“She broke it off with him because he’s an asshole.” Carmen could have slept with the whole school and I wouldn’t have known, but that didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to let her talk crap about my friend.
“He’s a player anyway. You shouldn’t mess with that, girl.” Maya shook her head at Lexi.
“Whatever,” Lexi rolled her eyes, “nobody said I want to marry the kid. What’s wrong with having a little fun?” She licked her lips and I wanted to smack some sense into her, but I settled for tuning her out instead.
Willow and I met Carmen and Phoebe for lunch at the Hole, but all I could do was stare at the piece of pizza in front of me. The sun was beating down on me, draining what little energy I did have. I took a long drink of my water.
“You okay, Stasia?” Carmen asked me, squinting into the sun.
“Yea, I’m good. Just tired.”
“You haven’t even touched your food.” Willow held out her turkey sub, “You want some of my sub?”
“No that’s okay; I just need a minute-“ Willow started swirling in front of me along with everything else.
Where were my sunglasses? The sun was burning the back of my eyelids, so I squeezed them shut a little tighter. The good news was that the sand beneath me was warm and cozy. Maybe I’d just lay here for a while. I’d get up in a minute. Something tickling my foot interrupted my sleepy thoughts. I cracked my eyes open and sat up. A tiny white crab was trying its best to torment my pinky toe. When I leaned forward to get a better look, it disappeared into a small hole where my foot had been. I suppose I’d attack the foot blocking my home too.
Looking around, I realized with consternation that I had no idea where I was. I’d never seen a place more breathtaking. I was perched on a thin beach surrounding a very extensive lagoon. The sand beneath me was stark white and the waves lapping at the shore were a bright, luminous aqua.
Standing up, I brushed the fine, soft sand off my legs and took in the rest of the scenery. The colors were all so vivid, it almost hurt my eyes. Orange, yellow, and red fish darted back in forth in the perfectly clear water. Circling the beach in every direction was lush, dense forest with towering palm trees, massive banana trees, and colorful hibiscus and plumeria trees. Something told me I was on an island, but with the exception of a small wooden kayak down the beach there were no other signs of life.
I meandered toward the water and stopped once I was knee deep. The water was surprisingly warm and a school of tiny silver fish tickled my ankles. I started to dive in, when I realized I was wearing shorts and a tank top. Why didn’t I put on a bathing suit before I came out here? And most importantly, how did I get here in the first place? A scream broke my thoughts and I twisted around to find the source. I ran to the edge of the forest and stopped at the wall of trees, but could see nothing through the thick mass of green. I heard another muffled scream, so I pushed my way through as leaves and branches scraped against my arms and legs. It was immediately ten degrees cooler beneath the canopy and the fragrant smells of sage, oleander, and sweet mint were intoxicating. Huge pink and orange exotic flowers added pops of color in every direction. Coconut palms, avocado pear trees, mimosa trees, and oranges trees were everywhere I looked. At least there was no danger of starving. I stumbled for a few more feet and found myself on a worn, dirt path that continued in both directions. I stopped to listen and heard muffled voices to my left, so I took off in that direction.
The sound of bird calls above me in the trees followed me as I ran. It was actually closer to singing; a harmony of different sounds melting into one beautiful symphony. I caught sight of a couple toucans and parrots with blazing feathers of blue, yellow and red. They reminded me of Phoebe’s dress. Where were my roommates? Were they here too? The path began to widen as a small house came in to view. I stepped off the trail to blend back in with the forest, walking carefully so as not to make any noise. Peeking over the tall leaves of a banana tree, I was surprised at how small the house appeared. I didn’t even know if I’d call it a house. There was only enough space for a door on the front and a skinny window on each side. Made up of a green stone, it was well camouflaged. Its roof was made up of rounded slats of wood.
Loud noises came from within the house and I hesitated, trying to decide what my next move should be. If I barged in ready to save the day, what would I do then? What if they had weapons?
What if it’s just kids playing around? I had no way of knowing from outside. Then I heard a woman yell and another loud thud. I inspected the ground around me for something that could double as a weapon. I heard a loud creak and looked over my shoulder as the door of the house opened. I crouched down and held my breath in anticipation. A woman stepped out and slammed the door behind her. She turned and pulled out a ring of keys, locking it. When I saw her face, my veins turn to ice. Her rich, brown hair was pulled back and she had scratches down the length of her face, but there was no mistaking who it was. Isadora.
She touched her face and winced, mumbling something I couldn’t hear. She passed my hiding place and disappeared into the forest. Still holding my breath, I listened for any other sounds coming from the house. Silence. The lack of noise was almost worse than the alternative. What if someone was dead in there? Did I really want to find a dead body? But if someone’s hurt, I had to help them. I checked to make sure Isadora wasn’t coming back, and then scurried up to the front door. I tried the knob even though I saw her lock it. It didn’t budge. I moved around the side of the house and peered into one of the windows. What I saw inside had me stumbling backwards. Even though the exterior of the house couldn’t be more than five feet wide, it was colossal inside. Was I hallucinating? I peered back in the window and blinked several times making sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. I was looking into a sprawling living room that boasted a large stone fireplace with bookshelves on either side that extended floor to ceiling. A sitting area had been set up facing the fireplace with several plush couches and arm chairs. Behind that a huge desk was flanked by even more shelves filled to the brim with books. A large painting of a woman hung on the side wall. My eyes traveled downward and I saw a figure slumped on the floor. I squinted trying to make out more detail, but the glare of the sun on the window made it impossible to see.
I tried to open the window but it was locked as well. I stalked back in to the forest and picked up a thick branch that was somewhat pointed on the end. Standing back from the window, I swung it into the glass with all of my strength. It created a large jagged hole just big enough for an arm. I gritted my teeth as the sharp edges caught and tore my skin open. I felt around for the latch and pushed it the other way hoping to unlock the window. With blood dripping down my arm, I pulled on the window again and this time it gave easily. I lifted myself up and through the window. Jumping down onto a lavish rug, I ran to the opposite side of the room, hoping the person was still alive. Her long hair and slight build told me it was a woman. Her hands and feet were bound by a piece of rope.
She looked unconscious, so I knelt down beside her and brushed her blonde hair out of her face. I covered my mouth and tried not to scream. Kira. She had blood matted hair and several large cuts and bruises on her face. I held my hand below her nose and felt a light stream of air that told me she was still breathing. A piece of tape covered her mouth.
“Kira!” I patted her face gently trying to wake her “Kira, wake up!” She moaned but didn’t open her eyes or move. I had started to untie the rope around her feet when the world shifted. I fell sideways against the wall and everything went black.
“Give her room; she’s not going to wake up if you’re smothering her!”
“But shouldn’t she be waking up by now?” I recognized Carmen and Phoebe arguing, as I opened my eyes.
“Stasia!” Ignoring their cheers, I threw my legs over the side of my bed and pushed them out of the way. Immediately, the room spun and I had to sit back down.
“Oh, no you don’t. Not again.” Carmen grabbed my shoulders and tried to lay me back down.
I shoved her arms off.
“Kira’s in trouble!” I frantically tried to stand back up, but my body had no energy to fight Carmen. I glanced down at my arms, but didn’t see any sign of scrapes or dripping blood.
