The Masque of the Red Death [Open and ACCEPTING!!]

[Rin128563]

Scarlet sighed and nodded, "Ok ok." She grabbed the bowl of soup and prayed she would keep it down. After a couple minutes she was all done. "There," she put the bowl down and sat there hoping she wouldn't get the urge to puke.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Now, lie down. I will look for something warmer for you," Nicholas said and he left to find more blankets. The air was still cold after the storm the night before and the whole deck was still wet. Even the sun was not shining bright enough to dry the upper deck.

The situation was the same as before. He met no one and had no inclination to look, yet. He went to the store and found clean, dry blanket neatly folded and he went back to the captain's cabin to give it to her highness.

"I have brought a few blankets," he informed as he went in.  

[Rin128563]

"Thank you," she took the blankets from him and wrapped herself in them. As she layed down she started feeling a little bit better. She was glad that she was able to keep the soup down. "How are the guests doing?" She asked Nicholas thinking that the guest were out and about the ship.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Actually, I haven't had the fortune to meet anyone," Nicholas said as he turned around to make sure that there were only Scarlet, Ace, Henry and himself in the room before he took off his mask.

"I don't know yet why but it seems like even the sailors and guards are not around. Everything is silent as the moonless night," he said as he rubbed his neck. "Maybe Nymphadora will tell you something else later but I assure you that I met not a single soul aside the ones assembled in this room prior."  

[Rin128563]

Nymphador came rushing into the room and then shut the door tight, "My Lady it seem's half of th guest are infected!" She paced around in the room and continued, "The others are in the lower deck safe from the infected ones. The guards and sailors are in there keeping them safe. It appears that the infected guest are also in the lower deck trying to get into the cellar where the healthy ones are at." She took a deep breath and sat down on a chair exhuasted.

Scarlet sat up and was shocked to hear such news, "How...how did they get infected?!"

Nymphador sat there quietly and simply shrugged.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Infected?" Nicholas repeated silently. He had had his mask back on just in time. He was confused but the main issue must be handled.

"Princess, we must land somewhere. We cannot continue on this ship any longer else we all get infected," he said to Scarlet. "We must have the rest of the guests and guards out and continue on foot as soon as we set foot on land." He went to the map he had seen the night before and went out to check the position of the sun. He measured the speed of the ship by the wind, roughly, and sat down with the map and a few utensils. he began to measure.

"We are quite far from England now but unfortunately, we are also far from the nearest land," he announced grimly. He looked at Scarlet if she had anything to say.  

[Rin128563]

Scarlet was looking down then she looked up at Nymphadora. "How many guests are still heathy? Also guards and sailors?"

Nymphadora pulled out a note pat and read the numbers to her. "Well we first had about 120 guests and 25 guards including sailors. Now we have 60 healthy guests and 12 healthy guards and sailors. In total there are 72...well including us that 76...and if we count the monkey then its obviously 77 of us left."

"I see....and how many life boats do we have? And how many can fit in one?" Scarlet still looked over at Nymphadora.

"There are 6 boats and 12 can fit in one..." She slouched a bit on the chair feeling a bit hopless. "Four will have to stay behind My lady..."

"No...im sure we can fit everyone....beside im sure some of the guests are children." Scarlet stood up and walked over to Nicholas. "Thats the plan that we should go for..."  

[Nick_austin90]

"Agreed but we must take other things into consideration," Nicholas stood up. "We need food. Even if we decide to leave late we will still need food and there will be no room for it if we leave now or later." He hesitated for a second and when he spoke, his voice was laced with anxiousness.

"Unless, we wait till our number decrease and then we shall have the opportunity to leave with food and water for everyone."  

[Rin128563]

"No! I wont allow anymore to suffer," She walked over to the little window and looked out into the ocean. "There as to be a better solution then that..." she muttered and tried to think.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Princess, desperate times calls for desperate measures. I say that we save all the children and not leave one out," Nicholas said and he faltered yet again. He was really reluctant to continue but if they were to survive then he must tell.

"Your highness, we must leave the elderly ones. As harsh as I sound but it makes sense. They will slow us down. We must take those who can continue the next generation with us. Sacrifices must be made." He paused. Then he inhaled deeply.

"If that still is not enough, I myself will stay," he added.  

[Rin128563]

"No....your right.." she sighed and knowing it was safe she walked out the door. Nymphadora was right behind her and showed her where they could get in the cellar.

"I will tell them..."

"No stay outside...I will," Scarlet opened the small door and walked inside leaving Nymphadora out as she closed it. She looked up to see all of the children hiding in there mother's arms. She saw all the couples holding on to each other scared. Counting everyone, she came to a conclusion that there where 20 that was enough. There would be at least two boats left so that they could carry food and other things.  

[Nick_austin90]

Nicholas watched Scarlet go with Nypmhadora and went to the kitchen to pack the supplies. He took the unopened crates and began stacking them. Little by little, he took the items to the life boat and began stacking the boat strategically so that more than enough food will be there for the survivors.

He went back to the kitchen and made himself tea. He had cleaned the kitchen of a quarter its contents and the boat could still hold more. So he decided to go to the cellar and he heard wails of despair and he quickly wnet in. He saw Scarlet first.

"Princess, what is happening?"  

[Rin128563]

Scarlet held her hand out motioning to Nicholas to stop. "Wait outside...please..." She waited for him to leave the room. Then she walked over to the group of elderly, "I'm so sorry....I wish there was something else I could do." Scarlet had tears streaming down her cheeks and tryed hard to choke down the lump that was in her throat.

"It's ok..Lady Scarlet...we understand," One of the elderly men spoke as he laid his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up to see his other hand olding his wife's. Then she looked up to see the others with a slight smile. They all nodded to what the man said.
There family members began to say there goodbyes as they sobbed. Then everyone began to leave the room crying softly. Scarlet was the last out after saying her goodbyes to the brave elderly.  

[Nick_austin90]

Nicholas sighed with defeat. There was nothing else that can be done. He turned and went back to stack the boat with food. Once the boat was filled with a month's supply of bread, cheese, salt, dried meat, mushroom and other ingredients, the kitchen was half empty.

"The other will be stacked with water," he said to himself and he rolled barrel after barrel of water into the next boat. He had counted the people Scarlet had exited with and concluded that two boats would be used for supplies.

"Princess, the food has been packed in the two boats. What is it that must be done now?" he asked.  

[Rin128563]

"we leave now..." she simply said and continued to follow her guests.