Sea Sick: A Horror Novel

“Because I had a nervous breakdown,” Jack replied bluntly, knowing that it didn’t matter what the girl knew or thought about him. She wouldn’t remember a thing this time tomorrow.

To his surprise, she acted concerned. “That’s terrible,” she said. “My brother had one of those when he was younger. He has an anxiety disorder and has to take pills. I’m not surprised people struggle to cope with the world when it’s such a horrible place. I hope you get through it.”

Jack studied her to see if she was genuine. “That’s a very compassionate thing to say to a stranger.”

She smiled at him. “Like I said, my brother has been through something similar. I know how horrible it can be. If we were all a little nicer to strangers then perhaps we’d all be happier.”

Jack was wary, but couldn’t help but like the girl. Every time he spoke to Claire, they seemed to have a fresh conversation and he ended up learning something new about her. The more he got to know her, the more he found out what a caring and strong-minded person she was. What he didn’t understand, though, was why her boyfriend, Conner, had such a hold on her. In the various encounters Jack had with the couple, Conner would always order Claire around as if she were his slave; Claire was always nervous and let him. There was something going on there, but Jack hadn’t yet learned what. Trying to find out would be a waste of his time, anyway. It wasn’t as though he could change anything.

As if on cue, Conner appeared and did his little routine about the hotdogs and being ill. Claire followed after him and the two of them went downstairs. Everything was always the same, like clockwork. Events could vary somewhat due to whatever involvement he took in them, but nothing was ever really different. The night would always end the same.

Jack decided to take a nap, knowing with certainty that he would wake up at 8PM, alone and in the dark, just before the attacks began.

Been there, done that. Got ripped apart by zom—

Wait one minute…

Jack suddenly realised something. Today, everything was not the same. Something had changed. For the first time in the last one-hundred days, the brunette waitress with the dark eyes had not come to take his drinks order. She hadn’t turned up when she was supposed to.



Day 102

Jack had spent the entire previous evening trying to locate the brunette waitress, but he had failed to find her anywhere. Asking other members of staff where he could find her had been no help; they were cagey and distrustful of him. But today he would have longer to look.

Jack had awoken at 1400hr as usual. The seagull was at the window and the shower was freezing cold until it warmed up a couple minutes later. Everything was the same as it always was – an endless loop of October 14th. The only thing that ever changed was him.

Every day Jack was more depressed than the last. He had longed every day for death, all his hope evaporated. But now things were finally different. There was someone else on the ship who was like him; someone who was not fixed in place or stuck in time.

Jack got dressed quickly and headed outside. He decided to go and take the sun lounger next to Claire and wait for one hour to see if the waitress turned up. It was probably the best place to start – the one place he knew she was at least supposed to be.

Jack threw aside the green beach towel and sat down on the sun lounger. Claire, as always, said hello.

“Hey,” he said back to her, glancing around the deck for the waitress. “How you doing today?”

“Good, thanks. The sun has been out most of the day, but I think it’s going in soon. Should have come earlier in the year.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jack asked, glancing around the deck again.

“Why do you think? Money. I’m only a hairdresser. I could barely afford to come in October, let alone during peak time.”

“What about your boyfriend? You should have made him treat you.”

“Conner? How did you know I came with my boyfriend?”