Dive into the fathomless dark of "Abyssal Whispers," a chilling anthology that plunges readers into the haunting abyss of the world's oceans. In this collection of tales, a cadre of contemporary horror writers steers you through the uncharted waters...
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Jillian anxiously tapped her manicured nails on the brushed steel table as she glanced at her watch for the tenth time. She had arrived early to the luxurious Poseidon Undersea Resort to prepare for her meeting with an important client, Henri LaRoche, the CEO of a major shipping company based in Marseilles. If she landed his business, it would be the biggest deal of her career.
She had dressed to impress in a sleek black pantsuit and triple-checked her presentation. The resort's two-story curved acrylic window offered an unparalleled view of the vibrant coral seascape, but Jillian was too preoccupied to enjoy the scenery. Her future at the company depended on nailing this meeting.
A friendly attendant approached her table. "Would you care for another glass of wine while you wait, ma'am?"
Jillian gestured to her half-empty glass. "Yes, thank you. I assume Mr. LaRoche has checked in?"
"Not yet, but we expect him shortly," the attendant replied before heading to the bar.
Jillian took a large swallow of wine, wondering what was keeping Henri. Her phone showed no new messages. As she set down her glass, the liquid vibrated from a distant boom.
The attendant rushed back over. "My apologies. That was just some routine blasting on a tunnel expansion project."
Jillian nodded uneasily. The reminder that they were deep below sea level in a complex of high-tech tubes and chambers did little to calm her nerves.
She checked her watch again. Henri was now 15 minutes late. A knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. She called his phone but it went straight to voicemail.
"Mr. LaRoche, this is Jillian Myers from Apex Global Shipping. I'm just following up regarding our four o'clock appointment. Please call me when you get this message."
Jillian hung up with a frown. It wasn't like the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company to be late without notice. She strode to the lobby hoping Henri had simply forgotten to charge his phone again. But the front desk had no record of his arrival.
When Jillian returned to her table, the surface of her wine glass was rippling slowly. She placed a hand against the window. The usual parade of fish and sharks had vanished, leaving an empty blue void. Straining into the abyss, she could just make out a disturbing dark mass approaching in the distance.
Growing more alarmed by the minute, Jillian hurried to find the attendant. Guests cried out in surprise as all the lights in the resort suddenly cut out, blanketing everything in darkness. Confused murmurs gave way to tense silence. After a few endless minutes, faint emergency track lighting blinked on, casting shadows across the cramped corridors.
Jillian rushed up to a staff member. "What's happening? Is this normal?"
He held up a walkie-talkie. "I'm still trying to get through to engineering. The main grid must have failed."
