Life was perfect.
Rays of sunshine were beaming down, but the heat was not unpleasant. Puffy clouds filled the baby blue sky, but it was not hazy. A cool breeze whispered to the trees, and the leaves were dancing softly in response. High above, songbirds emitted sweet melodies, which crashed lightly and delicately upon her ears. The most perfect thing of all, though, was that she was Natalie Kabra. Nothing could be more perfect than that.
In a world where anything that you could ever hope to dream or wish for was never out of reach, where you and all those closest to you were devoid of any flaws or imperfections, a place where the skies were the limit – that was her life. She was like one of those children on a Hallmark card – a radiant smile lighting up her face, hair swept up dramatically, and possessing a look in her eyes that said, "Don't you just wish you were me?" And unlike those models, pretending to be something that they were not, for her, it was all real. Every single moment of it.
And so, for her, this day was nothing out of the ordinary - or so she thought. The sun had not yet reached its highest point in the sky, but it was still gorgeous, especially for tanning. Wearing her newest and most stylish couture bathing suit, one of brilliant cobalt blue and gold, she had been spending the morning relaxing lazily beside the most peaceful of the Kabras' many outdoor pools. With her designer sunglasses, a freshly squeezed glass of lemonade, and a butler to cater to her every whim, it was promising to be a positively superb day.
Without raising her sunglasses or turning her face away from the sun, Natalie reached towards the small table where her lemonade was resting. Being more than an arm's length away, Natalie gave up and snapped her fingers. Immediately, her butler, a rotund, balding man, stepped forward, delicately picked up her drink, and handed it to her on a silver platter.
Finally, Natalie raised her sunglasses slightly and glanced down at her drink. "The ice cubes are melted."
The man looked startled. "My apologies, miss. Would you like me to bring you another drink, perhaps?"
"Yes," she replied curtly.
Slightly flustered, the portly man scurried away while carting off the now undesirable drink.
Finally rid of the commotion, Natalie lowered her sunglasses and settled herself back down on the lawn chair. He would be back soon with the fresh drink, no doubt – that is, if he wanted to keep his job.
With the disturbance behind her, Natalie permitted herself to be sucked back into the hypnotizing warmth of the morning. She could feel that warmth tickling her skin, working its way across her body. A small smile crossed her lips. Another fresh breath of wind swept across Natalie's face, and her smile instantly contorted. A putrid smell had entered her senses, filling them with something absolutely atrocious.
Natalie let out a small groan before she turned towards the cement wall at her left. Behind those walls lay the Kabra family zoo. The changing winds must have blown the nasty scents in her direction. No wonder this pool was so rarely used.
Frustrated at having her idyllic morning interrupted, Natalie grabbed her Chanel coverup as she stood, planning to continue her day elsewhere. Immediately, a dark shape in the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was moving quickly, its motions so fluid that Natalie barely noticed it at first. But when she turned, she let out a small gasp as she removed her sunglasses to get a better look. It was a monkey – a vile, filthy ape. More shocking than that, however, was that it was single handedly dodging every bar, wire, and measure of security that had ever been installed in the zoo.
Quickly, Natalie glanced around. "Hello? There's a monkey escaping over here!"
There was no reply.
Natalie clapped her hands loudly, hoping that the sound might wake one of the servants that she knew were always lingering about her.
There was still no response.
Natalie racked her brain for the name of any one of the Kabra employees but came up empty. "Butler? Servants? Peasant people? Anyone? There is a monkey escaping here!" Her voice was hoarse from yelling, but she continued. "I'll have you all FIRED if you don't get here this instant!"
Even then, no servants scurried out of the shadows to comply with Natalie's demands. She sighed exasperatedly. Of all times, it was now that they finally chose to leave her in peace.
Once again, she turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of the monkey's progress. To her horror, the monkey was swinging its way towards her.
I'm still safe, she thought. There isn't anything to break its fall on the other side of the wall.
But despite all odds, the monkey had managed to climb upon the wall and was pacing alongside the edge, looking for a way to land on the other side.
Natalie grinned triumphantly. He didn't have anywhere to go.
Suddenly, the monkey looked up and caught her eye. She could have sworn he had been smirking. Immediately, the filthy ape took one insane leap off the edge straight towards Natalie.
Natalie instantly emitted a shriek that could have shattered glass while scurrying backwards, not watching where she was going. Before she knew what had hit her, she had reached the side of the pool, tripped over the edge, and tumbled backwards into the aquamarine water below. Her spectacular splash was followed by an immediate crash.
Natalie, who had still been screaming as she had submerged, suddenly found herself under the surface of the pool with chlorinated water pouring into her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her hair was whipping across her face, and in her complete shock, she couldn't tell up from down. Immediately, she began thrashing her arms and legs wildly about her, trying to reach the surface. When she finally managed to pull her head above the water, her first act was to take a huge gulp of sweet, sweet air before beginning to choke and sputter. For another moment, she hacked and coughed, trying to get all the water out of her lungs. Then, she pulled the hair out of her eyes and tried to wipe away the water that was blurring her vision. Finally, when she could once again see clearly, she turned her attention back towards the monkey. Her now red-rimmed eyes opened in disbelief. The monkey had leaped down from the wall and landed precisely on her lawn chair, causing it to splinter to pieces.
Now, the monkey, who was grinning at the edge of the pool, gloating over Natalie, emitted a strange, chattering laughter before grabbing Natalie's sunglasses, placing them on his own face, and running off towards the Kabra's perfectly maintained green fields.
"Why you little-" Natalie shrieked, forgetting all about her previous misfortune as she rapidly began to climb out of the pool. "Those are Ray Ban!"
The monkey didn't look back but simply emitted more laughter before picking up speed in its run across the seemingly never-ending fields.
Still sopping wet, every thought other than catching that blasted monkey slipped from Natalie's mind. She took off, dripping as she went, racing across the luxurious fields in hot pursuit.
The monkey was fast.
Natalie hated to admit it, but she was losing – to a monkey. Normally, she prided herself on always remaining poised and sophisticated, but now, as she was running across a golf green in nothing but a bathing suit while chasing a monkey, she was anything but.
She wouldn't give up, though.
No one –neither man nor monkey- made a fool of Natalie Kabra. And so she ran. She ran until her sides hurt. She ran until her legs felt like falling off. She ran until the forest loomed before her. Even then, she continued to run. It didn't matter if it killed her - she would get that monkey.
Unfortunately, a forest meant trees – lots of them – and a monkey could climb trees. And soon after entering that gloomy wall of trees, that's exactly what the monkey did. It was sudden, that's all that Natalie could tell. One minute she was running, panting, trying to keep up with that monstrous beast, and the next, he was gone.
Glancing wildly about, Natalie tried calling to the monkey. "Here, monkey. It's okay – I won't hurt you. Now, be a good little monkey and come down, all right?"
There was no response.
It-it just vanished. But where? It couldn't have gotten that far, could it? Monkeys don't just vanish.
Yet, in her heart of hearts, Natalie knew that monkey was no normal monkey.
Suddenly aware of her lack of proper clothing, Natalie pulled her coverup even tighter around her shoulders as she involuntarily gave a quick shudder. The forest hadn't appeared this dark before, had it?
Natalie could feel her teeth begin to chatter as the wind's intensity began to increase. The frigid air caused branches to sway, which resulted in unsettling shadows playing across the forest floor. Tall trees loomed on either side of her, all reaching for the sunlight, depriving her own view of any light. A slight rustle in some nearby bushes caught Natalie's attention, and she let out a slight scream before slapping her hand over her mouth.
Oh, no. No, no, no. Not again.
It had been Ian last year. The memory resurfaced as she pressed her back against a tree trunk and slid to the ground. He had been playing golf – obviously not his favorite sport – when he had taken a wrong turn at one of the holes, and then-
No, it won't happen to you. You've matured since the last time. You're smarter now, older, wiser, and much, much prettier. You'll make it out.
Motivated by her pep talk, Natalie pushed herself off of the ground and began to survey her surroundings.
All right. On the left we have some trees. On the right we have some more trees. In front of me there are – gah! Aren't there anything besides trees in a forest?
Her answer came in the form of a large boulder sheltered between two large, overhanging trees.
A boulder. Great. Fantastic. No, wait! It's a landmark, isn't it? That can help me to-to…
A wave of helplessness washed over Natalie as she realized there was nothing that she could do. She hadn't been watching where she was going – she had simply been following the monkey. Now, even if she tried to find her way out, she would probably only manage to get herself twice as lost as she already was. A landmark couldn't help her now.
Frustratedly, with tears pooling in her eyes, Natalie sunk back against the tree, pulled her legs close to her chest, and buried her face in her arms. She was so cold, so lost, so afraid. It wasn't just the forest that frightened her, though. They would notice that she had gone missing eventually, probably sooner than later. They would come looking for her. That knowledge, however, was what frightened Natalie the most. Once they realized that she was missing, one thing was sure to happen.
Isabel would come looking for her.
"Madam?"
"What?" an extremely agitated Isabel Kabra snapped. Relaxing in a tilted leather chair, her face was currently covered in facial goo with cucumbers covering her eyes. Her hair was tied back, and several pedicurists and manicurists were busy at work on each of her nails.
Nail polish fumes filled the air, and the butler coughed before speaking up again. "Pardon me, madam, but your, uh, daughter has disappeared."
"Excuse me?"
"Your daughter has," the man winced slightly as he continued, "disappeared."
Isabel lifted her head slightly at this, even though the cucumbers remained on her eyes.
"Yvonne, darling, remember not to go too heavy on the reds this time. We want it to look natural, understood?"
A young girl nodded almost imperceptibly as her face drained of all color.
Even though her eyes were covered, Isabel seemed to sense the girl's response, and satisfied, she turned back to the butler.
"So, what you are trying to tell me is that my daughter has disappeared?"
"Yes, madam," he replied uncomfortably.
Isabel opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a voice interrupted her.
"Mrs. Kabra? Mrs. Kabra?"
Irritated, Isabel yanked her right hand away from one of the manicurists and pulled the cucumbers from her eyes.
"Another interruption?" she growled.
A young man in a security uniform, who had obviously been in quite a rush, now stood at the doorway, panting heavily.
"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but one of the animals escaped from the zoo."
"Escaped?" Isabel echoed.
"Yes, ma'am. It was one of those monkeys." Suddenly taking note of Isabel's dark mood, the man's eyes widened as he hastened to correct himself. "It wasn't my fault, though. It was that new guy, Bill. He was out for a coffee break and – "
Isabel interrupted the man with a wave of her hand. "It was Bill, hmm? Well, I really don't care whose fault it was. You're both fired." She waved a finger at the man, dismissing him, before she reconsidered.
"On second thought, find the monkey, and then you're fired." She waved her hand in the man's direction again.
The guard, his mouth gaping open like a fish, reluctantly turned to go, and the butler began to trail behind him.
Isabel sighed in frustration. "Not you, you idiot. Him," she said, pointing at the zoo guard again. "He and Bill are fired, not you. Although, right now, I am seriously considering it."
The butler stopped mid-step and turned back towards Isabel. "What can I do for you then, madam?"
"Tell me what happened."
"Well, madam, your daughter was sunbathing by the pool – the unused one – and I went inside to get her a fresh drink, you see." The man paused to take a breath. "When I came out, she was simply gone! In her place, there was a broken lawn chair – it was simply smashed to smithereens – and a trail of water was leading out of the pool onto the golf greens."
Isabel nodded slowly, evaluating this new information. "That pool is by the zoo, isn't it?" she muttered thoughtfully. She suddenly snapped her fingers. "You! Over there – yes, you!"
The fired guard froze before beginning to reluctantly make his way back to Isabel.
"Where did the monkey escape?"
"We're not sure, but we think it was probably the south end."
"That's where the pool is," Isabel concluded.
The young man's face suddenly lit up and he nodded vigorously, sending his floppy, brown hair bobbing up and down. "They must be connected! The monkey escapes right before Natalie disappears. Her lawn chair is broken and there's not a trace of either one-"
"Good grief!" Isabel exclaimed, obviously annoyed. "Are you trying to tell me that a monkey kidnapped my daughter?"
The man's pale face flushed bright red, and he lowered his gaze, seemingly entranced with the tile pattern.
"I am surrounded by incompetents," Isabel grumbled before turning to her numerous beauty workers.
"It looks like we'll have to postpone this for now, but stand by. I still need to get ready for tonight's party." She turned back to the two men. "As for you two, go get the dogs. We'll be needing them."
While average search and rescue parties would use dogs like bloodhounds and basset hounds, Isabel preferred the classier, more sophisticated dog – the poodle. Despite not being an animal person, Isabel didn't mind poodles quite as much. They weren't droolers, they didn't shed, and they were the smartest of all dog breeds. Because of their intelligence, it wasn't that far of a stretch to train them to use their noses, even if they weren't known as scent hounds.
"How many, ma'am?"
"Just bring them all – and hurry. I have a spa appointment in an hour."
And so, the two men turned, intending to follow through on their orders as Isabel finished up with her beautifying. They weren't sure where they would be going or what exactly was in store for them - one wasn't even sure if he would have a job after this - but one thing they knew for sure: it was time to bring in the homing poodles.
She could hear them long before she could see them.
The dogs were loud and were getting even louder with every step that they took in her direction. Their incessant yapping only heightened as they came closer and closer to discovering their prize.
Natalie knew that she should call out to them, make their search that much easier, but for some reason, she couldn't force her vocal chords to work. Still frozen in place, she felt like an outsider only watching the events taking place, not living them.
A furry body appeared between the trees, so fast that it was merely a blur. Several other dogs flashed through the trees straight towards Natalie, but no humans appeared behind them. The dogs, wired and panting from the hunt, anxiously paced back and forth, occasionally giving Natalie a quick nudge or sniff. Natalie didn't move.
Finally, several human figures emerged from the underbrush, and immediately, Natalie began to rise. Isabel was leading the group.
"Mum?" Natalie managed to croak as her mother approached.
"Natalie, darling," Isabel began, "just what do you think you were doing?"
"Mum, please!" Natalie pleaded. "There was this monkey, and it-it attacked me! Then it stole my Ray Ban sunglasses, and it ran away, and I – "
Isabel held her hand up, interrupting Natalie's rambling. "Natalie, Natalie, Natalie. I'm not angry. Not at all. What I am, though, is disappointed. In fact, I feel betrayed, betrayed by my very own daughter. Here I am, paying out of my very own pocket for your espionage lessons. I pay for you to learn how to find your way out of enemy territory, and you can't even find your way around your own house! I expect more from you, Natalie. You are a Kabra, and Kabras never lose – or get lost."
Natalie winced. If there was anything in the world that could pierce her like a knife, it was the "You've disappointed me" speech. It was something that she tried to avoid at all costs. Isabel was the one person that Natalie admired most in the world, and to disappoint her, well, that was even more painful than losing her Ray Ban sunglasses. Isabel was the one person that Natalie lived to please.
Sometimes, though, having a mother that was absolutely perfect had its downsides. It could be hard to live up to the expectations of someone who never, ever did a single thing wrong. Isabel was the only person that Natalie had ever met that seemed incapable of mere mortal mishaps.
As the sound of sudden barking shattered the otherwise silent air, Natalie jumped. The homing poodles had all crowded around one particular tree and were jumping up around it, clawing at the tree, trying to get at something hidden high above.
For a moment, the interruption diverted Isabel's attention away from Natalie and towards the racket.
"What has gotten into those stupid dogs?"
The zoo guard shrugged as he tried to pry one of the dogs away. "Beats me."
Another one of the men that had accompanied Isabel peered up into the treetops. "Would you look at that? It's that blasted monkey!"
Jubilantly, Natalie turned towards her mother. "See? I told you! That monkey led me here, and he stole my sunglasses!"
Isabel glanced down at her daughter, immediately silencing her, and then turned back towards the men.
"Go under the tree; you'll be needing to catch it."
The men obeyed although they were clearly quite puzzled by her instructions.
As soon as the men had positioned themselves underneath of the tree, Isabel produced a small, sleek dart gun. Both men immediately froze in fear, but Natalie remained calm. A Kabra always carried a gun.
Stealthily, Isabel swung her arms up and aimed the gun high in the trees. Natalie could barely make out the form of the monkey – it was about 30 feet off of the ground – but her mum had impeccable aim. Natalie glanced at her mother and saw deep lines of concentration furrow her brow. It had been awhile since her last botox treatment. Good thing her next appointment was in only a few days.
With one eye closed, Isabel fired her gun. A pop filled the air, and the black shape instantly plummeted to the ground. Both men waiting at the bottom instantly sprung into action and positioned themselves underneath of the falling monkey. They raised their arms and waited to cushion the creature's fall.
"Oof," one of the men groaned as the monkey fell into his arms.
A moment later, a pair of sunglasses came crashing to the ground right behind the man, and the lenses instantly shattered into a million tiny pieces. Natalie let out a cry.
"My sunglasses!" she sniffled.
"Relax, darling. We'll get you new ones," Isabel soothed before turning her back on Natalie and approaching the monkey.
"How exactly did he escape again?" she asked the zoo guard.
"That's the funny thing," he replied. "We have no idea. There was plenty of security – no other animal has ever gotten out before – and all of it was working properly."
A curious look spread across Isabel's face as she studied the out-cold monkey.
"He is all right, isn't he?"
Natalie inhaled sharply. Isabel hadn't asked if her own daughter was alright, but she had asked about a stupid monkey?
One man bravely spoke up. "I think so, ma'am. He's a tough one, and I don't think that gun you used did him too much harm."
Satisfied, Isabel turned back to the two men holding the monkey. "You two – carry him back. And be careful. I have… plans for him."
Natalie sniffled. Plans? For that-that creature? Natalie didn't know what to think. Her mother had paid more attention to that monkey than to her own daughter! That didn't mean that Isabel didn't care, did it?
Of course she cares! Natalie scolded herself. I am her daughter, her flesh and blood, not that stupid primate. She loves me, not him.
Still, a doubt gnawed at the back of Natalie's mind. Her family was absolutely picture-perfect. Why harbor any doubts? That's what she wanted to believe, but something wouldn't let her. Yes, maybe it was true that they weren't as affectionate as some families. That didn't matter, though. All those emotions like love and sentimentality were reserved for the weak. The Kabras were a loving family – they just weren't weak enough to show it. But then, if Vikram and Isabel really loved their children, why were they never around to show their support? Why were they always pushing them so hard? Why didn't Isabel act like she ca-
Angrily, Natalie extinguished any lingering doubt from her mind. No, Vikram and Isabel weren't sentimental parents, and yes, they pushed Ian and Natalie to their limits. Really, though, it was for their own good. Ian and Natalie weren't like other children, and it showed. And honestly, it wasn't like Vikram and Isabel were never around. With their busy schedules, filled with business trips and Lucian meetings, they were around as much as they could be. Even when they weren't, they made up for it. Natalie had everything that she wanted – clothes, shoes, purses – and plenty of attention. Both Vikram and Isabel made sure to dote on her, emphasize that she was better than the rest. It was because of Vikram's and Isabel's dedication, even if at times it seemed a bit harsh, that they weren't like the rest of the world. They were far better than that.
Satisfied, Natalie trailed after her mother.
"So, we're going to get new sunglasses soon, right, Mum?"
"Absolutely, darling. In fact, I was planning on taking a nice shopping trip after I finished with my facial and nails. I desperately need a new dress for the party tonight. The one I planned on wearing is too overused. I've already seen two people wearing it. Absolutely hideous." Isabel paused and glanced at her daughter. "I see that you'll also be needing a new swimsuit, yes?"
"Yes, Mum," Natalie responded eagerly. "This one got wet. There's no hope for it now, even if I cared to keep it."
Isabel nodded approvingly.
Positively glowing with the silent praise, Natalie proudly tagged alongside her mother as they continued out of the forest.
"Oh, and Natalie," Isabel started.
"Yes, Mum?" Natalie responded hopefully.
"Don't get yourself in this sort of situation again, all right, dear? Next time – if there is one – there shall be a few… consequences. Just make sure that it doesn't happen again, hmm?"
Feeling like a scolded puppy, Natalie nodded, keeping her eyes on the ground.
"Now then," Isabel said, suddenly cheerful, "after lunch we shall hit the stores and maybe even a spa day to go with it. Agreed?"
Immediately perking up, Natalie nodded vigorously.
A shopping trip, spa day, and an evening party where all the guests would be doting on her with their undivided attention. It was every girl's dream, but only Natalie was living it. Any average girl would give an arm and a leg to be in her position. Perhaps it was true, she had gotten lost, and her mother had gotten a bit upset with her. That didn't really mean anything, though. That was merely a small blight on her otherwise flawless existence.
Her life was still absolutely picture-perfect... wasn't it?