Status.

Abandon Ship is complete. It is available for purchase as an eBook in many formats. Please check the links below for details.

Synopsis.

I tried to warn you all, but you didn’t listen. You’re listening now, aren’t you – with your axe held high and doors locked tightly. I warned you once, and I’ll warn you again – monsters are real. There are things that go bump in the night. Good luck.

Soundtrack.

Host of Seraphim - Dead Can Dance
Chloroform Girl - Polkadot Cadaver
A Little Piece of Heaven - Avenged Sevenfold
The Show Must Go On - Queen
Crawl (Carry Me Through) - Superchic
Lost - DopeStars, Inc.
The Small Print - Muse
Blacken the Sun - Tech9
Seven Days To The Wolves - Nightwish

Excerpt.

I never would be certain whether Zach had intended to stop the whole time, or if the events that followed that horrible sight made him. After I had completely covered my eyes, Zach’s hand felt its way over to my knee. I could feel the car moving around us, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. I took a deep breath through my mouth, and the air was stale and bitter, and almost too hot to swallow.

“Zachary, watch out!”

If I hadn’t recognized the voice as Allie’s, I would have known by her use of his full name – not even his mother called him Zachary. The walkie-talkie almost vibrated in my lap from the sheer volume of her screech, but it was knocked to the floor when Zach slammed on his brakes. The seatbelt was tight at my neck as I fell forward against it, and something close to a gagging noise left my throat.

“Erica…” I heard Zach whisper my name, half in fear and half in warning. “I need you to keep your hands over your eyes, and whatever you do, do not look.”

Something in his tone made me press my hands tighter against my face. Something brushed the front of my knees, and I must have jumped, because Zach kissed my shoulder. I heard a soft click, and the front of the glove box settled on top of my knees. Within seconds, the slight pressure was gone again, and I heard another soft click, followed by the soft whirring of a window being rolled down.

For a moment, the only thing I could register was silence. It seemed to press itself into the car, and it was almost suffocating. Now that the window was down, I could hear the popping of the house on fire as it fell apart. Each snap made me twitch as it exploded in the silence, and I had to remember how to breathe before I hyperventilated.

“C’mon, you son of a bitch…”

I will never be able to describe the sound I heard next. It was almost as if Zach whispering, even as softly as he did, set something off. It was a guttural noise, with no promise of coherent words or emotions. It was almost like a strangled cry, but much more… inhuman. I could hear Zach’s breathing quicken, and if I listened really carefully, I could hear him counting down from three.

Then I heard the gun fire. That was a sound I could never mistake for something else. The ringing in my ears certainly told me that a gun had just been fired. I felt my lungs threatening to collapse on themselves, and I sucked in a greedy breath of gun smoke-tinged air. Slowly, I peeled my hands away from my eyes and looked at Zach, who still had the Glock pointing out of the open window. Past him was the scene of a shattered second-story window, and a body now bleeding and on fire.

“What the fuck?” I hissed, trying to get my mind to register what I was seeing. “You just shot someone?”

“No,” Zach answered flatly, handing the gun back to me. “I shot something.”

Extra: Character Guide.

Characters / Set Up:

Lead Car (two people):

Zachary Hahn: Goes by Zach to everyone except his sister Alison and during arguments with his lover, Erica Beatty. 21 years of age; shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes; Six foot two, 155 pounds. Majoring in architecture, in his third year of college. Two sisters, Alison Hahn and Amy Fischer, his half sister through his mother, Valerie Fischer and his step-father, David Fischer. Christian, Baptist.

Erica Beatty: 20 years of age; short blonde hair, blue eyes; five foot eight, 175 pounds. Majoring in psychology, in her second year of college. Dating Zach Hahn for six plus years. Has one brother, Christopher Beatty, Jr., and a half sister, Emily Beatty, through her father, Christopher Beatty, Sr., and her stepmother, Susan Beatty. Christopher lives with her mother, Cheri Rushing, and her stepfather, Jack Rushing. Christian – Wiccan.

Car 1 (three people):

David Fischer: 46 years of age; short black and gray hair, brown eyes; five foot nine, 195 pounds. Married once before, no children from previous marriage. Married to Valerie Fischer, with one daughter by her, Amy Fischer, and two step children, Alison and Zachary Hahn. Owns a charter boat as a charter boat captain. Non practicing Christian Baptist.

Valerie Fischer: 47 years of age; brown hair, brown eyes; four foot eleven, 195 pounds. Previously married, with two children from former marriage: Alison and Zachary Hahn, and one through her current marriage, Amy Fischer. Daughter of Gayle and Ronald Goldstraw, Sr., with one brother, Ronald Goldstraw, Jr. Non practicing Baptist.

Amy Fischer: 11 years of age; daughter of David and Valerie Fischer; one sister, Alison Hahn, and one brother, Zachary Hahn. Brown hair, brown eyes; four foot nine, 110 pounds. Not established in religion, but goes to church with her grandmother, Gayle Goldstraw, every so often.

Car 2 (three people):

Gene Wetzel: 55 years of age; gray hair, blue eyes; five foot eleven, 170 pounds. Previously married with no children from his former marriage. Currently married to Rosie Wetzel, with a daughter, Gina Wetzel. Retired early as a manager at a car dealership. Practicing Christian Baptist.

Rosie Wetzel: 47 years of age; black hair, brown eyes. Five foot five, 120 pounds. Has one daughter through her husband, Gina Wetzel. Doesn’t work. Practicing Christian Baptist.

Gina Wetzel: 19 years of age; brown hair, brown eyes. Five foot seven, 130 pounds. Daughter of Gene and Rosie Wetzel. In her first year of college, studying to be a graphic designer. Christian Baptist.

Car 3 (three people):

Jack Rushing: 39 years of age; black and gray hair, brown eyes. Five foot ten, 140 pounds. Has two stepchildren through his wife (Cheri Rushing), Erica Beatty and Christopher Beatty, Jr. Works as an iron worker journeyman. Non practicing Methodist.

Cheri Rushing: 39 years of age; brown hair, brown eyes. Five foot seven, 180 pounds. Previously married to Christopher Beatty, Sr., with two children – Erica and Christopher Beatty, Jr. Currently out of work. Non practicing Christian Baptist.

Christopher Beatty, Jr.: 17 years of age; brown hair, brown eyes. Five foot nine, 150 pounds. Junior in high school. Has one sister, Erica Beatty, through his mother, Cheri Rushing, and father, Christopher Beatty, Sr. Has a half sister, Emily Beatty, through his father and his stepmother, Susan Beatty. Agnostic.

Car 4 (two people):

Matthew Bunn: Goes by Matt. 25 years of age; red hair, blue eyes. Five foot eleven, 210 pounds. Graduated from college, majored in English Literature. Dating Alison Hahn for seven years. Christian Baptist.

Alison Hahn: Goes by Allie to everyone but her brother, Zachary Hahn, and her mother, Valerie Fischer, when arguing. 23 years of age; brown hair, blue eyes. Five foot seven, 140 pounds. In her final year of college, studying psychology and biology. Dating Matthew Bunn for seven years. Christian Baptist.

Car 5 (two people):

Brian Vandegrift, Jr.: 20 years of age; blonde hair, blue eyes. Six foot, 150 pounds. The only child of Barbara and Brian Vandegrift, Sr. Dating Kaitlyn Gardener for five years. In his second year of college, majoring in Home Land Security. Christian Baptist.

Kaitlyn Gardener: 20 years of age; blonde hair, blue eyes. Five foot three, 110 pounds. Only child of Laurie and Robert Gardener. Dating Brian Vandegrift, Jr. for five years. In her second year of college, studying marine biology. Christian Catholic.

Car 6 (four people):

Brian Vandegrift, Sr.: 45 years of age; graying brown hair, blue eyes. Six foot one, 160 pounds. Married to Barbara Vandegrift, with one son, Brian Vandegrift, Jr. Works for the NSA, job unknown. Christian Baptist.

Barbara Vandegrift: Goes by Barb to most. 46 years of age; blonde hair, blue eyes. Five foot six, 140 pounds. Married to Brian Vandegrift, Sr., with one son, Brian Vandegrift, Jr. Not employed. Christian Baptist.

Laurie Gardener: 46 years of age; blonde hair, blue eyes; five foot four, 120 pounds. Married to Robert Gardener, with one daughter, Kaitlyn Gardener. Works for the NSA, job unknown. Christian Catholic.

Robert Gardener: 47 years of age; brown hair, blue eyes; five foot four, 140 pounds. Married to Laurie Gardener, with one daughter, Kaitlyn Gardener. Works for the NSA, job unkown. Christian Catholic.

Car 7 (three people):

Christopher Beatty, Sr.: Goes by Chris. 43 years of age; brown hair, green eyes. Five foot eight, 150 pounds. Previously married to Cheri Rushing, with two children – Erica and Christopher Beatty, Jr. Remarried to Susan Beatty, with one daughter, Emily Beatty. Works as a computer programmer. Christian Baptist.

Susan Beatty: Goes by Susie. 39 years of age; dark brown hair, brown eyes. Five foot two, 140 pounds. Married to Christopher Beatty, Sr., with one daughter through him, Emily Beatty. Two stepchildren, Erica and Christopher Beatty, Jr. Owns her own cleaning company. Christian Baptist.

Emily Beatty: 10 years of age; light brown hair, green eyes. Four foot nine, 100 pounds. Daughter of father, Christopher Beatty, Sr., and Susan Beatty. Two half siblings, Erica and Christopher Beatty, Jr. Christian Baptist.

Car 8 (six people):

Ronald Goldstraw, Jr.: 48 years old; graying brown hair, brown eyes. Six foot, 170 pounds. Married to Ruth Goldstraw with one son, Ronald Goldstraw the Third. Son of Gayle and Ronald Goldstraw, Sr. One sister, Valerie Fischer. Job unknown. Methodist.

Ruth Goldstraw: 45 years old; graying blonde hair, blue eyes. Five foot eight, 140 pounds. Married to Ronald Goldstraw, Jr., with one son, Ronald Goldstraw the Third. Teaches college math, and is an ordained minister through her church. Methodist.

Ronald Goldstraw, Sr.: 78 years old; gray hair, brown eyes. Six foot, 150 pounds. Married to Gayle Goldstraw, with two children – Ronald Goldstraw, Jr., and Valerie Fischer. Grandfather to Alison and Zachary Hahn, Amy Fischer, and Ronald Goldstraw the Third. Retired Marine. Christian Baptist.

Gayle Goldstraw: 72 years old; gray hair, brown eyes. Five foot one, 110 pounds. Married to Ronald Goldstraw, Sr., with two children – Ronald Goldstraw, Jr., and Valerie Fischer. Grandmother to Alison and Zachary Hahn, Amy Fischer, and Ronald Goldstraw the Third. Retired teacher. Christian Baptist.

Sharon Sheppard: 45 years of age; brown hair, blue eyes. Five foot eleven, 150 pounds. Married to Michael Sheppard with one son, Kevin Sheppard. Works at a bank. Christian, sect unknown.

Michael Sheppard: 47 years of age; graying brown hair, brown eyes. Six foot, 170 pounds. Married to Sharon Sheppard with one son, Kevin Sheppard. Works for NSA, job unknown. Christian, sect unknown.

Car 9 (two people):

Ronald Goldstraw, the Third: 21 years old; brown curly hair, brown eyes. Five foot ten, 160 pounds. Only son of Ruth and Ron Goldstraw, Jr. Dropped out of college after first semester, works in a surf shop. Methodist.

Kevin Sheppard: 21 years old; light brown hair, brown eyes. Five foot eleven, 160 pounds. Only son of Michael and Sharon Sheppard. Didn’t attend college, works for a pizza shop down the road from his house. Atheist.

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