Page 56 of If They Knew

“That’s actually a really good idea. Can you all get everyone together so we can ask now?” asks Sara. Her tone tells me it’s not a question but an order.

“Sure,” I say, standing up. I look over at Kelly, “Wanna help?”

“Yeah,” she answers.

Back in the medical center, the bodies have all been moved but the bloodstains remain. I stand there listening as Sara talks about the fish and asks if anyone has ideas for catching them. Everyone begins shouting different ideas, most of which are impractical or unachievable. I don’t know much about fishing; that was always Dad and Theo’s thing, so I listen quietly.

Eventually, everyone agrees on one plan: use all the nets designed to cover the swimming pools at night, tie them together, and attach small weights from the gym to the edges to create a casting net. I think about the idea and agree that it’s a good one. In theory, the plan will work for larger fish; the holes in the pool netting are too big to catch smaller ones, but I keep this to myself. With food supplies running low and large fish supposedly nearby, anything will help us. The idea of fishing for food sparks hope, which is a feeling I haven’t experienced in a long time. Several people volunteer to help make the net and find anything useful. After a few hours, the casting net is ready.

Eagerly, we all rush to the 4th floor. Theo has a hard time getting there, saying he's still a little dizzy, but he doesn’t want to miss the first casting. Julie and I help him walk down. When we finally make it to the 4th floor, we look out at the water and spot a fin circling. I can’t tell if it’s a shark, but I think it is. It must be young because it's not very big. As a team, the people who built the net are the ones who get to cast it. When they throw the first cast, it misses; instead, the net catches one of the floating bodies. No one says anything. Anticipation is high and nerves are on edge—the thought of eating something other than canned food weighs on all of us.

The body is pulled up and tossed overboard again. Everyone looks away because it’s too hard to see one of our own like that. Once the body hits the water, we all watch as the large fish swims around. This time, when the net is thrown, it lands on top of the fish. After many minutes of the fish fighting and almost pulling people overboard, someone steps out from behind the group and throws one of the makeshift spears at the fish. The spear pierces directly into the fish, and it stops swimming. I turn around to see who threw the spear, surprised at the precise accuracy. It's Xander.

“What? I used to do spear fishing tournaments with my dad. It was kind of our thing,” he says with a smile.

“That’s awesome.” I respond.

It takes several people to lift it; it must be heavier than I expected. Once it's on board, we discover it's a shark. I can’t help but smile, knowing I was right. The shark is large enough to feed everyone for a few days. Karissa volunteers to help gut and prepare it for cooking. A few others speak up and offer to make a fire pit.

As the day ends and night falls, I can’t sleep. I know that I could go back to my room if I wanted to but Kelly is here, and she said she feels safe being around Sara, and Theo is staying here too, so Mary can keep an eye on him. I’d rather stay here around everyone because I don’t really feel safe alone. There are people who believe I shouldn’t have killed Logan. Lying here in one of the medical beds, I stare up at the ceiling. The thought of cooked meat sounds so good. I'm so excited for the food that I can't turn my mind off.

Karissa and Xander work through the night, filleting the shark, and I am so thankful because, once again, there’s something dear ole Dad never took the time to teach. Xander, with his bandaged leg, helps Karissa. A few others gather materials to create a fire pit outside on the patio. Someone had the bright idea to take all the wood out of the ship's saunas to cook with. I’m not sure how long I stay staring at the ceiling, but eventually I drift off to sleep. I wake up to the smell of cooked fish filling my nostrils.

The early morning sun is bright through the windows. I’m not the only one who must feel safer here in the medical center, because several blankets are laid out on the floor where others slept. There are still bloodstains throughout, but most have been cleaned. I make my way outside to the firepit, where Karissa and Xander have a tray filled with cooked fish next to the pit. My mouth starts watering the instant I see the pile of cooked meat. Kelly and Sara are sitting off to the side, watching Karissa and Xander finish cooking. I walk over and take a seat next to them.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?” I ask, looking at both of them.

“I slept fine I'm sorry I didn’t want to go back to our room,” Kelly says, reaching out to take my hand. She’s wrapped in a sheet, and I desperately want to curl up next to her. I stay put and give her space, even though she isn’t pushing me away. “How did you sleep?” she asks.

“Ehh, not that great. I don't know when I finally fell asleep. There is too much on my mind.”

“I get that. But on the bright side, we have a hot cooked meal today,” says Kelly. One by one, passengers start making their way outside near us. They all look as exhausted as I feel.

“Get everyone together, food is just about ready,” says Karissa, slapping the last piece of raw fish down. When she lays the meat on the hot metal, it pops and sizzles. Smoke rises, and my mouth waters so much I have to swallow. I glance around, and we are all desperately waiting to get a taste.

“Make way for Karissa to bring the food in,” commands Sara, waving her hands to get people to move. Karissa and Xander walk in and set the food down on the table. Steam is still rising off the hot food, quickly filling the room that just the day before smelled of blood with the scent of cooked, savory fish. Because all the food and supplies were brought up to the medical center, we have plates and utensils to use. We all grab a plate, and Karissa gives each of us a piece. Once we are all sitting down with a plate filled with the flaky white fish, you can hear people devouring their food from around the room. Some are chewing slowly to enjoy the flavor, while others are nearly swallowing the meat whole. I take my time with small bites. Kelly, sitting next to me, is nearly finished with hers. She’s eating for two. I look down at my plate, then back at hers. I don’t need all of it, so I cut it in half and dish it onto her plate.

“What's that for?” she asks, smiling.

“I gotta keep you and the baby healthy, of course.”

“No, babe, you eat it. I’ll be fine, you eat it.”

“Kelly, you⁠—”

“If you're not eating it, then I will,” says Brent, grabbing half of the cooked fish and shoving it in his mouth. When his eyes land on mine, I feel an anger build inside me like never before.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” I spew. “Spit that out right now.”

“Too late,” he says, sticking his tongue out. “It's all gone.”

Theo and Sara both glance at us from across the room.

“What is going on?” asks Theo. I don’t answer him. I look down at the white plate in front of me. There is still a piece of fish on my plate. I slide it off my plate and onto Kelly’s. Before she has a chance to say anything, I rise to my feet and slam the plate across Brent’s smug face. Instantly, the plate breaks into multiple pieces, falling to the ground. Blood streams from Brent’s nose, soaking his lips and chin.

“Tyler, stop!” Kelly screams.

“What the fuck, asshole,” murmurs Brent. In the corner of my eye, I see Theo trying to stand, and Julie and Mary both stop him. I look back at Brent, who looks pissed. I don’t let him up off the floor where he's sitting. I kick him in the chest as soon as he starts to stand, and he falls back. I jump on top of him and slam my fist into his face over and over again.