Chapter 4: No Way Home

Noises kept coming from the bedroom, so Travis didn’t notice me hiding the body. More than half a day passed before the door finally opened again. Travis, shirt open to show off his muscles, called out, “Miles! I’m starving—make me something to eat.”

His voice was casual, almost cheerful, like nothing had happened. I wiped my hands on my jeans and forced myself to move, heart pounding in my chest.

“Okay.”

My voice sounded thin, shaky. I tried to steady it as I opened the fridge, careful not to look at Savannah’s body. I grabbed the frozen pizza, tossed it in the microwave, and cracked open a cold beer. I kept my eyes off the lower shelf as I carried the tray to the master bedroom.

Even though I’d braced myself, I was still shocked when I walked in. The mermaid’s hands were tied and hung from the chandelier, her deep blue tail hanging straight down, swaying in the ocean breeze. Her face was beaten, swollen and bruised. Her once-thick black hair was now a messy, patchy tangle, white scalp showing where it had been ripped out. There were whip marks on her body, flesh torn and bloody.

The sight made me want to throw up. I forced myself to set the food down, keeping my eyes on the floor. The mermaid’s eyes met mine, empty and resigned. I wondered how much pain one person could take before they broke. Too much.

My hands shook as I set the food down on the bedside table. I just wanted to leave as fast as I could. But Travis grabbed my wrist.

His grip was tight, almost painful. I looked up, forcing myself to meet his eyes. He smiled, but there was nothing friendly in it.

“Miles, back in college, we got along, right? Now that Ethan and Savannah are gone, how do we explain this when we get back?”

His tone was almost conversational, like we were talking about a parking ticket, not two dead bodies. I felt my stomach twist, but I kept my face blank.

Yeah, right. We were never friends. Back then, all I did was pay him off so he’d leave me alone. But I got what he meant, swallowed hard, and forced a reply: “They fell overboard. Had nothing to do with us.”

I kept my voice steady, hoping he couldn’t see how scared I was. I just wanted to get through this, to survive. I’d say whatever I had to.

Travis laughed, took a big swig of beer. “Smart guy. When I’m done with this one, you can have a turn.”

His words made my skin crawl. I swallowed bile. I looked away, biting my tongue to keep from saying something I’d regret. All I could think about was getting out alive.

I forced down my disgust, said nothing, and left.

As I closed the door behind me, I heard Travis’s laughter echo down the hallway. I pressed my back to the wall, breathing hard, trying to steady myself. I felt dirty, complicit, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Half an hour later, the noises started again below. I lay on the narrow bed in the upper deck room, closed my eyes, and pretended to sleep. Don’t judge me—I’ve always been timid, not exactly in fighting shape. I avoid trouble whenever I can. All I wanted was for Travis to finish up and take us home.

The sheets smelled like salt and sweat, the room spinning around me. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to disappear. Maybe if I stayed quiet, kept my head down, I’d make it out. That’s what I told myself, anyway.

But just as I was drifting off, frantic pounding shook my door. BAM BAM.

The sound jolted me upright, heart hammering in my chest. For a second, I thought it was Travis, come to finish what he’d started. But the voice on the other side was different—panicked, urgent.

“Miles! Miles! Wake up!”

I stumbled out of bed, pulling on my sneakers with trembling hands. My mind raced with possibilities—another fight, another body, another nightmare I couldn’t escape.

I rubbed my eyes and yanked on my sneakers. “What is it now?”

My voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. I braced myself for the worst, clutching the baseball bat like it was a lifeline.

“Sharks! There’s a whole shiver of sharks circling us!”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I ran to the window, heart pounding, and saw the dark shapes moving in the water—dozens of them, fins slicing through the waves. For the first time, I realized just how alone we really were. Out here, surrounded by nothing but water and monsters—human and otherwise—there was nowhere left to run.