book 2 of 4
on the outside, looking in, bianca prescott was back to who everyone knew her as- kook princess, island royalty, who couldn't give less of a fuck about the pogues like they were poo on her jimmy choo's.
but bianca had a hit list. just...
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Shakespeare had a penchant for writing tragedies leading to the demise of men in high estate.
Lear was not a tragic hero, Othello was. The essence of Macbeth was seeing a great and intelligent man succumb to the forces of darkness. In Julius Ceaser, 'the evil that men do lives after them, the good is often interred with their bones.' Even Hamlet ended with poison and blood dripping at the sharp edge of a sword.
But by the time the curtains drew shut, all were subjected to the same fate. And this, like the rest, was no love story. No— this was a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy and every last one of them had to die in the end.
Bianca and John B managed to sneak below the main deck without being caught. By the time they made it back to the cabins, the brunet was practically charging through with sweat beading across his face while the girl tried to keep up with him.
A sudden lurch of the ship caused the two to stumble. John B tumbled into the nearby wall while Bianca's hands scrambled for purchase, eventually steadying herself.
"That was the engine," She explained in a low whisper. "They must've switched the engine off."
John B nodded, "Come on, we gotta hurry," He continued plowing through the hallways. "Sarah!"
Bianca reached for the nearest door and rapped her fist against it, "Sarah?" When she didn't get a response, she tried to turn the locked handle. "Sarah?!"
John B reached for the doorframe opposite to her, which happened to lead to the 'stateroom', and shoved his shoulder into it when it refused to budge, "Open up! Sarah! Sarah!" He cried until concluding it was futile and resting his forehead against it. "Sarah."
"She's not here, John B," Bianca told him breathlessly, steadying herself on the adjacent wall.
They continued down the downstairs passageway which led them another level below deck, prepared to search the entire ship if they had to. They stumbled across the boiler room, ducking beneath metal pipes as the temperature rose dramatically.
Sweat beaded across John B's forehead, his button-up practically drenched and Bianca wasn't looking too hot either. Her mouth felt dry and the dehydration forced her to slow down.
"Sarah!" John B shouted above the pumping of the boiler's steam pistons, carefully making his way downstairs while Bianca trailed after him.
The lights around them flashed a baleful shade of crimson, making it that much harder to see through the darkness. This was why John B slowed his steps, the floor creaking underneath his feet.
He paused momentarily, peering through the billows of smoke at the malfunctioning steam engine. His abrupt stop caused Bianca to bump into his back but before she could question it, he suddenly pushed her behind him, "B, get back!"
