Aidan wiped a tear from his face, regaining his composure all too quickly.

The body of his cousin lay motionless on the floor, drenched in blood.

"Joyce," Aidan spoke calmly, despite his face rattled with anger.

He made his way behind her, standing tall and unfazed.

Tammy's hopes had vanished, all at once. An emptiness had replaced the desire for escaping, and her stomach churned deep inside, equally as vacant.

Her heart grew heavy as she watched on. Aidan was still behind Joyce, and had his eyes shut.

"Alex wasn't a pirate, Joyce. He was my only cousin."

His words hit her like a punch and for a second, a rush of guilt came over Tammy.

She had only met the man twice but he seemed genuine. Aidan loved him, that was clear.

"Close your eyes," Aidan instructed her, and just like that, her eyes shut. "Can you see it?"

A frown appeared on Joyce's face, causing even more wrinkles to appear. "See what?" she questioned, her voice tired and broken.

Aidan let out a breath. "The beach. It's beautiful, and it's waiting, just for you."

Tammy narrowed her eyes. This was odd, even for him.

"Golden sands, warm on your feet. The ocean is the clearest of blue..."

She tensed, suddenly alarmed by something Aidan had said. "What about the pirates?"

Aidan's jaw clenched, frustrated at the woman for interrupting his story. "There are no pirates here," he replied calmly. "In fact, there are only two people here."

Joyce smiled and Aidan swallowed; an action which was unusual for him.

Tammy gulped down air all of the time. Not because she was thirsty, but because she was anxious.

Aidan continued, taking another breath. "Can you see him, Joyce? He's waiting for you."

She fell forward, blood exploding from the back of her head.

Aidan had killed her.