This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/Creepy__Oz on 2025-01-30 05:37:38+00:00.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Standing out on that deck as the ferry drifted through an infinite expanse of stars, was by far the most out of body I have ever felt. I could not comprehend how this was happening. I shouldn’t have even been alive out there, yet somehow I was able to breathe and move just as I normally would. Whether by some magical confines of the ever mysterious vessel, or some universal spell I was under, I still don’t know. I slowly paced around the deck, taking in the awe inspiring views all around me. Making my way around to the upper front deck, I looked out to the Portside of the ferry and had to steady myself, as I saw a massive glowing white ball which appeared to be so close to us I could have jumped off and floated right to it.

It took me a few moments to realise it. I was staring at our Moon. I was dumbstruck, it was so close! Right there! I turned back around, gazing out over the Starboard side, and I noticed that Earth was directly in my line of sight now. I turned back around, there was the moon to my left. Looking back again, there’s Earth off to my right. Something happened to me in that moment. This was entirely wrong. My mind, it simply could not compute the orientation. The moon should be above me. Earth should be below my feet. It also dawned on me in that moment, I was seeing Earth to my right, where it was below me earlier. We must have been slowly spinning around as we drifted through the Galaxy. Again, I couldn’t mentally process this. I began to feel incredibly dizzy, and I fell to the ground, unable to pick myself back up. I had to crawl my way back inside, sliding open the door and dragging myself to one of the only remaining empty rows of seats that were not yet occupied by the nothing-people.

Sitting back in my seat now, I just looked out the window, watching the celestial light show outside. If I wasn’t already, I was pretty dam sure now that I was not getting off this boat… ever. I felt a sense of peace in that moment, like I didn’t have try so hard anymore. There was a feeling of acceptance, followed by a mix of sadness and regret. I thought back to that night. What if I had just taken a cab instead? It was midnight, what on earth was I even thinking taking a ferry back home at that hour anyway? Money, of course. It was always about money. Not in this moment it wasn’t. All of that seemed quite unimportant now. I just… watched. As literal space and time passed by before my very eyes. Before long, my eyes became heavy, and I could keep them open no longer…

“Attention passengers! The café service is now open! Please form a line, do not rush, do not push. Everybody will be served in due time.”

The announcement from the P.A. system ripped me out of my slumber, signalling the return of my one and only friendly companion. I watched as the masses of nothing-people and strange humanoids began their march toward the café. The ferry was almost full now, and there was a constant stream of them shuffling and stuttering their way up the stairs and towards the counter. One by one they placed their orders, collecting cups of coffee, hot pies, fresh sandwiches and slices of cake, before slowly making their way back down and filling up the empty seats once again.

I decided to wait until things calmed down a bit. I didn’t want to go anywhere near these things. The tall, pointy limbed ones which had boarded the ferry in the mangrove swamp yesterday were now clicking their way up the stairs, and I cringed back a little as they emerged at the top, their faces coming into view for the first time. They were downright horrible. Long, puffy faces that seemed permanently crafted into vicious looks of sheer hatred. I looked away, resigning myself to just waiting until I heard the crowds disperse. I could hear Café Guy struggling to keep up with all this, yet his overtly positive attitude never once faltered. He still hummed Kumbaya as he went about his duties, and I now smiled at the sound of that tune, where it once kinda weirded me out. If he could keep his spirits up, maybe I could too.

I sat back, waiting my turn. Slowly but surely, in amongst noises I cannot even accurately put into words, I heard the crowd beginning to thin, and I chanced a look back in the direction of the café. There were only about five or six passengers now, waiting in line to be served. At the front of the line stood a short little thing, no taller than a child of maybe five years old. His form was scrawny, save for his gigantic head, and I wondered how he actually stayed upright. It looked as though he should be toppling over every step. While this thing resembled a child in stature, it clearly was not. His face resembled something more akin to a 60 year old man, a thick, gruff beard, and wrinkled skin. I watched as he raised his arms, jumping up and down at the counter like a toddler would, before one of the taller passengers behind him reached down and picked him up, sitting him on the counter top.

I had to blink a couple of times to make sure what I was seeing was actually happening. It didn’t matter how much I had been exposed to, the sheer absurdity of this ferry still managed to catch me off guard. I watched on as he placed his order, in a language I could not fathom, before sliding off the top of the counter and landing back on the floor with a thud. He caught sight of me staring as he spun back around to await his order, and as he did so, a frown emerged across his face. A second later, he took a step forward, raised his hand… and flipped me off.

Are you kidding me?! I thought to myself, as he turned back around and stared up at Café Guy, tapping his foot as if growing impatient. Café Guy noticed this, and he stepped away from the coffee machine for a moment. What happened next was rather chilling. I did not hear what was said between these two, but what I observed was enough. Café Guy slowly stepped out from behind the counter, kneeled down to get face to face with this little guy, and whispered in his ear. As he communicated whatever it was, the little guy’s face grew more and more sombre, as though realising he had made a terrible mistake. Just before he stood up, Café Guy pointed toward the Captain’s Quarters, before whispering a few more words of caution to the little fella. And that was it. Café Guy stood up once again. The little guy stood off to the side, his hands now tucked behind his back, waiting patiently and quietly for his order. Once his order was prepared, he grabbed it from Café Guy, turned around and looked at me sheepishly, gave a little wave as if to say “sorry about before”, and then waddled off downstairs.

I could only stare after him, left to wonder what Café Guy had told him. Although, it wasn’t hard to piece together the gist of it. Whatever that thing is that had stepped out from the Captain’s Quarters the other night is not something I’d like to be drawing the attention of. Pushing those thoughts to one side, and noticing that the remainder of the customers had received their orders and were now making their way back to their seats, I got up and made my way over, feeling hungry for a bite to eat, but also to pick this guy’s brain a little more.

“Good morning my friend!” Said Café Guy as I approached the counter. I gave him a little wave and returned his greeting, before stepping up to lean on the counter.

“I guess there’s no point in asking you where we are? Or how we’re here?” I asked Café Guy, assuming he was going to simply dance around the point once again. But then, what he said actually surprised me!

“We’re on our final run! We’ll be home soon! You can relax now, the journey is almost over,” he said, and something in his happy, optimistic tone had me almost believing those words. Deep in the back of my mind, I knew that wasn’t true, but hope is a strange thing, it just takes the tiniest spark to keep you believing, to keep you holding on.

“Well, whatever that means, I guess I won’t be seeing you any more after, well, whatever comes next?” I asked him, as he stood there smiling.

“Oh I’ll be around young man. I’ve worked this route for many, many years, and I’ll be doing this for many more to come. Like I always say, important to know one’s place,” he said, his smile wavering ever so slightly.

I stared back at him, a look on my face struggling to mask the millions of questions I still wanted to ask, yet knew to be pointless. I got the feeling that no matter what I said, how I phrased it, or how desperately I begged him for answers, he wasn’t going to give me any. Whether by choice, or perhaps he genuinely did not know, I’m still not sure. Anyway, satisfied that I had once again hit the threshold of what he was willing to offer, I turned my attention to my empty belly, asking him for a couple more of those sausage rolls that seemed a staple of his little cafeteria.

Café Guy smiled warmly, turning around and pulling a selection of sausage rolls out of the freezer box, and...

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