Tom…
The fact that Tom had tried two different languages on the men hoping that they would speak anything except the native tongue they were now using bothered him. He shifted uncomfortably on the sands of the beach where he had been carried off to as the men circled him skeptically before pulling out what looked like a tattoo kit—undoing the end of a needle as they dipped it securely into a black liquid that smelled suspiciously of hemp. At least Tom could rest assured that whatever they were doing wasn't permanent.
"Anyone here mildly interested in telling me what's going?" Tommy asked in a slightly irritated tone as all of the men grinned before shaking their heads. Well, there went that idea. The gestures made Tommy more than a little nervous. It made him antsy. He hated not being in control of a situation but, with very little money and no cruise ship until tomorrow, he figured he didn't have much choice except to let the day progress on its eerie course. The sound of the needle hitting his skin made him wince as he watched the men start sculpting what appeared to be a tribal symbol along the lines of his biceps. Great! He was now a human totem pole. Maybe this wouldn't be like Joe Vs. the Volcano where Tom Hanks is sacrificed to the gods to prevent an eruption. Were there volcanoes on this island? Tom clenched his teeth together as the needle dug deeper into his skin before the men finally backed away to peruse their art work critically—nodding as they all slapped each other on the back and smiled whimsically. Tom shrugged.
"Now all you guys need are a couple of bags of salty potato chips and a case of beer and you'd have a party going on." Tom stated dryly as the men just grew quiet before staring at him with a frown. What? Did he say something wrong? The sound of drums behind him made Tom cringe. Why did he suddenly feel like there was some sort of festival being started here that revolved around his and Jude's presence? Where was she anyway? Tom tapped one of the men on the shoulder.
"Could you tell me where the girl I came with is?" Tom asked curiously as he crossed his fingers in an attempt to help his chances of getting a positive answer. The man shrugged and smiled before pointing a finger out towards the ocean and Tommy turned around warily—staring out into the water as a strange raft with a throne-like chair erected in its center moved toward the shore. A beautiful girl was seated on it cloaked in a sarong like dress with a crown of flowers adorning her head and Tommy had to squint a moment in bewilderment before he realized it was Jude. Well, wasn't this surreal? It was like watching something out of a dream—with the fantasy descending upon reality a little too quickly for the occupants to grasp what was actually going on. Jude just stared back at him in equal confusion—the fire from surrounding torches reflecting in her eyes as the raft scooted up to the shore while several of the guys that had been annoying Tom for the past two hours walked forward to help Jude out—escorting her in a strange gentleman-like fashion over to Tom. She raised a brow up at his tattoo covered arm as she approached.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" She whispered conspiratorially as Tommy shrugged. She wasn't the only one.
"Maybe this'll wind down soon and they'll let us go." Jude continued as Tommy laughed. Jude almost made it sound like they were captives. Ugh! Maybe they were. A Vahine girl started singing as a man dressed in flamboyant garb moved to stand in front of Tommy and Jude before grabbing each of their hands and speaking in fast, native precision—gesturing wildly as he commenced before tapping Jude and Tom both on the foreheads and then motioning at the guests to let them know they could dance.
"Tis now done." The man replied in broken English as Tom stared up at the guy in horrible curiosity.
"What's done?" Tom asked as Jude placed a hand over her mouth. Something was starting to click in her brain too. The man grinned.
"Your wedding of course." He announced with a clap as Jude almost fainted. Oh hell no! The crowd swarmed toward them.
"Time to carry them off to the bridal suite!" A voice cried out as everyone clapped and cheered. Bridal Suite? Wedding? What the hell!
"This is a mistake. You must be kidding!" Jude called out as everyone continued to shout and sing—ignoring the protests of the couple as they surged forward.
"If it makes you feel better, it's a non-binding ceremony. It won't stand up in a court of law outside this country!" Someone yelled as Tom and Jude both glanced down into the apologetic expression of the girl from the gift shop. The crowd still moved.
"And let the rites begin." A woman cried out as both Jude and Tom were shoved quickly into a bungalow strewn with flowers before the door was shut and the sound of a key turning was heard throughout the room as the lock clicked. Oh hell!