Page 73 of Haunting the Deep

I nod and pick up my teacup. The nagging sensation that I’m supposed to remember something returns. I suddenly feel like I can’t sit still.

“I will leave you ladies to your tea,” Ismay says, and bows again.

I straighten my dress. “Aunty Myra, Mrs. Brown, would you mind excusing me? I feel inspired to take a walk and enjoy the night air.”

“Of course, dear. Just make sure you get to bed at a reasonable time. I will come and say good night when I return.”

I say my goodbyes, and Mollie joins me out on the promenade deck in the cool air.

“Did ya remember what ya wanted to, miss?” Mollie asks.

I shake my head.

“My pa used ta say that if ya sleep, what ya wanted ta remember would be there in the mornin’.”

Sleep. Dreams.I fidget with my hands. “Where is your family now?”

“With the rest of the Mullins in Clarinbridge. They own a general store there.”

I shiver as we walk toward the railing.

“Oh, miss, I’ve forgotten yer coat.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Let’s—”

Mollie raises her eyebrows. “If ya catch a chill, it’ll be me fault. I’ll just get it quick.” She turns around and walks away before I can say another word.

I rest my hand on the wooden railing, which is cold and slick with spray from the ocean.What is going on with me tonight? I’ve had nothing but a wonderful time on this ship, and here I am a bundle of nerves.

I bend slightly and peer over the side of the ship. It almost makes me dizzy. It’s a good fifty-foot drop into the black ocean. I walk with my hand resting lightly on the damp glossy wood. The water stretches out endlessly, and there is a dull rumble from the propellers pushing the ship forward.

I stop at the end of the promenade area and lean my elbows on the railing. A breeze whips a few loose pieces of hair onto my cheeks.

All of a sudden, strong hands grab my waist from behind, lifting me up.

“Stop!” I yell, and I try futilely to grip the slippery railing. The person gives me a hard push, and I fall headfirst toward the water.

The side of the ship whizzes past me. My stomach drops, and my dress flaps violently against my free-falling legs. I open my mouth to scream, but it’s impossible to get enoughair.

And it’s loud. No one tells you how loud it is to fall. Instinctively, I reach my hands out in a dive. They hit the water so hard that it feels like my fingernails have been shoved up into my knuckles. The cold water bludgeons every inch of me, like I dove into concrete instead of liquid. All the heat leaves my body at once. The remaining air pushes out of my chest. I scream, inhaling salt water and—

Isit straight up, coughing so hard it hurts my ribs. There’s a hand patting my back, and voices, worried voices, all talking at once. My lungs burn.

I’m in my black sweats on the floor next to the bed, and Elijah and Susannah are crouched next to me. Mary and Alice stand above us. I’m shaking from shock, or shivering from cold; I’m not sure.

“What happened, Suze?” Alice asks, wide-eyed.

“All I heard was the crash,” Susannah says. “And then she was like this, coughing and shivering on the floor.”

“Sam, can you talk? Can you tell us what happened?” Mary asks.

I wrap my arms around myself. My fingers are like icicles. “Someone pushed me over the railing. And then I don’t know. I must have woken up.”

“You dove off the bed without warning,” Elijah says. “I only just managed to keep your head from striking the floor.”

I repeat his words to the girls from between chattering teeth.

“We need to get you warm,” Elijah says. He places my arms around his neck, puts one arm under my knees, and hoists me into the air. The girls take a step back.