Corona Gale, 0.2.1

Note: this is an alpha release of Corona Gale. Much like Sprites, Jets, and Elves, it only exists as a first act with no ending and has a lot of rough edges. You can see other chapters by following the Corona Gale tag. 

In the note there was an address, but she wasn’t familiar with the particular arrangement of items. A quick search on her phone showed it to be the address of a cabin on a ship. It wasn’t clear if the cabin was her destination or just the way to it. It was never altogether clear just what she was supposed to do at this stage. The boat could be in the harbour indefinitely, or it could take her to the arctic.

Kate found herself stepping out of a cab near a huge cruise ship, the type you can’t take in entirely while anywhere near it. It seemed made entirely out of steel and glass. White with blue trim, but quieter than she figured a colossus might be, she gaped at it while she approached. The cab driver handed her the handle of her overnight handbag, then pulled her suitcase out of the trunk. “Happy travels, Miss,” he said, returning to the driver’s seat and leaving her.

Kate had never been on a cruise ship before, but she knew better than to begin exploring. She boarded and checked the map on the wall. She climbed a set of carpeted stairs, holding her ticket, reading the signs along each corridor until she finally found the door with her number. The key card that came attached with the note slid in, a green light lit and an affirming beep sounded, and she was in. The cabin was small in comparison to a hotel room. She had no idea how long she’d be staying in it. Kate dropped her handbag on the bed and sat down. Could she smoke in here? A sign on the back of the door indicated that she could not.

She clicked on the light in the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She looked at herself in the mirror, and wondered about the particulars. Was her hair right for this? Were her eyes supposed to be brown? Did she need any indicating marks on her body? Was she, herself at her most basic, enough?

Kate heard the engine power up, and within a few minutes she felt the ship move. She was going somewhere. But where? And for how long? Okay, she thought. Cruise ships just kind of go out for a while, right? They end up in the same place. But they dock at various places? Maybe?

She searched her room. She was sure there would be some clue as to how to proceed. It appeared there was nothing to guide her until she opened the closet to find a dry cleaning bag containing two dresses, one white, one black, both full-length, slinky, and probably way out of her price range. She had packed a dress, but compared to these two it was a shabby excuse. These were for her. But why two? Was it a choice? Or was there to be two opportunities on this ship to wear lavishly expensive dresses?

She heard a knock on the door. Peering through the viewer, she saw a girl a few years younger than her.

“Hello?” She asked through the door.

“Hello!” She heard, the girl excited for a reason Kate couldn’t figure out.

Kate turned the handle and saw the girl, smiling and kind of short. She was wearing white runners, a cargo vest, and a button-up blouse. It was like she’d searched for “boat wear from the 70s” and bought the lot. Kate asked, “Can I help you?”

“We’re neighbours,” she said. “My cabin is right next to yours. My husband is up at the bar, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Madelina.”

Kate heard the name and did her best not to snicker. She hadn’t heard a name like that since she read fantasy novels as a junior.

“Kate,” she said. They shook hands. Madelina’s palm was sweaty. She was clearly nervous.

“And where is your husband?” She asked.

Kate smiled. “I’m traveling alone,” she said. This caused Madelina’s expression to sour.

“Can I come in for a second? I’m already so bored I’d love to chat with someone.”

“Sure,” Kate said. Madelina made her way in and sat down on the one chair across from the bed. Kate sat next to her handbag.

“Are you divorced?” Madelina asked.

Kate shook her head. “Also, isn’t that kind of a personal question?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I can be too forward sometimes. But, it’s just that, this is a couples cruise. It’s strange that you’re here alone is all. I was told by my travel agent that there would be no single women on our floor. So that’s why I asked, since she must have thought you were with a partner. I’m sorry again, but are you sure you’re not traveling with anyone?”

“Look,” Kate said. “Madelina, was it? I’m alone, and I never talked to your travel agent. I don’t know you, her, or what you’re getting on about. What does it matter that I’m alone on a couples cruise? Surely that happens from time to time. Maybe I just wanted to be on my own on a giant boat full of happy couples. Maybe I’m writing a book! I’m an anthropologist studying the mating habits of middle-aged cruise-goers for The Atlantic.”

Madelina crossed her legs, then uncrossed, then crossed them back the other way. “Are you an anthropologist for The Atlantic, whatever that is?”

“No, but my point is, it’s not really any of your business what I’m doing here. We’ve introduced ourselves and you’re already questioning my motives. I have to say it’s not terribly friendly.”

Madelina bit her lower lip. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just that my husband, well, him and I are not on the best of terms right now. Jack is, that’s my husband, Jack, he’s a recovering addict, and I thought this trip away from everything for two weeks would help us out.”

Kate looked at this woman. She was like a TV show, something there for Kate’s popcorn-chewing entertainment, something she didn’t really have anything to do with but couldn’t help but poke at a little, to see if there was more meat on the bone. She said, “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I have to know, what was he addicted to? Alcohol? Gambling?”

“Women!” She exclaimed. “That son of a you know what is probably flirting with someone at the dang bar right now. Anyways, I wanted to introduce myself just in case, thinking maybe if you met me first you wouldn’t want to go to bed with him. I was hoping everyone around us would be married, but if you’re not, can you at least be on my side? I’m really trying with this marriage.”

Kate crossed her heart and hoped to die that she would not sleep with this Madelina’s husband, Jack.

“Thank you,” Madelina said.

“How long have you two been married?” Kate asked.

“Oh,” Madelina responded, counting on her fingers. “Four months.”

“And he’s constantly cheating on you?”

“Not if I can help it! I’ve stopped him as best I could. This is my last resort, Kate. I’ve got to reform my man. I don’t want to lose this one, too.”

“Wait, too?” Kate asked. “You lost another husband to infidelity?”

Madelina kept playing with her khaki shorts, specifically the pleat in the front. They were brand new by the looks of them, as were everything she wore. To answer Kate’s question, she just nodded sheepishly.

Kate stood. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Kate and Madelina walked the corridor to the elevator, where Madelina led her to a floor filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs that were open 24/7. “Nothing on this floor closes,” she explained. “If you want to buy cigars and dance to Madonna at 5 in the morning, they’ll let you. It’s too much.” She said too much like a positive, like she’d been freely given everything in the Skymall. They found a bar filled with beads and neon, a postcard rendition of a Las Vegas remaking of New Orleans. They ordered Margaritas and received something more resembling a trough of green slurpee. Prince played in the background. It was delicious.

“I know we just met,” Kate said. “But can I give you some advice regarding men?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Guys who cheat on you all the time are real pieces of shit and you probably shouldn’t be with them.”

“What!” She slapped the table. “You think I don’t know that? You think I want Jack cheating on me? I don’t! But I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know you or Jack or the situation you’ve worked out for yourselves.” Kate thought about it, but then just drank from the neon straw and enjoyed the drama. “I mean, he’s probably a piece of shit. Almost definitely. How many times have you stopped him from cheating on you?” Madelina held up her hand with all her fingers outstretched. “Okay, five times in four months. That is probably a lot. Almost definitely too much. I mean, how are you two in the bedroom? Everything firing on all cylinders?”

“Now who’s asking personal questions?” Madelina laughed.

They talked about sex for enough time that Kate didn’t see anything terrible awry or irregular. She didn’t particularly want details but found herself prying anyway, beginning to feel a little bit on vacation herself. But she’d been doing this for too many years. She caught herself gabbing, and wondered, is this part of it?

It felt coincidental that Madelina (with that name, really, of all names for a person that really existed), would show up minutes after Kate found her room. It felt unbelievable that she would have a problem right away, a problem Kate may be able to solve, or at least push down the line a little while she searched for the real thing. She couldn’t help but look around the bar. She couldn’t help but do a lot of things she did all the time when out on assignment: look around, question everything, and generally stay on her paranoid, slowly-going-crazy toes until something, anything happened that seemed just out of place enough for her to intervene.