Sea Sick: A Horror Novel(11)

“You sure it’s free?” Jack asked her.

“No one has been using it for the last few hours. I say they’ve given up any right they had to it. I think someone probably just forgot their towel and left it there.”

Jack thanked the girl for her help, then found himself staring at her.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

Jack shook his head and broke away his stare. He plonked himself down onto the lounger and lay back with his novel in hand. “Sorry. It just feels like we’ve met before.”

“Ever been to Leeds?”

“Not lately,” Jack replied. “You ever been to Birmingham?”

“Nope.”

Jack opened up his paperback. “Guess I’m just imagining things.”

“I’m Claire by the way.”

Claire…

Jack didn’t answer the girl, so she took another turn to speak. “Wait, don’t tell me my name sounds familiar as well?”


Jack laughed and suddenly felt silly. He was probably frightening the poor girl with his odd behaviour. “We must have met in a past life. I’ve just been having one of those days, you know? I keep getting…I don’t know, déjà vu, or something.”

“Yeah, I get that sometimes. Think it’s just the mind playing tricks.”

“Yeah, probably.”

A member of staff came over: a brunette with dark hair and eyes. She asked if either of them wanted a drink. It was exactly what Jack needed and he ordered a double scotch, handing over his room card for payment. Claire ordered something called a mojito.”

“What’s one of those when it’s at home?”

“It’s rum, lime, sugar, and some other stuff. Think it’s Mexican or Cuban. I don’t usually drink much, but I guess one won’t hurt. ”

“Have you been to either of those places?” Jack asked. “Mexico? Cuba?”

Claire laughed. “Nope. I had a mojito in Spain last year and thought it was nice. You ever been anywhere interesting?”

“Not lately. Unless you count Tipton?”

The waitress came back with their drinks and Jack eagerly took a swig.

“You really are having one of those days, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I woke up this morning just feeling really…odd, I guess – nervous, even. Maybe I’m shook up from a nightmare I had or something.”

Claire took a sip of the mojito and was about to carry on with the conversation, but someone appeared between them. Jack recognised the lad immediately.

“Conner?”

The lad looked down at Jack with a surprised look on his face. “The hell are you?”

“My name’s Jack. Have we met?”

It was obvious the lad was confused, even though he masked it with aggression. “You don’t know me, mate. How’d you even know my name?”

“I don’t know,” said Jack, and left it at that.

Conner turned his stare at Claire and told her to get up. “The lads are waiting downstairs. Let’s get go-”A violent sneeze interrupted his words, followed by another.

Claire stood up and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. “You still got a cold, honey?”

“Yeah,” Conner said, sniffling. “Me, Steve, and Mike haven’t stopped sneezing for the last hour. I feel well, rough, innit. My eyes are itching like f*ck, as well.”

Claire wrapped an arm around her boyfriend and started leading him away. “Okay, let’s go get some food inside you. I’ll look after you.”

The two of them walked away, both nodding at Jack as they did so. Conner still seemed curious about their interaction, but seemed happy enough to forget it. Jack thought about following their lead by getting some food, but still didn’t fancy hotdogs. He would eat later. For now, he’d relax in the sun and enjoy his whisky. He lay back in his lounger and let out a deep, soothing breath.

In front of him, standing against the railings of the balcony, an elderly couple smooched like teenagers. Jack looked past them, down at the pool area, and nosed at the other passengers. There were kids swimming, adults drinking, and lots of people eating the freshly served hotdogs. The one family that stood out was a mother and a young boy. She was covering his knee with a wad of plasters from her handbag, covering up a wound that was too far away for Jack to see clearly. For some reason, he was positive the young boy had slipped poolside. He thought this not because it was a likely conclusion, but because it was a one-hundred per cent certainty in his mind – he just knew. Could almost picture it.

The next thing he noticed was a lot of people sneezing. It seemed like a particularly nasty cold had found its way onboard.

Jack reached down and picked up his scotch, then finished it in one burning gulp. As if by magic, the brunette waitress reappeared to take another order from him.

“Perfect timing,” he said to her.

She replied in an eastern European accent that surprised him. “What can I get you?”

“Same again, please. Where are you from?”

“Romania.”

Jack nodded interest. “Most of the staff seem to be Filipino,” he said.“You stand out.”

The waitress smiled politely. He noticed her name badge read TALLY. “They hired me because I speak many languages.”