Chapter 2: Midnight Swim
The days aboard *The Ocean’s Legacy* passed in a blur of activity. Josue quickly found his rhythm, adjusting to the demanding schedule and getting to know the ins and outs of the ship. He often found himself looking forward to his moments with Larisa, their conversations providing a comforting escape from the hustle and bustle of his duties.
One night, after an especially long day, Josue decided to take a stroll on the deck to unwind. The moon was high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the ocean. The ship was mostly quiet, the majority of the passengers having retired to their cabins. Josue enjoyed the serenity, feeling the cool night air on his face.
As he walked, he noticed a figure standing by the railing ahead. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized Larisa. She seemed lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the rolling waves below.
“Larisa?” Josue called softly as he approached her.
She turned, a smile lighting up her face. “Josue, hi! What are you doing out here so late?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied with a grin.
“I just needed some fresh air after a long day. How about you?”
“Same here,” Larisa admitted.
“It’s so peaceful at night. Helps me clear my mind.”
They fell into step together, walking along the deck in comfortable silence. As they rounded a corner, they heard a splash coming from the direction of the pool. Josue frowned, glancing at his watch. It was well past midnight, and the pool was supposed to be off-limits at this hour.
“Did you hear that?” Larisa asked, her brow furrowing.
“Yeah,” Josue said, quickening his pace. “Let’s check it out.”
As they approached the pool area, Josue’s eyes widened in disbelief. There, in the shimmering water, was a young girl, no more than ten years old, swimming with an eerie, mechanical grace. Her long, dark hair floated around her like a halo, and she wore an old-fashioned white dress that billowed in the water.
“What the…?” Josue muttered, his heart pounding.
“Who is that?” Larisa whispered, clutching his arm.
“I don’t know,” Josue said, taking a step closer.
“But she shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous to swim alone at this hour.”
“Hey, little girl!” he called out, trying to keep his voice calm.
“You need to get out of the pool. It’s not safe.”
The girl didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to swim in slow, deliberate circles, her movements almost hypnotic. A chill ran down Josue’s spine as he realized that something was very wrong.
“I’m going in,” he said, making a snap decision.
“Stay here, Larisa.”
“Be careful,” she urged, her eyes wide with concern.
Josue hurriedly stripped off his shoes and shirt, then plunged into the pool. The cold water took his breath away, but he pushed forward, swimming towards the girl. As he got closer, he called out again,
“Hey! Can you hear me? You need to get out of the water!”
The girl finally stopped swimming and turned to face him. Her eyes locked onto his, and a slow, eerie smile spread across her face. Josue’s breath caught in his throat. There was something deeply unsettling about her gaze, as if it bore into his very soul.
He reached out to grab her arm, intending to pull her to safety, but she evaded his grasp with a fluid, almost inhuman motion. She let out a soft, chilling laugh that echoed around the pool area.
“Come on, we need to get you out of here,” Josue said, more urgently this time. He lunged forward, managing to catch hold of her wrist. But as soon as he did, the girl’s expression twisted into one of malevolent delight.
“You can’t save me,” she whispered, her voice echoing unnaturally.
“No one can.”
With a sudden burst of strength, she pulled him under the water. Josue struggled, bubbles rising to the surface as he fought to break free. His lungs burned, and panic set in as he realized he couldn’t escape her grip.
“Josue!” Larisa screamed from the edge of the pool. Without hesitation, she jumped in, swimming towards them with determined strokes.
As Larisa reached them, she grabbed Josue’s arm, trying to pull him away from the girl’s grasp. The water around them seemed to darken, a deep, inky blackness spreading from the girl’s body. Josue’s vision blurred, and he felt himself being dragged deeper into the abyss.
With a final, desperate effort, Larisa managed to break the girl’s hold on Josue. They both kicked towards the surface, breaking through and gasping for air. Josue coughed violently, his lungs screaming for oxygen.
“Are you okay?” Larisa asked, her voice trembling.
“Yeah,” Josue rasped, pulling himself out of the pool with Larisa’s help.
“But that girl… she’s not human.”
They looked back at the water, but the girl was gone. The pool was eerily still, as if nothing had happened.
“What just happened?” Larisa whispered, her face pale.
“I don’t know,” Josue said, shaking his head. “But we need to report this to the captain. Something’s very wrong here.”
They hurried to the bridge, their wet clothes clinging to their bodies. Captain Richards was there, going over some charts. He looked up, surprised to see them in such a state.
“Josue, Larisa, what’s going on?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.
“Captain, we saw a girl in the pool,” Josue said, his voice urgent.
“She pulled me under the water. She… she wasn’t normal.”
Captain Richards’ expression darkened. “Describe her.”
“She was young, maybe ten years old,” Larisa explained.
“Long dark hair, wearing an old-fashioned white dress. She had this… this look in her eyes. It was terrifying.”
The captain’s face grew pale.
“That sounds like Callista.”
“Callista?” Josue asked, confused.
The captain nodded, his voice grave.
“Callista was a passenger on this ship five years ago. She drowned in the pool under mysterious circumstances. Her mother was found dead the same night, having jumped overboard. There have been… stories, rumors of her ghost haunting the ship.”
Josue and Larisa exchanged a horrified glance.
“You think we saw her ghost?” Larisa asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know,” Captain Richards admitted. “But I’ll look into it. In the meantime, stay away from the pool at night. And if you see anything else unusual, report it immediately.”
Josue nodded, feeling a heavy weight settle in his chest.
“Understood, Captain.”
As they left the bridge, Josue turned to Larisa.
“This is more than just a ghost story. There’s something real going on here.”
Larisa nodded, her eyes filled with determination.
“We need to find out what happened to Callista. Maybe if we understand her past, we can find a way to help her.”
Josue agreed, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this. Together.”
They returned to their cabins, their minds racing with questions and fear. The encounter with Callista had shaken them both, but it had also brought them closer. They were determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
As Josue lay in bed that night, he couldn’t shake the image of Callista’s haunting eyes from his mind. He knew that whatever they were dealing with, it was far from over. And he couldn’t help but wonder what other dark secrets *The Ocean’s Legacy* was hiding.
The next day, Josue and Larisa met in the dining hall for breakfast. The usual chatter of passengers and crew filled the air, but Josue couldn’t focus on anything except their mission. They needed to find out more about Callista and her tragic past.
“Where do we start?” Larisa asked, stirring her coffee absently.
“We need to talk to someone who was here when it happened,” Josue replied.
“Maybe one of the crew members has some information.”
They finished their meal and headed to the staff lounge. Josue spotted Carlos, the bartender, cleaning glasses behind the bar. He approached him with Larisa by his side.
“Hey, Carlos,” Josue greeted. “Can we ask you something?”
Carlos looked up, raising an eyebrow.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“Do you know anything about a girl named Callista? She drowned in the pool five years ago,” Josue asked, keeping his voice low.
Carlos’ expression grew serious.
“I remember that. It was a big deal. Poor girl and her mother. There were a lot of rumors about what happened that night.”
“Do you know any details?” Larisa pressed. “Anything that might help us understand why her ghost is haunting the ship?”
Carlos sighed, setting down the glass he was polishing.
“I don’t know much, but I heard her mother was very troubled. Some say she had a breakdown and… well, you know the rest. But there was talk of strange things happening around that time. Lights flickering, cold spots, and some people claimed to have seen Callista’s spirit even before she died.”
Josue and Larisa exchanged a glance. This was more than they had expected.
“Thanks, Carlos. That’s helpful,” Josue said, feeling a chill run down his spine.
“No problem. Just be careful, okay? Some things are better left alone,” Carlos warned them.