Elias hurried after them, his mind spinning with questions. As he reached the top, he heard the cries: “It’s coming straight for us!” “Look at the size of it!” He pushed through the crowd, and then he saw it for himself. Out on the water, drifting silently toward the village, was a massive ship. Its hull was streaked with rust, its cranes frozen in place, its windows dark.
The morning sun made it glow like a giant shadow of iron, sliding closer with every heartbeat. The crowd on the cliffside grew louder, voices tumbling over one another in panic. From where they stood, the massive ship looked like it was gliding straight for the harbor.