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Eventually Caleb deeh for hi to go with Caleb, to have some quality time with him, but I didn’t want to slow him down It was better he went alone Besides, if I went, Annora would want to go as well She wouldn’t want me to ever be alone with Caleb

It ith a despondent heart that I watched Caleb climb up the stairs toward the exit Before he left, he looked down at o to sleep" As an afterthought, he addressed Annora "You too"

I nodded, watching him disappear and close the hatch behind him

Annora and I stared at each other

I had no reason to be out here now, so I left her and walked back tomyself inside

As I flopped down on the bed, Annora’s footsteps approached ht," she called

When I didn’t respond, her footsteps continued along the corridor toward her own cabin

I wasn’t sure why she’d bothered to say that at the time, as I drifted off to sleep But when I woke up a few hours later, coughing and spluttering as thick s ood night for herself The night she got rid ofexplosion piercedon all fours I scra it open A blast of heat scorched ulfed the entire corridor to my left and had althe route to the exit There was no way I would h there alive The only direction I could head was right, toward the control roo--my head faint--I forced ripped the handle and pushed the door open before closing it behind en in this room The door to this room was thicker I was able to stand I looked around the rooency exit I hadn’t noticed one since I boarded I cursed ency exits as soon as I boarded I was unable to find any plan of the vessel and the te by the second It wouldn’t be long now until the flalassand gasped I had expected to see the moonlit beach All I saas a wall of dark water The anchor had loosened--or been loosened--allowing the tide to clai around for a heavy object I found a box of tools beneath one of the seats and pulled out a screwdriver I didn’t know if I would survive the sudden rush of tons of water spilling into this rooht cut me to shreds But it was either this or certain death by burning alive

I found a pair of goggles in one of the drawers Donning the the tool, I sainst the center of the screen

It didn’t slass I slaain I attacked the glass until finally it gave way

I barely had tias the cabin filled up ater, I could barely h As shards of glass ripped s--weakened fro to strain and only a few seconds had passed The subh the door into the corridor, and the vessel began sinking

Gripping hold of a pipe in the ceiling, I forced ony, I continued to reach for fixture after fixture until I reached the

I could only thank the heavens that I’d thought to put the goggles on I could see what I was doing at least Without the

Squeezingmyself even more in the process, I kicked wildly toward the surface A few ht of the subwas beco the surface when a strong ar asped for breath too early and sed severalfor breath My vision was still unfocused My head felt like it was splitting in two Even though I had air noas finding it hard to breathe properly Each tih to satisfy h the water I felt sand beneath s closed around ers pinchedlife into h to see Caleb’s chocolate-brown eyes less than an inch away Then I lost consciousness

Chapter 10: Rose

A war up at a roof of glistening leaves In the distance, waves crashed against the shore I tried to sit up, but hands pushed me back down