Chapter 12: Ventilation 

Inside: cold, slippery, dented either by Kershaw’s broad shoulders or earlier damage from the capsizing. The group crawls through cramped darkness of vents. They barely make up to what they see ahead than just the pair of feet of the individual in front of them. With Sylvester the only one with a functioning flashlight is at the very end of the tail while Kershaw still uses his mobile cellphone as flashlight.

Just ahead, Kershaw stopped. “Halt!” He shouted everyone behind. He reached the end, it was open without any cover like earlier. The lion-man leaned down his head upon seeing…

Across him was a white-painted, upside-down number two. Three was present and four was half submerged. It was vertical, cylindrical and dimmed dark. There was back up lights for each number to see. As Kershaw was peering down, water is gurgling in bubbles and some vents were outing water as cascade. He looks up and to his left was a ladder running the whole height of every deck. At the very top, and behind a net-like grill in circular form was a three-bladed fan still spinning, but slowly. After deck two, above, it follows to deck one and stops to deck zero.

“We’ve found it.” Said Kershaw.

“Is there a way out?” Red from behind said.

“Yeah, we can climb up with the ladder.” He squeezed with his legs out from the vent. Thankfully, a small ledge below which the whole shaft is “ribbed” around in circles, Kershaw and the rest can step on it and grab a hold of the ladder on their left. Using all fours, he looked directly at Red and Gwen peering out their heads. “Whatever you do: do not look down. Now, follow me. One step at the time.”

Red grabbed a hold of the ladder as Kershaw climbs up in the clear, giving space for Red to ascend. Glancing at Gwen still on fours in the vent, he said. “Can you manage?” She nodded. She actually looked down, looks more unsettling than the atrium. Water is making cascades down below.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Portia shouted behind Gwen. “Keep on moving!”

Red started his climb, Gwen slowly followed. Portia finally appeared and saw the odd place. She looks up and down. “I wasn’t cut out for this.” She muttered. “I should have worn pants.”

“It seems congratulations are in order, Red.” Said Kershaw. Taking baby steps at each handle.

“Thank you, sir.” Replied Red. “I’m glad she finally told you.”

“Well, tradition might have had you coming to me first.”

“Yeah, I know that. And I wanted to, I really did, but she made me promise not to say anything. She’s really careful when it comes to you, sir.”

Down under, Sasha peeks out of the vent, seeing Portia climbing up before looking down. “Um, Dad, don’t look down okay?”

“Don’t worry, son.” His father said. “Get on the ladder and one step at the time. I’ll be behind you.”

Kershaw stops at the very top, meeting with the number zero next to him. He places one foot on the short ledge, he leaned in at the vent to his left. Head first and crawls back inside. He lights his phone’s flashlight through the dark, hard to make up what’s ahead. On the other hand, the vent is much wider than the one below.

“How, is it?” Red peers his head before he could crawl inside.

“I’m sure there’s another way out of this vent.” The lion-man said. “Get in.”

Below, Jett Rycroft exit the vent and waited for Parkinson and Sasha to take their time. Just in time, he sights further above as the pair of legs of Red sink in through the ventilator above before the lioness could follow. In the clear after the two shepherds made some climbing, he scooted on the ladder in a swing. His sister and mother’s heads peaked out.

“Careful, Mom.” Jett said. His voice echoes the vent. “Better keep looking up.”

“I promise I won’t nauseate.” Said Carolyn. “Keep climbing, honey.”

Stephanie said, “Dad’s coming, right?”

Ryder the wolf’s voice answered behind, “He’s at the last row; dealing with a claustrophobic beagle.”

“Clover?” She asked.

“No, I think the older one. She’s barking a lot.” Ryder said. He can hear distant shouts of a panicking person in the most stressful situation. “Don’t stand there, please, keep on moving.”

Jett had already started climbing, Stephanie holds the ladder and catch up, but Carolyn told her to slowdown. The adult tigress stands on the ladder, taking her normal pace to climb up. Seeing her children taking their precaution on anything coming ahead. But they all stopped for a moment.

Portia just entered the squared mouth of the vent, but Parkinson’s voice stopped her from going. “Miss, please, stop right there.”

The female human in green silk turns around with her unamused face. Somehow half glaring and half wondered at the older dog-man. “What do you want?”

“Could you please help my boy to reach you. He’s too short.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, puppy.” She extended her hand and Sasha could place a foot on the ledge as she nearly bragged him inside. “There, now I’m on my way.” She proceeds her crawling, leaving Sasha close the opening as his father crawls in.

“Keep crawling, Sasha.” Joshua ordered.

“She’s really mean.” Sasha stated.

“Why, did she said something to you?”

“No, but she doesn’t want to be near with others.”

“She’ll be fine. Now, let’s not hold up the others behind.”

Below, Ryder and Kale exited out the vent after Carolyn, holding the ladder, Ryder said to Kale below. “This is great, Kale. The shaft leads up.”

“So, what we do at deck zero?” Kale wondered.

From below, Oscar Snowdon replied. “That very deck, the Broadway corridor covers almost the length of the ship, including the bow engine thrusters.”

Rico, who was behind him. “So, we are close.” Realized in relief.

“We’re almost there? Thank havens.” Said Miss Blake, behind Rico.

Above; Jett, Stephanie, and Carolyn proceed through the top vent in the orderly fashion. With Ryder the wolf waiting for the older tigress to crawl in the vent. Snowdon ascended with Rico behind him. Blake just hesitated but Aubrey made sure she wouldn’t turn back; the cruise director quietly climbs. Zoey and her husband waited, both cats looked up as Rico slips inside the last vent. Then half helping a hand to Blake to step inside. Some could do it, but some are just afraid to make a miscalculation to get inside.

Now that Aubrey has ascended further, Zoey could climb up. Killian followed as young Clover stopped right close at the exit. “What?”

The fox-man was behind her. “Everything alright, young lady?”

“I’m fine.” She wasn’t expecting this.

“Don’t let the others wait. Your sister is frightened afar.”

“She’s not my sister.” She nearly shouted him. A part of her was feeling broken as she hears her cousin sobbing in a tight space. “I’m sorry.” Nothing more and bravely stepped on the ladder. Seeing the tuxedo cat-man already at the top with Zoey.

Foxley carefully stepped on the ledge as he exits out the vent, with one sprained ankle, he looks up the tall shaft. Taking a hold with both hands on the horizontal steps and one leg firmly on one step and with the other hurt not touching anything, he’ll be hopping on the way or pushing himself up with his arms and his unhurt leg taking the steps. Even Lani asked him.

“Are you sure you can climb, Kameron?”

“Of course, I can climb.” He proudly said.

Lani soon follow and ascends nears close to him, making sure she doesn’t get kicked by his shoes. Just then, Megan peeked out. But the rambling of fast-moving crawling coming up behind her as the panicking Pricilla moved right next to her. Screaming, “Get me outta here!”

Ahead of the group, Kershaw stopped, meeting with a cover vent. Trying to see anything through the thin openings with one eye. Very little, but some lighting to make up. With both hands, he tries to push it. Grunting with puff of air.

“Use the axe.” Red said.

“Very funny.” He moves his whole body, turning around. Glad the vent is slightly bigger, he pressed his feet at the grilled cover. Turning his head at Red, “Come on, press on my back. I’m kicking it.”

Red turns around with his back and presses against Kershaw’s back, the lion-man kicks hard the cover with both of his feet, banging multiple times until popping out the frame. It flew across and crashing to another wall. Letting out more trashing noises before ceasing its rattling like an unbreakable china. “We can get out now.” Kershaw thrusts with both hands grasping a hold of the squared frame, pulling out his whole body out where there isn’t any cramped space. Standing up slightly sprained as he arcs his back. Watching Red exiting out and lending a hand to Gwen as she crawls out standing up.

Back inside, Sidney and Sylvester had managed to keep the beagle-girl moving forward. Pricilla sobs as she wheezes in fear. Megan is already on the ladder, trying to instruct her.

“Pricilla, get on the ladder.” The cheetah said.

“I don’t want to.” She sobbed.

Sidney said to her, “We’re trying to help you, Pricilla. All you need to do is to climb on that ladder. Don’t look down, okay?”

Killian watches below as Clover making her way up, she looks down at Foxley already catching up. Lani watches below him as the fox-man is making risky moves with the ladder, hopping his only unhurt leg and pulling himself up with both hands to support his body. Clover turns up and meets with up Killian at the top.

“Think you can help him, sir?” She said.

“I was hoping for that, miss.” Confirmed Killian. Clover made her way in, she didn’t continue and decided to wait, Zoey was still next to her husband, giving an extra hand with the troubled fox-man. Foxley was breathing hard when he made it to the top. Killian lend him out a hand, with one foot out on the ledge to stay firm and Zoey holds him by the arm. “Come on, Foxley. Get in here.”

Foxley frees his left hand, maybe trying to sacrifice his hurt ankle to step on the ledge–the lights flickers and the vertical tunnel trembles when the ship rumbles in pain. Destruction from somewhere echoes in throughout the shaft. Killian felt Zoey grabbing him back, he shouted; “Don’t move!”

The lights blacks out, moaning metallic trembles rattles inside. A male yeller blares clearly everyone’s ears, a second of recovering lights, another screamer, a girl, sights something falling at the darken pit. It resulted a metal thud and then a splash. The lights recovers, the quake ceases, slightly dimmer to fading the numbers on the curved walls. Lani opened her eyes, reacted by bracing hard on the ladder, he looks above and…

“W-what? Where’s…?” Trying to understand her disorientation, she looks down and see the cheetah-girl still holding and the beagle-girl present.

“Kameron!” It was Sidney Jennings who screamed. Trying to see the emerging water, Sylvester lights down the well, water had already covered the number four with three now half-submerged. The flashlight spots the back of the fox-man’s blazer with spreading red liquid. Sylvester leaps down, splashes down as the sinking body disappears the gurgling water.

Sidney, frightened, waits for the tiger-man, he dived down to the rescue. Keeping his dark colored hands holding at the edge of the vent, cold liquid passes through his four limbs. The flow thickens and speeds up until a foam of water pushes his body out the vent. He grabbed the ladder in a quick instinct but both legs failing to find a hold, water cascading his whole face. Letting go, he let his whole body sink into the rising water. Rising his head out and grabbing back on the ladder. He can now see better and saw Sylvester out the water, holding a closed-eye fox-man. “Kameron? How’s he?”

Sylvester had examined him, a mortal wound behind his head. Blood stains Sylvester’s hands. Stressed, Sylvester painfully replied to Jennings, “I’m so sorry, Jennings.”

Lani’s voice shouted from above, “Sid, is Kameron okay?”

Killian sights below with his head down in despair. “I could have stop it.” He whispered.

Zoey holds him close, “You did what you could.” Killian didn’t want to make a fight with her as she only dragged him to avoid a similar fate. Telling him not to move should have been his reaction, but why he fell? Then Killian saw a missing handle that wasn’t there before. Gone, pulled away from the two in between bars.

Just then, Snowdon crawled back. Seeing three people still close the opening vent. “What’s taking so long?” After the rest ahead had exited, they waited a little after Aubrey was the last to crawl out. They were left hanging when they heard some screams. The polar bear-man when back in. Making way and ordering the three to get moving, but Clover refuses, Killian and Zoey move ahead instead. “Come on, kid. Get going.” Snowdon ordered.

“No, I’m not leaving Pricilla and Megan.” She remarked

He ignores her and peers down and shouted. “Rycroft, what’s going on?”

“We lost Foxley!” Sylvester shouted back.

“My god…” Snowdon stressed, rubbing his fingers on his muzzle and bridge between eyes.

“Sid!” Lani kept on shouting, she didn’t receive a respond from him.

Sylvester responded her, “He’s okay.” Jennings’ sobs weren’t audible through the shaft. Holding the fox-man’s body with his arms. “Hey, there’s nothing we can do.”

“I can’t go on like this.” He sobs and sniffles. Breathing broken.

“We cannot bring him up from here.”

“But I can’t leave him like this.”

“I’m sorry, but…” The tiger-man checks both the fox’s wrist, taking off the wristwatch. “Here…take this. You know what to do.”

“Pricilla?” Megan called. “We must keep moving.”

The beagle didn’t reply, she just stood there facing at the ladder with eyes closed. Sylvester gave Jennings some space. He resumes his ascend until meeting up with the beagle above him. “Miss?” Looking up a further at the cheetah, she was concerned. She made three steps further to see if she was moving, Pricilla didn’t respond to that. Rycroft climbed up to meet her up right behind her. She was shaking smell of fear. “Pricilla?” Rycroft started.

“I’m sorry… I can’t move… I can’t.” She strained her voice, it was weak after yelling through the cavernous metal tunnels.

Rycroft tried to soothe her like he would with Stephanie. “It’s all right, Pricilla. Just don’t think anything else. Just look up or at the ladder–don’t think of anything except the ladder.”

“I don’t wanna go back to that vent! Please, don’t make me!” Pricilla agitated.

Snowdon banged against the metal with his palm, “Come on, keep on moving. It’s now or never!” Lani and Megan obeyed, but the cheetah hesitated but resumed, giving space for the three down below.

Rycroft ignores Snowdon’s orders. “I’m sorry, but we must keep moving. Okay? Step-by-step.” Slowly, Pricilla took the first handle. “That’s it, slowly.” Panting timidly, she took her own pace on the ladder.

Jennings quietly climbs in the ladder; his wet clothes drains out. Slowly climbs behind Rycroft and Pricilla without saying a word. Eyes mixed with salted-water and tears on Jennings’ face, he repeatedly hesitated to step every handle as he slowly separates from his colleague…

…and a good friend…