The Shore Where Nobody Waited
Nora Vale screamed the second the hand tightened around her ankle beneath the water.
The grip felt impossibly cold.
Not freezing like ocean water.
Dead cold.
God.
The pale face beneath the flooded deck smiled wider while black water rippled around its skin. Its eyes remained fully open underwater, completely black and horribly human at the same time.
Then it started pulling her downward.
Nora slammed both hands against the metal floor instantly while panic exploded through her chest.
“It’s got me!”
Kai Mercer reacted first.
Without even thinking, he grabbed Nora beneath the arms and yanked backward as hard as possible while seawater splashed violently around them.
The thing underneath the water shrieked immediately.
A horrible wet scream.
Then another hand burst upward through the flooding deck and clawed toward Kai’s wrist.
Jace kicked downward instinctively.
His boot smashed directly into the pale face beneath the water.
The creature released Nora instantly.
Black water exploded upward while the thing disappeared beneath the flooded deck again.
“MOVE!” Jace shouted.
Nora scrambled upright breathing hard while the ferry tilted violently once more beneath the storm.
The creatures from the hallway had already reached the deck now.
Passengers screamed everywhere.
One student slipped near the railing and vanished directly overboard into the ocean below. His scream lasted only seconds before something huge moved beneath the water around him.
Then nothing remained except blood spreading across the waves.
God.
Nobody was surviving the ocean either.
Another creature lunged across the deck toward the crowd, its twisted body moving spider-like across the metal floor while seawater poured from its mouth.
A crewman swung a metal pipe directly into its head.
The impact should’ve killed it instantly.
Instead the creature’s neck snapped sideways unnaturally before slowly correcting itself with sickening cracking noises.
Then it tore into the man’s throat.
Blood sprayed across the rain-soaked deck.
Selene covered her mouth in horror.
“Oh my God…”
The ferry alarm screamed louder now while black smoke rose somewhere from the lower levels of the ship.
And beyond all the chaos—
the island waited silently through the fog.
Dark cliffs.
Dense forest.
The ruined resort glowing faintly above the shoreline like something watching them approach.
No safety.
Only another nightmare waiting ahead.
“DOWN THE ROPES!” Rowan shouted.
Several emergency ropes already hung from the side of the ferry leading toward jagged rocks below where waves crashed violently against the island shoreline.
Dangerous.
But still safer than staying here.
Jace grabbed the nearest rope first and started climbing downward immediately despite the storm.
Kai looked over the railing once and nearly recoiled.
“That is WAY too high.”
“YOU WANNA STAY HERE?”
“Excellent point.”
Another creature shrieked somewhere behind them.
Closer now.
Nora didn’t hesitate anymore.
She grabbed the rope tightly and began descending toward the rocks below while rain blinded her vision and freezing wind slammed against her body.
The climb felt endless.
Above them, screams echoed across the sinking ferry while emergency lights flashed red through the storm.
Halfway down, Nora risked one glance upward.
Big mistake.
One of the pale creatures stood directly at the railing watching them descend.
Motionless.
Rain poured over its stretched face while its black eyes locked directly onto hers.
Then slowly—
it crawled over the railing.
God.
“No no no no—”
The creature dropped onto the rope above them.
Selene screamed instantly.
It began climbing downward unnaturally fast, limbs twisting around the rope like a spider while seawater dripped endlessly from its body.
“CLIMB!” Jace shouted from below.
Everyone moved faster immediately.
Kai nearly lost grip twice while descending through the rain.
Above them the creature shrieked loudly enough to echo across the cliffs.
And suddenly—
something answered from inside the forest.
A distant scream.
Different.
Deeper.
God.
The island had its own monsters too.
Nora finally reached the rocks below and stumbled hard against the shoreline while freezing waves crashed around her legs.
The others landed moments later.
Except Selene.
She was still halfway down the rope.
And the creature had almost reached her.
“HELP HER!” Rowan shouted.
Jace grabbed a jagged rock immediately and hurled it upward with everything he had.
The rock smashed directly into the creature’s shoulder.
It screeched violently and lost grip for one second—
long enough.
Selene dropped the rest of the way onto the rocks below, crashing hard beside Nora while the creature slammed against the cliff wall behind them.
Its arm bent backward during the fall.
Then slowly corrected itself with snapping sounds.
God.
It stood again instantly.
“RUN!” Kai yelled.
The group bolted across the rocky shoreline while the ferry behind them groaned loudly through the storm.
Then suddenly—
the ship horn blasted one final time.
Deep.
Long.
Almost mournful.
Everyone turned instinctively.
The ferry tilted sharply sideways.
And for one terrible second, lightning illuminated the entire ship against the black ocean.
The deck crawled with pale figures now.
Dozens of them.
Standing motionless beneath the storm while watching the survivors escape toward the island.
Then the ferry began sinking.
Slowly at first.
Then violently.
The front half disappeared beneath the waves while metal screamed apart across the ocean.
Passengers still trapped onboard shrieked through the storm.
One final explosion burst somewhere beneath the lower decks—
and the entire ferry vanished into the black water.
Gone.
Only floating debris remained across the ocean afterward.
Silence spread slowly across the shoreline.
Even the storm seemed quieter suddenly.
Nobody in the group spoke for several seconds.
Because deep down…
they all realized the same thing at once.
There was no way home anymore.
Kai Mercer looked back toward the dark island forest behind them.
Towering trees moved slowly in the wind while fog drifted between the trunks like smoke.
Somewhere deeper inside the woods—
a light flickered briefly.
Orange.
Like fire.
Or lanterns.
Then disappeared.
Kai swallowed hard.
“Please tell me somebody else saw that.”
Nora nodded slowly.
The others did too.
And before anyone could speak again—
something moved behind the tree line.
Tall figures.
Watching them silently from inside the fog.