Read End of the Line (Book 2): Stuck in the Middle for Free Online Page A

It was pitched black now except for a dim lantern.
    I opened Keith door. He was still asleep. I saw his silhouette on the cot. I put the chili on a stack of boxes and hoped he would find it in the morning.
     
                  The whales again. I woke up in the middle of the night, Henry snoring besides me. This time I didn’t wake up with my heart fluttering.
                  They were singing and their sound soothed me. I tried to mediate but I couldn’t stop my thoughts. I closed my eyes and listened to their song. Was it a happy one? Were they glad to have a reprieve from being hunted, from sonar and pollution? I knew when society started to come back, some might whale hunt again. Jim won’t allow our group to do it and I agreed. This was a fresh start and we needed to things right.
                  My bladder decided to wake up with me. The boat was deadly silent, dark and rocking gently. Despite the windows were closed I could smell the sea air. I felt around for the flashlight. We used lanterns for regular light but flashlights to find the bathroom. I found the cool round cylinder and turned it on. I flashed my light on the door, half expecting to see a zombie, but there was none.
                  The whales sang again.
                  The salon was empty as I waked through it. One lantern was still on, so I got some illumination. I made my way to the suite. I didn’t flash my lights on the bed, instead went directly into the bathroom. I heard Mike snoring slightly. I know that Mike and Hannah did watches together to have some alone time. They could close the door to the other suite, you could still hear everything.
    I only had to pee so I didn’t flush. We don’t waste water, so if it’s yellow let it mellow. 
                  I tiptoed out of the room back into the salon and planned to go back to bed when the whale sang again.
                  Instead of going back, I went to the stove and put on the tea kettle. I waited five minutes to boil and put some in a mug with instant coffee and powdered cream. I would go to the bridge to see the whales, not that I could see much in the dense blackness, on the pretense of giving coffee to Dave.
                  I put on the coat Jim got me yesterday that was now hanging on a hook by the door and switched my slippers for my boots. The door of the deck was littered with boots but I found mine easier, the one for the giant feet. I didn’t put on my hat and would probably regret it. I opened the door to a biting wind and the stronger smell of sea air. I flashed my light outside. The sea was slightly rough but not that rocky.
                  Then I saw a silhouette of a man standing at the bow of the ship.
                  “Dave?” I said, flashing my light on him.
                  The man turned around.
                  It wasn’t Dave, but Keith. He was wearing a flimsy coat that I think belonged to Henry and no hat or scarf or anything. I thought he was locked in the storage room. I realized I didn’t lock the door after I left him food.
                  “Keith?” He didn’t respond. I walked to him, got up beside him. He didn’t move. “What are you doing?”
                  “Listening. Their song is beautiful and haunting.”
                  “It’s freezing out here, let’s listen inside.”
                  “I wanted to join them.” My heart began beating a little faster. Did I interrupt Keith planning to kill himself?
                  “Keith, were you going to jump?”
                  He didn’t respond. He stared at the black ocean but made no attempt to go overboard.
                  “What happened?” I said, touching his shoulder and he flinched.
                  He pulled away, not to jump but to move from me. He