The Passengers (Book #2)

𝔐𝔞𝔶𝔟𝔢 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 ℑ𝔰 𝔞 𝔊𝔬𝔬𝔡 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤

There is a loud knock. "Girls? Breakfast's ready." Appa opens the door and pushes it a few inches. "Sleep much longer and the sun's going to set."

I sit up and rub my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Eleven."

"It smells delicious, Mr. B," Wendy says with a scratchy morning voice, propping herself up on one elbow.

"Come on down when you're ready."

I slide out of bed, pulling my leg from under Broome, and put my feet in my slippers. My nondream come rushing back to me, and I almost stumble. "You guys? I . . ."

Seulgi slides out of the bed in her green nightgown. Her wavy red hair is messy around her face instead of it's usual put-together hairstyles. "You went back?"

"Yeah."

"That's the third night in a row," Seulgi says.

"I know," I say with anxiety in my voice. "I don't understand how . . . but I saw Zoe—you know, that little spirit girl? She recognized me and was so shocked I was there that she fainted. But before she did, she said something about me being in her dreams . . ."

Wendy holds up her hand. "Back up. You're saying the spirit girl was there last night and she somehow thinks when she visits you here in Manyeo that you're in her dreams?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. She was a passenger on the ship, people knew her and were talking to her. How is that possible?"

Hyeri's face pales. "Okay, that's too weird."

Seulgi's features scrunch together. "And what's stranger is that in Manyeo no one can see her except you, but on the Titanic, everyone can see her."

Wendy leans against the bed. "Yeah, but she's dead. That's why we can't see her here."

"That's exactly why I think it's so weird that people there can," Seulgi says.

We all look at Seulgi.

"What are you thinking?" I ask. "That everyone in her world is dead and that's why they can see her?"

"Unless anyone can think of a better explanation?" Seulgi says.

We're all silent for a second.

"Can someone please say Suzy's not going to the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of dead people? I'm really not good with that," Hyeri says.

"It's not the sunken Titanic," I say. "It's actually super bright and sparkly." I frown. "I really don't know why I just had a knee jerk reaction to tell you how nice it is. Why would I do that? I don't like anything about being on that ship."

Wendy eyes me. "I don't know, but tell us if it happens again. We can't let your confusion about that ship spill into your waking life."

I shudder. "Agreed."

"So if it's not the wreckage you're visiting, then maybe Seulgi was right. Maybe you're going to some kind of replica?" Hyeri says.

"A spell ship?" Seulgi says.

I push my hair back from my forehead. "Remember what I told you guys yesterday about the two conflicting sides of my brain? Well, the accepting side definitely won this time. Until I saw Zoe, I'd almost entirely stopped being suspicious. It's like each time I go, I become more and more comfortable in that reality."

Seulgi watches me. "Maybe the spell from the dress never actually broke? Maybe you're still under it? That could even be why you felt the need to tell us how beautiful the place is."