Sails of the undead

When a person dies, they only leave their body but when they are on their way to a different land.

Some would end up in a new body but in the case of Sandra Calort, she wasn’t meant to be there. A death that was not meant to happen.

Waking up on uneven floor to a man over her with a clipboard. He looked at the sheet that was on the splintering wooden board.

”You’re not meant to be here.” He grinned. “Hey! Maria! You’ve fucked up big time!”

A young woman, hair gelled and pulled into a high bun, rushed over before gasping.

“You doughnut! You took the wrong Sandra!” She yelled at the man before slapping him. “I am so sorry about him.”

Maria helped Sandra up, who was unsteady on her feet. Her gaze went across the open blue. Her eyes went back to the wooden floor.

”Where am I?” Sandra asked. “And when am I?”

”Technically, you’re in the same time but where you are… Well… You’re on the ship to purgatory.” Maria explained.

“But you are not meant to be here. Someone messed up everything so the only thing you can do is stick with the journey and you can sweet talk the higher ups.” The young man explained.

“But if I’m ‘dead’, then what is happening with my real body?” Sandra asked.

”Marcus has managed to bring your heartbeat back so what he can bring from that information, you’re in a coma.” Maria added.

“But good news is that when you are here, you cannot really die.”

“That takes the piss. Don’t speak for at least an hour.” Sandra barked. “So what do I do now?”

Maria waved her over to a platform what held a small bundle of papers before handing Sandra a list. Marcus walked past the pair to deal with a group that have arrived.

“What’s this?” Sandra asked.

”That is what we have onboard while we travel to purgatory. Mainly things to do with crafts. We did have sharps but the last lot we had were criminals that we had orders to just send to The Larva.” Maria explained.

“The Larva?” Sandra asked, a look of confusion written on her face.

”We don’t call it Hell here. We just call it The Larva to make it seem less…” Maria spoke before clicking her fingers.

”Harsh.” Marcus added.

Sandra walked over to the edgy as long Invisable fishing lines flew out from underneath her feet. She gazed down before two yellow and purple items were pulled from the dark water. Her eyes widened as the fish was thrown back, back to health.

”Don’t think about it love.” A heavy cockney accent rang from behind. “I did that but ended up back on here. It’s like flying in your sleep, when you begin to fall, you end up back here.”

Sandra turned back around to see a man with a leather jacket that wrapped around his large frame. He held the same list in his tattoo hands.

”Are you here by mistake?” Sandra asked.

”Got hit by a bus when drunk.” He smiled. “I saw a cat.”

”Looks before judging. I see.” She motioned to him.

The dead man was dragged away before he could say another word. Maria walked back to Sandra as Marcus was talking to the smaller group that was gathered at the top of the boat.

”I need to escort you to the second deck. I might be able to figure out why you are here with the interface that we have.”

“Let me guess, seagull mail and the moon.’’ Sandra laughed.

”Map and Brain activity.” Maria spoke, before making her way to the stairs. “Follow me.”

Sandra walked down the stairs as groups were taken to different rooms. Maria reached a door that was marked with ‘workers only. Inhabitants of the boat invite only’ and pushed it open. Sandra took one step in, the door slammed shut. Papers fell to the floor, it was a mess but Maria began to pull out thin files.

”Sit down.” She motioned to the wooden chair.

Sandra quickly did so before Maria pulled a glass sheet down from the ceiling. It looked plain before she reached over to pull Sandra’s hand under the glass.

”Will this hurt?” Sandra asked.

”Stupid question. No. Three, Two, One.” Before a small flash enclosed them.

Sandra rubbed her eyes before seeing non-stop white.

“Have you ruined my eye sight?” She asked, before she saw the desk again.

”That’s normal. It worked more better than scanning the brain. Which is happening in your physical manifestation in…” before the sky turned dark and a flash of lightning happened before the blue sky resumed. “Now.”

The screen behind Maria popped up with active lines within Sandra hand. She reached into the desk to pull out a marker pen.

“You have infinite time before you hit the island of purgatory - then you have three days before these lines begin to shut down. You have 8 lines in all to deal with but to bring you back to the land of the living, you need 3 lines of port of access. Them being: Brain, body movement and eye sight. We can help with the rest when you gain conciseness which would mean the use of physio will be needed.”

”Were you a nurse in your living body?” Sandra questioned.

”I was. Most of the helpers on this boat were hospital workers but they only help with how people come to terms but your case…. Me and Marcus will help. Seeing it was our fault with the land of the dying.”

”Marcus was a doctor?”

”No. Nurse. Started in Maternity but went into standard nursing. But we really need to get you back otherwise the land of purgatory will end up in the land of the living. We can’t have that happen. Otherwise the way of life will not be helpful.”