To the beach!
After a few minutes, I was pretty much ready to go. I stuffed my Finding Nemo beach towel and Trina's Nightmare Before Christmas beach towel into my cute blue, black and silver mesh beach bag. On top of the towels in the bag were two outfits for my sister and I to change into, sunscreen, sunglasses, my awesome duct tape wallet, a book, and a camera. Yeah, it's a big bag.
I checked and double checked that I had everything I needed. Then I set the bag in the fancy chair and grabbed a couple of water bottles from the fridge to throw on top of everything in the bag. Pausing to rethink, I grabbed two more just in case.
"Trina!" I yelled as I closed the bag. "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Slipping on my white flip-flops, I glanced at my digital wrist watch at the time. It was almost five minutes past our meeting time. "Nope, scratch that, we're late!"
"I know! I'm coming!" I heard her call. She came out of the bathroom and slipped on her shoes.
I hoisted the beach bag onto my shoulder and shoved my room key into the back pocket of the white shorts I was wearing. We waved goodbye to our mom and left the room. Out in the narrow hall, we shouldered past people to the landing for our deck. Stepping in to the crowded room, I immediately spotted the two blonde and brown haired girls leaning against the far wall by the elevators. There were a bunch of people around the elevators, waiting to go down to exit the ship. Pushing through the crowd to them was going to be impossible, not to mention trying to get into an elevator. I didn't want to jam myself into such a small space with so many people. The thought already had me freaking out.
Kaity and Natalie maneuvered through the cluster of people to stand with us. Kaity saw the look of pure torture on my face as I gazed at the crowd before us.
"You're going to make me walk down all those stairs, aren't you?" She whined. Sighing at my pleading eyes, she hoisted her beach bag up higher on her shoulder and turned around to face the fancy double staircases behind us. "To the stairs!" She exclaimed dramatically, pointing to them. The four of us turned and started to flip-flop our way down the ten or twelve flights of stairs.
As we were turning on the landing for deck four, a wave of dizziness swept around my head and I lost my balance while turning the corner. I expected to run into the wall or trip down the next flight of stairs, but instead, I unexpectedly collided into a person jogging up the very same flight of stairs. In a gasp of surprise, I tripped both of us into the nearest wall.
Red faced in embracement and horror, I regained my balance and turned to help the poor guy I knocked to the ground. "Oh, God! I am so sorry!" I exclaimed, tossing my braided hair over my shoulder.
The guy that I ran into just laughed and waved it off. "No problem. It was an accident."
I stared at the guy, my mouth hanging open like an idiot. Damn! He was hot! He must have been about my age or at least a year older. Lightly tousled, ear length blonde hair framed his striking face that held the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. All I could do was stare stupidly at the guy.
"What's your name?" The guy asked when he was level with me. Standing two steps below the one I was on, we were at the same height.
My name? Oh my gosh, my name! He just asked what my name was! What do I say? I should tell him my name. What is my name? And I'm staring! Snap out of it! I panicked in my head.
"Huh?" I answered brilliantly.
"Sam?" Kaity called from two flights down.
"What?" I shouted, looking away and over the edge of the rail at her.
"Come on!" She called up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing! I'm coming!" I looked at the guy and grinned stupidly at him. "Uh, sorry, I have to go," I said as I hastily stepped down the stairs. "Maybe we'll run into each other again!"
"I certainly hope so!" The guy shouted after me with a smile. I turned to go down the next flight, grinning all the way down to the bottom of the ship. I certainly hope so as well.
The four of us reached the bottom deck and exited the ship. Once out on the wooden boardwalk, I could finally breathe. The feeling of being trapped ebbed away a bit. Laughing, the four of us began the ten minute walk to the beach of Castaway Cay. The sun glittered on the water, beckoning for anyone to jump into the cool waves.
Reaching the sandy shore, we set our stuff under a vacant umbrella spot before shedding our shirts and shorts. I threw my clothes on the beach chair and fixed my swim suit so that nothing would fall out, because that would just be humiliating beyond anyone's imagination. My swim suit was a two piece, but I wouldn't call it a bikini because the top piece stopped at where my bottoms began. It was a halter top that was a dark turquoise color with an elegant, white spiral and dragon design. I left on my white denim shorts over the matching bottom. My bangs lifted weakly from my face before settling back down just over my eyes as I dug through our beach bag.
I spread my Nemo towel over one of the beach chairs that was in the sun and laid back on it. Leaning forward, I pulled a water bottle out of the bag and took a sip from it. Then, I grabbed my book and sunglasses and became comfortable.
"Wow," I heard Kaity say. "How long do you plan on lying there?"
"Until my skin cells decide to stop being albino," I answered as I turned a page and looked up at her.
She laughed and laid down in a chair next to me as Trina and Natalie ran off to the cold ocean. How did I know that it was cold? Because as soon as they ran in they started screaming about it being freezing. I looked over to Kaity who was laughing at them. Her swim suit was a dark and light purple halter top swim suit. It had a simple design and tied in the back. She was also wearing a pair of light colored denim shorts like me. Her short hair hung freely about her face and neck, not bothering to pull it back. A pair of black and silver sunglasses sat on top of her head.
Grabbing one of the waters from my bag, Kaity gave me a sly look. "So, what happened on the stairs? You were talking to someone and that someone's voice sounded hot."
I grimaced. "I lost my balance on the stairs and completely tripped over myself and shoved this really cute guy into the wall," I muttered into my book. She laughed as the blood rose in my cheeks.
"Perhaps it's your dramatic romance starting?" She teased me. I threw my book at her. She just laughed harder.
I sighed and stood up stretching. "Do you want to go look around the island?" I asked while putting on my flip-flops.
"Sure," She said putting on her own.
We told our sisters where we were going and to watch the stuff. Kaity and I walked around the island for about an hour before we decided to see if we could find the exclusive Teen Beach (a spot on the island where only teenagers were allowed to hang out). After some searching and asking for directions, we found it on the complete other side of the island like the Adult Beach, but here there was a waterfall in a rock alcove, boardwalks that wound around giant tree structures, shacks, and even a wooden obstacle course. It was new, from the looks of it, but was being well used by other teens our age. There was even a smaller island that was connected to the big island by a bridge. We went over to the smaller island.
Kaity climbed up and sat on a tree that was growing weirdly out to the side over the small island. I joined her and we sat there talking. When our conversation paused, I looked around the area and felt a wave of recognition wash over me.
"Hey, Kaity." I said still looking out over the island.
"Yeah?" She said looking away from some really hot guys playing volleyball.
I brushed a straying hair away from my face. "Does...does this place remind you of Destiny Islands? You know, from Kingdom Hearts?"
"Destiny Island?" She echoed confused.
"Yeah. I don't know why, but that's what this beach reminds me of. The way everything is set up... just makes me think about it."
Kaity looked at her surroundings, raking her gaze over the ocean that seemed so still and then to the way the buildings and wooden platforms were built. Even the way the wooden walls were placed along the white sandy beach.
"Huh... do you think it was done on purpose?" She asked.
"I don't know... It's weird, right?" I said hoping down off the tree.
"Definitely." She said sliding down too. "Kind of makes you want to start acting out the scenes, huh?"
"Nope, just you, hon." I laughed and looked back at the ocean with a small smile. We were two teenage girls with dreams that will most likely never come true. No matter how hard we wish or pretend. Of course, when I was younger I always hoped that my dreams would come true like every other kid in the world. I waited and waited, but they never came. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who ever sat in their room at night, gazing up at all of the first stars, wishing on every eyelash, 11:11, and birthday candles. Had hopes like that and watched them be destroyed. Talk about living in a dream. Besides... I don't really think I would want my dreams to be real.
My eyes widened at that last thought. It surprised me. Of course I wanted my dreams to come true. Who wouldn't? But it sounded like some part of me was afraid for them to be real. And maybe some part was.
Shaking the confusing and depressing thoughts from my head, I looked at Kaity with a smile on my face.
"Come on, let's go swim." I laughed. "We've been on this island for two hours we haven't even been into the ocean yet. It's ridiculous."
Kaity looked up and smiled. "Alright," She said getting up. "Race you!" She shouted, taking off over the bridge and down to the beach.
"Hey!" I yelled running after her. "You cheater! You're supposed to tell me and then run!" I yelled after her.
"I did!" She laughed. I laughed and pushed her to the side when I caught up with her. Before we hit the water's edge, I ran out of my flip-flops, not bothering with taking off my shorts. I had another pair in my bag anyways. Kaity and I ran laughing into the crystal clear water until we were about waist deep in the water. That was when Kaity realized she didn't bring another pair of shorts and didn't take off the ones she was wearing. "Aw, crap! Now what am I supposed to wear?" I laughed at her misfortune.
As I was laughing, Kaity snuck up behind me and dunked me under the water. I gasped as salty water flooded my mouth and lungs. I kicked my legs and resurfaced six feet from Kaity in shoulder high water. I coughed out the water and rubbed my eyes. Kaity was laughing at me as she walked through the water to me.
"Stupid!" I yelled at her. "I could have drowned!"
Yeah, but you didn't," she stated. I splashed her and swam out further. We were laughing and kicking water at each other, acting like a couple of seven-year-olds. When we got tired, we both flipped onto our backs and floated on the ocean. The sun was already starting its descent down out of its high. Judging from its position, it was probably almost 1pm. The heat of the sun was making me drowsy as the waves gently rolled under me.
"Stop bumping into me, Sam," Kaity suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts. "Leave me alone, I'm tired."
I looked over at her from where I was. I was nowhere near her. "Tell me, Kaity, how can I be touching you when I'm all the way over here?"
"What?" She said, turning off from her back. She saw where I was and her face changed from confusion to a whole other emotion.
Panic.
"Then what the hell is wrapping around my leg?" She almost shrieked.
Then she was gone.
I stared at the ripples and air bubbles that were in her place.
"Not funny, Kai." I called to her.
She wasn't coming back up.
"Kaity!" I yelled, starting to panic. "Damnit! This isn't funny!" I tried to swim over to where she disappeared, but was stopped. I felt something curling around my own leg. I opened my mouth to scream, but I only sucked in water. The salt burned my throat and tore at my lungs, but I screamed anyways. Water and bubbles swarmed over my head as my ears popped under the pressure. The pressure was so strong it pushed against my lungs and eyes. The last thing I saw was a bright light rushing toward me. Then darkness closed over my mind and senses.
When my body finally decided that I could be conscience again, pain vibrated like a jackhammer through my nerves. Everything hurt. I felt like a lead weight. What happened to me? I was in the ocean... and then I suddenly wasn't. I was being pulled down. Drowning in the watery darkness.
A sudden gush of salt water flooded up my throat and out my mouth. I propped myself up on my elbows, coughing out the disgusting liquid. My eyes burned from the salt still encrusted around them. I listened for any sounds, but only silence echoed in my ears and mind. The ground beneath me felt smooth, like glass. Weird.
Bringing my hands up to my face, I wiped away the salt in my eyes and brushed my dripping bangs away from my face as I sat up. My body protested viciously at the movement. I felt terrible.
Of course you do, I thought to myself, you just drowned, stupid. The only reason I'm not thinking that I died is because when you're dead you shouldn't be able to feel pain. And boy, do I feel it. I opened my eyes all the way and slowly pushed myself onto my feet.
Well, I'll tell you one thing, the lighting in this place is no different than when my eyes were closed. A large dome of darkness surrounded me, stretching into nothing. I looked around the darkness, scanning it for any possible light in vain. But there was no light around or above me. The light that drew my eyes was coming from below me. I looked down and gasped.
The floor was glowing.
How could I not have noticed that?
I was standing on a glowing floor. Brilliant. Bending over, I took a closer look at it. Huh, I was right about it not being stone at least. Nope, it was glass. Stained glass. I was standing on a stained glass platform, surrounded completely in a never-ending darkness.
I knew exactly where I was.
Am I dreaming, or did I really die?