⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ boiler room talks ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)

the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

【 SEASON EPISODE 4 PART 2 】

Sarah and Clara walked side by side along the weathered wooden dock, the salt-tinged air breezing through their hair as they made their way toward the ferry ticket station. The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the water, but neither girl was in the mood to enjoy the view. They had one mission: get off the island. But as they approached the ticket counter, Clara's heart sank.

The ferry attendant was in the process of packing up. He was closing the blinds, sliding his cash drawer shut, and locking the counter-clear signs that the last ferry was about to leave.

"No, no, no!" Clara exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic. She immediately broke into a jog, clutching the strap of her bag as she hurried toward the station. Sarah, not wanting to be left behind, picked up her pace, struggling to keep up with Clara's determined stride.

"Hey, excuse me, sir?" Clara called out, trying to sound calm but unable to keep the urgency out of her voice. She waved her hand to catch his attention, but the man ignored her, too busy with his closing routine.

Clara's heart hammered faster. She bit her lip and took a deep breath, trying again. "Wait, wait! Are you sold out?" she asked, her voice laced with desperation.

Finally, the man turned to look at them, his face crinkling with mild annoyance. "You're not the only ones trying to get off the island," he snapped, his tone blunt as he finished locking the counter and turned to walk away without another word.

Clara stood there, frozen in disbelief, watching him walk away as if their pleas meant nothing. She let out an exasperated huff, her fists clenching in frustration, while Sarah shifted awkwardly beside her.

"Um..." Sarah trailed off, her voice uncertain as she glanced between Clara and the ferry in the distance, clearly wondering what they should do now. The last thing they needed was to be stranded here overnight.

Clara took a deep breath, looking around as her mind raced. And then, her gaze fell upon a small, rusty tugboat docked a little ways down from the ferry. An idea sparked, and she turned to Sarah with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I have an idea," Clara said, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she grabbed Sarah's hand and started pulling her toward the tugboat.

Sarah barely had a chance to protest as Clara dragged her forward. "Okay, yeah. Sure, okay," she mumbled, half-exasperated but curious about what Clara had in mind.

As they walked, Clara leaned closer, her eyes still locked on the tugboat. "Hey, so... have you ever been on a tugboat?"

"A what?" Sarah's eyes went wide as she processed Clara's words. "You're not serious," she said, disbelief coloring her tone.

Clara shot her a playful grin, a spark of determination in her gaze. "Look, if we can't get on the ferry, we'll talk our way onto that barge. Trust me."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, glancing at the barge with a mixture of intrigue and caution. "Okay..."

Clara straightened her shoulders, a glint of confidence radiating from her. "I got this," she said with a sly smile. "John B taught me a thing or two about negotiation... or, well... flirting."

Sarah's jaw dropped in surprise. Clara flirting her way onto a boat? She would never have expected it. As Clara strode forward toward one of the barge workers standing near the dock, Sarah hung back, a mix of amusement and curiosity playing across her face.

Clara approached the worker, a middle-aged man with a weathered face and a worn cap. She cleared her throat to get his attention and leaned casually against a nearby crate, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

"Hey, Cap!" Clara called out, her voice smooth and sweet, laced with an air of casual confidence. She smiled at him, her gaze steady as she caught his eye.

The man turned to her, his expression slightly amused but skeptical. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his tone gruff but polite.

Clara gave him a charming smile, batting her lashes a little as she spoke. "Look, me and my friend really need to get on this boat. We have... somewhere important to be," she said, letting her fingers trail lightly down his arm. "C- can we hop on? Just this once?"

The man chuckled, clearly entertained by her attempt but still shaking his head. "No, I'm... I'm sorry, but it's not allowed," he replied, though his voice softened slightly.

Clara wasn't about to give up. She gave him a little pout, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "We're really in a tight spot here."

The man sighed, looking at her with a mixture of sympathy and amusement. "Alright," he said, relenting at last. "Fine. But you'll have to sneak in. I didn't see anything, okay?"

Clara's face lit up with victory as she flashed him a wink. "Thank you!" she said, blowing him a playful kiss before turning back to Sarah.

Sarah was watching from a distance, her mouth slightly open in surprise. She let out a laugh as Clara walked back over, shaking her head in disbelief. "I didn't know you could flirt like that," she said, genuinely impressed.

Clara shrugged, grinning. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"So...?" Sarah asked, excitement flickering in her eyes.

"We gotta sneak in," Clara said, her voice hushed but brimming with excitement. "Let's go."

Without wasting another moment, Clara grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her toward the dock. They spotted a pair of old rain jackets hanging on a hook nearby and quickly slipped them on, pulling the hoods over their heads to blend in. Clara handed Sarah an empty oxygen tank to carry, hoping they would look like part of the crew from a distance.

Together, they followed a group of workers who were boarding the barge, slipping in behind them and making sure to keep their heads down. Once they were clear of the main deck, Clara and Sarah ditched the tanks, leaving them against a wall as they made their way down a narrow metal staircase leading into the depths of the boat.

The boiler room was dark, humid, and filled with the rhythmic hiss of steam and the low hum of machinery. Pipes and vents crisscrossed the ceiling, casting long shadows in the dim lighting. It was like stepping into another world.

"Where do we go?" Sarah whispered, glancing around as they navigated the maze of pipes and equipment.

"This way," Clara murmured, leading her through the maze. But Sarah took a wrong turn, accidentally veering toward a dead end before Clara grabbed her arm and redirected her.

"Sorry," Sarah whispered sheepishly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Finally, they settled into a hidden corner of the boiler room, away from prying eyes. Clara pressed a finger to her lips, signaling Sarah to keep quiet. Just as they found their footing, the boat gave a sudden lurch, and the hum of the engines grew louder as the ferry began to move. The vibration shook the floor beneath them, and Sarah, caught off guard, stumbled sideways. Clara's arm shot out instinctively, catching Sarah around the waist before she could fall.

For a second, they were frozen in place, close enough that Sarah could feel Clara's breath against her cheek. She looked up, wide-eyed with excitement, a grin spreading across her face.

"We're moving," she whispered, her voice brimming with a mixture of shock and delight.

Clara swallowed, her cheeks flushing as she stammered, "Y- yeah... we are."

Sarah's eyes sparkled as she raised her hand for a high five. Clara grinned, slapping her hand back, and they both let out a quiet laugh, the thrill of their success rushing through them. For the first time in a while, it felt like they were on a real adventure-and together, they were unstoppable.

The boiler room was a sweltering, enclosed space, the heat thick and oppressive. The sound of steam hissing from pipes filled the room, mixing with the low hum of machinery. Shadows cast by dim lights flickered on the walls, adding to the claustrophobic atmosphere. Clara could feel the heat pressing against her skin, sinking into her bones and radiating outwards until every breath felt heavy. Her long-sleeved shirt clung to her like a second skin, soaked through with sweat, and finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She peeled it off, tugging the fabric over her head to reveal a simple bikini top underneath.

As she leaned back against a metal pipe that was, thankfully, cooler than the rest of the room, Clara's chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath, feeling her pulse throbbing from the stifling heat. She closed her eyes for a moment, tipping her head back, feeling her damp hair brush against her neck. Next to her, Sarah was in a similar state, her face flushed, with beads of sweat clinging to her forehead and making her hair stick in uneven strands. They sat in silence, both feeling the heaviness of the moment, the unspoken tension lingering in the air along with the suffocating warmth.

"Oh my god," Sarah breathed out, breaking the silence as she swiped a hand over her forehead, trying to cool herself down. "What's the hottest you've ever been?"

Clara let out a weak laugh, eyes still closed as she answered, "Right now," her voice barely above a whisper, each word coming out with a heavy exhale.

"Same," Sarah nodded, a soft, tired smile tugging at her lips as she fanned herself with her hands. A beat of silence passed between them, only the distant hiss of pipes filling the void.

Then, after a moment, Sarah looked over at Clara, her face uncertain but curious. "Do you... I don't know, want to play a game?" she asked, her voice soft, almost hesitant, like she wasn't even sure what she was proposing. Her hands kept moving, trying to cool her flushed skin, her eyes darting away like she was embarrassed by the suggestion.

Clara turned her head to look at her, eyebrows raised. "A game?" she echoed, a hint of amusement in her voice, though it was tempered by the exhaustion weighing them both down.

"Yeah," Sarah said, shrugging slightly, her face turning a little pinker, though whether it was from the heat or something else, Clara couldn't tell. "I'm just trying to... I don't know. Take our minds off of... all this." She waved her hands around, gesturing to the stifling room and the thick air between them, both literal and metaphorical.

Clara hesitated, unsure if a game would make the situation any less intense, but also feeling a strange pull to say yes. "I- I don't know," she mumbled, glancing away.

Sarah gave a little nod, looking down at her hands as she whispered, "Cool," in a defeated tone. They lapsed into silence again, both lost in thought, the weight of unspoken words thickening the air even more than the heat itself.

But Clara couldn't hold it back any longer. There was a question that had been gnawing at her, a question that had built up over months of distance and misunderstandings. The words tumbled out of her before she could stop them, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why did we stop being friends?" She didn't even look at Sarah as she spoke, afraid of what she might see in her expression.

Sarah's head whipped towards her, her eyes wide with surprise, and maybe something else-a flicker of guilt, or regret. She took a slow breath, as if weighing her answer carefully. Finally, she looked down, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "Well... I guess it was because you and Kie knew each other longer," she began slowly, each word sounding like it cost her something. "And then that whole... thing happened. You know, when Kie called the cops on the party I threw."

Clara's eyes narrowed, her gaze hardening as she met Sarah's eyes. "You didn't invite her, Sarah. We were both mad at you. Kie still is, but I've forgiven you because... I don't hold grudges." Her tone was calm but firm, and there was an undercurrent of sadness there, like she'd spent too long wondering why things had to change.

Sarah looked down, her cheeks flushed from more than just the heat now. She bit her lip, nodding slightly. "I... I didn't know that. I guess I thought... I don't know, that you'd pick her over me. Like, because of everything we'd been through, that you and Kie... you'd always choose her." Her voice was small, almost childlike, and there was a vulnerability there that Clara hadn't seen in a long time.

Clara sighed, her voice softening. "Kie's like family to me, but that doesn't mean you aren't important too." She paused, the words hanging in the air, a reminder of a friendship that had once been strong, but had fractured under the weight of misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

After a long pause, Sarah cleared her throat, trying to lighten the moment. "So, there's this game my sister and I play. It's called Truth or Dare, except... there's no dare."

Clara let out a soft laugh, the tension between them easing just a bit. "So... just truth?" she asked, her lips quirking into a small, teasing smile.

"Yeah," Sarah said with a little shrug, a faint smile of her own beginning to form. "It's surprisingly deep."

Clara chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, fine. Do you wanna play 'Truth?'"

Sarah nodded, her smile growing a little more genuine. "Yeah. You get the first question."

Clara took a deep breath, thinking. After a moment, she spoke, her voice thoughtful. "Technically, I already did... when I asked why we stopped being friends."

Sarah nodded, conceding the point. "Fair enough. Okay, my turn." She paused, then asked, her voice a bit hesitant, "What did you see in the painting? The Denmark Tanny one, in your dad's study?"

Clara's face shifted, her expression becoming guarded. "I can't tell you. John B would murder me if I told you," she murmured, the loyalty in her tone unmistakable.

Sarah frowned, her curiosity intensifying. "But why? Why do you let John B boss you around like that?"

Clara's gaze softened, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. "It's for your safety, Sarah. And John B bosses me around because I'm his little sister. He just... he just wants to look out for me." She looked down, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Actually, he's probably worried sick about me right now."

"But something made you want to go to the archives, right?" Sarah pressed, her tone gentle but insistent, like she was trying to piece together a puzzle.

Clara's expression darkened slightly, her voice lowering. "Look, somebody who was supposed to be dead wasn't, alright?" she said, her words clipped, frustration bleeding through her tone.

"Like... your dad?" Sarah whispered, her voice soft with sympathy.

Clara's face fell, her shoulders slumping as she looked away. She didn't say anything for a long moment, the silence between them thick and heavy.

Sarah, realizing her mistake, reached out, her voice soft with regret. "I'm sorry. I am such an idiot. That was such a lame thing to say."

Clara nodded, accepting the apology but still lost in thought. After a moment, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I can't imagine losing my dad. My entire family would fall apart without him."

Sarah nodded, her gaze softening. "Everybody thinks he's this really rich guy, but he's from the Cut, like you. He busted his ass for everything we have. I... I really appreciate him for that."

Clara's lips curved into a small, sad smile. "You appreciate him."

"Yeah, I do," Sarah murmured, looking down, her hand resting on her lap.

Clara took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she spoke. "That's how I feel about my dad. The last time I saw him... we had this big argument about the Royal Merchant. I told him I'd prove him wrong, that I'd find it one day. And now... I want to find it for him. To make it right."

Sarah looked at her, her expression filled with understanding. She reached over, placing a hand on Clara's arm, a silent reassurance that she wasn't alone.

"You'll find it, Clara," Sarah whispered, her voice filled with quiet determination. "And he'll know that you were right all along."

Clara closed her eyes, letting Sarah's words sink in, a flicker of hope blooming in her chest-a belief that maybe, just maybe, she could make things right.

ASH SPEAKS!

i love them so much. i decided to split ep 4 into 3 chapters instead:) sorry you gotta wait for the kiss scene longer

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)