by Kristie Cook
Skylar took a bite of some beans she had just scooped up with her fork, then she poured more salsa on them. Her mind was so preoccupied with Mason’s rude comment, she only heard half of Kayla’s words.
“Skylar? Hey, Skylar?”
Skylar looked up, meeting Kayla’s gaze. “Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. No, I’m totally fine with it. We can go. I was hesitant at first because we don’t know them. But we’ll be out in public, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Kayla smiled, looking delighted. “Great. It’ll be fun. This is going to be one of the best summers ever.”
“Sure,” Skylar agreed, but something in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise. She brushed off the feeling. She didn’t want negative thoughts to get in the way of having fun. Then out of curiosity, she subtly turned her body and used her peripheral vision to check on the guys, but they were gone.
After the girls ate, they headed to the nearest store. Upon entering, excitement rushed through Skylar just from looking at all the clothes. Feeling carefree, she listened to the background music, skimmed through the racks, and picked out all types of clothing. So did Kayla.
With stacks of clothes draped over their arms, they headed to the dressing rooms together. The attendant gave them rooms across from each other. They had so much fun trying on different outfits, that it was like having their own mini-fashion show.
After spending about an hour in the store, they walked out with only one bag each. Skylar bought some shorts and T-shirts, and Kayla bought shorts and a light sweater. Then they headed to the next store. When they were finally tired of shopping, they decided to get some frozen yogurt.
Just before they entered the yogurt shop, Skylar noticed the guys from the food court standing a distance away. The thought of possible stalkers gave her goose bumps. Surely, she was overreacting. They had the right to be there, after all. They were sitting at their lunch table first. They might have been standing near the yogurt shop first as well. Either way, their persistent staring made her uncomfortable, so she entered a shoe store just to get away. When she looked again, they were gone. After a full day of shopping, she and Kayla went to the diner to grab some dinner.
***
As soon as Skylar entered the diner, she got a whiff of the delicious aroma from whatever Jack was cooking and the hunger pangs started. All that shopping had worked up her appetite.
The girls waved to Kayla’s mom, Mona, Jack, and the weekend waitresses. Not wanting to interrupt anyone, they headed to a corner table and sat.
“What can I get you, ladies?” Mona beamed a smile. “Out of all the places you can eat, you came here on your day off? You girls must be desperate.” Mona snorted.
“It’s called free food,” Kayla laughed. “With all the stuff we bought today, I’m going to have to sacrifice my stomach.”
“You surely are sacrificing your stomach with Jack’s cooking,” Mona teased. “Last call.”
Skylar giggled. “We’re fine, Mona. I’d like to order Jack’s famous burger with French fries, crispy thin. Don’t forget the ketchup, please.”
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same … I think,” Kayla said, looking undecided. “I’m so hungry. I could eat everything on this menu.”
“Got it. I’ll put your order through. Everything on the menu,” she winked, then became serious. Mona leaned over as if she was going to tell them a secret. “By the way, I haven’t seen the boys today.” Then she walked away.
Skylar had finally stopped thinking about Mason, but after Mona’s words? Well, now she was—again. He had already occupied her mind all day at the mall. She didn’t want the thought of him to linger any longer.
After ten minutes, Kayla’s mom brought dinner over and sat with the girls. “How do you like working here, Skylar?”
“I have to say, I was surprised how much I’m enjoying it.”
“That’s because you’re with me,” Kayla butted in. “Imagine working here alone and no one our age to talk to. Let’s see what you’d say then.” She looked at her mom, taking a huge bite of her burger.
Ignoring her daughter, Kelly continued. “Let me know if you decide you don’t like it. I’m not going to force you to work for me. Do you understand?”
“Sure, Auntie Kelly.” Skylar poured the ketchup on her plate and over her burger.
“So, what are you girls doing after dinner?”
“I think we’re—” Skylar started to say with a mouthful of food.
Kayla kicked Skylar under the table. “We’re going home. We’re exhausted from shopping all day.”
“Really?” Kelly looked surprised. “If you do decide to go out, make sure to stick together and be back home before I am. Well … .” Kelly stood up. “I’d better get back to work.”
“But you’re the boss,” Kayla pointed out.
“What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t set a good example, right? Remember that girls.” With a nod from Skylar and a roll of the eyes from Kayla, Kelly greeted the new customer that had just walked in.
“Why did you kick me under the table?” Skylar huffed. “That hurt.”
“Sorry, but I didn’t want you to tell my mom.”
“Why?”
“She wouldn’t let us go.”
“How do you know? You didn’t ask.”
“Trust me. I know. And like she said, we just need to be back before she is. No need to tell her where we are going or whom we are going with.” After they finished their meal, they headed home to get ready for the beach party.
FIVE
“There it is.” Kayla pointed, focusing her eyes on the bonfire, which was blazing skyward, dancing with the colors of red and orange. Readjusting her bag, Kayla slung it over the other shoulder and walked side by side with Skylar along the path. Nick had told Kayla to look for a bonfire, and what a bonfire she’d found.
Seeing Nick, Kayla waved happily. He grinned as he watched them approach, wearing only navy blue trunks. Holding a bottle of beer in his hand, he gave the girls each a light hug, then turned to his friends. “Hey everyone, this is Kayla and Skylar.”
Everyone waved without making eye contact, ignoring them to turn back to their own conversations. There were about ten of them. Skylar set her eyes on everyone when she greeted them, but she didn’t see Mason, or Doug, or whatever his name was. Feeling disappointed and not knowing why, she settled on the sand when Kayla took out a beach towel and laid it down.
The night air felt comfortable and the bonfire kept them warm, though it wasn’t cold out. Nick went to the cooler and brought back a couple of opened bottles. “Here.” He handed one to Kayla.
“Thanks,” Kayla nodded, taking a sip. Skylar gave Kayla a long stare, a look she used when she was not happy with her cousin, and Kayla understood. “What? It’s okay,” Kayla whispered and smiled. “I’ve had one before.”
Then he gave one to Skylar.
“I actually don’t like beer. But thanks anyway.” She tried to sound as polite as possible. She didn’t want to offend him, and she definitely didn’t want to tell him she’d never drank beer before.
“Oh, no problem. More for me then.” He chuckled and sat on the other side of Kayla.
As they sat there soaking in the perfect temperature, Skylar dug her feet into the sand. She loved the feel of the cool, soft sand seeping between her toes. Oddly, like Nick had said, there was no one else on the beach besides his group. This made Skylar uncomfortable, but she brushed off the feeling since they weren’t the only girls there.
With her arms extending behind her, she laid back, enjoying the music blasting from the iPad, but the waves crashing on the shore took her in. It was somehow hypnotic, soothing. Turning her head toward the sound, she could see the moonbeams, flawlessly reflecting silver lights along the ocean, wrapping Skylar with a feeling of peace and comfort. Mesmerized by the view, she thought she could gaze at it all night. Though she was tired from shopping all day, somehow being there awakened her, providing a new vibe of energy.
Unfortunately, the peace was interrupted when Skylar turned her head toward the bonfire again. The guy with the yellow trunks was gawking at her. His stare was unlike anything she had experienced before. She couldn’t tell if he was undressing her with his eyes, or if he wanted to hurt her, like a lion observing its prey, ready to attack. Awkward! Slowly, she turned without making it obvious she was uncomfortable.
Skylar wondered if she had a sign on her forehead that read ‘Please stare at me.’ First, there were the guys at the mall, and now this guy she’d barely met.
As always, though Kayla didn’t know it, she came to Skylar’s rescue. Relaxing as soon as she heard Kayla’s voice, she honed in on her conversation with Nick. Kayla didn’t waste time, and was not afraid to speak her mind, especially when it came to Skylar’s interests. “Where’s Mason?”
“He’s around … somewhere.”
“Are they all your friends?”
“The guy with the red trunks is my oldest brother. His name is Everett. And the guy with yellow trunks, my second oldest brother, is Remus. I’m the third one, and the guy that is missing, Mace … I mean Mason … is the youngest. Then the rest of the people are Everett’s friends.”
Remus was Mason’s brother? Great! What luck! Skylar was already off to a crappy start, but for what? It wasn’t as if she was interested in hanging out with Mason anyway, and it didn’t matter what she thought about Remus or what Remus thought about her. Still, she didn’t like the way he continued to glare at her, as if he was expecting her to do something horrible or suddenly turn into an alien or something. She couldn’t begin to guess what his problem was. Then she looked at the girls. Their hands were all over the brothers. “Hmm … good friends I’m sure,” she mumbled.
Kayla nudged Skylar with her shoulder, gesturing for her to keep her thoughts to herself. “So, you have three brothers. Any sisters?”
“Nope.”
“Do you go to school?”
“Nope.”
“Oh. So do you work?”
“Kind of.”
“Kind of? Okay, so … do you do anything?” Kayla turned her head sideways in confusion.
“Nope. We inherited tons of money when our parents passed away, so we’ll never have to work a day in our lives. Well, not really,” he explained imperturbably. “We own businesses.”
“I’m so sorry about your folks, but it must be nice not having to work, I guess.” Kayla nudged Skylar again when she rolled her eyes.
Strange and odd. Parents passed away? How? Funny, he didn’t mention Mason being a cop either. They kind of worked, but owned businesses? A huge red flag. They looked too young to own their own businesses. They were probably in their early twenties. Maybe if they inherited the businesses, then that would be a different story.
As horrid thoughts circulated through her mind, Skylar decided it was best to tune out their conversation. Speaking of parents reminded Skylar of her dad. He had left them when she was only eight years old, and she hadn’t heard from him since. He might as well be dead, she thought.
What kind of dad would purposely leave his family unless he didn’t care at all? It was difficult on Father’s Day, his birthday, Christmas, and other holidays, but slowly she had gotten used to the realization that she didn’t have a father. Though she tried to hang on to the happy memories of him, the older she got, the less the memories stayed with her. Then there was Kayla’s dad, who had left her mom a while back for a younger woman.
“Do you go to school?” Nick asked, changing the subject.
“We just graduated from high school. We’re both eighteen,” Kayla said, emphasizing her age.
“Cool,” Nick said, looking out into the ocean. His eyes dazzled in the moonlight. “Would you like to take a swim?”
“Sure.” Kayla looked at Skylar, gesturing for her to come along.
Offering his hand like a gentleman, Kayla took it. With Kayla’s other hand, she pulled Skylar and dragged her along. Though Skylar protested somewhat at first, she wanted to make sure Kayla was safe. Not only that, she didn’t want to be left alone there with Remus. After all, they didn’t know these people, and for some strange reason, she didn’t think she could trust them.
She sensed danger, but didn’t know why. Perhaps it was all the horrific stories she always heard on the news, or perhaps it was the way Nick didn’t seem at all sad about his parents’ deaths. Even more so, she didn’t like the way Remus stared at her. Whatever the reason, she was going to keep her eyes wide open.
Looking out into the calm, dark water, Kayla dropped her bag, and she watched as Nick dove into the ocean. Wiggling out of her top and shorts, the fabric from Kayla’s white bikini made her practically glow in the dark.
“Can you get any brighter?” Skylar teased.
“So you can see me better, my dear, said the wolf to Little Red Riding Hood,” Kayla giggled.
Laughing at her remark, Skylar shook her head. “I’ll be here, dunking my feet. You know I don’t like going in the water.”
“Okay, be careful. I’ll be back real soon.”
“Ya, right.”
Though Skylar felt like a third wheel, she wanted to stay close, for Kayla’s sake. Watching them go further in, Skylar took off her clothes, revealing a one-piece black swimsuit. Gazing to the right, she saw a pier, and did a double take when she thought she saw someone standing there. She dismissed it when there was no sign of anyone.
She was never fond of the ocean, the grandness and the strength of it frightened her. As long as she didn’t go in deeper than her knees, she knew she would be fine. Coldness stung her legs when she first dipped her feet in, but then she got used it. The temperature grew on her, becoming comfortable. Bored to be doing nothing, she dug her feet into the sand again, and somehow, it gave her a sense of serenity.
Checking on Kayla, she looked into the distance. Seeing their bodies pressed together under the moonlight looked romantic, so she focused back on her feet, not wanting to intrude on their intimate moment. Watching them make out was not her idea of fun, so she headed toward the pier. Skylar respected her cousin, but she couldn’t understand how she could kiss someone she’d just met.
Thoughts of her ex began to rush through her head. It had been several months since they’d broken up, but the pain re-emerged when she thought about what he’d done. They were together for almost a year, and after she gave her heart to him, he’d cheated on her.
Skylar swore she would be cautious with future relationships, and here she was, once again thinking about the cop, or whoever he was. Why did he have this effect on her? She didn’t know him at all. It’s pure lust, she thought. If he were there, she would kiss him, just to do something crazy, something she would never normally do. Maybe that was what her cousin was doing, something she just felt like doing. It wasn’t anything bad after all.
Something shimmering like crystal caught Skylar’s attention, changing in color from lavender, to pink, to gold under the water. Curiosity got the best of her and she inched her way toward it, now up to her knees in the water. As if she was spellbound, her whole being was sucked into the colorful tunnel of lights, and she couldn’t peel her eyes from it. The glittering light was calling out to her. She was hypnotized by its exquisiteness, unaware she was drifting further in.
When the water was up to her chest, she snapped out of it. Realizing how deep she had gone in, she panicked. How was it possible she had drifted this far out? Ever since the time she’d almost drowned at the beach, she swore she would never go in this deep. Though she couldn’t recall the full details, she could recall enough, as if they were etched in her memory. She had been eight years old, and it happened just before her father left the family.
Heaving, she felt like she was having an attack as her heart painfully hammered a mile a minute. Her muscles tensed up so tightly from fright that she couldn’t move or breathe. It was dark, and Kayla was too far away to hear her cry for help. After telling herself to calm down, she turned bac
k toward the land. After taking several long breaths, she moved forward, dragging her weight through the water and fighting the mild current.
Suddenly, she felt something wrap around her ankle. She didn’t think much of it, figuring it was just seaweed or some kind of sea plant. She reached down under the water to pull it off.
Suddenly, whatever it was latched on to her wrist. With a yank, it flipped her and she was submerged as her body turned with the wave. Desperately, she pulled, tugged, and fought with all her might, but she couldn’t get free. Managing to pop out of the water, she inhaled air with a loud extended gasp, only to get sucked back under again. Whatever this thing was, it coiled around most of her upper torso, and she couldn’t move her arms. With no air left, she blew bubbles. Unable to escape the thing that held her captive, she had no choice but to accept death.
Skylar couldn’t believe she was going to die. It wasn’t fair. She was too young. Her life had just begun. Thoughts of her mother, her aunt, and Kayla—who would blame herself—flashed through her mind. Though she hardly ever prayed, now was the time to do it.
Skylar’s eyes were already closed, but she could see a light, growing brighter by the second. Thinking it was an angel’s light, she calmed herself into a state of tranquility. As her body became light as a feather, she drifted into unconsciousness, hoping she was floating to heaven.
SIX
Mason’s whole body glowed brightly like a shooting star. He blasted through the darkness, and plunged into the murky, dark water so he could locate Skylar. The creature that held her captive in its vine-like tentacles had wrapped her up like a mummy and pulled her deeper into the ocean. Clutching one of its vines, Mason squeezed it forcefully and the intensity of heat from his electric-like power scorched it. When it unwrapped itself from Skylar’s body, more vines came slashing through from below.
Bolts that looked like lightning, darted out from the palms of Mason’s hands, but they didn’t scare the beast away. It retaliated by extending more vines. One wrapped around Mason’s waist when he dodged another that was trying to spiral around his ankles. He gripped it, sending blistering sensations through it. Sizzling, it uncoiled, but there were more around him.
