Page 9

I make my way to the lounge to meet Kelly, at least I think that's what she said her name was. As I walk in, I spot her sitting at the bar right away. I walk over and pull out the chair next to her.

“Glad you didn’t run away. Sorry about the detour.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got nothing better to do since my friend, Sara, ditched me.”

I flag down the bartender and order a rum and Coke. I flash Kelly a charming smile. “Well, I have no plans other than drinking and getting to know you.”

She licks her lips again and grins at me, then runs her hand up my thigh and whispers, “Well, I can think of a few things I want to do right now.”

Feeling myself get hard for the second time in an hour, I'm glad to see that she has the same idea in mind.

“Oh, is that so? What do you have in mind, exactly?” I ask, licking my lips as I look back at her, staring into her golden-brown eyes.

She reaches down and runs her fingers over my growing bulge. “Let’s go back to your room, and I can show you,” she whispers, then plants a soft kiss on my lips.

I lean into the kiss, getting a taste of her cherry-flavored gloss, and I push the chair back and take her hand. “Follow me.”

“What about your drink?” she asks as she follows me to the elevator.

“My brother owns the ship. I can get another one.”

“Holy shit,” Kelly says with a laugh. Together, we head upstairs to my room.

6

THEO

As soon as I step off the elevator, I immediately regret setting sail with the unfinished floors. When the board of directors approved sailing, we all assumed “unfinished” meant only missing furniture or minor details. This is far from what anyone imagined. I can't shake the thought that if a passenger accidentally accesses these floors, it could be deadly.

The 8th floor lacks nearly all the walls, most of the flooring is missing, and loose electrical wires hang everywhere. I make a mental note to verify that the power on the rest of these floors is off when I return to the bridge. The hallway appears to be only steel framework, with a long strand of lights along the ceiling, all visibly powered and brightly lit. Scaffolding is laid out for the construction crew, with empty cans and bottles left strewn on a few of the beams. Looking down, I spot the 7th floor, and the distance seems to be at least 15 feet. I can also see that it's partially completed.

As I look around, I feel the ship start to rock from the choppy water. The weather must be getting bad—I had spotted dark clouds on the horizon while I was on the bridge, but there was no bad weather in the forecast, so I ignored them. That may have been a mistake. A moment later, the ship rocks violently, nearly knocking me off the scaffolding’s edge. Through one of the veranda’s sliding glass doors, I watch as the swells grow larger. The weather has changed dramatically in just an hour. The beautiful sunset over the ocean has given way to dark, rolling clouds illuminated by strikes of lightning.

Having sailed boats my entire adult life, I know a fierce storm is on the way. Just as I think I'm getting the hang of the ship's motion, it tilts sharply again, and this time I lose my balance and fall through the scaffolding. Catching myself on the edge, I glance down at the ground far below, and I feel my heart start to race. Desperately, I try to pull myself up, but I slip again.

I hear Logan's voice over the radio. “Theo, we need you on the bridge right away. I repeat, Theo, we need you on the bridge now.” Using every ounce of strength I have, I manage to pull myself up. However, the ship's rocking prevents me from maintaining my balance, and I have to crawl back to the elevator. Within seconds, I realize I'm trapped—the call button for the elevator is missing because the wall is still unfinished. Climbing back onto the scaffolding, I survey my surroundings for another way out. Looking down, I see the elevator on the 7th floor is complete and the call button is in place. Lying on my stomach, I swing my legs over the edge.

For the second time in just five minutes, I’m hanging from the scaffolding again. I hang there for a moment, trying to muster the courage to let go. I count down in my head, three, two... the radio blares again.

“Theo! Where are you?” Startled by Logan's voice, I let go, slamming onto the 7th floor, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me completely paralyzed for a few seconds. Struggling to catch my breath, I writhe around in panic. Just as I think I'm about to die, my body manages to take in a deep breath. I gasp for air, and the pain and panic begin to fade. Across the room, the radio lies cracked open with pieces strewn across the floor. I reach for the separated pieces and try to put the radio back together. Clicking the power button multiple times and hearing nothing, I let out a frustrated grunt. I take a breath and gently push the power button again. The radio powers up, and I press the transmitter button.

“I'm here! I'm on the 7th floor, Logan. I'll head your way as soon as I can. What's going on up there?”

Logan quickly replies, “Theo, are you okay? Can you hear me?” The radio's signal cuts in and out as Logan tries to speak. The signal completely drops. A few seconds later, there is static, then the signal comes back.

I quickly push the button to talk. “The radio signal is going in and out. I’m fine; I'll be up there in a minute. What’s happening?”

The signal is stronger now. “A storm came out of nowhere,” Logan says, his irritation loud and clear over the radio. “Whitaker is nowhere to be found, and I need everyone's help. Get up here as soon as you can.” The signal goes out again.

The ship rocks violently, and I struggle to stay upright. Unable to stand, I continue to crawl across the floor. When I reach the elevator, I push the call button. Moments later, the elevator doors slide open and I crawl into the elevator, the doors slide shut behind me and I hear the cruise director's announcement over the intercom.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please seek shelter as we navigate through this weather. Ladies and gentlemen, please seek—” The announcement is cut off, and the lights go out. Complete darkness surrounds me. The elevator doesn't move. A few seconds later, the emergency lights flicker on, and the elevator doors slide open again.

The cruise director continues her announcement, “Everyone, please seek shelter.” I crawl back out of the elevator and over to the wall blocking access to the 7th floor from the stairs and notice a small gap between two boards. I can fit my hands through and grip. Using all my strength, I pull as hard as I can, then suddenly there's a crack, and my entire body falls backward—the plywood breaks in half, creating a small hole that grants me access to the stairs. As I crawl through, a woman screams somewhere from the floors above, and the thought of Julie flashes through my mind.

I pull out my phone to text her. I type the message and press send. ‘NO SERVICE’ flashes in the corner, and the message fails to send. I notice the Wi-Fi is out, too. Frustrated, I throw my phone across the stairwell, where it shatters on impact. Angry with myself, I pick it up, see the cracked screen, and curse aloud. I need to reach Julie and Tyler somehow. Glancing at my watch, I relax slightly, knowing they've been together since dinner, which started twenty minutes ago. In the distance, I hear people screaming, and the sound of glass shattering fills my ears. I begin to panic again, my mind racing to the worst possible scenario… The ship is sinking.

7