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Julie ignores me and keeps walking. The 4th floor comes into view, and the body of the woman who fell to her death lies at the base of the broken railing. Brent's body hangs from the chandelier, swinging with the ship's rocking, and the rope emits a low, creepy squeak with each tilt. I look away, trying my best not to think about him. I look around and notice… wait, where's the daycare room? The furniture is piled high, blocking the view of the service desk. I look back at Julie again and her breathing is rapid, and beads of sweat are forming on her face even though it's freezing. Damn, she is having a panic attack. I head over to her, reaching over to touch her shoulder. “Hey, Julie, let's head bac–”
She throws her hands up. “I said no! We are sticking to the plan. Now, let's find these fucking baby bottles already.”
“Why?” I ask, confused about why she cares so much right now. Julie spins around and stares at me. She doesn’t speak. “If you don’t tell him the truth, Julie, I will.” This instantly gets a reaction.
Julie's expression turns cold as she stares at me. I don’t move or say anything, and I patiently wait for her to counter my demand.
“If you so much as speak a word to him, I'll kill you myself. Don't ever threaten me again.”
I can’t do anything but stare at her now. But I’ll be damned if I say anything else to set her off.
“Okay,” I say, throwing my hands up and stepping back. “I'm not going to tell him, but I do believe Theo and Tyler deserve to know the truth.”
“I've been writing a letter to Theo, and everything’s in there. I'm going to give it to him when the time is right.” Her tone is no longer angry, as if she flipped a switch and changed her attitude. “Do you have what I asked you to make?”
“Yes, I have it hidden in the medical center. Two, just as you asked,” I answer.
“Good, keep them hidden. When the time is right, I'll let you know, and you can give it to both. In the meantime, make one for Kelly, too.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling a knot form in the pit of my stomach.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” she says as she heads toward the daycare room.
Oh my god, Julie. What are you doing?
39
JULIE
I should have just come to find these stupid fucking bottles on my own. If Mary tells me what to do one more time, I don't think I’ll be able to hold back. She knows exactly how to push my buttons and acts like we are the best of friends. I regret ever confiding in her.
“Let's find what we came here for,” I grumble, staring at the massive pile of broken furniture that’s piled against the wall and blocking the hallway.
Mary doesn't say anything, which is for the best. Instead, she is silently sulking, grabbing broken pieces of furniture and tossing them off to the side. I walk closer to her and grab the leg of a broken chair and start pulling, but it doesn't budge. Mary grabs the other side, and we pull together. After a few tugs, we manage to get the chair unwedged, which causes a domino effect of furniture toppling to the floor. A door past the customer service desk comes into view. It's the childcare center.
Once inside, I'm not convinced we will find what we are looking for. The entire room is in ruins as we navigate through the mess. The dim room is scattered with broken furniture and toys. A loud squeak startles me, and I turn to see what it is. I see Mary lifting her foot off a rubber duck.
“Watch where you are walking.”
The room is almost completely dark, and the door is propped open just enough to let in a sliver of moonlight from the atrium. Both Mary and I search through the rubble for any signs of baby bottles, but neither of us has any luck.
“Julie! Guess what I just found!” shouts Mary enthusiastically.
“Let me guess…. a baby bottle?” My sarcasm isn't lost on Mary, because her smile falters before she responds.
“No, even better.”
“Then what?” I say, lifting my hands.
“A bag of chips.”
Holy shit. I quickly run over, nearly tripping in the mess. When I see the small red bag in Mary's hand, I reach out and snatch it. My mouth is watering as I start to open the bag, but Mary walks over and snatches it back from me.
“What the fuck, Mary? What are you doing?” Mary stands there staring at me.
“We should take these back and share them with everyone,” she states.
“Give me the damn bag. What do you think a small bag of chips will do for a group of people?”
