CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT - BETWEEN THE LINES

  Just as Nia was drifting off to sleep, a loud rumble of thunder shook the cabin. She sat up, suddenly alert. Through her porthole, she could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon. "Great," she muttered. "Just what I need. A storm to top off this perfect day." Little did Nia know that the approaching storm would bring more than just rain and wind. It would bring a series of events that would change the course of her trip - and possibly her life - in ways she never could have anticipated. The ship lurched violently, sending Nia tumbling from her bed. She hit the floor with a thud, disoriented and tangled in her blankets. Outside her porthole, angry waves crashed against the glass, illuminated by flashes of lightning. Nia scrambled to her feet, her heart racing. The ship rocked again, and she stumbled, barely managing to catch herself on the edge of the desk. "This can't be normal," she muttered, her voice shaky. As if in response, the lights in her cabin flickered ominously b