Blood in the Water

I walked through the cruise ship with a smile. I had been waiting for this moment for over a year. My family walked in front of me. The excitement was palpable.

We made it to our cabins, or rooms. I was with my mom and my sisters. My brother was with my dad. We unpacked our things and met in the hallway.

“I can’t believe it!” I said, looking around. My parents laughed. They had already been on two cruises. This cruise was our high school graduation trip.

Andrew and Elena were the same age as me. As triplets, we wanted to do something big for our trip. When the possibility of a cruise was mentioned, we leaped at the chance.

“Alright, what do you want to do first?” my mom asked.

“Um, how about we explore?” Andrew suggested.

“Perfect! We’ll give you the tour,” my dad said. We walked out of the hallway and into a brightly colored room.

“The Atrium,” my mom said. We gazed at the glass elevator in the middle and the stage, where music was being played.

We got into the elevator and went to the next floor. “This is the Atlantic Deck, or Deck 8,” my dad said.

We looked at our Carnival Cruise apps, which had the schedule for each day, messages, and a map. There were ten decks on the Carnival Inspiration, and I was planning on exploring each one.

I gasped at the sight of the library. That was where I could read and write to my heart’s content. Brooke, my younger sister, pointed to it. “There’s Cassie’s favorite place.”

I laughed. Brooke was four years younger than me, and she was amazing.

The elevator kept moving. “The Promenade Deck, or Deck 9. This is where they post photos. They also hold trivia here, which we will crush,” my dad said. We laughed. We had heard tales about the Seeleys winning trivia on the cruises.

“The Lido Deck, or Deck 10. This is where the pools are,” my mom said. We got out of the elevator and walked out to the deck.

“Woah,” I breathed as I looked at the outdoor restaurants and pools. There were already plenty of people enjoying the sun.

We walked up some stairs. “The Verandah Deck, or Deck 11. Waterslides,” my dad said, gesturing to the massive waterslides. Andrew gazed at them.

“And,” my mom said, walking up another set of stairs, “this is the Sports Deck, or Deck 12.”

I looked at the gym and walked up the last flight of stairs. “The Sun Deck, or Deck 14,” my dad said. We looked at the mini golf area and jogging track that wrapped around it.

“Deck 14? Why didn’t they call it Deck 13?” I asked.

My parents shrugged.

I smiled. A story idea.

We walked through the decks until we returned to the elevator. “The Atrium and our cabins are on the Empress Deck, or Deck 7,” my mom said. We walked through the Atrium to some stairs. We stepped down to more elevators.

“This is the Upper Deck, or Deck 6. These only have cabins.” We got into an elevator and went down. The doors opened, and we stepped out.

“This is the Main Deck, or Deck 5.” We went back into the elevator and went to the last deck.

“This is the Riviera Deck, or Deck 4.” We looked at it before going back to the Empress Deck.

“I’m going to the library. Who wants to join me?” I said.

My siblings stepped into the Atrium’s middle elevator and waved at our parents. We walked toward the Shakespeare Library.

We sat at a table. I looked at the Shakespeare quotes on the beams lining the ceiling and read them. I then watched as people walked past the library.

Andrew looked around at the cabinets. ”They have board games!” he exclaimed.

”Pick one,” Elena said. My brother was about to pull one out when I noticed something. Someone who had passed the library looked very familiar.

”Wait, is that Johnnie?” I asked. Andrew looked over with me.

”I think so!” We raced out of the library as a friend from high school approached the elevator.

”Johnnie!” Andrew yelled. Johnnie turned and smiled.

”Hey, Seeleys!”

”What are you doing here?”

”Graduation trip. You?”

”Same!” Andrew said.

”You should come to the library later. We were already in there, but we might go there again. How about... 7:30?” I suggested.

”That sounds good! I just need to unpack. See you then!”

We waved goodbye and walked back into the library. I checked the time. 3 PM. I saw another person in the library playing a game with Elena and Brooke.

”Hi! Who are you?” I asked.

”I’m Brandon. Sorry if I intruded,” the teen said.

”It’s all good! This is Andrew, and I’m Cassie.”

”Hello. Are you the other triplets?”

Elena smiled. ”Yep!”

We sat at the table, playing board games. Two people in red shirts and khakis walked in.

”What are you guys up to?” one of them asked. He had a high-pitched country accent and light brown hair.

”We’re just playing games,” I replied.

”Really? Which one?” the other man queried. He had dark brown hair and a British accent.

”Apples to Apples,” Brandon said

I noticed that they both had nametags. The first one was named Josh, and the second one was named Will.

”Are you crew members?” I asked.

”We’re part of the Fun Squad!” Josh exclaimed, doing a dramatic pose. I laughed.

”Well, we hope to see you around,” Elena said. Josh and Will smiled and waved.

A text came in from my mom. ”We have to go get ready for the Safety Briefing,” Brooke said.

”Brandon, do you want to come back in here at 7:30?” I asked. Brandon nodded.

”Bye!” Andrew said as we left.

We went to our cabins. A voice came in through the intercom. ”Boop boop! Hello, and welcome to the Carnival Inspiration! I am Connor, your Cruise Director. Safety Briefing is going to start in around five minutes. We’ll see you then! Yeah!”

We laughed. ”Oh my gosh! That guy is awesome!” I said.

”I heard that he was put in last minute. He’s not the regular Cruise Director,” my mom said.

”Really? That’s interesting,” I said.

Another story idea.

A few minutes later, we left for our Safety Briefing. We met in the Paris Lounge, where Fun Squad members taught us about safety and other things. I saw Johnnie and Brandon in the crowd, which made me smile.

After the Safety Briefing, we returned to our cabins. Then, the Sending-Off party started. We headed up to the Lido Deck. The Cruise Director was onstage with the members of the Fun Squad.

Connor had blond hair and glasses. He smiled as he announced that we were about to set sail.

I watched as Josh and Will danced with Connor and other members of the Fun Squad.

Andrew, Elena, Brooke and I joined the dancing.

That was when it happened.

The sound of a gunshot made the ship go silent. A dark-skinned member of the Fun Squad fell to the floor. Right next to me. Connor’s eyes widened.

”Alvin!”

He knelt beside him. I backed away, my mind racing. What the heck? Who shot Alvin? We had gone through serious security to get in here. There was no way that a gun could have been missed... right?

Connor looked into Alvin’s eyes. ”Who did this to you?” he asked, looking at the bullet hole in his friend’s chest.

Alvin gasped for breath. ”I c-can’t...”

My heart pounded. What was going to happen? Would we be kicked off of the cruise? Would our tickets be refunded?

Suddenly, the boat started moving. People screamed as we all realized what was happening.

We were going to be stuck on a cruise with a killer.

Connor looked at his friend. The ship went silent again.

”Alvin, please! Say something!”

”D-don’t tr-trust...”

”Keep going, buddy. It’s okay,” Connor said, tears slipping down his cheeks.

”C-close to y-you...”

I stiffened. Close to him? As in, a friend of his? Or... someone standing close to him?

Connor looked at me. He then looked at Alvin.

”Alvin! Don’t leave us!”

”I m-must…”

Alvin closed his brown eyes. Connor gulped.

I raised an eyebrow. There was something on Alvin’s arm.

CCS.

That could mean two things.

Carnival Cruise Ship...

or my initials.

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