Page 67
“What is everyone laughing at? Why on earth would you not want to see the ocean or a ship?” asks Sophie, oblivious to the entire situation. I can’t help but wish my mind were unaware of what’s happening. I push that thought away, knowing it isn’t possible.
“Don't worry about it, Sophie. He is just being silly,” replies Sara.
“I don't get the joke, and why is it so cold? Could someone turn on the heat?” says Sophie.
We ignore her, hoping Kelly will come back soon, and savor the small warmth we share. The heat lasts only so long before we go back to sitting around the room, trying to keep ourselves warm while we try to fall asleep for the night. I wish I could just go to bed and wake up anywhere but here.
Several hours pass, and the morning sunlight streams through the medical center's windows. A cold, wet sensation wakes me. As I open my eyes, I see the remaining passengers all lying motionless on the floor. Each one shivering—the heat is gone. I look outside and notice the fire has gone out. The sound of light snoring surrounds me while everyone sleeps. Curious if anyone is missing, I count each mound on the floor. I’m interested to see if Julie has disappeared again. Tyler, Kelly-Sophie, Sara, Chris, Theo, Julie, Karissa, Xander, Cyrus, and I. Ten people; no one is missing. Sitting alone, I think back to yesterday and the 1st floor, where I nearly had a panic attack. I remember the trash of opened dry food scattered across the floor. I glance over at Julie, who’s still sleeping, and the letter she was holding in the library comes to mind. Now is the only time I will have to find the papers and see what she wrote. Without wasting any more time, I quickly head for the library.
The hallway is cold, and frost covers the windows. I shiver as I exhale, and a cloud of my hot breath billows back into my face. An eerie squeak echoes throughout the ship with each tilt on the rough waters, making me just a bit more on edge. Quietly, I descend the stairs. Knowing I have only a few minutes before everyone begins to wake up, I quicken my pace. When I reach the library entrance, I open the door, and a loud creak echoes throughout the atrium. The musty smell of mildew nearly takes my breath away. Without stopping, I walk directly to the bookshelf where I watched Julie hide the book. Not exactly sure where she hid it, I pull several out at once, searching for the hidden one. Frustration grows as I pull all the books off, tossing them onto the floor. After several minutes, I get frustrated looking around.
Having no luck in finding it, I decide to go back to the 1st floor and get a better look at what I saw down there. Standing up, I exit the library to head toward the 1st floor when a sudden thump startles me and I stop suddenly. The sound came from above me. I wait for a moment, hearing nothing but the quiet creaks and groans of the ship. But something draws me up the stairs instead of back down. Needing to figure out what it was, I look around the 7th floor, and there is nothing.
“Hello?” I whisper. No response. “Hello? Is anyone out here?”
There is still no answer. As I look around the 7th floor, I notice a piece of wood that had once been propped against a hole now lies on the floor. It’s the hole that Theo created months ago. Oh, that must have been what made the noise, the board falling over. I feel a bit less freaked out now, but not by much. I inhale and exhale, taking a seat to try to relax and slow my racing heart. Resting against the wall, I close my eyes and lean my head back. A slight noise behind me startles me once more. I turn and look at the hole. Something is moving inside. I need to know what’s in there, so I push my fear away and climb inside.
42
TYLER
The medical center floor is freezing against my skin. I squint against the blinding sunlight and roll over. Kelly is sleeping quietly beside me. I look down at her belly and smile at the thought of becoming a father. Then, just as quickly, my smile vanishes as I look around and remember we’re still trapped on a ship. I reach out to rub Kelly's stomach, then hesitate—unsure what Sophie will do if it’s her who wakes up and feels me touching her. I look at her belly again and reach anyway; a small kick sends me flinching, and I pull my hand away. A wave of emotion floods through me, and a tear rolls down my face. Kelly lifts her hand and wipes the tear from my cheek. I look her in the eye, and she cups my face.
“Good morning, babe,” she says softly.
“Kelly?” I whisper, unable to hide my excitement that it’s not Sophie. I can’t help but notice the look of confusion on Kelly's face at the question. She looks over to see the blood on the floor where Amy's body was.
“What is that from?” she asks, pointing to the blood smeared across the floor.
“It's nothing, try not to worry about it.”
She gasps; tears start to stream down her cheeks.
“Sophie did that, didn't she?” I turn away, not wanting to answer, because I’m not sure what exactly to say.
“I need help,” she whispers. At those words, my heart melts, and I feel so bad for her, knowing there isn’t anything I can do.
“Babe. It's not your fault. You didn’t do this. You have no control over when Sophie comes out. I'm not saying it's okay, but you can't beat yourself up. If it makes you feel better, I've spent a lot of time with Sophie, and I think she’s warmed up to me. I'm no longer a threat to her or her baby.”
“Her baby?” asks Kelly, her eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, funny thing about that. Sophie truly thinks the baby is hers and her husband’s. She also believes her husband is about to pick her up as soon as he gets off work,” I say softly. Kelly frowns and looks as if she is about to start sobbing.
“I'm sorry. After all these years, why is it happening all the time now? I feel like I’m going insane,” she says, her voice trembling.
“Because we are in an extremely high-stress, life-threatening situation, exactly what your doctors claimed would will bring Sophie out.”
“Tyler. What if I hurt you or our baby?”
“You can’t think like that. I really don't think you will.”
“I hope not,” she says softly.
I hear shuffling from across the room, and I look over to see people waking up.
“Good morning, everyone,” says Theo hoarsely as he stretches.
“Good morning,” Julie responds. Then everyone else responds the same way.
