As the boat glided past the figure of a pirate walking a gangway into the sea, Lucas froze. His ears rang. Sharp, high-pitched. His vision blurred. Then came a flood—disconnected images snapping through his head like lightning: a doll, water, screaming voices, a gangway, faces leaning down.
It lasted seconds. Maybe less. But when it ended, Lucas was hunched forward, both hands gripping his temples, breath ragged. The ringing stopped. Across from him, Rose stared, pale and alarmed. “Lucas?” she whispered. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”
He nodded quickly, swallowing. “Yeah. Claustrophobia, I guess. Or maybe the darkness.” It sounded flimsy even to his own ears. Rose’s expression didn’t ease, but she didn’t press him. The boat moved on. Lucas sat still, heart pounding as if he’d just escaped something unseen.
Outside, the sun felt too bright. Rose held his hand tighter than usual. “You scared me,” she said. Lucas smiled weakly. “Sorry. Must’ve just been a weird moment.” But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. The ocean. The gangway. That doll. It felt… real.