March 5, 2025

Ship of the Cannibal Rats - A Terrifying Tale of Survival at Sea

Ship of the Cannibal Rats - A Terrifying Tale of Survival at Sea
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Adrift in the middle of the ocean, two survivors find themselves aboard an abandoned ship… but they’re not alone. Something lurks in the darkness—something with gnawing teeth, countless eyes, and an insatiable hunger. A nightmare of survival, paranoia, and cannibalistic horror awaits.

Ship of the Cannibal Rats by David O'Hanlon

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Contact Us / Submit Your Story
🎵 Music by Ray Mattis
Check out Ray’s work here!

👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Mark Shields, Bobbletopia.com

🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder

For everything else check out WeeklySpooky.com

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!

🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

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Adrift in the middle of the ocean. Two survivors find

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themselves aboard an abandoned ship, but they're not alone. Something

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lurks in the darkness, something with gnawing teeth, countless eyes,

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and an insatiable hunger, a hunger for fresh meat. What's that?

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You want to be scared? Come with me. He will

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experience tales over our bera, ghosts and death. It is

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not recommended for a week at heart Heart listen, as

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in the dark it's more fun at that way way.

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This is Weekly Speaking. Hello, my spookies, It's Wednesday, and

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you know what that means. It's time for a little

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spooky in your Weekly. I'm your host and narrator, Enrique Kuto,

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and we have quite the journey for you to take

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tonight as we hit the seven c's for a story

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about little stowaways turned hungry crew. But before we get

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to that, I want to say thank you so much

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for tuning in to Weekly Spooky. We really do appreciate it,

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and if you love what we're doing here, please consider

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leaving us a five star rating on your favorite podcasting

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app because it really makes a big difference for the show.

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If you want to support us. In an even bigger way,

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you can head to Weeklyspooky dot Com slash Join and

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join one hundred other spookies in supporting the show for

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as little as one dollar a month and getting two

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bonus episodes, along with a plethora of audiobooks, creepy pasta readings,

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and so much more. You can find it all at

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Weeklyspooky dot Com slash Join. But now for the matter

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at hand. The ocean is a lonely place when a

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ship disappears. Sometimes it's just gone, no distress call, no survivors,

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just another vessel lost to the deep. But sometimes the

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ship comes back. This story is about two men stranded

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at sea, desperate for rescue when they stumble upon a

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ship that shouldn't exist, a ship no one should step

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foot on, because the moment they climb aboard, they realize

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they are not alone. Something's watching, something hungry. Monsters of

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the oceans are often stuff of legends, except tonight. Right

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after this, the Ship of the Cannibal Rats by David O'Hanlon.

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This fucking blows Chance grumbled, could be worse, Lucas said, comfortingly,

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How could this be any worse? The shipping container rocked?

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Not so gently in the waves. A few others bobbed

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around them. Amongst the assorted equipment and the corpses of

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the ship's crew, dorsal fins of migrating blue sharks darted

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between the bodies. Occasionally they'd drag one down or just

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chomp off a piece, sending the other sharks into a frenzy.

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A thick fog had persisted since two days prior, and

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the shark's fins looked like ghosts flitting around the floating buffet.

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The ship's captain McHenry bobbed in the water with his

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eyes still open. For whatever reason, the sharks wouldn't eat him,

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and every so often he floated just right to cast

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his undead gaze on the stranded men, as if to

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ask when they'd be joining him. It could be raining again,

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Luca offered, you know you're right, chance, let his head

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fall back on the container with a thud. It would

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suck if drinkable water started to fall from the sky.

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It's only been thirty hours since we had a drink,

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after all, thirty two and I'm working on that. Luca

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walked to the edge of the container. It wasn't uncommon

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for McHenry to lease space to smugglers. He'd seen the

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crates hastily loaded in the middle of the night. It

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didn't look like the drugs they normally picked up weapons.

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Maybe it didn't really matter. Whatever they'd been hauling had

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brought the ship down fast, too fast for anyone to react. Accordingly,

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two of the three lifeboats had gone down with the wreckage.

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The last one was currently adrift and unmanned. Water food,

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and an emergency beacon bobbed tauntingly just one hundred meters away.

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Seven dead men floated like lily pads between Luca and Salvation.

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A long fin sliced the surface and then dived down sharply.

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Make that six dead men get away from the edge,

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you dumb ass, Chance grumped. One of the sharks is

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going to jump up and bite your ass. That only

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happens in the movies. Sharks can't jump. Luca instinctively reached

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for a pack of cigarettes that wasn't there. Whales jump

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out of the water all the time to eat penguins.

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Chance told him, you can use the Internet for more

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than porn. You know, whales are mammals. What the hell

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does that have to do with anything? Mammals can jump,

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Luca shrugged, fish swim fuck, I need a smoke. A

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shark breached the surface, throwing its body onto the container.

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It swept its open mouth across the edge, sending Luca

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into a backward stumble, before sliding off into the water.

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Luca landed hard on his ass and slid on the

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wet metal. He laughed it off shakily. Oh maybe they

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can jump, he admitted, told you so. The waves slapped

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the back of Luca's head and he sat up quickly.

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As a dorsal streaked by. He ran his hand through

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the mop of hair, looking around suspiciously. Another shark swam by,

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and Luca felt his stomach not he could clearly see

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the bright blue coloration that gave them their name. Luca

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leaned over the edge a bit more hesitantly. He eyed

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the serial number printed vertically on the corner of the container.

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The sharks were getting more frantic for their share of

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the dwindling supply of dead bodies. If he was right,

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there'd be some fresh meat on the menu soon. Hey, chance,

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what do you think is in this container? He asked,

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knowing our luck, A speed boat in a case of beer? Why?

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Because I'm pretty sure we're sinking. Of course we fucking are.

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Don't worry, Luca said, I got a plan, of course,

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you fucking do. After a frustrating two hours, Luca's plan

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had come to morbid fruition. Using a makeshift rope of

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their belts and clothes, he lassoed McHenry and four and

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a half other dead crew members. He laid the bodies

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out on the container and began lashing them together. Chance

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be grudgingly helped tie it together. Luca instructed, we don't

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want one of those sharks poking its nose through. Chance

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lifted the stump. That's going to be an issue. Improvise.

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I can't believe we're doing this. Chance said, it's like

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a big ass me eat aureo, only the glass of

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milk is full of sharks. What makes you think this

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will even work? A ship's only as good as its crew.

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Luca pulled the cordage tight, eliciting a spurt of congealed

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blood across his face. This was a really good crew.

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Why hasn't anyone come for us? Chance stood up and

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shielded his eyes from the sun. The emergency beacon should

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have signaled as soon as it was submerged you heard

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that explosion, Luca checked the lashings. Whatever was on board

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was the kind of shit that gets you renditioned. I

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saw enough in the legion, and trust me, we're better

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off with the sharks. The captain knew that too, We've

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been running in ghost modes since Liberia. They slid the

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bodies off the container and back into the ocean. It

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was a much shorter drop than either man expected. They

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were sinking faster. There wouldn't be time for a plan B.

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The raft stayed afloat, but only barely. Luca eased himself

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on board, and it dipped down. McHenry's head went under. Shit.

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Luca whispered, new plan. I'm going to have to go alone,

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and what about me? Would it kill you to trust me?

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It fucking might. Here goes nothing. Luca pushed off the

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side of the shipping container and drifted toward the lifeboat.

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See it's working cool, Now hurry up before they eat

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your boat. They'd already started. One of the blues grabbed

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McHenry's arm and tore it off, sending the raft spinning.

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The vessel dipped and bobbed back up. A shark bumped

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it from below, bucking Luca into the air. His grip

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held firm, but the landing jostled the bodies beneath him.

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Another bump from below nearly capsized him. Luca realized he'd

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made a terrible mistake. The man made raft floated well enough,

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but now it looked like a big wounded fish to

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the simple minded predators stalking it. Don't go away, weekly, spooky,

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We'll be right back. Luca hiked his leg up and

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waited for a fin to pass by. One got close enough,

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and he kicked into the water to push off the fish.

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It gave him a brief surge, but the lifeboat was

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still too far away to swim for it. Another speeding

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shark gave the raft a hard nudge that thankfully was

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in the right direction. Sixty meters to go, Luca stretched

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for a piece of debris, almost toppling overboard in the process.

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A fin battered his arm as it cut between him

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and the flotsam. Luca tried again and jerked the scrap

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metal from the water, hugging to his chest. With a

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triumphant whoop, Luca frantically paddled the water fifty meters left,

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forty deep. Red suddenly spread around him, and the raft

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listed to starboard. He rode faster, glancing back over his

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shoulder at Chance. Unspooling entrails floated in his wake. A

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shark broke the surface, scooping intestines into its wide open

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mouth like it were taking a fishing line. The raft lurched,

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The hollowed body was filling with sea water, and for

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the second time in two days, Luca was on a

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sinking ship. A pair of sharks attached the raft from

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opposite sides. The lashings began to stretch, and Luca's legs

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slipped through. A shark bumped against it, but didn't bite.

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He knew he wouldn't get lucky Twice, he let himself

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slide between the bodies and sink above him. The sharks

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converged blood and unchewed bits clouded Luca's view. A finger

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floated past him, carried downward by the weight of the

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wedding band still encircling it. Chance crawled out on to

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the edge of the container, looking for any sign of

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his partner. Nothing. Sharks swam away, with parts of the

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raft still refusing to take mc henry. The captain swirled

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around until he was the only person left between Chance

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and the lifeboat. Water rolled on to the roof of

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the container, submerging Chance's forearms. A thud drew his attention

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to the other end. The shark chomped at the air

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before sliding back into the ocean. Chance sniffled, then let

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himself cry. No one was left to see him anyhow.

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If he was lucky, he'd drowned before the sharks started

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to eat him. Get away from the edge, Luca shouted,

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sharks can jump, you know. The lifeboat's motor didn't have

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enough fuel to get them to land, but it was

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enough to get them away from the feeding frenzy and

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moving in the general direction of Europe. The strobe on

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the roof flashed constantly through the night, reminding the men

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of the vast nothing around them as they took turns

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on lookout. The night wind was frigid, and despite the

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supply stowed aboard, a blanket was not included. Not a

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real one, anyhow, just a handful of foil ones that

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folded up into little squares. They didn't do much for

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the wet, mostly naked sailors. The emergency position indicator was lit,

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they assumed that meant it was working. Rescue shouldn't have

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taken too long. Satellites would pick up the signal and

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relay it to the nearest local user terminal. Then they'd

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notify the nearest agency capable of getting to the men.

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Neither of them knew how far they were from land. However,

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they sipped at the bottles of water. Just to be safe.

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They should pack extra clothes in lifeboats, Luca said, at

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least some underwear. There's no way you don't need a

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fresh pear after your ship sinks. I don't know about you,

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but I don't ever plan on leaving land again, Chance said,

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rolling the bottle between his palms. He snickered. This fucking

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shit is crazy, man, Hey, you see that the light

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It was wrong, Chance pointed stern. The strobe flashed again,

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and Luca saw what his friend was talking about. Brighter

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like it had reflected off. Oh shit, Lucas scrambled to

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his feet and out the cockpit, grab the torch. Chance

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let the flashlight lead as he joined his partner. What

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is it, Luca pointed up. The strobe bounced off the

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hull of the small cruise ship. Chance laughed and waved

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his hands in the air. Hey, we're down here, he shouted,

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don't bother, she's not running under power. Luca took the

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flashlight from him and scanned the side of the ship

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for markings. We are setting the world record for bad luck.

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We almost got ran over by a ghost ship derelict

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way out here. No one knows for sure, but best

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guess is there are thousands of them floating around. Luca

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told him one got loose in Japan a couple of

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years ago, almost a year to the day, it drifted

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into Canada. There we go. He shined the light on

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the vessel's name, moving the beams slowly to make out

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the letters. A broken toe line clanked against the reinforced hull.

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Luke turned off the light. Yadmila Gerchenko Chance said, must

219
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be Russian. Looks like a discount cruise ship, an ocean liner,

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Luca corrected him. They were made for transport, not comfort.

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That's why she's so small. Been retrofitted for the Arctic too.

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That haul's up armored for icebergs. Why do you sound

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so happy about that? Pack your shit, wheezy, Luca smiled.

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We're moving on up. I'm not really digging the idea

225
00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:19.839
of being on a creepy ass ghost ship, Chance said,

226
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got anywhere else to be. Luca scanned the deck for

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signs of life asleep in the lifeboat until daylight, when

228
00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.720
this won't suck as bad. They made their way to

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the bridge, shining their lights and windows as they went.

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No one moved inside. Luca led the way up the steps.

231
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The door moved noisily on its hinges. The salty air

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had rusted them badly, so it didn't swing back and forth,

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but just inched one way and then the other in

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plaintive moans. Luca pushed through and swept the flashlight across

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the bridge. He screamed and stumbled backwards into Chance. Fuck me,

236
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what Chance, braced himself to run. What is it? Luca

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leaned back into the room, letting the light find the

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floating apparition more scarce to come weekly, Spooky will be

239
00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:27.880
right back. The gray black shape of a man at

240
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the helm was nothing more than a forgotten jacket. Luca

241
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:39.319
breathed deeply to steady himself. He wriggled his toes, wondering

242
00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:42.279
if the puddle he stood in had been there before

243
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:46.839
he opened the door. He hesitated to enter, letting his

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heart rates settle back down first. Once it had, he

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00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.960
went straight to the jacket to look for clues. Check

246
00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:59.359
for any kind of records, he said over his shoulder,

247
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Sure thing, Boss, Chance chuckled. You screamed like a woman,

248
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by the way, and you were crying like one. On

249
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top of the shipping container, Luca picked up the jacket, JK.

250
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:19.599
Deener salvage. Looks like old girl was being decommissioned. Thinks

251
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she broke away from port while being towed. Chance's light

252
00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.079
played across the instruments. Most of the cables had been

253
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stripped already. If she was already docked, that means there's

254
00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:35.759
not going to be anything useful on board. Might still

255
00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:39.880
be beds. Luca slipped the jacket on. It was a

256
00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:44.640
lot warmer than the lifeboat's foil blanket. Maybe some clothes

257
00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:48.160
and can goods. Even if we don't find anything, it'll

258
00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:52.319
be a lot more comfortable and safer waiting for rescue.

259
00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:58.720
Here a familiar bulge rubbed Luca's bare chest. He reached

260
00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:02.720
into the inner pocket, finding a pack of cigarettes and

261
00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.279
a lighter. He said a silent prayer before opening the box.

262
00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:12.279
He thumbed the top back and sighed happily, there were

263
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:17.559
still three smokes left. Chance shook his head. He knelt

264
00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:20.400
for a bottle of pepsi on the floor and checked

265
00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:25.759
for an expiration date February twenty ten. He tossed the

266
00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:29.640
bottle to Luca. This shit heap's been floating for at

267
00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:33.759
least three years, or just been out of service that long,

268
00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:38.839
Luca said, taking a pull off the cigarette. Things are

269
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.240
definitely looking up. Let's see if we can find some

270
00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:51.079
damn clothes. They managed to scrounge up some coveralls in

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the abandoned crew lockers, as well as a few more

272
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stale smokes for Luca's pack. Growling stomachs told them to

273
00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:03.519
forego any further pillaging until they checked out the food stores.

274
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They proceeded carefully through the corridors to find the galley

275
00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:13.400
falling apart, pots and pans lay strewn about, and the

276
00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:17.440
entire place had an odd stench to it. Chance shined

277
00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:22.920
the flashlight around the perimeter jackpot, he said, signaling to

278
00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:27.440
the series of shelves lined with canned goods. Luca nodded,

279
00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:31.519
but was more interested in the smell. He examined the

280
00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:36.119
prep surfaces, finding spots of what appeared to be dried

281
00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:41.480
blood from the crew's final meal and rodent droppings. He

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00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:44.880
moved the light to the floor and grimaced. The entire

283
00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:48.720
surface was speckled with rat shit. He opened a drawer

284
00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.759
below the table, finding an assortment of butcher knives, dotted

285
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:57.799
with rust and stored carelessly. Some primitive fear gnawing at

286
00:22:57.799 --> 00:23:01.640
his brain told him to take one. He ignored it

287
00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:05.519
and slammed the drawer shut, before joining Chase at the

288
00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:11.400
shelves we got chef boy r D. Chance said, never

289
00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.279
thought I'd be so happy to see that fat fock's face.

290
00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:20.039
He lifted the can and scrunched his nose curiously. He

291
00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:24.640
shook the can. What the fuck is this? He dropped

292
00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.680
it and grabbed another, shaking it and then tossing it

293
00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:34.279
over his shoulder, and then a third. They're empty. Luca

294
00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:37.480
knelt for the can of ravioli and rolled it over.

295
00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:42.480
A massive hole had been torn through the backside. Check it,

296
00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:47.839
he said. Chance glanced down, then turned one around on

297
00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:52.240
the shelf. One big hole in some smaller puncture marks

298
00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:57.079
locked the tin. Luca slowly panned his light up the shelves,

299
00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:02.039
dried sauces and soups, gamed them, along with the occasional

300
00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:07.519
shriveled morsel of food. Cardboard boxes were little more than scraps.

301
00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.920
They both looked around hurriedly. Bags of salt, sugar, and

302
00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:15.839
flour had all been torn open, with their contents spilled

303
00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:22.119
and tracked away by tiny feet. Well, at least we

304
00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:27.000
still have the MREs from the lifeboat, Luca offered, I've

305
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:32.720
never been so disappointed in my life. Chance sighed, even

306
00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:36.119
when our ship exploded and we almost got eaten by sharks,

307
00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:42.559
Luca shrugged. Weird priorities, bro, think they're dead, the rats,

308
00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:46.599
I mean, maybe from heart disease. After eating all that,

309
00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:51.519
Chance illuminated the shelves again. We need to get our

310
00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:56.119
strength back. We should find a place to sleep. Metal

311
00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:01.640
clanked somewhere down the narrow corridors and Chance turned in

312
00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:08.079
unison and shined their lights, then laughed at each other's paranoia.

313
00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:12.640
They wandered back to the cabins. Luca paid more attention

314
00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:17.599
to where they stepped, noting more droppings. They opened the

315
00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:22.240
first passenger cabin they came to. That same stench from

316
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:28.319
the kitchen was much worse. Something clamored in the darkness.

317
00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:32.839
Chance stepped in first, the mattress looked like it had

318
00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:37.880
been used for target practice. Stuffing exploded out of dozens

319
00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:42.359
of holes and was dragged around the floor. A built

320
00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:44.759
in dresser had been chewed to the point it had

321
00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:49.880
collapsed on itself. A spider's web was intricately spun across

322
00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:54.039
the wrecked frame. Luca had his light on it. A

323
00:25:54.039 --> 00:25:58.880
big orb weaver occupied the middle. Something shimmered inside the

324
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:04.519
ruined drawer beneath the arachnid. This place needs a better housekeeper.

325
00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:09.079
Chance aimed his light to the bed. Did that just move?

326
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:17.400
Luca asked, like waterbed moved or like exorcist moved. They

327
00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:23.359
watched the mattress suspiciously, but nothing happened. Chance shook his

328
00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:29.799
head bad lighting and waves. He chuckled, Fuck, we need

329
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:31.960
to see if we can get the electricity on. Man,

330
00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:37.400
I can't stand this haunted house. Shit. That would mean

331
00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:43.440
going below deck. Luca reminded him, Actually, I'm really good

332
00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:48.440
with not having electricity. Luca looked for the spider once more,

333
00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:54.000
but found it was gone and the web just dangling strands.

334
00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:57.559
He didn't mention it as they left to inspect the

335
00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:02.079
next room. It was in the same condition as were

336
00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:06.240
the next two. Chance stopped at the fifth cabin and

337
00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:10.119
rested his hand on the latch. I don't give a

338
00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:15.079
fuck anymore, he said, trashed or not, this is my

339
00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.839
room for the night. I am beat. He opened the

340
00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:23.839
door slowly, with ignorantly high hopes, considering the state of

341
00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:29.319
the ship and their running luck. Everything was ransacked, as

342
00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:32.960
in the others. Chance threw his hands up in defeat

343
00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:38.039
and went to the bed, flopping back onto it. Lucas

344
00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.720
sat in a nearby chair. Chance was right, there wasn't

345
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:46.839
any reason to check the other rooms. They needed to rest.

346
00:27:47.640 --> 00:27:51.039
It could be days before rescue came, and the flashlight

347
00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:55.279
batteries wouldn't last forever. They'd have to work during the day,

348
00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:58.759
paint a message on the deck for helicopters to see,

349
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:01.559
try to clear up the bridge so they could keep

350
00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:04.880
watch and look for anything else that might be useful.

351
00:28:05.880 --> 00:28:10.079
He laid his head back and closed his eyes. There

352
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:12.920
still wasn't any way in hell. He'd sleep on one

353
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:18.519
of the beds. The chair would be just fine. Then

354
00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:25.119
it collapsed. You're not safe yet, weekly Spooky will be

355
00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:33.240
right back. Chance bolted upright in a panic, but then

356
00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:36.799
broke into laughter when he saw his friend sprawled out

357
00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:41.519
on the floor. Luca sat up against the wall. He smiled,

358
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:47.200
wanting to laugh too, but couldn't. Something was squishing under

359
00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:51.039
his palm, and his smile started to melt as he

360
00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:54.960
moved to see what it was. The rat leg was

361
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.880
still bloody and connected to its tail by minuscule strings

362
00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:03.839
of meat. Luca held it up by the tail for

363
00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:08.119
Chance to see, but the morsel fell to pieces in

364
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:14.079
an instant. Guess the rats aren't dead, Luca said that

365
00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:18.759
one is. Chance chuckled, He's still wet. It was a

366
00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:23.440
fresh kill. Luca searched the room with the light. Think

367
00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:27.839
there might be a cat on board too. No, Chance's

368
00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:35.680
voice sounded off. Worried, he lowered his voice to a whisper. Dude,

369
00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:41.119
this bed is definitely moving. Chance pulled at a tattered

370
00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:47.400
blanket and shrieked. Dozens of tiny, hairless red bodies wriggled

371
00:29:47.400 --> 00:29:50.759
over one another in the folds. He scrambled to the

372
00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:53.880
end of the bed and toppled into the floor. His

373
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:57.720
flashlight rolled away in a wide arc, casting its glow

374
00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:02.240
wildly around the room. Luca watched the point he nose

375
00:30:02.599 --> 00:30:05.480
pushed through a hole in the mattress before the light

376
00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:10.279
changed direction. When it rolled back around the rat was

377
00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:15.839
half way out, It hissed and screeched. Pipes rattled overhead.

378
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:20.240
Scratches came from inside the walls. Luca pressed himself to

379
00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:24.599
the wall and stood slowly. I think we need to

380
00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:29.480
go back to the lifeboat, he whispered. Something clattered in

381
00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:35.440
the lavatory. He peeked inside, but saw nothing in the darkness.

382
00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:39.519
He shined the light back to his friend, then to

383
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:43.559
the rat in the bed. The mattress pulsed as others

384
00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:47.240
came out of the holes, sometimes wrestling over each other

385
00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:50.880
to get through the same exit. Luca shined the light

386
00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:53.480
in the bathroom in time to see a dozen of

387
00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:56.880
them spilling out of the toilet. One ran up his

388
00:30:57.000 --> 00:31:00.400
leg before he even saw it, he swat it with

389
00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:05.240
the light. It hit the floor, stunned but still alive.

390
00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:09.880
Its brethren swarmed it. They tore off limbs and attacked

391
00:31:09.880 --> 00:31:14.279
one another over the piece. Luca's bare toes blazed with

392
00:31:14.359 --> 00:31:18.480
sudden pain. He kicked and stomped at the rodents, gnawing them.

393
00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:23.039
God damn it, we've got to go. Luca twisted around

394
00:31:23.079 --> 00:31:26.839
and gagged the tail twitched wildly as the rat forced

395
00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:30.960
itself into Chance's mouth. Others had converged on him from

396
00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:35.160
the bed. His legs were invisible beneath the writhing mass

397
00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:40.359
of furry bodies. An opportunistic adult pounced on the unguarded babies,

398
00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.960
devouring them greedily. Luca ran for the door without looking.

399
00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.839
He hit the hallway, sliding on a squished carcass. The

400
00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:53.880
army of rodents pursued him. The corridor filled with the squeaks, hisses,

401
00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:57.680
and chirps, their numbers so great that he could hear

402
00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:01.119
the tiny claws scraping the floor in their efforts to

403
00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:05.240
catch up. A pipe broke and swung down from the ceiling,

404
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:09.880
spilling out more in front of him. There inaudible ultrasonic

405
00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:12.759
calls carried through the ghost ship like a dinner bell.

406
00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:18.240
Luca changed directions, pushing into a wreck room. Rats poked

407
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:21.279
their heads out of the pockets of a fallen billiard's table.

408
00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:25.359
A fat one stopped chewing a forgotten paperback and stared

409
00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:29.759
at Luca with its beady eyes. Luca searched for an exit.

410
00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:33.440
A half dozen rats fell from a cupboard, with their

411
00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:37.200
tails fused together from hiding in the tight space for

412
00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:40.440
too long. Luca screamed at the sight of the rat

413
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:44.200
king scurrying toward him as one unit. He slammed the

414
00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:48.400
door behind him, bi secting one of the pursuers. Luca

415
00:32:48.519 --> 00:32:51.400
jumped into the air and came down on the rat king,

416
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:56.799
crushing three components instantly. The other bit down on his feet.

417
00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:00.279
He shook them off, kicking them from the other side

418
00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:04.519
the room, but they dragged their dead comrades along as

419
00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:08.359
they re entered the fray. Luca pulled a fire extinguisher

420
00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:11.400
from the wall and sprayed at the nearest rats first,

421
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:15.440
then to the others. It drove them back, but they

422
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.759
didn't flee. They hissed at him from a safe distance.

423
00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:22.079
The ones in the hall were grating their claws and

424
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:26.640
teeth at the door frantically. They'd be through it in minutes.

425
00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:30.640
Luca used the fire extinguisher to clear a path to

426
00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:34.799
the window and smashed it with the canister. He climbed

427
00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:37.000
out of the frame, but was too fixated on the

428
00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:41.000
rats to pay attention to his exit. The glass sliced

429
00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:43.839
the back of his leg, causing him to fall through

430
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:49.799
out on the deck. There were no rats yet, He

431
00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:53.200
crawled until he could stand and limped quickly to the lifeboat.

432
00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:56.680
Rats were descending the rope. Some fell off in the

433
00:33:56.759 --> 00:34:01.519
strong breeze, but the others continued undaunted. He leaned over

434
00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:04.680
the guard rail. There was enough moonlight to see several

435
00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:07.359
of the critters fighting over one of the ration packs.

436
00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:12.360
More were chewing on the boat itself. Luca backed away

437
00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:15.960
from his last chance at salvation. He looked up at

438
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.119
the ship's funnels. A hundred huge, dark bodies clamored out

439
00:34:21.159 --> 00:34:25.079
of the smokestacks. A wave of rats climbed through the

440
00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:29.239
wreck room window. Some sliced themselves on the shards of glass,

441
00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:33.760
but kept coming, so hungry for Luca that they ignored

442
00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:38.039
the gashed flesh and spilling organs. A massive two foot

443
00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:41.719
rat leaped down between Luca and the horde. More of

444
00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:45.440
the monsters lined the roof. They didn't make as much

445
00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:49.199
noise as the normal ones. Four of the big ones

446
00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:53.960
crawled down calmly. Luca looked up at the squadron of

447
00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:58.280
giants wading like gargoyles. The monsters had come up from

448
00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:02.239
the engine room. It would have been warmest there and

449
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:06.199
provided access to the entire ship. It was the perfect

450
00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:10.880
place to nest. The most dominant ones would have taken

451
00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:14.280
it for their own. There they grew into a thriving

452
00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:18.320
community of seafaring rodents, eating their way through the smaller

453
00:35:18.360 --> 00:35:21.480
ones upstairs and laying claim to the whole of the

454
00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:27.079
Ludmila Gurchenko. The small ones squeaked between themselves. Another wave

455
00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:30.880
gathered on the deck behind Luca. More giants came down,

456
00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:34.719
intimidating them with their presence. Little ones jumped onto the

457
00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:39.159
guard rails. Some dived into the ocean to escape. Others

458
00:35:39.239 --> 00:35:42.559
ran for the rope, climbing to the safety of the lifeboat.

459
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:48.079
Luca snarled first they tried to eat him. Now they

460
00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:52.599
were stealing his boat. Luca screamed with primal rage and

461
00:35:52.760 --> 00:35:55.840
ran at the nearest giant. He kicked it hard enough

462
00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:00.440
to collapse its torso it slid into the horde. At

463
00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:05.159
it for seconds and chirped amongst themselves. The rooftop rats

464
00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:09.639
hissed a warning. The little ones didn't care. It was

465
00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:15.480
time for revenge, time for a meal. They tore the

466
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:21.320
fallen monster apart. Ending the standoff. Luca watched in amazement

467
00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:24.760
as the two factions went to war. They swarmed over

468
00:36:24.840 --> 00:36:27.960
the larger ones, trying to use their numbers to overpower them.

469
00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:31.679
The big ones fought back, taking quick bites that severed

470
00:36:31.719 --> 00:36:36.800
heads clean from twitching bodies. Luca charged forward, running into

471
00:36:36.840 --> 00:36:40.559
the fray. Rodent guts squished between his toes as he

472
00:36:40.639 --> 00:36:45.079
trampled over them. Opportunistic bites took chunks and strips from

473
00:36:45.159 --> 00:36:49.960
his legs. Some pounced, others climbed. He pulled and slapped

474
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:53.199
at them, trying desperately to keep them away from arteries.

475
00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:56.800
One of the big ones sprang onto his back, knocking

476
00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:00.840
him face first to the deck. He rolled repeatly, trying

477
00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:04.280
to smash it, but it leapt clear. It lunged at

478
00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:06.920
him as he tried to stand, and they tumbled over

479
00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:11.039
the guardrail. Luca clung to the wet steel. The monster

480
00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:14.519
rat climbed up him, digging its claws into his face.

481
00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:18.719
Luca wasn't going to die alone. He bit into the

482
00:37:18.760 --> 00:37:23.880
giant's belly. It attacked his face and retaliation, Luca bit again,

483
00:37:24.519 --> 00:37:27.239
using his head to press the creature against a rail

484
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:31.199
and chewed his way deep into its guts. The rat

485
00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:35.519
fell away, taking Luca's eye with it to the ocean below.

486
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:40.239
Luca dangled from the railing one handed. He swung the

487
00:37:40.280 --> 00:37:43.760
other up and adjusted his grip. While he weighed his options,

488
00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:48.760
A rat crawled along the steel, sniffing at his fingers.

489
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:54.880
Don't you fucking dare you little shit? He growled, It dared.

490
00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:58.920
The bucked teeth raked the skin from his knuckle. He

491
00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:01.599
reached over and ground abbed it, squeezing it until it

492
00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:04.920
popped in his fist. He climbed over the railing and

493
00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:08.519
fell back onto the deck. He dragged himself to the bridge,

494
00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:12.280
chancing a glance over his shoulder. The battle seemed to

495
00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:17.280
be over. Victorious rodents stayed topside and stripped the dead

496
00:38:17.320 --> 00:38:20.880
to their bones, while the losers limped away to be

497
00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:24.599
eaten by their own kind. Back in the mattresses and

498
00:38:24.679 --> 00:38:28.360
the walls of the passenger cabins, Luca wondered if this

499
00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:31.880
was a regular occurrence. Did they have to cull their

500
00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:35.880
own numbers every so often, or did they just enjoy it.

501
00:38:36.960 --> 00:38:41.159
Luca watched the flashing beacon atop the lifeboat drift away

502
00:38:41.280 --> 00:38:45.320
from the liud Milla. The rats had chewed through the rope.

503
00:38:46.119 --> 00:38:49.599
Crazy as it sounded, he knew they did it on purpose.

504
00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:53.199
He limped up the stairs and left the door open.

505
00:38:54.039 --> 00:38:56.480
There were too many ways they could get inside to

506
00:38:56.519 --> 00:39:00.719
bother shutting it anyhow, He pulled a cigarette from the pack,

507
00:39:01.559 --> 00:39:05.920
slipped into the captain's seat, and watched the sun breaking

508
00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:09.280
the horizon. At least he was headed in the right direction,

509
00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:13.440
he thought. As he lit the bent cigarette. He took

510
00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:17.639
a long drag. A tiny rat scurried out of the

511
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:22.920
instrument panel and cleaned its paws. Luca blew a smok

512
00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:27.000
ring at him. The runt jumped into his lap, but

513
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:31.480
didn't make a move to attack him. All right, then, Willie,

514
00:39:32.079 --> 00:39:37.360
Luca said softly, you can be my quartermaster. The rat

515
00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:42.840
settled into his lap. Luca watched it expectantly, but it

516
00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:46.960
still didn't bite. Blood dripped onto it from his still

517
00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:51.280
torn face. It twitched and tried to clean itself off.

518
00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:56.920
Luca sheltered the animal with his hand. Crimson drops rolled

519
00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:01.000
down his knuckles. He looked back up to the horizon

520
00:40:01.639 --> 00:40:06.559
and smiled. There was a new crew captain on the

521
00:40:06.599 --> 00:40:14.119
ship of the Cannibal Rats. Well, my Spookyes, I hope

522
00:40:14.119 --> 00:40:18.000
tonight's story helped you feel an urge to sail the

523
00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:22.400
Seven seas or more than likely feel the need to

524
00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:26.119
avoid your bathtub for a little while, at least until

525
00:40:26.119 --> 00:40:29.079
the smell starts to get to you. Thank you all

526
00:40:29.159 --> 00:40:31.639
so much for joining me for another Terror Tale, and

527
00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:34.039
if this is your first time here, we have a

528
00:40:34.039 --> 00:40:37.840
brand new one every single Wednesday and over three hundred

529
00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:41.199
episodes for you to take a look at, so make

530
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sure you subscribe on your favorite podcasting app. You will

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not want to miss it. And I want to say

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00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:50.079
a huge thank you to everybody who's been joining up

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over at Weeklyspooky dot Com slash Join. For as little

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massive catalog of exclusive audiobooks, creepy pasta readings, and so

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much more, including two exclusive episodes every single month. That's

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Weeklyspooky dot Com slash Join. And I want to say

538
00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:15.719
an extra special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters.

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These are folks who pay just a little bit more

540
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to hear their names at the end of the show,

541
00:41:20.280 --> 00:41:23.119
and we have a brand new booster to welcome this week.

542
00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:25.800
Two of them, in fact, a big thank you to

543
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Kate and Lulu, as well as Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nix,

544
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Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met, Jack

545
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Kerr and Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much for

546
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your support and if you want to hear your name

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at the end of the show, like Kate and Lulu

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headweklyspooky dot com and select a tier at fifteen dollars

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a month or higher. We appreciate it so much and

550
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it makes a huge difference in helping us bring you

551
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the Spooky on the weekly. But now it's time for

552
00:41:54.719 --> 00:41:56.360
me to get back to work. There are so many

553
00:41:56.360 --> 00:41:59.519
shows to bring you on Friday and Monday, as well

554
00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:02.840
as our youth usual Wednesday. So for myself, for my

555
00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:07.239
executive producer Rob Fields, Mark Shields and Bobotopia dot com,

556
00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:10.920
my producer Dan Wilder, and my composer Ray Mattis, I

557
00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:13.760
will be talking at you very soon, but until then,

558
00:42:14.639 --> 00:42:18.400
make sure there's nothing hiding in the walls waiting to

559
00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:22.719
eat you. Thank you for listening to me. Make sure

560
00:42:22.840 --> 00:42:27.360
to find your way back next week, but for now

561
00:42:27.800 --> 00:42:31.000
you are safe, trust me.