The steamship Louisiana left the quay with a honk. Detective John Tombstone stood on the after-deck enjoying the fresh air. He looked at the overcrowded quay. Down the river children were playing in the water. There was a little house on the opposite side of the river. A farmer was plowing the surrounding area before the winter. The summer had went into autumn so the leaves were slightly yellow and the last strings of sunlight managed over the treetops.
After an hour it became cold so he went inside. The aisle was full of people whom hadn't installed themselves in their cabins so John decided to endure some cold hours on deck. He tightened his coat and went outside. He sat down at one of the benches still bathing in sun. Half an hour later the sun had set and the coldness replaced the pleasant warmth. He pulled down his bowler as far as possible. The lights that started to shine along the riverbanks indicated that the river had become wider. The boat slowly increased its speed. A breath of air made the water from the shovel-wheels sweep over the boat. John got up and tried to stretch a bit before he went over on the leeward. He felt a hunger for food and warmth when he heard the band playing in the bar, but it had to wait because he had no inclination at all to jostle with a lot of people. He was tired and he tried to stay awake but he didn't manage it.
John woke with a tug. He stood up and ran towards the rail. Was it a "splash" he'd heard? A dark body was floating towards him. When it got closer he could see a man steeped in a grey, slightly glowing substance. His skin was burnt in several places and the hair was all gone. There were deep cuts in his forehead. A dark stripe of blood followed the man. When the body had passed the boat it slowly started to sink. John's back-hair stood up. He hadn't seen anything like this in all his life, even though he had fought against the southern states in the civil war. He noticed that the band had stopped playing. There was no sign of humans at all. He left the deck and entered the aisle where only trunks were left. It was quiet, deadly quiet, the only sound came from the water outside. Suddenly the boat heeled. John fell. Light thuds was heard from below. When he got up he noticed that the boat leant in an angle of 45 degrees. It had ran on a ground. All the luggage had slid towards the left wall.
- The gun! he thought and started to search for his trunk but he couldn't find it.
- Shit, where's my trunk?!
His handsome haircut had been ruffled. He could feel the arriving panic. A shadow swept over the wall. A "swisch" was heard. Darkness.
When he opened his eyes he saw two indistinct beings bending over him. He couldn't distinguish any features of their faces. A terrible hammering smashed against his temple. He tried to move but he was without doubt stuck. The sight begun to return, but the two creatures still looked blurred. One of them turned around and went away to a little table which stood at the wall. When John looked around he could see a dozen people nailed to the walls. Their pale faces hung against the chests. Blood
diluted with saliva ran from their mouths. About twenty sacks lay in one of the corners. They slowly moved. A pool of blood had formed underneath; the area was growing larger from the blood that dripped out of the sacks. Moaning voices were heard all the time. A feeling of sickness ran through his body. The creature came back and lent over him. His eye caught something shiny before the pain started. His legs begun to jerk around. The pain moved from the roots of his hair to his whole body. He screamed at the top of his voice which resulted in even more pain.
There was a sudden shudder. The smell of burned tree stung in his nose. The two creatures floated away and disappeared through a door. They had forgotten the sharp item on John's stomach. The room was slowly filled with smoke. He tried to reach the knife with his fingertips but his hands were tied to the table. The screaming from the tortured people were filled with pain. A fire had begun on the boat and it had now reached the room. The nailed ones twisted in their agony. One of them tore himself down from the wall with holes in his hands and feet as a result. He ran towards John but he fell before he reached him. The burning clothes lit the dry floor. It got warm and with fear for his life he managed to summon his last powers. The ropes were caught by fire so he had no problems in getting free. He sat up, took the knife and cut off the ropes around his feet. Parts of the roof fell down. A burning beam hit the sacks which started to burn.
