There was something about her. She was too regal to smell of common body odor after a hard day’s work in the sun.
Why hadn’t Stefan mentioned anything, she wondered. A part of his plot? “There are other workers here?” she asked casually.
“Yes, of course.” She smiled. “I couldn’t handle this place all by my lonesome.”
“Sorry, I thought Stefan handled all of the upkeep.”
Her laugh that followed was hollowed out. “Not possible, I’m afraid. Especially with that boy.”
Erin was without words, her face reddening from the silence that followed. The woman continued. “What were you thinking about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’m just worried about Ashton.”
She took a seat next to Erin, releasing a quiet and cute grumble. “I don’t blame you, my dear. That foolish boy better have a reasonable explanation.”
“I’d say… Unless it’s part of the whole game thing.”
Her face contorted and her head tilted to the side, like a dog trying to understand its master. “Game?”
“You know. With Stefan.” She laughed through a nasal exhale. “I’m sure you know all about it. Even have to help him with it.”
Every time she mentioned Stefan’s name, it seemed to trigger a subtle imprint of anger. But Teresa’s face rested back to a place of comfort. “I’m sorry, Erin. I haven’t the faintest clue of what you’re referring to.” She took a sip from a water bottle. “But I gather by your distrusting look that you were hoping for an alternative reply?”
Erin was embarrassed and apologetic in response to the word distrust. “No, no, it’s not—”
She interrupted, putting her hand up and waving it about. “Don’t you worry… Your poor friend… I don’t mean to add worry but—” She caught herself, regretful of starting her sentence.
“What?”
“Nothing, dear, don’t fret. I’m sure he’s fine. I just don’t like the mix of alcohol and the ocean. But honestly! Please forget such a nasty and improbable line of thinking.”
Could he have drowned? Suddenly a new thought had dawned heavily on Erin. What if we were brought here specifically for a reason? What if Stefan has a vendetta against Trevor? Trevor could easily be withholding information from me. He already was, the cheating bastard. Jesus… How could he? Then again, should I really be surprised?
Teresa cut off the unraveling hypothesis in her brain.
“It’ll all be okay, I promise… You’re all kinds of troubled now I can see, no thanks to me.”
“I’ve got a lot of my mind that’s all. It’s not your fault.”
“Anything you wish to share with a stranger you just met?”
Erin hesitated. “No. That’s okay. Just… I guess I have a sudden appreciation for home. I thought trips were supposed to be fun.”
“That’s a good thing that you like home. A wonderful thing.”
“I guess, yeah. Or it means I’m too chicken to leave my comfort zone. I’ve been told that.”
“I wouldn’t worry. Many people aren’t afforded any comfort in their lives. It’s a special thing to be aware of and grateful for… Besides, is this supposed to be an escape from your comfort zone? Not exactly slumming it, are you?” She laughed. “I’m just bugging you, dear. I know it’s your friend. We’ll find him.”
“Yeah… So you live in Belize I take it?”
“Sure do. It’s so beautiful. We’ve built quite the relationship with the locals. Keep the hungry fed and as many of the jobless working as we can.” She chortled. “I’m being boastful. My husband is constantly reminding me to be more humble. I just can’t help but be proud sometimes, you know?”
“I don’t think you’re being boastful.”
“Well, no matter. You know what?”
“What?”
“You’ll return to your friends and the lost boy will be there. Maybe you have a beer and forget all about wanting to go home. How about you do some spearfishing with my husband? That should get you out of that pesky comfort zone, yeah? How does that sound?”
Erin chuckled. “Sounds pretty good to me.”
“That’s the spirit. A couple hours from now you’ll feel right as rain, my dear.”
“You should be a psychiatrist.”
“I don’t believe in all those pills. Nothing a place like this can’t fix.”
“You might be right.”
“I’m right.”
Teresa ran her hand over Erin’s hair and caressed her face for half a second. “I’ll come around at the end of the day. Check on you guys.”
“Okay.”
Teresa turned to leave. “How do you live here? Away from everything? What brought you here?” Erin asked.
“Well, we can leave any time we want, you do realize that?” said Teresa.
They exchanged smiles.
“My husband bought a restaurant in Belize a while back. It was a tough road that led us there, but I’m grateful it did… I think as humans we always crave change, especially when what we have doesn’t feel right. It’s all a juggling act. The most important things to a person rise to the top, and hopefully the heart is at peace. At some point it should be. Or so I hope. Who knows God’s truths? We should all quit pretending we do, I suppose.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Oh no, dear. Nothing is easy. It’s a long and difficult journey. But what else would it be without it? Pointless if you ask me.”
“And your important thing is this place?”
“Of course not. Mine is my family.”
“Sounds like Belize is a nice fit though,” Erin said.
She nodded, smiled, and brushed her hair back away from her eyes again. “You are very beautiful. There might be some untapped potential there too. Just a hunch.” She winked. “I’m good at reading people. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll read your future before you leave.”
“Sorry to burst your optimistic bubble, but clearly you aren’t good at reading people.”
“I know enough just from looking at you.”
She rose to her feet and spoke a few final words before her departure. “Relax. It’ll all be okay.”
As Erin watched Teresa leave, her phone vibrated. She looked down to find a text had somehow forced its way through. How is there service here?
The text read: “Building a future from scratch was no simple feat. What was used as a tool to build, protect, and sustain, became a weapon of destruction. In the place that doesn’t exist, where water runs deep, retrieve the final armament.”
Erin started walking back to the middle circle to meet with Trevor when another text came in. Her heart sank. “Fail to proceed with the task and consider your friend dead in less than pleasurable means.”
Erin sat on the ground staring at the screen in disbelief.
She knocked on the front door and nobody came. She walked around and tried the backside. Still nothing. She didn’t know whether to be pissed with Stefan or worried for his well-being. He had been gone for almost twenty-four hours now, not a trace of him. Without the faintest of clues what to do next, she leaned up against the backside of Stefan’s house and allowed more self-torture to prevail, scrolling through more nude photos of Skye. She slid the phone back in her pocket and exhaled.
Eight years ago
Caught in a foster home with a man that had been steadily gauging her developing teenage body, she could sense something treacherous was about to take place. It started with the slightest touch to her shoulder, her arm, small caresses that normal parents may provide to their children. But then, a time came when he looked at her differently.
One night while she was studying in her tiny bedroom next to a room that harbored three younger boys, he entered and stared down at her, his hand laid flat against his small belly hanging over his waistline. Pretending to be busy and deep in thought with her textbook, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. He sat on the edge of the bed, the bedsprings creaking. He stroked her back gently, so she pretended to be startled, making the moment seem natural and innocent.