Chapter 38 Pity party
Ariel
Thirty minutes later,
I excused myself to go to the restroom the minute we stepped out of there. Oh my God. Those were real humans?! I locked myself in the bathroom of one of the cabin rooms he directed me to and bent over the toilet seat immediately.
My God.
I didn't even have anything to heave out but drinks. I'd been unable to eat since I could last remember because of how anxious and disgusted I've been since morning; now it was just doubled.
That was sick. Disturbing. Turning people into art???
I literally don't want to go back out there. I don't want to. What if he notices that something is up because I don't even think I can keep up this facade anymore? What if because of that he turns me into one of those…
I bent over the toilet again and heaved my guts out.
Oh God. Oh God.
It can’t breathe.
“Ariel?” I flinched when a knock sounded on the door about five minutes later. Not the bathroom door, the cabin’s door. “Are you okay?”
I couldn't bring myself to respond.
“Ariel?”
I stood up from the corner where I'd been squatting in and hurried to the sink to dab the tears I could feel on my cheeks. I couldn't let him see me like this. Couldn't let him know how I really feel. It could trigger him or something.
“I'm coming!” I straightened my dress as I heard him come in, and I unlocked the door and walked out right as he got to the bathroom door.
“Oh hey. You weren't responding, so I got worried.”
"Yeah, sorry.” It took literally everything within me to force a smile at him. “I…” I had no excuse to give. “I'm done now.”
He nodded and slipped his hand around my waist again before leading me out of the cabin and up the stairs back to the main deck. “So… did you enjoy the exhibition?” he asked as he led me back to the bar where he ordered another glass of whisky. I declined another glass because right now, I might very well just vomit right back up if I take anything.
“Y-yes…” I muttered, then smiled. He chuckled. “You don't have to force it. I know it takes time for people to adjust to the idea, being human themselves and all.”
Oh, so he's not human.
I just forced another smile because I couldn't even bring myself to talk. I kept replaying the images of the ‘artworks’ I had seen in that room, the disturbing sculptures and the reasoning behind them.
I just… I want to leave.
"Oh, Anastasia.” I said without thinking when I saw her come down from the upper deck. I need a minute from this man. He has been in my space since I got there, and even though I know he's just aiding my task, I just… I can't.
Anastasia looked horrified when she looked up to see me. She was with her fiancé yet again—God, that guy doesn't leave her side—and her father.
He had this look in his eyes before he beamed at me. "Ariel," I shot up from my stool at the bar and hurried over to meet them. “How are you enjoying the party?” Mr Coleman asked
“Good.” Now that I think about it, does he know about the… the museum? I mean, he seemed really close with General Yuri and Derek Malone; it made sense that he'd be in on it too, right?
I glanced at Anastasia again and instantly understood why she had yelled at me at that party. Why she had always looked pale and mortified and sad.
I grabbed her hand without thinking again. “Can I borrow her for a second?” The smile faded off Mr Coleman's face.
“Why?” It was the fiancee that asked that.
“I need some help with my… dress. You know… women stuff, and she's the only one I know here.” I didn't need to glance at Anastasia to know she was probably going to drop dead soon if she didn't get some colour back in her face.
“You can ask one of the waitresses?” She said and tried to remove my hand from hers.
"No," Mr Coleman injected. “Go help her. You know where to find us when you're done.”
I grabbed her hand more firmly again and dragged her along to the lower deck, where a security guy I didn't even notice before tried to stop us.
“Where are you headed?”
“The restroom. I was just here.”
“Let them go." We both turned around sharply when a voice spoke behind us. It was Mr Coleman, and he nodded to the guy. The big guy stepped aside.
“You can go.” He said when we both didn't move.
Right. I wrapped my hand even tighter around Anastasia's and didn't stop moving until we got into the first cabin I could find and inside its bathroom. She yanked her hand away the minute I locked the door behind me.
“Are you okay?! What did you do that for?!”
“My dr—”
“Don't even give me that. I know you didn't drag me in here because of any dress or whatever!” She folded her arms and started pacing.
“Yes. You're right. I just… i wanted to talk to you…”
“About what?!”
“Some… I… I don’t know.” She stopped pacing and scoffed. "I'm leaving.”
“Wait!” She looked down angrily at my hand when I stretched it out to touch her arm. I took it back. “I know why… you told me to leave now.”
She didn't say anything for a moment. “And so?” That took me aback.
“And so?”
“What does that change?! We're already miles away from land, with no means of getting help or escaping. What does knowing now change?”
“I…”
“I told you to leave, didn't I? I warned you, but you didn't listen. You thought he was being nice. He's not. He's evil. They're all evil and… every year, seeing what they do, I can't just help but just…” Her breath hitched.
“I can't do anything each time. The girls, the things they put them through, their fates after… I'm the one that dragged you into this, though. If only i hadn't asked you out on that date…”
I dabbed at the tears that threatened to roll down my eyes. If only she knew.
“It kills me every time I think about it.”
“I…” I wasn't even sure what to say to that.
“I'm sorry.” She said before I could find the words, though. “I'm truly sorry. It felt easier to put the blame on you every time I thought about it, but I'm the cause. I'm the idiot.”
I shook my head. “You're not.”
“I am.”
I did the only thing I could think of in that moment when she finally broke down, crying. I pulled her into a hug. And she didn’t pull back.
After a full five minutes of being in each other's arms, she decided she had had enough.
“I'm sorry.” She said once again as she pulled back. “No. I'm sorry.” I truly was because this was double my fault as much as she thought it was hers. I'm the one who sought her out.
“We should head back.” She said.
"Yeah," I agreed.
“Okay.” She gestured for me to go out, and I did just that, taking us past the room I didn't have time to look at properly before opening the main door. Right as I stepped out, I felt a sharp sting in my neck. “Ouch.” I turned to the side to see Mr Coleman standing by the door. He cocked his head to the side as I fell slowly to the ground. “Hello there.”
“W-what was that?”
“Ariel!! Oh my God!” I heard Anastasia yell faintly.
Oh no. My head was feeling groggy. Dizzy.
“What did you do?” I heard Anastasia yell again, her hands all over me.
“Did you have a nice time throwing that pity party in there?” I heard him respond faintly right before the darkness swallowed me whole.