Cassandra’s heels clicked harshly against the coarse rust of the fishing vessel’s deck, briefly echoing off the metal railing, likely driving her travel companions mad. She hadn’t stopped pacing since they left the shore. Few times had Cassandra been out at sea, or anywhere near a beach for that matter. Sure she’d gone to Miami with her family once or twice, or down into the swamplands to visit the gator breeding grounds, but she’d never felt particularly called to the mysterious, briny depths; something about the sea made her incredibly nervous. 

	Even so, Cassandra put on airs when around her coworkers, her pacing evenly spaced, one heel in front of the other, more of a slow strut than a pace. She didn’t wear her anxiety, or if she did, it was hidden behind layers of dark make-up. In fact, her attire made her appear quite confident. For this particular occasion, she donned a sleeveless, low-cut, black, asymmetrical dress and draped herself in a feathery black cloak. As always, her legs were quite exposed despite the weather, but she didn’t mind. There wasn’t time to think about frostbite when she was more worried about being dragged into the blue abyss. 

	When at last they docked, Cassandra was the first off the boat, her quick stride onto land possibly betraying her false confidence. She was amazed at what she saw on the island, a house fit for a queen with all the furnishings and adornments to match. It was a truly magical sight, and Lenya’s silhouette only added to the house’s splendor. 

	“Welcome to my home, everyone,” she approached the group with a smile, greeting them all warmly. “A fine Martinmass to you all.”

	Cassandra was unfamiliar with this particular holiday. She grew up in a Southern Baptist home and her mother was rather vocal about her views of Catholicism. Cassandra never understood her mother’s deep hatred of the other denominations, but then again, she didn’t understand any of her mother’s ways. In fact, her mother left such a bad taste in Cassandra’s mouth for Christianity that, in all the time she’d spent away from home, she never once stopped to celebrate any of the commercial holidays out of principal. But now Cassandra had coworkers to bemuse and impress, so her disdain for the holiday season would have to come to an end. 

	“And to you,” Cassandra replied. “I’m afraid I only bring the gift of my company. I’ll let you decide how much that’s worth.” She might have sounded cross or bitchy, but Cassandra was genuinely thrilled about such an opportunity. She never attended university and didn’t have much in the way of teenage years, so she had never really been invited to any sort of party or gathering. It may have been coworker obligation that Lenya asked, and maybe Cassandra felt obligated to attend, but she was happy to be there nonetheless.