Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

46 | Waltz in a Tempest of Feathers

- 46 -

As the kotengu swooped down at Pandora, her life flashed before her eyes. Her body was failing, but seeing just how little of that life she had enjoyed gave her the strength to push herself. She couldn't die now that she was so close to being happy again.

        Wood splintered at her back as she rolled away, the impact only missing by inches. But the creature had been too eager. It's beak caught in the wood giving Pandora time to crawl for safety as it wrenched itself free. How long would that take? Five, maybe ten seconds? She wouldn't get far in her condition, but there was nothing around that could guarantee her safety.

        A loud crack signaled the youkai's escape. It's talons clicked against the deck as it approached her. Time was up and Pandora had to settle. She dragged her body under the line of deck chairs. She stared up at the steel slats above. The creature would be strong enough to bat around the metal frames with the ease of brushing loose feathers from its coat, but at least it put some kind of barrier between them. It would be an extra second or two to think.

        The gun! Where is my gun? Her eyes scanned the deck for any sign of the lost weapon, darting back to the youkai every few seconds to monitor its approach. She was beginning to worry that it had slipped over the edge and fallen into the ocean when she caught sight of its leather carrying strap. She found it peeking out from behind a large metal pipe. Was it was an exhaust pipe, or some form of ventilation? She didn't know, but whatever purpose it served the ship's designers wanted people to stay away from it. A square of railing surrounded the pipe on all sides.

        Pandora's mind chewed on the beginnings of a plan. If that railing held back passengers, maybe it could hold back the youkai's attacks; at least long enough for her to reload her gun. It could work. The problem was the fifty feet of open space between her and the railing. Even at a full sprint, the youkai would catch her before she reached it, and she wouldn't be going at a full sprint.

        The thought was interrupted by the scrape of sliding metal. The youkai! She had kept her eyes off it for too long and it had reached the line of chairs. She watched as it climbed up onto the row and began to creep towards her on all fours. It was cautious, testing its footing as it moved along. One foot fall sent a chair sliding away. Another crushed an armrest under tow. But each failure made it more sure of itself. It was picking up speed.

        Fuck. I need that gun.

        But how? She hadn't gotten any faster, and the kotengu was even closer now. She needed a distraction. Her mind spun, but there was no answer. Creativity could work with a limited palette, but in the end you need at least one paint. Pandora had nothing. Her gun was across the deck. Her blood vials were back in the room. Hell, she didn't even have a shirt to take off and throw at the thing.

        The youkai distributed it weight unevenly and the chair above Pandora leaned onto its back legs. The monster adjusted and the chair snapped down around her, pulling her attention. Her breath came heavy as the bird stared down at her through the steel slats. It was right above her. A quick glance back revealed plenty more chairs in the line, so she pushed herself up onto her elbows and started to crawl backwards.

        The youkai followed after her. It was slow; still unsure of where it could safely place its weight. For a moment, she managed to outpace it, and even started to worry about running out of chairs, but the bird was impatient. It leapt forward and crashed down on top of her. Metal creaked as it twisted and deformed. Bending steel slammed into her legs. The pain jolted her body forward and her head cracked into the chair above her, making it jump.