Damn door.
Misty struggled with the handle of her little cabin. When she booked her trip, the little 80 square foot single hadn't sounded so bad and since it was a hundred dollars cheaper than the next room up, she had grasped at the chance to save some money.
The little welcome packet she had gotten in her email with her itinerary said premium experience. Stupid travel agent.
"I was had! How the hell was I supposed to know that premium didn't mean VIP?!?" Mumbling a few more curse words to herself, she finally got the door to latch properly.
Misty let out a sigh of relief. She turned down the narrow corridor. The walls looked stained at the bottom and at least a few of the lights were out. One even flickered in the distance.
"Yeah, they should have labeled this the Premium Horror Cruise Package." Misty made her way through the maze of halls to the fantail. Regardless of the cheap accommodation, she was really excited to see the ocean.
Pushing through a door, she could see the sun starting to set. She grabbed one of the life vests from a bin next to the door and shrugged it on, tightening the straps. Since she was the only person on the Fantail, she figured it was better to be safe.
Turning to the back of the ship, she walked to the railing and held on as the cruise liner dipped into the waves.
Cold wind seeped into her clothing and Misty began to shiver but could not take her eyes off the brilliant hues on the horizon. As the sun dipped deeper, the moon and stars began to shimmer in the twilight.
The chug of the propeller and splashing of the waves drowned out the festivities on the other side of the ship. Every once in a while, Misty would hear the faint echoes of DJ music, but for the most part, there was nothing.
And then, the skies lit up with brilliant waves of light. The Northern Lights.
Misty sighed in contentment. Who cared about the crappy room when there was such beauty around?
BANG!
Misty's eyes shot open, and she looked around.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Screams filled the night and Misty's heart began to race. She ran over to the side of the deck and looked toward the front of the ship. Next to the ship was a small boat. Ropes with grapple hooks dug into the wooden railing and shadowy figures were climbing onto the front deck.
Pirates?
Misty scanned the fantail to see if there was something she could use to protect herself. It was pretty sparse. The lounge chairs and tables were bolted to the decks. Misty ran over to the far side hoping she would have better luck.
Behind her, she heard the doors slam open. She could see the silhouette of the man coming through the door and Misty pressed herself to the edge of the railing, hoping he couldn't see her in the dark.
The man's eyes scanned the deck. He turned toward her, and she held her breath, but she had never been very lucky. The man raised his weapon and started shouting at her in a language she didn't understand.
She closed her eyes.
This was it. She caught a brief glimpse of beauty and now the fates had decided to cut the strand of fate.
The sudden drop of the ship caused her to gasp. The wave was so deep, her feet left the deck and she felt weightless in the air. The man stumbled at the turbulence.
BANG.
His shot had gone wild, and Misty heard the bullet ricochet off the deck. As she fell, the railing dug into her back, and she tumbled over the side of the ship.
Misty desperately grasped the railing. Below her were dark waves gleaming in the moon light. A loud scream caught in her throat. The railing was slippery, and her hand slipped on the slick paint.
She could see the man regain his footing through the rails and raise his gun back up. Misty's heart stilled and sharp fear held her in place.
She was going to die if she stayed on ship. Taking a deep breath, Misty let go of the railing and dropped into the water.
The cold ocean embraced her. Even with the life vest, Misty fell deep. The undertow of the propeller pulled at her body, tossing her underneath the waves. She held her eyes tight and pulled her arms in to make herself as small as she could.
Soon the churning stopped, and her head broke the surface of the water. She pushed her hair back. Salt stung her eyes, and she began to tread water.
The ship was already far into the distance. Ship lights and flashes of gunfire lit up the night. Misty figured the pirate had left her for dead.
She knew that she was in shock. She knew that her odds of surviving the night and being rescued were slim to none. Grim fear leeched the strength from her limbs. The life vest was the only thing keeping her afloat.
After a while, Misty started to come to terms with her imminent death. Thinking to herself, she decided to do one last thing. Remembering her childhood playing on sandy beaches in the tropics pretending to be a mermaid, she figured why not?
Misty began to sing her favorite songs into the night. If she were lost at sea, at least she would be a siren in her last moments. The notes echoed off the waves and she felt the thrum of the ocean answering her songs. Silent tears began to stream down her face and even her throat began to close up.
The night closed in around her and soon, all that was left was her, the sea, and the sky. She leaned back into the water. In the silent depths, she prayed that today wouldn't be her last.