Free Voyage (Powerless Nation #2) by Ellisa Barr

surprised to see one of the ship’s gift shops was open and went inside to look around. It was pretty typical fare—key rings, coffee mugs and photo frames. The bookshelves were almost bare though. With no computers or tablets to occupy them, people were reading more books and magazines. The puzzles were sold out too. 
    She picked up a toy cruise ship that you could pull back and release to make it roll across the floor on its own. Her foster sister would love it. 
    A moment later Sena’s smile faded, and with a heavy heart she placed it back on the shelf. Her foster family was gone. Where would she go when they got back to shore? Maybe to find her mother?
    On her way out, Sena noticed the disposable cameras were almost sold out. Makes sense , she thought, since camera phones and digital cameras no longer worked. She decided she’d get one too, and document life on a stranded cruise ship. Maybe she could write a book about the experience someday.
    They only had waterproof cameras left, and they were slightly more expensive, but she had enough cash for one, and thought it would be fun to experiment with a few underwater photos.
    With the camera in hand, she became fascinated by what the other passengers were doing. One level up from the Lido was the Panorama Deck where the captain had addressed the passengers from the open air stage.
    Mattresses and blankets covered almost every inch of the deck, with only a few narrow pathways left for walking. Sheets were rigged to form barriers when possible, giving a sense of privacy for a few. It was cold at night, and they were lucky so far that it hadn’t rained, but it was better than being in the staterooms on the lower decks. 
    She snapped a few photos of the transformation of the deck, and then turned her camera on the people.
    Sena had always heard that tragedy brought out the worst in people. She’d believed it, based on the rioting and destruction she’d seen on videos at school of post-disaster areas. That’s what happened in most of the zombie books she’d read too. It was always every man for himself.
    That wasn’t what was happening on the ship though. Yes, a few people were difficult, still complaining about the onion sandwiches from the first day, or the red bags that everyone had learned to hate. However, most of the passengers were friendly and helpful to each other. 
    As she walked through the makeshift tent city she took a picture of a group doing Bible study and another of a man with a guitar leading a sing-along. She saw couples offer their cabins to parents with young children, and teens offer to wait in the food lines for elderly people. Everywhere she looked she saw kindness and charity, and it made her proud.
    She realized it had been a while since she’d seen Charity, and wondered how her bunkmate was dealing with everything. She decided to look for her.
    Charity was on the Lido Deck, curled up in a big towel on one of the pool chairs, shivering. Click . A moment frozen in time.
    “Oh, hi,” she said when Sena sat down next to her.
    “Are you okay?” asked Sena, pressing a hand to her forehead, worried she might have a fever. The last thing they needed right now with no working toilets was an outbreak of rotavirus. It was unthinkable.
    “Yeah,” said Charity. “Jessica dared me to go in the pool. I didn’t think it would be so cold.” Her teeth chattered and Sena could barely make out what she was saying. “It’s cold downstairs too, and stuffy. I figured at least up here I could breathe.”
    “Where did Jessica go?”
    “I don’t know. I think there’s supposed to be a dance a little bit later, and there are rumors they’re opening the bar. She probably went to get ready.”
    “I somehow doubt Ms. Friedel is going to let her go to open bar night.”
    “The Frizz won’t know. The teachers are in over their heads. No one wants to hang out below, and they can’t keep track of everyone coming and going.”
    “Don’t you want to