons.

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Maybe it didn't really matter. Whatever they'd been hauling had

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brought the ship down fast, too fast for anyone to react. Accordingly,

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two of the three lifeboats had gone down with the wreckage.

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The last one was currently adrift and unmanned. Water, food,

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and an emergency beacon bobbed tauntingly. Just one hundred meters away.

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Seven dead men floated like lily pads between Luca and Salvation.

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A long fin slice the surface and then dive down sharply.

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Make that six dead men get away from the edge,

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you dumb ass, Chance grumped. One of the sharks is

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going to jump up and bite your ass. That only

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happens in the movies. Sharks can't jump. Luca instinctively reached

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for a pack of cigarettes that wasn't there. Whales jump

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out of the water all the time to eat penguins.

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Chance told him, you can use the Internet for more

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than porn. You know, whales are mammals. What the hell

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does that have to do with anything. Mammals can jump?

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Luca shrugged, fish swim Fuck, I need a smoke. A

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shark breached the surface, throwing its body onto the container.

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It swept its open mouth across the edge, Luca into

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a backward stumble, before sliding off into the water. Luca

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landed hard on his ass and slid on the wet metal.

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He laughed it off shakily. So maybe they can jump,

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he admitted, told you so. The waves slapped the back

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of Luca's head and he sat up quickly. As a

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dorsal streaked by. He ran his hand through the mop

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of hair, looking around suspiciously. Another shark swam by, and

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Luca felt his stomach not he could clearly see the

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bright blue coloration that gave them their name. Luca leaned

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over the edge a bit more hesitantly. He eyed the

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serial number printed vertically on the corner of the container.

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The sharks were getting more frantic for their share of

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the dwindling supply of dead bodies. If he was right,

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there'd be some fresh meat on the menu soon. Hey, chance,

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what do you think is in this container? He asked,

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knowing our luck, A speed boat in a case of beer? Why?

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Because I'm pretty sure we're sinking. Of course we fucking are.

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Don't worry, Luca said, I got a plan of course

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you fucking do. After a frustrating two hours, Luca's plan

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had come to morbid fruition. Using a makeshift rope of

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their belts and clothes, he lassoed McHenry and four and

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a half other dead crew members. He laid the bodies

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out on the container and began lashing them together. Chance

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be grudgingly helped tie it together. Luca instructed, we don't

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want one of those sharks poking its nose through. Chance

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lifted the stump. That's going to be an issue. Improvise.

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I can't believe we're doing this. Chance said, it's like

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a big ass meat oureo, only the glass of milk

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is full of sharks. What makes you think this will

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even work? A ship's only as good as its crew.

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Luca pulled the cordage tight, eliciting a spurt of congealed

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blood across his face. This was a really good crew.

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Why hasn't anyone come for us? Chance stood up and

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shielded his eyes from the sun. The emergency beacon should

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have signaled as soon as it was submerged. You heard

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that explosion, Luca checked the lashings. Whatever was on board

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was the kind of shit that gets you renditioned. I

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saw enough in the legion, and trust me, we're better

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off with the sharks. The captain knew that too, We've

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been running in ghosts since Liberia. They slid the bodies

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off the container and back into the ocean. It was

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a much shorter drop than either man expected. They were

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sinking faster. There wouldn't be time for a plan b.

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The raft stayed afloat, but only barely. Luca eased himself

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on board, and it dipped down. McHenry's head went under shit.

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Luca whispered, new plan. I'm going to have to go alone,

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and what about me? Would it kill you to trust me?

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It fucking might Here goes nothing. Luca pushed off the

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side of the shipping container and drifted toward the lifeboat.

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See it's working cool, Now hurry up before they eat

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your boat. They'd already started. One of the blues grabbed

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McHenry's arm and tore it off, sending the raft spinning.

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The vessel dipped and bobbed back up. A shark bumped

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it from below, bucking Luca into the air. His grip

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held firm, but the landing jostled the bodies beneath him.

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Another bump from below nearly capsized him. Luca realized he'd

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made a terrible mistake. The man made raft floated well enough,

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but now it looked like a big, wounded fish to

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the simple minded predators stalking it. Luca hiked his leg

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up and waited for a fin to pass by. One

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got close enough, and he kicked into the water to

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push off the fish. It gave him a brief surge,

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but the lifeboat was still too far away to swim

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for it. Another speeding shark gave the raft a hard

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nudge that thankfully was in the right direction. Sixty to go,

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Luca stretched for a piece of debris, almost toppling overboard

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in the process. A fin battered his arm as it

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cut between him and the flotsam. Luca tried again and

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jerked the scrap metal from the water, hugging to his

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chest with a triumphant whoop, Luca frantically paddled the water

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fifty meters left, forty deep. Red suddenly spread around him,

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and the raft listed to starboard. He rode faster, glancing

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back over his shoulder at chance. Unspooling entrails floated in

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his wake. A shark broke the surface, scooping intestines into

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its wide open mouth like it were taking a fishing line.

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The raft lurched, The hollowed body was filling with sea water,

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and for the second time in two days, Luca was

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on a sinking ship. A pair of sharks attached the

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raft from opposite sides. The lashings began to stretch, and

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Luca's legs slipped through. A shark bumped against it, but

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didn't bite. He knew he wouldn't get lucky twice. He

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let himself slide between the bodies and sink above him.

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The sharks converged blood and unchewed bits clouded Luca's view.

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A finger floated past him, carried downward by the weight

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of the wedding band still encircling it. Chance crawled out

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onto the edge of the container, looking for any sign

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of his partner. Nothing. Sharks swam away, with parts of

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the raft still refusing to take McHenry. The captain swirled

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around until he was the only person left between Chance

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and the lifeboat. Rolled onto the roof of the container,

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submerging Chance's forearms. A thud drew his attention to the

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other end. The shark chomped at the air before sliding

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back into the ocean. Chance sniffled, then let himself cry.

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No one was left to see him anyhow. If he

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was lucky, he'd drowned before the sharks started to eat him.

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Get away from the edge, Luca shouted, sharks can jump,

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you know. The lifeboat's motor didn't have enough fuel to

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get them to land, but it was enough to get

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them away from the feeding frenzy and moving in the

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general direction of Europe. The strobe on the roof flashed

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constantly through the night, reminding the men of the vast

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nothing around them as they took turns on lookout the night.

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The end was frigid, and despite the supplies stowed aboard,

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a blanket was not included. Not a real one, anyhow,

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just a handful of foil ones that folded up into

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little squares. They didn't do much for the wet, mostly

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naked sailors. The emergency position indicator was lit, they assumed

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that meant it was working. Rescue shouldn't have taken too long.

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Satellites would pick up the signal and relay it to

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the nearest local user terminal. Then they'd notify the nearest

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agency capable of getting to the men. Neither of them

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knew how far they were from land. However, they sipped

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at the bottles of water. Just to be safe. They

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should pack extra clothes in lifeboats, Luca said, at least

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some underwear. There's no way you don't need a fresh

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pair after your ship sinks. I don't know about you,

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but I don't ever plan on leaving land again, Chance said,

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rolling the bottle between his palms. He snickered. This fucking

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shit is crazy, man, Hey, you see that the light

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It was wrong, Chance pointed, stern. The strobe flashed again,

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and Luca saw what his friend was talking about. Brighter

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like it had reflected off. Oh shit, Luca scrambled to

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his feet and out the cockpit, grab the torch. Chance

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let the flashlight lead as he joined his partner. What

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is it, Luca pointed up. The strobe bounced off the

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hull of the small cruise ship. Chance laughed and waved

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his hands in the air. Hey we're down here, he shouted.

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Don't bother, she's not running under power. Luca took the

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flashlight from him and scanned the side of the sho

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for markings. We are setting the world record for bad luck.

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We almost got ran over by a ghost ship derelict

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way out here. No one knows for sure, but best

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guess is there are thousands of them floating around. Luca

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told him one got loose in Japan a couple years ago,

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almost a year to the day, it drifted into Canada.

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There we go. He shined the light on the vessel's name,

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moving the beams slowly to make out the letters. A

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broken toe line clanked against the reinforced hull. Luke turned

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off the light. Ladmila Gurchenko, Chance said, must be Russian.

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Looks like a discount cruise ship, an ocean liner, Luca

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corrected him. They were made for transport, not comfort. That's

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why she's so small. Been retrofitted for the Arctic too.

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That hul's up armored for icebergs. Why do you sound

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so happy about that? Pack your shit wheezy, Luca smiled.

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We're moving on up. I'm not really digging the idea

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of being on a creepy ass ghost ship. Chance said,

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got anywhere else to be? Luca scanned the deck for

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signs of life. Asleep in the lifeboat until daylight when

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this won't suck as bad. They made their way to

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the bridge, shining their lights and windows as they went.

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No one moved inside. Luca led the way up the steps.

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The door moved noisily on its hinges. The salty air

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had rusted them badly, so it didn't swing back and forth,

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but just inched one way and then the other. In

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plaintive moans, Luca pushed through and swept the flashlight across

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the bridge. He screamed and stumbled backwards into chance. Fuck me,

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what chance, braced himself to run. What is it? Luca

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leaned back into the room, letting the light find the

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floating apparition. The gray black shape of a man at

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the helm was nothing more than a forgotten jacket. Luca

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breathed deeply to steady himself. He wriggled his toes, wondering

219
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if the puddle he stood in had been there before

220
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he opened the door. He hesitated to enter, letting his

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heart rate settle back down first. Once it had, he

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went straight to the jacket to look for clues, Check

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for any kind of records, he said over his shoulder.

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Sure thing, Boss, Chance chuckled. Hugh screamed like a woman,

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by the way, and you were crying like one on

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top of the shipping container. Luca picked up the jacket JK.

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Deener salvage. Looks like old girl was being decommissioned. Thinks

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she broke away from port while being towed. Chance's light

229
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played across the instruments. Most of the cables had been

230
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stripped already. If she was already docked, that means there's

231
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not going to be anything useful on board. Might still

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be beds. Luca slipped the jacket on. It was a

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lot warmer than the lifeboat's foil blanket. Maybe some clothes

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and can goods. Even if we don't find anything, it'll

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be a lot more comfortable and safer waiting for rescue.

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Here a familiar bulge rubbed Luca's bare chest. He reached

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into the inner pocket, finding a pack of cigarettes and

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a lighter. He said a silent prayer before opening the box.

239
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He thumbed the top back and sighed happily there were

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still three smokes left. Chance shook his head. He knelt

241
00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.599
for a bottle of pepsi on the floor and checked

242
00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:27.960
for an expiration date February twenty ten. He tossed the

243
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bottle to Luca. This shit heap's been floating for at

244
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least three years, or just been out of service that long,

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Luca said, taking a pull off the cigarette. Things are

246
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definitely looking up. Let's see if we can find some

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damn clothes. They managed to scrounge up some coveralls in

248
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the abandoned crew lockers, as well as a few more

249
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stale smokes for Luca's pack. Growling s stomachs told them

250
00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.920
to forego any further pillaging until they checked out the

251
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food stores. They proceeded carefully through the corridors to find

252
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the galley falling apart, pots and pans lay strewn about,

253
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and the entire place had an odd stench to it.

254
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Chance shined the flashlight around the perimeter jackpot, he said,

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signaling to the series of shelves lined with canned goods.

256
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Luca nodded, but was more interested in the smell. He

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examined the prep surfaces, finding spots of what appeared to

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be dried blood from the crew's final meal and rodent droppings.

259
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He moved the light to the floor and grimaced the

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entire surface was speckled with rat shit. He opened a

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drawer below the table, finding an assortment of butcher knives,

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dotted with rust and stored carelessly. Some primitive fear gnawing

263
00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:03.680
at his brain told him to take one. He ignored

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it and slammed the drawer shut, before joining Chase at

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the shelves we got chef boy r D. Chance said,

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00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:15.720
never thought I'd be so happy to see that fat

267
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fock's face. He lifted the can and scrunched his nose curiously.

268
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He shook the can. What the fuck is this? He

269
00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:30.759
dropped it and grabbed another, shaking it and then tossing

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00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:35.039
it over his shoulder, and then a third. They're empty.

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Luca knelt for the can of ravioli and rolled it over.

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A massive hole had been torn through the backside. Check it,

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he said. Chance glanced down, then turned one around on

274
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the shelf. One big hole in, some smaller puncture marks

275
00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:59.279
locked the tin. Luca slowly panned his light up the shelves.

276
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Dried sauces and soups stained them, along with the occasional

277
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shriveled morsel of food. Cardboard boxes were little more than scraps.

278
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They both looked around hurriedly. Bags of salt, sugar, and

279
00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:18.039
flour had all been torn open, with their contents spilled.

280
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And tracked away by tiny feet. Well, at least we

281
00:22:24.359 --> 00:22:29.200
still have the MREs from the lifeboat, Luca offered, I've

282
00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:34.920
never been so disappointed in my life. Chance sighed, even

283
00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:38.359
when our ship exploded and we almost got eaten by sharks.

284
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Luca shrugged. Weird priorities, bro, think they're dead the rats,

285
00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:48.799
I mean, maybe from heart disease. After eating all that,

286
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Chance illuminated the shelves again. We need to get our

287
00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:58.319
strength back. We should find a place to sleep. Metal

288
00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:03.759
clanked somewhere down the arrow corridors. Luca and Chance turned

289
00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:08.680
in unison and shined their lights, then laughed at each

290
00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:14.200
other's paranoia. They wandered back to the cabins. Luca paid

291
00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.279
more attention to where they stepped, noting more droppings. They

292
00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:23.640
opened the first passenger cabin they came to. That same

293
00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:29.160
stench from the kitchen was much worse. Something clamored in

294
00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:34.759
the darkness. Chance stepped in first. The mattress looked like

295
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:39.440
it had been used for target practice. Stuffing exploded out

296
00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:42.799
of dozens of holes and was dragged around the floor.

297
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:46.599
A built in dresser had been chewed to the point

298
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:51.160
it had collapsed on itself. A spider's web was intricately

299
00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:55.319
spun across the wrecked frame. Luca had his light on it.

300
00:23:56.119 --> 00:24:00.440
A big orb weaver occupied the middle. Something sh shimmered

301
00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:05.519
inside the ruined drawer beneath the arachnid. This place needs

302
00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:09.680
a better housekeeper. Chance aimed his light to the bed.

303
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:16.119
Did that just move? Luca asked, like waterbed moved or

304
00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:23.519
like exorcist moved. They watched the mattress suspiciously, but nothing happened.

305
00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:30.880
Chance shook his head bad lighting and waves. He chuckled, Fuck,

306
00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:34.160
we need to see if we can get the electricity on. Man,

307
00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:39.599
I can't stand this haunted house. Shit. That would mean

308
00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:45.640
going below deck. Luca reminded him. Actually, I'm really good

309
00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:50.640
with not having electricity. Luca looked for the spider once more,

310
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:56.240
but found it was gone and the web just dangling strands.

311
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He didn't mention it as they left to inspect the

312
00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:04.319
next room. It was in the same condition as were

313
00:25:04.359 --> 00:25:08.440
the next two. Chance stopped at the fifth cabin and

314
00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:12.319
rested his hand on the latch. I don't give a

315
00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:17.279
fuck anymore, he said, trashed or not, this is my

316
00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:21.039
room for the night. I am beat. He opened the

317
00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:26.039
door slowly, with ignorantly high hopes, considering the state of

318
00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:31.519
the ship and their running luck. Everything was ransacked, as

319
00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:35.119
in the others. Chance threw his hands up in defeat

320
00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:40.240
and went to the bed, flopping back onto it. Lucas

321
00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.960
sat in a nearby chair. Chance was right, there wasn't

322
00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.039
any reason to check the other rooms. They needed to rest.

323
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It could be days before rescue came, and the flashlight

324
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:57.480
batteries wouldn't last forever. They'd have to work during the day,

325
00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:01.559
paint a message on the deck for hell copters to see,

326
00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:03.759
tried to clean up the bridge so they could keep

327
00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:07.119
watch and look for anything else that might be useful.

328
00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:12.279
He laid his head back and closed his eyes. There

329
00:26:12.359 --> 00:26:15.160
still wasn't any way in hell. He'd sleep on one

330
00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:20.680
of the beds. The chair would be just fine. Then

331
00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:26.480
it collapsed. Chance bolted upright in a panic, but then

332
00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:30.000
broke into laughter when he saw his friend sprawled out

333
00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:34.720
on the floor. Luca sat up against the wall. He smiled,

334
00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:40.440
wanting to laugh too, but couldn't. Something was squishing under

335
00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:44.279
his palm, and his smile started to melt as he

336
00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:48.200
moved to see what it was. The rat leg was

337
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:53.119
still bloody and connected to its tail by minuscule strings

338
00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:57.039
of meat. Luca held it up by the tail for

339
00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:01.359
Chance to see, but the morsel fell to pieces in

340
00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:07.319
an instant. Guess the rats aren't dead, Luca said that

341
00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:12.000
one is. Chance chuckled, He's still wet. It was a

342
00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:16.640
fresh kill. Luca searched the room with the light. Think

343
00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:21.039
there might be a cat on board too. No, Chance's

344
00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:28.880
voice sounded off. Worried, he lowered his voice to a whisper. Dude,

345
00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:34.319
this bed is definitely moving. Chance pulled at a tattered

346
00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:40.640
blanket and shrieked. Dozens of tiny, hairless red bodies wriggled

347
00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.960
over one another in the folds. He scrambled to the

348
00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:47.079
end of the bed and toppled into the floor. His

349
00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:50.960
flashlight rolled away in a wide arc, casting its glow

350
00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:56.160
wildly around the room. Luca watched the pointy nose pushed

351
00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:59.880
through a hole in the mattress before the light changed direction.

352
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:04.359
When it rolled back around, the rat was halfway out.

353
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:10.759
It hissed and screeched. Pipes rattled overhead. Scratches came from

354
00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:14.599
inside the walls. Luca pressed himself to the wall and

355
00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:18.359
stood slowly. I think we need to go back to

356
00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:24.279
the lifeboat. He whispered. Something clattered in the lavatory. He

357
00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:30.000
peeked inside, but saw nothing in the darkness. He shined

358
00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.279
the light back to his friend, then to the rat

359
00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:37.279
in the bed. The mattress pulsed as others came out

360
00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:40.799
of the holes, sometimes wrestling over each other to get

361
00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:44.359
through the same exit. Luca shined the light in the

362
00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:47.480
bathroom in time to see a dozen of them spilling

363
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:50.920
out of the toilet. One ran up his leg before

364
00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:54.039
he even saw it. He swatted it with the light.

365
00:28:55.079 --> 00:28:59.640
It hit the floor, stunned but still alive. Its brethren

366
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.599
swore it. They tore off limbs and attacked one another

367
00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:08.279
over the piece. Luca's bare toes blazed with sudden pain.

368
00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:12.680
He kicked and stomped at the rodents, gnawing them. God,

369
00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:17.000
damn it, we've gotta go. Luca twisted around and gagged.

370
00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:20.759
The tail twitched wildly as the rat forced itself into

371
00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:24.640
Chance's mouth. Others had converged on him from the bed.

372
00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:29.599
His legs were invisible beneath the writhing mass of furry bodies.

373
00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:35.359
An opportunistic adult pounced on the unguarded babies, devouring them greedily.

374
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:39.559
Luca ran for the door without looking. He hit the hallway,

375
00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.000
sliding on a squished carcass. The army of rodents pursued him.

376
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:48.960
The corridor filled with the squeaks, hisses, and chirps, their

377
00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:52.119
numbers so great that he could hear the tiny claws

378
00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:55.880
scraping the flooring in their efforts to catch up. A

379
00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:59.519
pipe broke and swung down from the ceiling, spilling out

380
00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:03.599
more in in front of him. There inaudible ultrasonic calls

381
00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:07.160
carried through the ghost ship like a dinner bell. Luca

382
00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:11.640
changed directions, pushing into a wreck room. Rats poked their

383
00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:14.519
heads out of the pockets of a fallen billiard's table.

384
00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:18.559
A fat one stopped chewing a forgotten paperback and stared

385
00:30:18.599 --> 00:30:23.000
at Luca with its beady eyes. Luca searched for an exit.

386
00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:26.640
A half dozen rats fell from a cupboard, with their

387
00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.440
tails fused together from hiding in the tight space for

388
00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:33.640
too long. Luca screamed at the sight of the rat

389
00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:37.440
king scurrying toward him as one unit. He slammed the

390
00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:41.599
door behind him, bi secting one of the pursuers. Luca

391
00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:44.599
jumped into the air and came down on the rat king,

392
00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:50.000
crushing three components instantly. The other bit down on his feet.

393
00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:53.480
He shook them off, kicking them from the other side

394
00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:57.200
of the room, but they dragged their dead comrades along

395
00:30:57.559 --> 00:31:00.880
as they re entered the fray. Luca pulled a fire

396
00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:04.599
extinguisher from the wall and sprayed at the nearest rats first,

397
00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:08.680
then to the others. It drove them back, but they

398
00:31:08.680 --> 00:31:11.960
didn't flee. They hissed at him from a safe distance.

399
00:31:12.599 --> 00:31:15.279
The ones in the hall were grating their claws and

400
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:19.839
teeth at the door, frantically. They'd be through it in minutes.

401
00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:23.880
Luca used the fire extinguisher to clear a path to

402
00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:28.039
the window and smashed it with the canister. He climbed

403
00:31:28.039 --> 00:31:30.200
out of the frame, but was too fixated on the

404
00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.200
rats to pay attention to his exit. The glass sliced

405
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:37.079
the back of his leg, causing him to fall through.

406
00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:43.079
Out on the deck, there were no rats yet. He

407
00:31:43.160 --> 00:31:46.400
crawled until he could stand and limped quickly to the lifeboat.

408
00:31:46.839 --> 00:31:49.920
Rats were descending the rope. Some fell off in the

409
00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:54.720
strong breeze, but the others continued undaunted. He leaned over

410
00:31:54.759 --> 00:31:57.880
the guard rail. There was enough moonlight to see several

411
00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:00.599
of the critters fighting over one of the ration packs.

412
00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:05.599
More were chewing on the boat itself. Luca backed away

413
00:32:05.640 --> 00:32:09.160
from his last chance at salvation. He looked up at

414
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:14.359
the ship's funnels. A hundred huge, dark bodies clamored out

415
00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.319
of the smokestacks. A wave of rats climbed through the

416
00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:22.480
wreck room window. Some sliced themselves on the shards of glass,

417
00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:26.960
but kept coming, so hungry for Luca that they ignored

418
00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:31.279
the gashed flesh and spilling organs. A massive two foot

419
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.960
rat leapt down between Luca and the horde. More of

420
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:38.640
the monsters lined the roof. They didn't make as much

421
00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:42.400
noise as the normal ones. Four of the big ones

422
00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:47.160
crawled down calmly. Luca looked up at the squadron of

423
00:32:47.240 --> 00:32:51.559
giants waiting like gargoyles. The monsters had come up from

424
00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:55.440
the engine room. It would have been warmest there and

425
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:59.359
provided access to the entire ship. It was the perfect

426
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:04.079
place to nest. The most dominant ones would have taken

427
00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:07.519
it for their own. There they grew into a thriving

428
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:11.559
community of seafaring rodents, eating their way through the smaller

429
00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:14.680
ones upstairs and laying claim to the whole of the

430
00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:20.319
Valudmila Gurchenko. The small ones squeaked between themselves. Another wave

431
00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:24.079
gathered on the deck behind Luca. More giants came down,

432
00:33:24.200 --> 00:33:27.920
intimidating them with their presence. Little ones jumped onto the

433
00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:32.359
guard rails. Some dived into the ocean to escape. Others

434
00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:35.799
ran for the rope, climbing to the safety of the lifeboat.

435
00:33:36.599 --> 00:33:41.319
Luca snarled first they tried to eat him. Now they

436
00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:45.799
were stealing his boat. Luca screamed with primal rage and

437
00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:49.039
ran at the nearest giant. He kicked it hard enough

438
00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:53.000
to collapse its torso it slid into the hoard. They

439
00:33:53.079 --> 00:33:57.200
sniffed at it for seconds and chirped amongst themselves. The

440
00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:01.920
rooftop rats hissed a warning. The little ones didn't care.

441
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:08.159
It was time for revenge, Time for a meal. They

442
00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:13.840
tore the fallen monster apart, ending the standoff. Luca watched

443
00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:17.239
in amazement as the two factions went to war. They

444
00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:20.239
swarmed over the larger ones, trying to use their numbers

445
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:23.880
to overpower them. The big ones fought back, taking quick

446
00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:29.159
bites that severed heads clean from twitching bodies. Luca charged forward,

447
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:33.519
running into the fray, rodent guts squished between his toes,

448
00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:37.599
as he trampled over them. Opportunistic bites took chunks and

449
00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:42.599
strips from his legs. Some pounced, others climbed. He pulled

450
00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.639
and slapped at them, trying desperately to keep them away

451
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:49.320
from arteries. One of the big ones sprang onto his back,

452
00:34:49.639 --> 00:34:53.599
knocking him face first to the deck. He rolled repeatedly,

453
00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:57.360
trying to smash it, but it leapt clear. It lunged

454
00:34:57.360 --> 00:34:59.800
at him as he tried to stand, and they tumbled

455
00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:03.239
over the guard rail. Luca clung to the wet steel.

456
00:35:03.719 --> 00:35:07.199
The monster rat climbed up him, digging its claws into

457
00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:11.519
his face. Luca wasn't going to die alone. He bit

458
00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:15.320
into the giant's belly. It attacked his face and retaliation,

459
00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:19.599
Luca bit again, using his head to press the creature

460
00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:23.360
against a rail and chewed his way deep into its guts.

461
00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:27.639
The rat fell away, taking Luca's eye with it to

462
00:35:27.719 --> 00:35:32.280
the ocean below. Luca dangled from the railing one handed.

463
00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:35.760
He swung the other up and adjusted his grip While

464
00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:39.960
he weighed his options. A rat crawled along the steel,

465
00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.199
sniffing at his fingers. Don't you fucking dare you little shit?

466
00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:50.840
He growled. It dared the bucked teeth raked the skin

467
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:54.199
from his knuckle. He reached over and grabbed it, squeezing

468
00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:57.519
it until it popped in his fist. He climbed over

469
00:35:57.559 --> 00:36:00.559
the railing and fell back onto the deck. He dragged

470
00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:03.679
himself to the bridge, chancing a glance over his shoulder.

471
00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:08.719
The battle seemed to be over. Victorious rodents stayed top

472
00:36:08.840 --> 00:36:12.199
side and stripped the dead to their bones, while the

473
00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:15.639
losers limped away to be eaten by their own kind.

474
00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:19.920
Back in the mattresses and the walls of the passenger cabins,

475
00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:24.239
Luca wondered if this was a regular occurrence. Did they

476
00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:27.400
have to cull their own numbers every so often, or

477
00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:32.239
did they just enjoy it. Luca watched the flashing beacon

478
00:36:32.280 --> 00:36:36.760
atop the lifeboat drift away from the liud Milla. The

479
00:36:36.880 --> 00:36:40.559
rats had chewed through the rope. Crazy as it sounded,

480
00:36:41.039 --> 00:36:44.239
he knew they did it on purpose. He limped up

481
00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:47.800
the stairs and left the door open. There were too

482
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:51.079
many ways they could get inside to bother shutting it. Anyhow.

483
00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:55.559
He pulled a cigarette from the pack, slipped into the

484
00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:00.639
captain's seat, and watched the sun breaking the horizon. At

485
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:03.320
least he was headed in the right direction, he thought.

486
00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:07.800
As he lit the bent cigarette, he took a long drag.

487
00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:12.400
A tiny rat scurried out of the instrument panel and

488
00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:16.800
cleaned its paws. Luca blew a smoke ring at him.

489
00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:20.960
The runt jumped into his lap, but didn't make a

490
00:37:21.079 --> 00:37:26.519
move to attack him. All right, then, Willie, Luca said, softly,

491
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:31.840
you can be my quartermaster. The rat settled into his lap.

492
00:37:32.599 --> 00:37:38.519
Luca watched it expectantly, but it still didn't bite. Blood

493
00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:42.559
dripped onto it from his still torn face. It twitched

494
00:37:42.840 --> 00:37:47.039
and tried to clean itself off. Luca sheltered the animal

495
00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:52.320
with his hand. Crimson drops rolled down his knuckles. He

496
00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:57.679
looked back up to the horizon and smiled. There was

497
00:37:57.719 --> 00:38:02.079
a new crew captain on the Ship of the Cannibal Rats.

498
00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:11.039
All right, my spookys, that was Ship of the Cannibal Rats.

499
00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:15.559
If you're hearing little scratches in your walls right now,

500
00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:20.199
no you're not. And if you suddenly feel the urge

501
00:38:20.280 --> 00:38:25.199
to check the pantry, the attic, and every dark corner

502
00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:29.840
of your house with a flashlight, well I can't say

503
00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:33.920
I blame you, but don't go anywhere, because the best

504
00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:37.559
of twenty twenty five isn't done crawling out of the

505
00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:41.760
vault just yet. All month long, we're digging up the

506
00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:47.639
most unforgettable scares from the weekly Spooky Feed, those episodes

507
00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:52.719
that hit hardest, linger the longest, and somehow feel even

508
00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:58.000
nastier the second time around. So keep your ears open

509
00:38:58.119 --> 00:39:03.679
and make sure you've clicked scribe, and remember, every Wednesday

510
00:39:03.800 --> 00:39:08.719
in January, we're dropping a brand new mini series called Band,

511
00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:13.280
a snowed in horror convention, a lodge full of secrets,

512
00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:17.280
a blizzard that won't let anyone leave, and a warning

513
00:39:17.880 --> 00:39:25.360
that keeps turning up like a curse band. So subscribe, follow,

514
00:39:25.599 --> 00:39:30.440
or do whatever dark ritual the apps require, because you

515
00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:36.159
do not want to miss what happens next. Until then,

516
00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:41.000
my spookies, stay out of the fog, keep one eye

517
00:39:41.360 --> 00:39:49.760
on the shadows, and as always, stay spooky.