Chapter 3

Mark number, my darling diary.

Don't really know where to start. Yesterday was wicked. The feeling, the rush of energy I got after bolting to chase Ronald was, well, awesome. I felt so proud of myself! I didn't feel so happy about myself even when I got my one month badge from Bridget. Or my second month badge. Simply wicked. What comes to the bounty hunters no, I have not them today, but I just got out of bed and the only thing I have seen is Mr. Bunny ruining my mat. Ha ha. No seriously, Saturday! My very first day off from the pet store for ages.

I checked my money box and counted my money. A wide smile came to my face as I kept counting, because the sum in the box was far more than I had expected. It was partly my salary from the pet shop, partly the pennies I saved in New York and partly the money I get from the state in support to be able to pay the rent. The truth is that I did not even know people would rent out apartments with as low amount of money that I am paying right now. That makes it easy to save money quickly.

I turned back to my book excited, already knowing what I would get with the money.

New camera, here I come! And beach, and picnic snacks and cold drinks and palm trees and everything. Can't believe I have been living here for a week now and so far haven't been able to enjoy the beauty of this island. Or the shirtless, wet, surfing men. If you're into that kind of guys, I mean.

I got up from the bed and headed for the small closet I had in the corner of my living room. I got dressed up in my dark blue bikinis and put a very simple light blue summer dress on top, and ate a fresh breakfast of fruit salads and home backed bread, which I bought from the store yesterday after the arrest. I even had self made orange juice, this once when I could actually afford it. I hadn't felt that full for a while. I felt so full that I almost wanted to go back to my couch to wait till my tummy calms down, but the idea of a new camera exited me way too much to stay in one place more than two seconds.

A couple of hours later I had it. My very own systematic camera. Can't say that it was brand new because it wasn't. I bought it from a pawn shop, but the camera was fully working and had been used for only a couple of times. To me, it was perfect. I had always imagined how my first picture on my own camera would be from the beach, so that the picture would be filled with the colors; green of the palm trees, white and blue of the sky, brown of the sand and red of the flowers. A picture that would convince me that I really live in Hawaii, the island of fresh starts.

So to the beach it is. I soon found a decent spot for myself, half sunny and half shadow under a big tree. It was quite far from the water, but the scenery was perfect for the picture. I took the camera box from my bag and the camera out of the box, turned it on, aimed and snapped. There it was, just like I had always imagined.

After the most important and biggest task of the day, I lied down on my blanket and enjoyed the sun. I had my music playing and I was just simply relaxed. I thought of all the rich ass housewives of New York. They spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to relax in spas and treatments. Why don't they just move to Hawaii? I'm pretty sure even that there is no word for 'stress' in the Hawaiian language. I giggled to myself.

An hour or so had passed. I had been swimming in the cool blue ocean and returned to by blanket and towel. I laid on my stomach my face towards the road, when I saw something that made me feel weird. For the third time, in three days, I saw them cars. Black big cars parking one by one to the parking lot of the beach. There is no way I'm gonna run after their fugitives today, I thought. Absolutely no way.

But it seemed like I didn't have to. Mr. Chapman and Beth got out of the car, followed by their son Leland, and a young woman and another young man. Dog and Beth's other children, I figured. Then a couple of younger kids hopped out of the cars. They all had quite relaxed clothes instead of the weaponry vests I had seen them wearing two times already, and the girls were wearing dresses. It was almost weird to see them dressed up like normal people would, and I half expected from them to get the vests out of the car. But it was not the vests they pulled from the car, but surf boards for the two oldest sons. They all walked in one pack to the beach, found a spot big enough for all of them and settled there. The boys, big and small were the first ones to hit the water with their toys. The girls stayed put, changing clothes and organizing their blanket and spreading their snacks.

I was far enough, so they didn't see me. Or if they did, they would never have recognized me from the distance. I knew that for a fact, so I turned again on my blanket, let my music play and forgot the Chapmans. I would not let them bother my first, and only, day off.

My hours in the sun were simply perfect. I would stop by and get some cool drinks from the beach bar, I had my berries and fresh fruits and my music. I would swim time to time and just simply enjoy. I didn't even realize that the sun had started to set, and most of the people had already left the beach. I should too.

After this one last swim.

I took up, walked to the water and dived. I think I had burned my shoulders in the sun, but the water felt smooth and cooling. I floated in the water for a while, and dived deep under when a wave came crushing down. I felt like the ocean was all from me. I didn't have to worry about the surfer's hitting me, because I was far from the closest board. Or so I thought.

A figure came paddling on his board straight towards me. I pretended I didn't notice him, but he definitely had seen me and wanted to talk with me.

"Are you as good of a swimmer as you are a runner?" Of course, out of all the people on this island, it's Leland. He was paddling closer. He was wet from the surfing, and his long, black hair was tied up in a braid to be out of his way. His sunglasses he still had on. I wondered if he would ever take them off.

"I'm moved here from New York. We don't have oceans like this in New York."I continued floating until he was right there next to me. I was not in the mood to talk, or look at him scared I might drown if he would flash that model smile of his.

"You know, I wouldn't snap people's necks any minute." He said after a short pause and floated next to me on his board. Of course he remembers every single word I have ever said. I glanced at him and noticed his nicely figured tattooed arms.

"Back in New York I slept a kitchen knife under my pillow. Life has taught me to be careful." I said, looked at him and dived away. Without looking back I swam to the beach, packed my stuff and left.

Dear diary, Not again. Oh no, not again. Are they seriously stalking me? Following me where ever I go as I was one of their fugitives? Three days, three times. Thank God I will go back to work tomorrow; there is no way they will come there, at least not on a Sunday. Though thinking of the way things have turned out recently, maybe I shouldn't be so sure. But I will not start living my life again so that I will have to stare over my shoulders every second to see if someone is there, around the corner ready to get me. That's a pleasure I will not give them.