Page 16 of Lost in the Dark

The two of us damn near tumbled against each other but I grabbed on to the railing.

Part of working on a boat was that you got very used to walking sideways, sometimes on walls and holding on to rails. I was used to having days where my cereal went flying across the kitchen, or I was abruptly thrown from my bed.

I made it down the hall and threw open the door to the steps, launching myself down below. I managed to hit the floor at the bottom quietly and paused.

I heard the sound of gasping and cruel laughter. The sound of something smacking the floor.

I frowned, freezing in place. I gripped the rail against the wall, peeking around the corner.

What the fuck?!

Ethan, one of the guys who worked on the boat, was standing over a creature. One that had the upper half of a man, and the lower half of…

Fuck. A mermaid? A merman?

I blinked, rubbing my eyes and looking again.

The creature was thrashing against the floor, his tail yanking against a spear that kept him from moving. He let out a pained cry and then hissed.

“Such a pretty pet,” Ethan laughed. “You’ll sell well. We’ll make a lot of money off all of your parts.”

“Ethan,” I said, stepping around the corner.

What the fuck was I doing?

He spun around, his face horrified. “Matt, what the fuck are you doing down here?”

“The captain told me to come down here to help. What the fuck areyoudoing?”

The gasps came again and then I realized that the creature was making that noise because he was choking.

I noticed a bucket of water sitting on the floor and lunged for it, my body sliding.

“MATT!” Ethan yelled. “Don’t you fucking—”

I threw the water on the creature and watched in shock as its scales regained color for a moment, his skin becoming almost luminescent.

The boat tilted and Ethan went tumbling. I also went flying, hitting the ground hard. Pain burst through my shoulder and head as I rolled toward a wall of boxes with a groan.

The sound of the mermaid screeching had me scrambling up. I made it to my feet and then looked around.

I froze, covering my mouth.

FUCK. Ethan had rolled straight into one of our hunting spears, and it was now clean through his chest.

“Fuck,” I whispered, watching as his blood pooled.

He was dead.

The mermaid thrashed against the floor and I went to it, pulling the spear out of its tail.

Water. Sea. Set me free, human, and I will save you.

“Save me?” I whispered.

This storm will drown this ship. My pod needs to eat. I will make sure you don’t die.

The boat groaned around us and my heart hammered in my chest.

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