Page 97 of Seven Oars
Eze hurried to her side, murmuring. She reached out like she often did, pulling her into an embrace, but this time, Daphne resisted. She stiffened, rejecting Eze’s touch. Then she hit her.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Gro rushed over.
Daphne screamed and flailed, smacking and pinching Eze and Gro, though her blows lacked focus.
Anske shrank back, watching warily.
“Somebody, shush her quick!” she hissed, throwing fearful glances at the door and clutching the Holy Guide to her chest.
But Eze and Gro struggled to contain Daphne’s escalating tantrum.
Just when they thought they had her, she broke free, bolting across the room, stomping over Anske’s unfinished breakfast and Fawn’s outstretched legs.
“Ouch!” Fawn yelped.“Unhinged loon!”
Daphne ran headfirst into the water filter, but the slam didn’t slow her down. Shrieking nonstop, she evaded grasping hands and darted to the provisions shelves.
She was surprisingly, almost unnaturally, nimble.
Grabbing the flimsy structure, she yanked at it, sending items tumbling to the floor, cans flying.
One struck poor Anske in the face.
“Help!” Gro screeched.“What are you standing there for?”
Galvanized by the command, Rosamma and Fawn snapped into action. Even Alyesha rushed forward, catching Daphne’s arm.
Slippery as an eel, the girl twisted and thrashed, stubbornly fighting them and flinging more food and water pouches. She shook the shelves—until, finally, the anchors gave way, and the entire structure came crashing down.
Gro cursed.
The destruction seemed to stun Daphne, snapping her out of it.
She stopped fighting.
Blood dripped from her temple where she’d hit the water filter.
“That’s okay, we’ll fix it,” Eze panted.“It’s over. Come on, Daphne.”
Rosamma shook herself off, a bit dazed from being pelted by cans.
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Alyesha muttered, breathing hard.
“Nice of you to point that out,” Gro snapped, clearly fed up.“As opposed to the rest of us? Get out.”
The look Alyesha threw toward Rosamma was full of murder.
“If I could get a hold of your brother right now,” she said,“I’d twist his little balls into knots.”
“None of it is his fault!” Rosamma shouted, her control as thin as it had ever been.“He planned to fly with us.”
“But he didn’t! And where’s he now? And where are we?” Alyesha glanced around the Cargo Hold.“I think I’ll take my meal elsewhere.”
She scooped up her food and stomped out.
*****
It took the women a while to clean up the mess.
