Emilia

Thursday, April 21st, 2022 (30 days after the Shutdown)

Sleep was a luxury she wasn’t afforded that night. Tossing and turning in her bed, she constantly stirred at the creaking of the old vessel, fearing another one of the smokey horrors people had called Banshees was waiting outside her cabin. When morning came, it was with dread that she opened her door.

Exchanges of ‘good mornings’ and ‘hellos’ were a muted occasion and with everyone’s nerves on edge, the remaining crew were careful to avoid any proximity to the island.

If not for the crew, Emilia could’ve fooled herself into thinking that yesterday had been a dream. Their desperate run into the caves, her father’s extraterrestrial weapon, and them… the demons of smoke. For a second, it made her wonder — if demons existed, does that mean there was a God?

Her steps were accentuated by the silence that possessed the ship.

Even if the world had gone crazy, the prow was the one place she could always find her father. Careful not to disturb her father from his usual session of brooding, she softened her footsteps. The moment she was within 10 meters, his head snapped around, eyeing her like an intruder before recognition dawned on his face.

Rubbing his eyes, his sclera was bloodshot but despite the obvious discomfort, he gave her a toothy grin.

“I’ve got something to show you,” he said, pulling a chain out from his shirt.

A golden cross sat in the palm of his hand. Thinking nothing of it at first, as her father continued to look on expectantly she began to notice a familiar pattern inlaid in the gold.

“Is that—”

“Yeah!” her father gushed, closing his eyes for a second. His forehead creased as he squinted at the cross in his hands.

What is he…

A bright flash blinded her for half a second as the cross transformed, growing larger till it took the shape of a ball-peen hammer. The familiar pattern of the meteor it had transmuted from was present in the gray and gold pattern coating the handle.

“Pretty cool, right? It was a revelation, Emilia, it came to me in a dream again. The fact that it took this shape must mean that this is God’s work. Demons have been unleashed onto Earth and God has sent this holy weapon to rid this world of its evil,” he muttered, waving the hammer under Emilia’s nose.

Recoiling from the burst of aggression, she stared at her father in incredulity.

His bloodshot eyes darted around erratically, never settling on a single object and even in stillness after he’d talked, his mouth formed foreign shapes like he was muttering a prayer under his breath. What happened to you?

“What. You don’t believe me? Look there!” he bellowed, his tone his tone growing increasingly fanatical. “Those people died because they didn’t have this. Why do you think those dreams came to me? I am a nobody but God still has chosen me! It must mean something, I’m sure of it…”

“Papa… who am I to you?” she probed, delicately grabbing ahold of his shoulders. She could feel his body tightening under his thin shirt and for a second, hesitation replaced the fanatical spark in his eyes.

“You’re my daughter of… course. Why would even… how can you even ask that?”

“Then throw the necklace away,” she pleaded.

“I-I… I can’t. It just reappears around my neck when I leave it behind.”

“T-Then lock it away! Do anything but wear it! It's changing you, Papa! Your eyes… your eyes are red. You can’t say that is natural! And you haven’t prayed since Mama left us and now all of a sudden you’re doing it again!”

His features softened as she continued to speak.

“Emilia… you don’t und— humans.”

Ripping free of his daughter’s embrace, his eyes narrowed as figures broke through the treeline on the island.

“HELLLOOOO! Anyone HOME!”

A bald man exited the trees, making a beeline for the ship. Behind him, a posse followed him with one muscle-bound freak in the back carrying someone.

Marcus? And that’s… Jean. How are they still alive?

Taken aback by how healthy he seemed even without the sanctuary of the ship, from the corner of her eye she saw her father’s hands clench around the hammer. Growling like a rabid animal, he blinked and for a second his eyes became liquid red.

The sight of him and his change in demeanor seemed to trigger an instinctive response within her. Unable to take her eyes off her father, she felt a surge of vulnerability as her father’s hammer started to pulsate. As the railings began to contort from his strength, on the other side of the stacks of cargo, the door to the accommodation building slammed open and the others came scrambling out.

Blinking at the interruption, his eyes returned to normal and he finally took notice of Emilia’s gaze.

“What?”

Diablo… el Diablo…

She was saved from her father’s piercing look as Jefferson ran up to them and gaped at the crowd of people on the island.

“Holy shit, how are they still alive?”

“Yes… How?” Her father grumbled. “After leaving us to die… I'll go fix that.”

Realizing the hammer was out, Jefferson clutched his friend's wrist. “Do that and everyone will be after you. They might know something we don't so wait until we get all the details.”

Emilia watched her father grind his teeth as he glared at the man in front of him, his face devoid of warmth. “Get your hand off of me…”

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Ripping his arms free, he returned his attention to Marcus who watched them in amusement.

“A fight between the married couple, oh mon dieu,” he drooled. “I don't see Ms. Miller with you. Has she uhhh… passed on?”

Her father was veritably shaking, mist curling off his arms.

Jefferson’s eyes widened in concern. “Juan?”

Her father collapsed onto the deck out of view from Marcus and clutched his head. Veins bulged in his neck as he fought to restrain himself, his nails cutting into his palms as he released his concentration on the hammer. In a flash of golden light, it returned to the golden cross.

With the red of his eyes retreating, he held their gaze for a second; his expression undecipherable. With a final yell, he ran to the accommodations building, brushing past the other sailors who were still hustling to the prow.

Across from them on the island, Marcus' gaze was fixated on them. “What the hell was that?”

***

The captain was hunched over to the side, his hands drawing warmth from the mug of hot water he had. Ever since he returned unconscious in the arms of Jean Bain, he remained silent, leaving Marcus to explain everything that happened to them after hours.

While Marcus deliberated, Jean had walked up to them unnaturally coy and apologized to them for the incident yesterday when he’d locked them out of the cottage.

“ — We found the cap’n holed up in a cave and since there weren’t any of the Banshees, we just camped there for the night,” Marcus explained, turning to the captain for confirmation which he gave.

“Did you not see anyone else when you came back?” First Officer Daniels asked, scratching his silver hair.

The elderly sailor was one of the three remaining officers of the ones who successfully landed on the island. The others were the captain and Chief Engineer, Atticus Chase. Aside from once in passing, Emilia hadn’t seen the middle-aged man since he’d departed to his cabin last night.

“We didn’t see nothin’ but I’m sure ye understand that our goal was to get back here safely. But I have news to tell y’all. I think the Banshees are gone. We crossed most of the north-western part of the island and lo’ and behold, there wasn’t a single goddamn wail.”

“So…”

“I’m saying that maybe we didn’t find other people, but if the monsters be truly gone, we can forage for fresh food. And the sooner the better before something else happens.”

Nodding in silent agreement, Mr. Daniels looked at the others and started organizing them.

Jefferson, who was watching the entire conversation with his arms crossed, whispered to her, “I’ll grab your father. I don’t understand what’s happening but for someone who complained about him, the captain is awfully close to Marcus all of a sudden. Which means if we don’t keep up appearances, we’ll be cut off as dead weight.”

***

The air was rich with the earthy scent of moss, decaying leaves, and the subtle fragrance of wildflowers. Tall trees rose like silent sentinels, their trunks adorned with gnarled bark and a tapestry of vibrant mosses. Ferns and underbrush carpet the forest floor, offering glimpses of hidden creatures scurrying away. Yet something subdued their joy like a dark cloud looming over every thought and action.

It was just the three of them this time: her, her father, and Jefferson. After being brought back, her father had a vacant look as his eyes. Every time Emilia tried to talk to him he shook her off, his eyes unable to meet hers.

“Leave him,” Jefferson whispered after pulling her aside. “He’s probably working things out on his own.”

“Working things out”? Whatever battle he’s fighting, he’s losing horribly.

“We’re here,” Jefferson announced as the group arrived at the ridge overlooking the beach.

The seaside cottage remained undisturbed as they’d seen it last night on their way back to the ship. Picking their way down the ridge Emilia took in the natural beauty of the land around her.

A large natural harbor protected the beach, and stretches of land wrapped around the water to create a basin. Tall, swaying trees lined the waterfront, their branches casting dappled shadows upon the sand and gravel pathways that meandered along the shore. Seagulls and other coastal birds glide gracefully above, their calls merging with the gentle symphony of lapping waves and rustling leaves. And beyond the walls of the harbor, there was a stretch of land protruding from the ocean.

That could be the mainland, she thought, smiling to herself. Jefferson walked up to her, sharing her smile.

“That could be our way out. Past this harbor and I reckon that might be Oregon over there. Or… just another big island.”

Almost there.

A grunt interrupted their jubilation. Spinning to locate the source she saw her father doubled over, squeezing his head. Blood dripped from his orifices, staining the sand red and his body began to twitch.

“Papa?”

Collapsing in a fit, his entire body spasmed. Veins rippled under his skin and his bones creaked as his body began to contort. And then with a final jolt, he collapsed. Fearing what came next she started to back away from her father.

He silently stirred awake. The warmth that once defined his personality unraveled to reveal something… malevolent within. His eyes were the color of fresh blood, harboring a sinister gleam that sent shivers down her spine. His lips stretched wide in a vulpine smile to reveal teeth tainted red from the ichor seeping from his gums.

Emilia wanted to call out to him, praying he would show some flicker of recognition but he seemed so changed. She didn’t want to confront the possibility that the person in front of her was no longer her father.

In that interval of doubt, her father broke out into a sprint in the direction of the crater. Watching him in stunned silence, Jefferson finally spoke.

“W-We have to stop him before he does something stupid.”

Emilia’s brow furrowed in confusion at the hopelessness of the suggestion. “You’re going to try and stop my fath— someone who is possessed? We can’t even get a stone’s throw away without risking him throwing his holy hammer at us. W-We have to sep—”

“Holy? Nothing holy makes a man take the face of the Devil,” he stated as Emilia’s father started running up to the edge of the crater. “We should keep an eye on him for now and try to manage the aftermath. Take this time to learn more about the mystery hammer.”

“... and if he tries to kill?”

Jefferson didn’t meet her eyes as he stared at his oldest friend clambering up the rock face in a frenzy.

“We would never let it get to that,” he whispered. “Let’s go.”

Every step she took carried a weight, a heaviness born from apprehension as they reached the edge of the crater. The place was just how Emilia remembered it from yesterday. The epicenter of the meteor impact had drilled into the coastline’s towering cliffs to form a circular depression that had since filled with water. Taking a tentative step forward, soft puffs of black ash stirring around her foot were all that remained of the hardy trees that had taken root here.

“Where is he?” Jefferson pressed, glancing at one side of the crater where the walls had collapsed. “The hammer couldn’t have made him vanish, right?”

The notion grew like a tumor in their heads, till they unwittingly were checking their surroundings for a plume of ash and a loose piece of rock to betray her father’s stealth. As the idea slowly drew more of their fear, the water in front of them began to bubble.

The once-clear body of water gradually transformed as its pristine turquoise hue began to morph into a muted, earthy tone. Just as the bubbles started to die down, a fountain spouted from the center of the crater where her father’s asteroid once sat. Growing taller and taller till its mist started to reach them.

“Cover your mouth, Emilia,” Jefferson warned, lifting the hem of his shirt over his mouth.

Complying with his directions, Emilia watched the fountain peter out. Spreading like a film of oil on water, the brown water started to leave the confines of the crater and contaminate the surrounding water. Where is he? Dots started to pop up on the surface of the water.

“What is that?” Emilia asked, squinting her eyes. “It looks like—”

“Dead fish,” Jefferson finished. His eyes were possessed by desperation. “There’s so many of them. Shit, that's where Juan must be. Where is the dolt?”

As minutes went by as they held their breath, a body surfaced on the water.