Undertow

By Kiri .R. Newton

For far too long these sailor-drowning, ship-sinking sea sirens have been
portrayed as happy, peaceful creatures who want nothing more than to fall
in love with a prince and live happily ever after. Undertow is an
unconventional twist on one of the oldest mythological creatures known to
man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadOnTime BV
• Release date: Nov 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781742842677

Kiri .R. Newton

This is my first published book, although I have been writing novels since age thirteen. I was inspired to become a writer after hearing how J.K. Rowling went from living in a tiny flat to become the modern queen of literature and with my father encouraging me to pursue what I love. I enjoy Sherlock Holmes, blogging, tweeting, horse-riding, travelling, drawing and pretending that I’m a rock god on my guitar when no one is watching.

Book preview

Undertow

Kiri.R. Newton

Smashwords Edition

Undertow

Copyright © 2012 Kiri Newton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The information, views, opinions and visuals expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the publisher. The publisher disclaims any liabilities or responsibilities whatsoever for any damages, libel or liabilities arising directly or indirectly from the contents of this publication.

A copy of this publication can be found in the National Library of Australia.

ISBN:  978-1-742842-67-7 (pbk.)

Published by Book Pal

www.bookpal.com.au

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Epilogue

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1

Oh, come on! Now is not the time to join the Mile High Club, Zoe thought angrily. I’ve got to pee.

Rocking back and forth from her heels to her toes and back again, Zoe Lawinsky stared up at the light indicating whether the aircraft toilets were engaged. They were. And had been for the last three years, it seemed. Looking over her shoulder, she wondered whether she could scramble over the seats or the food trolley that were preventing her from using the toilets at the back of the plane. They weren’t engaged.

What the hell are they doing in there? Hmph! Sorry, that was an obvious statement, she thought to herself.

In all fairness, she hadn’t seen two people enter the toilets. It would be a he, of course, and she would strangle him with her bare hands when he emerged. Women are so much more considerate than that. Has a man ever let her merge into traffic? No. Has a man ever let her stand in front of him in the queue at the movies? Of course not. Maybe it was that blond air hostess with the big boobs? In that case, she would take a bit longer as she would have to re-apply her make-up before showing her face again.

After some quick calculations, Zoe estimated the culprits should be out before they landed in Honolulu where Zoe was changing flights to Los Angeles and then flying on to New York to attend college. That was about six hours away. By then, she either would have puddled on the floor or internally imploded. Neither option sounded very appealing.

Come on, Zoe. Think about something else, she thought desperately. Anything. Anything. Anything. Any – James Halford. Wow! Dreamy James Halford! With his coal-black hair, his black eye-liner and painted-on leather jeans. With those sky-blue eyes that shine like the outback sky on a hot summer’s day. And his pale skin that makes Edward Cullen look like he has a tan. James Halford.

James Halford had been moved into her Year 12 class halfway through term, as he had been expelled from his previous school. He smoked at the school gates before school or whenever else he got a chance, leaning against the fence with a cigarette hanging loosely between his curving lips. And those eyes! They simply glowed with derision, rimmed in heavy black eye-liner that the teachers tried futilely to get him to remove. He wore the school uniform, only because he had to, but the tie remained jammed in his backpack, the blue shirt unbuttoned slightly to reveal the cluster of dog-tags and Gothic crosses he wore.

Zoe would deliberately hang back to watch every afternoon as he pulled on a torn old leather jacket and helmet before scrambling behind his older brother, Hanson, on the Harley-Davidson road cruiser. Zoe would stand there drooling, listening to the throbbing engine as it slowly faded into the distance.

The two brothers were in a band, The Death Peppers, James the lead vocalist and guitarist, and Hanson the mad drummer. Zoe had seen their posters around town, and they looked awesome, even more dolled up than he was at school – more leather, loads of eye-liner and very, very cool. He dyed his hair last Christmas holidays. Zoe’s parents said he looked like an electrocuted skunk, with the band of pale grey down the middle, frizzed up madly with the aid of three cans of hair spray, but Zoe didn’t care. He looked amazing.

Then school ended, and Zoe got a job. Yeah, OK, it was at Snag-a-Bargain – the cheesiest, tackiest, crappiest discount variety store since the dawn of mankind. Her uniform was canary-yellow and scarlet – a mini-skirt with a polo shirt – and she had to wear the cap. It didn’t matter if it gave her hat hair; she had to wear the cap. And smile, often, even when customers erupted like Icelandic volcanoes because they couldn’t have a refund on something that no longer suited their needs.

And then, just when it seemed she would never see James again, a guitar shop opened across the way from Snag-a-Bargain, and James walked back into her world. Her only saving grace was lunchtime, when she would sit in the food court and James would saunter out to buy his lunch. She would watch him every day. He would dither between KFC and Subway. If he went to KFC he would get a Chicken Deluxe burger with extra mayo and a large coke. If he went to Subway he would get a 7-inch sub on a rye bread roll with olives, meatballs, extra cheese and jalapenos. She liked it when he bought Subway because he would stand there with his back to her, and she could stare at his taunt ass in those skinny jeans.

Despite the fact that they often crossed paths, they rarely spoke. Zoe’s mind ticked back to the last time they had spoken. Her usual seat was taken, and so she had to sit closer to the KFC stall than usual. He had ordered Subway, but as he was walking past he suddenly stopped, his blue eyes piercing straight into her soul. Zoe felt her heart pound out of control as she realised he was going to speak to her. He barely even spoke to her at school! The moments felt like years as she watched those twisted lips part slowly, slanting upwards wickedly at the corners.

There’s mayonnaise on your chin, he said.

By the time she had made sense of what he had said, blushed, snatched up a serviette and wiped it off, he was gone. Damn! She remembered hoping that his next line would be, Here, let me lick it off for you. But no, he was gone, swaggering off through the crowd. Not even a good luck with college’ or goodbye and good luck with the rest of your life.

After a year of working at Snag-a-Bargain Zoe had earned enough money for her airfare to the United States. That had been the deal with her father: You save up for your airfare and I will pay your college fees. He was American – a New Yorker, actually, which made him cool – and he wanted his only child to attend college in the United States. Her mother, Danielle, couldn’t understand why Zoe wanted to go all the way to America when there were perfectly good colleges in Australia, but she agreed nonetheless. For Zoe, it would be her first adventure as a young adult.

Although most daughters didn’t think their fathers were cool, Zoe did. Richard Lawinsky stood just under six foot, with jet-black hair and grey eyes. Zoe had inherited his height, his hair and his temperament. Richard oozed New Yorker grittiness, and yet he was smoother than six-year-old Scotch – except for his accent, which was pure Bronx, New York. Zoe didn’t notice it and her mother loved it, but most people cringed when he started talking.

Danielle Lawinsky, on the other hand, was as Australian as they come – blue eyes, chocolate hair which she often dyed auburn, and a curvy body. She met Richard when he visited the Reptile Park she worked at, and he had passed out when she handed him a snake. Danielle didn’t think she would see him again because she laughed so much at the New Yorker who passed out, but the next morning he was the first customer through the gates. And the next day and the day after that. Danielle knocked him back at first; New Yorkers were bad news – or so her friends told her. But eventually his persistence wore her down and she gave in.

Six months later they were married, and six years after that Zoe was born, with her halo of coal-black hair, glacier-blue eyes like her mother, and the birthmark on the inside of her wrist. The new parents had fretted over the red mark that reminded them of a fish’s tail, but the doctors assured them it was perfectly normal. Over the years it had darkened but retained its shape. Zoe went through a stage of trying to hide it but in the end gave up.

Fast forward to today, and Zoe still wasn’t entirely sure where she wanted her life to go, despite being on a plane headed for New York. In high school she became sick to death of teachers constantly insisting that she must have a plan. Why? As far as she could tell, there was nothing wrong with winging it, letting the road wind out ahead of her. It became even worse when teachers came into Snag-a-Bargain and so obviously sneered at her job, while her classmates studied Architecture, Aerospace and other fancy-sounding courses at university. Zoe ignored them, knowing that one day she would show them.

She kicked around ideas of studying Graphic Design, Interior Decorating and the like, but none of them really appealed. Zoe had always been artistic; she graded highly in Art at school and did reasonably well in Graphic Design, but didn’t know if that’s what she wanted to do with her life. That’s why she chose Snag-a-Bargain; it was a temporary holding place and a source of income until she made up her mind. As well, it gave her pocket money to go out and watch The Death Peppers play and get royally drunk with friends who hadn’t left to go to university.

Zoe stared through the small window with an orange strap across it and sighed. Friends. She didn’t have too many of those. Sure, she kicked around with a big group of similar, moody youths who drank, smoke, rode motorcycles and listened to hard music. But was there one she would turn to with a personal problem? One she could trust, if she passed out somewhere, not to just leave her there? No. Not one.

That had actually happened to her. They were all stumbling around a parking lot outside a night club when Zoe fell and bumped her head. She woke up in hospital, and her parents nearly killed her. She wanted to kill the people she called her friends for abandoning her, although she never found out who called the ambulance. But she still hung around them because they were the only friends she had. Oh, and because they often came into contact with James and The Death Peppers.

Zoe took a deep breath, fighting the unease that always lay in her stomach. She always felt as if she had so many layers, so many faces, that no one could possibly understand her. She was extremely confused. Part of her loved hanging around with the Emos and scene kids, but she had another side – a side that liked collecting tea sets, listening to classical music, reading massive novels and making cupcakes. But those people she called friends never got close enough to realise this.

Quite suddenly, the light flicked off, the door latch clicked and the Captain stepped out of the toilet. Alone. He eyed Zoe and the other three people now waiting, before shrugging nonchalantly and heading into the cabin. Zoe glared at him icily as she dived into the toilet.

Rotten Captain. Probably sending text messages or something. Who does he think he is? Lucky he’s flying the plane or I would –

Zoe’s thoughts were cut off as the plane seemed to dive from the sky. For a few seconds they seemed to free fall, Zoe’s heart soaring into her throat as the other passengers screamed in terror. Suddenly, the plane regained altitude with a shudder. Zoe gripped the hand rails, gasping for breath. What the heck was that?

The intercom crackled to life. Ladies and gentlemen, I apologise for that minor bump. We ran into some unexpected turbulence as we switched off the Auto-pilot and – Zoe had stopped listening to the voice as she could suddenly hear a change in the engines’ noise. They had begun to shriek. It wasn’t a whistle and certainly wasn’t the usual dull roar, but a shriek like a banshee in a food blender.

The intercom died with a crackle as the plane began to list over, diving towards the ocean. This time Zoe screamed as the plane began to roll over. She braced her legs against the door but still was flung around like a ragdoll. She could hear crashes and thuds as suitcases, Duty Free items and other things in the overhead lockers fell out. As the plane righted itself violently, Zoe was flung against the opposite wall, dazing her. With an even louder roar, the nose of the plane began to launch upwards, slamming Zoe back against the wall, jarring her spine on the toilet. The screams of the passengers filled her head as she clung on for dear life.

An explosion shook the plane as the engines died at the precise moment the plane levelled out. Zoe stared at herself in the mirror, her face pale and her hair dishevelled. This wasn’t happening! It was a bad dream. These things only happened on Air Crash Investigations or in movies. She could feel the plane falling from the sky, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She knew that she should go back to her seat but that was in Row 13. It would be carnage out there. And all the while she could hear the whistling as the air rushed past the falling plane and through the silent engines.

Suddenly there was a crash. For a moment Zoe thought they had found altitude, but it was followed by another, more violent crash that seemed to rip the world apart. A metallic groaning noise filled the world, like the plane was ripping itself apart. They had hit the ocean! For a moment she could hear nothing but water lapping against the side of the plane. Distantly, she heard a mammoth splash as if the rest of the plane cart-wheeled over the snapped-off nose section and smashed into the water.

Zoe suddenly felt dampness around her ankles as the water began seeping through under the toilet door. She could feel the cubicle listing over backwards as she tried to pull her jeans up. It’s strange what the human mind does under extreme stress: Zoe could think of nothing except trying to wrangle herself back into her jeans, despite the water now sloshing around her knees.

Zoe unlatched the door but it refused to budge. She leaned against it, but as the salty ocean water gushed under the door, it built up pressure against the door, and it wouldn’t budge. Zoe screamed as the water rose higher and higher. If she didn’t get out she would drown! Panic overcame her as she fought frantically to get out.

The water rushed over Zoe’s head as she stared through the blue veil, trying hard to bust the door open. As the curtains of darkness began to envelope her, she felt herself falling.

This is it, Zoe. You’re going to drown in a toilet in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Those were Zoe’s last thoughts as she slipped into a world of damp darkness, rocking currents and the final sparks from the electrical gear as the ocean sucked the plane under.

Chapter 2

As darkness merged into light, Zoe became distantly aware that she felt warm – not soothingly warm, but almost as though her skin had begun to burn. She could hear waves that seemed to be crashing on a distant shore, slowly becoming louder. As she became more aware she could hear sea birds calling out. Gradually she became aware that her body ached, like one giant bruise, particularly her neck. As things became clearer, she could feel her heart beating in a weird rhythm, but as her ragged breaths began to steady, so did her heart rate.

At last she managed to force her eyes open, painfully blinking into dazzling sunlight, azure- blue skies and the flickering shade of palm fronds. She became aware of hot sand under her fingers and the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Her clothes felt damp but not wet, as if she had been lying there long enough for them to start drying out.

Zoe lay there for a few moments, trying to make sense of everything. As her mind began to clear she started to remember things, like trying to remember a bizarre dream the following morning. There were faces, people, luggage, a meal served on a plastic tray with horrible rolls, an air hostess with massive boobs, a dull ache in her gut, and then –

Zoe sat up with a jerk as the memory of the plane crash steamrolled her.

What the hell? I was in a plane crash! I drowned! I should be dead! Maybe I am dead. Maybe I am in hell and this is just a screen-saver – or something, she thought. It made no sense.

‘You’re awake!" a voice called out suddenly.

Zoe whipped around and stared, her jaw dropping as her eyes bulged. There, walking towards her on a verdant tropical island surrounded by ocean, was one of the most stunning guys she had ever seen. And he was naked. Not a stitch. Nothing.

Yeah, this is definitely a dream, she thought.

He seemed oblivious to his nakedness as he wandered towards her holding two coconuts, his long feet sinking in the sand. Judging by the deep, but not fake tan, he had been naked for a very long time. He wasn’t overly muscular; he had definition, but he wasn’t what she would call in peak physical condition. He had an unusual face: a snubbed nose and a very prominent, rounded chin which plunged to a sexy Adam’s Apple that migrated into pronounced collarbones. His eyes twinkled grey-blue as he smiled, showing sharp front teeth with pointed canine teeth. His blond tufty hair fell in his eyes as he dropped onto his haunches before her and offered her the coconut.

You took quite a bump in that crash.

You’re naked, Zoe stammered. Right there, the Full Monty, naked.

Are you feeling all right? he asked.

You’re naked, Zoe repeated.

Yes. I am aware of that, he sighed.

You’re – she began, but he jumped in.

Cold? Hot? Hungry? Tired? Nauseous? he asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

Huh? Zoe blinked.

Drink the coconut, he sighed, sitting down beside her.

Zoe obeyed meekly, relishing the sweet, slightly fizzy fluid. He drank his, seemingly in one gulp, before resting the coconut in the sand and watching her closely.

What? she asked. Zoe found it impossible to think coherently with a naked guy right next to her. Full frontal. No strategically placed shrubs, nothing. Especially when she should be floating down to Davey Jones’ locker in a water closet. Ha, ha. Davey Jones, water closet.

Zoe looked at him out of the corner of one eye. Maybe he’s a castaway, like in that movie. Maybe she was actually dead and this was one of the inner circles of hell. Maybe she was unconscious and dreaming. Maybe this had all been a dream and –

Now, how do you feel? he asked.

OK, I guess. Where am I? she asked.

A small island about one hundred and twenty kilometres off the coast of Fiji,

Reviews for Undertow

[iris0boekenplank · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read the full review at Witchmag's Boekenplank*I received a free copy as part of a blog tour in exchange for my honest opinion*Wow! A vampire mermaid! Haven’t heard of that one. Although they technically don’t drink blood, but with their sharp pointy teeth and the bite that is needed to convert a human, I’m still convinced they are vampire mermaids (or man ;) ) ^^ This is so not like the stereotype! And wait, there’s even more! There are even different tails! Like the different kinds of skin color we humans have, merpeople have different kinds of tails. For example merpeople from the north-pole have a seal-like tail and the people from the North sea have a more eel-like. There’s also a vast history, which at times crosses ours. I finally got to know the truth behind Poseidon’s and other mythological creatures story. I like it when an author uses the known and creates something entirely new ^^The story was pretty good, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The beginning immediately captured my attention, but it wavered when Zoe meets Josiah. I couldn’t place that part of the story at first. I had a hard time understanding why and only saw the whole much, much later. Only then, could I fully comprehend what exactly happened and what the consequences would be. This lack of knowledge left me confused a great part of the story. Which in turn made me enjoy it less.I had also some trouble with the romance in this book. Or lack there off. I just didn’t feel the attraction Josiah and Zoe had going on. It felt more like they were good friends or siblings than a couple. There was no fluttering or looks, just a warm loving feeling. So I was a bit disappointed, till I read the ending. With a major cliffhanger and where I could suddenly feel everything that was missing. But with no explanation to why I couldn’t seem to find this earlier…Conclusion3 HEARTS. I found myself in a story that was a bit confusing at times, but it still managed to capture me. There was a whole new kind of mermaid: the vampire mermaid and an intriguing history, which at times renewed my look on mythology. My favorite ^^ The romance was a bit dull until I got to the cliffhanger.Only then, it was finally turned on full force, but it left me hanging as to how the story could have ended that way (as usual with cliffhangers -.- ), so I’m looking forward to the next book!