The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Volume 19

untethering the ship from what held it.

Up close, it was clear that the ship had seen its share of travels. There were signs of rust on the metal railings, and they stained the peeling white paint. Nevertheless, none of the other few passengers seemed to mind. In fact, they looked quite contented, chatting amiably amongst themselves as they sauntered across the deck or lounged in deckchairs. There was a sudden awful scream and it made Monica jump, before she embarrassingly realized it was the sound of the ship's whistle. The crew ran past with a practised step, and after a moment there was the smell of burning oil. Then the ship jolted forward and the pier where it had been docked slipped slowly away.

'Isn't this exciting?' Jessica said. 'I bet you're glad I decided to take us on this detour. What would you do without me?'

Monica gritted her teeth, and wondered how hard it would be to push Jessica over the railing. Or, better yet, feel that fat loose skin between her fingers. She shook her head, surprised at herself.

'I'm going to take a walk around the ship,' she stammered. 'Maybe take some photos.'

'Good idea. I'm just going to sit down here for a minute.' Jessica eased herself into a vacant lounge chair. 'My head is starting to hurt.'

It felt good to get away from Jessica, if only for a few minutes. Monica walked past a couple holding hands and she smiled. At least someone was having a good vacation. They looked like newlyweds, and for a moment Monica wondered what it would have been like to be in that position. She was struck with the urge to take a picture, but faltered, knowing it was the last thing of which she wanted to be reminded. She didn't mind being alone, of course, but as time went on it felt less and less by choice.

She stopped at the prow of the ship, and looked ahead to where they were travelling. She could see an island there, its peak raised from the deep blue water, pointing toward white clouds. It looked like something from a postcard. She reached into her bag for her camera and came up empty-handed. She must have left it behind at the hotel, and cursed herself for being so forgetful, especially as it was one of the few things over the last week she wanted to remember. She sighed and checked her watch. It would probably take another fifteen minutes to reach the island. Perhaps she should stay there for a little while longer and try to commit the sight to memory.

'Hiding, are you?'

Monica turned upon hearing the voice. Beside her stood Captain Lethes, his smile highlighting the creases that covered his face. He cleared his throat, and then spoke conspiratorially. 'It's okay, I won't tell.'

She smiled, and then looked about her to make sure Jessica wasn't in sight. Even so, she kept her voice down. 'I'm just taking a break, enjoying the view.'

'Yes, it's beautiful, isn't it? I absolutely adore it. Once I came down here, I never wanted to go back home again. There's something about this place that makes it easy to forget about the ghosts of your past. It's a wonder, sometimes, we don't get more passengers. I dislike having to poach them.'

Monica looked back at the sparkling water, the sun reflecting off its surface.

'I suppose it's the cost. No one ever has enough money.'

'This is sadly true. One can work forever and only accrue troubles. Isn't that right?'

Monica nodded, and he looked out beatifically at the waters ahead of them. Around his neck, she noticed a familiar dark brown necklace.

'Those seem quite popular around here.'

He seemed confused until she pointed at his neck. 'Oh yes. It's an island custom of which I must admit I've grown quite fond. You should get one.'

'I have one,' she said, and retrieved the link of shiny tan stones from her pocket. 'I'm just not wearing it.'

'It won't do you much good like that.'

'I suppose not,' she said with a laugh, and fastened the string around her neck. Already, she was forgetting how irritating her trip had been thus far.

That relief, though, didn't last long.

'It seems your friend has found you.'

'Pardon?'

Captain Lethes smiled and cocked his head. Jessica rushed towards them, waving urgently.

Monica closed her eyes for a moment to steel herself.

'Monica! Where have you been?'

'I've just been talking to the captain.'

He smiled and nodded. Jessica eyed him with suspicion.

'Shouldn't you be steering the ship? We're almost at the island.'

'We are?' said Monica, and looked to the water to see the island had grown tremendously in size. Yet, it was still quite small by most standards — one could easily walk its length in an hour or so. The colour of it was a deep gorgeous green, trees growing high amid plants below, and all that tropical scenery surrounded a small village filled with bright off-white stone roofs.

'Oh, I have a crew who take cares of the steering.' The captain's smile didn't falter, which impressed Monica. 'Besides, we'll be mooring at the village on the other side of the island. You don't want to stop at this one.'

'What's wrong with it?' Jessica said.

'Look at it. It's deserted, for one.'

He was right. Monica couldn't see anyone there. Even the plants had begun to invade its space. She saw some movement in the corner of her eye, but that was most likely the reflection of the trees in the empty windows. She saw no people in the streets.

'What happened to everybody?'

'What ever happens to people? Those that could eventually moved on. You see that a lot around here. Nothing seems to be permanent. We should be veering away from it at any moment.'

And, as if by cue, the ship began to turn. He smiled as though pleased with his moment of forecast. 'As your friend suggests, I ought to get back to ensure everything goes smoothly from here to the end. We should reach the pier in ten minutes, in case you needed anything.'

'No,' Jessica said, watching the village shrink into the trees. 'We have all our baggage right here.'

He smiled again and walked away.

Jessica turned to her friend after he left. 'I see you're wearing that necklace now,' she said, though the tone of her voice said something different.

It did not take long for the ship to make its way around the lush island. When the second pier came into sight, Monica heard the ship's engines cut out, and they began to coast towards their destination. The crew, hitherto unseen during the trip, emerged from hiding and began to dash across the ship to prepare for its impending mooring. Monica was amazed as she watched them work. It was as though they were so familiar with their jobs they could do them without thought.

Jessica, too, watched the crewmen, and then leaned close and said, 'They all look the same, don't they?' Monica was horrified, yet recognized there was some truth to what Jessica had said. Beyond the issue of race, the crew all had the same haircut, the same uniform, the same build; from behind, they were indistinguishable. Yet, Monica could not admit it. If she did, it would be all the excuse Jessica needed to complain anew. So Monica said nothing and tried to forget Jessica was there beside her.

As the second village came into view, Monica was surprised to see it looked virtually identical to the one they had passed a few minutes earlier. Here were the same deep green trees surrounding the same off-white stone roofs. Except within this village people were milling about, some looking out at the approaching ship with hands above their eyes to block the noonday sun. True to the merchant's words, the island's inhabitants did seem more authentic than those back on the mainland.

The bulk of the people Monica could see looked to be natives, with only a few pale westerners among them. One of that minority stood farther away than the rest, among the trees just outside the village, and as the ship approached, the figure seemed to be waving fiercely. Monica looked back at the other passengers, including