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?Can you tell me what time it is?? she asked a red-headed stranger who was leaning on a square post, waiting just like herself. It felt a bit dangerous, but she'd left her iPhone and Fitbit at home in a moment of clarity. Craziness others might call it. She'd packed her iPad just in case, and she had thought this through, it would serve her purpose of helping her find her way if needed, but then she could only speak to others through email. No instant messages to see popping up on a screen that just can't be ignored. No phone calls she'd feel obligated to answer. They didn't need to ask any questions. She'd explained it in a note she left on the breakfast table. She'd taken off her watch, turned off her phone and left both beside her bed.
She could see her family now, coming home from school and work in just a few hours, wondering what's for dinner and why mom's car wasn't there. Teenagers ravaged with hunger, piling snacks to take to their room while surfing the day's social media, missing her note. She would be an afterthought of course, and that burned in her belly. It was one reason she was standing here waiting to board a plane. One of many reasons.
Her husband would be home a bit later, also pondering why he didn't smell dinner yet and asking himself what meeting she'd gone to and not remembered. They shared a calendar on their phones but he never looked at it. She had to constantly tell him what was going on that day, and sometimes he would call her from work to ask what time they had to be somewhere. She'd become the cook and the secretary and nothing more. Her purpose unknown.
?It's 2:15,? the red-head told her. She'd planned this, so her plane would be well on its way before anyone noticed she was gone, and also so there was no going back. She couldn't deal with the guilt of leaving any more than she could deal with the neediness that never left room for her wants and needs. You'd think it was just a balance, but it was not, and anyone who said different was fooling themselves and giving false hope to others. Don't look back, she told herself. It was her new mantra.
She pulled her black carry-on with its magenta knit tie around the handle to the restroom, not because she had to go, but because she wanted to look in the mirror once more to see the smile of joy on her face, the crease in her brow gone now that she had made this decision. Huh, she thought, it didn't take Olay to get rid of that scowl, just a new perspective, and maybe a new bikini and woven beach hat, rolled up and tucked between the straps of her carry-on.
She straightened her ruffled blouse and brushed her bangs aside. Did everyone going away for a tropical vacation look this happy? The anticipation made her giddy, like a child getting ready for their big birthday party. You knew it was finally here when you saw the balloons and streamers, but you didn't know wonderful it would really be until it happened.
Exiting the door of the bathrooms she heard the boarding call for flight 1240 for the first leg of her journey to Hawaii. She'd be landing in San Francisco in a few hours and then on to the tropical island she'd dreamed of for years. She'd always anticipated her husband being beside her, a romantic trip for two perhaps on their 20th anniversary, but that never seemed to come to fruition. Theo always had this obligation or that big account that no one else could handle She was tired of waiting and of not feeling important to him anymore.
Was it strange to be traveling alone? She'd decided weeks ago that the answer was a definitive no. She would eat and sleep on her own time schedule, visit all the places she wanted to see, and lie on the soft sands, staring out at the turquoise water, sweet cocktail in one hand, a book in the other. If she wanted company, she'd talk to strangers. As she crossed the threshold of the plane she imagined the orchids of fuchsia and white wrapped around her neck, the sweet fragrance enveloping her head, as she was welcomed to paradise.
First class was never affordable when they flew with the kids, but this time Leah had booked it, considering she didn't have for a second ticket for her husband. Champagne, warm cookies, leg room. It felt good to have someone thinking about her for a change, even if they were being paid to do it. The fog out the window couldn't damper her spirits, until the pilot made an announcement that they were going to have to land at San Jose International Airport. She sighed, then quickly assessed her options. She had a connecting flight to catch in San Francisco 2 ½ hours later. Wait, make that 1 ½ hour later. They'd been circling the airport for 60 minutes waiting for clearance.
The giddiness and high spirits she'd been feeling were replaced by anxiety as she rushed down the terminal to catch a taxi. As expected, the fog was making the driving slow and she felt herself pushing on the gas pedal from the backseat, white knuckling her backpack. The rearview mirror was covered with all kinds of dangling medallions: a bull's horn, red pepper, a silver cross with Christ, even a soft pink baby shoe. She counted the seconds as they swayed like a metronome, she willed the car to move faster. The glow from the dash said 5:27. She had less than an hour to get on that flight.
She tossed cash at the driver as he pulled to the curb and yelled thank you and ran off through the sliding doors A silent prayer in her head, please let the security lines would be short ?Can you tell me the time?? she asked the young couple in front of her. She knew in her heart she wasn't going to make it, but she wasn't late until 6:14, when the flight was scheduled to leave. Leah had played this game in her head for years. Perpetually late, she told herself when she was driving, even if she had to be there in two minutes, she wasn't late yet.
She knocked her backpack against her leg to the beat of the music and tried to take slow breaths. Inching her way to the security officers, Leah watched with frustration as people took their shoes off in slow motion, and forgetting the metal on their jewelry. They were already boarding, she knew it. She was screaming in her head and she could feel the lines forming on brow again.
She made it through security and immediately glanced up at the departures screen. 6:12. Taxiing, the lights blinked back at her as she felt like she was going through the first stage of recovery: denial. Leah walked to the gate anyway and her fears were real. She had missed it. Dragging herself to the ticket counter, the flight attendance raised her apologies and offered to help her find a room for the night. The next flight to Hawaii would leave at 9:20 in the morning.
This couldn't be happening! A room seemed like the best option, but a drink was in order, something to calm her nerves. This had to work out for her. How could she go back back and explain herself to her family? Her thoughts drifted to them, what were they thinking right now? Surely they had seen the note and were worrying about her.
Theo was frantic with worry and looked at his phone calendar. Nothing scheduled for tonight. A trip up to the kid's rooms confirmed that there seemed to be nothing on the schedule and they didn't know where mom would be. He didn't want to scare them, but he had to find out if they knew anything. He called her phone and it went straight to voicemail.
Leah was thinking of her dad, an old-fashioned on her mind. A gentleman's drink, smooth and rich. Bourban and bitters with Marichino cherry and orange. Closing her eyes for a moment it calmed her. She would make it to Hawaii whatever she had to do. She would wait until morning, but be on a beach by noon the next day. L
Missing her flight was gnawing at Leah and she decided she would sleep on her luggage in the terminal. With her head on her carry-on she dozed on and off. Dreams of tropical islands drifting in and out, but the most vivid were her dreams of her family. They didn't know how to contact her and she'd left that door wide open for worry. When she awoke with a start, disorientation took over and she wondered where were her soft sheets. Her next thought was calling her family to let them know she was ok. Yet she knew that it could stop her from pursuing her goal.
Leah walked to Starbucks for a red eye and bagel; the breakfast of champions! She would sip and forget about her guilt. Her plane would depart in 2 short hours. She wasn't going to give up now. The fog had lifted, as had the fog from her brain. It was time to step into a new beginning, one that began with her.
As they crossed the Pacific, she felt a sense of peace and a new understanding of her future. She was on her way to something new.
Touchdown in Hawaii. She grabs her bag with the magenta tie, bikini inside, straw hat placed on her head. A lei is placed on her neck as she crosses the threshold into a new adventure. She'll call her family tomorrow. Today is about her, and a sweet cocktail and sun on the beach.
The sun shone down, leaving a dazzling light show across the waves as they rolled her closer to the only bit of land visible in the wide expanse. Ness's limbs seared as the ascend to the sandy shore returned her weight to her feet, wet cloak tugging her down. Turning back she saw the billowing black clouds rising up into the sky - a ship no more. A gurgle of a giggle escaped her as she soaked in her freedom, no longer a captive used for another's will. She crawled onto the shore, her limbs shaking, and lay down on her back.
As her arms met the sand, a hard object protruding up poked her arm uncomfortably. Shifting to pick it up, she pulled out the item, mostly buried in the sand. As Ness looked at the fang as long as her forearm the feeling of spiders scurrying up her arms drew out goose bumps. It had only been a few days since her last encounter with the sea serpents.
Laying down on the sand, Ness recalled the first time she had been brought on the ship. They had been paying handsomely for new recruits to travel the sea to the new land and work as miners or loggers. The grips of poverty holding the city tight left her parents little choice but to send her off on the ship to keep their tables full. She sat in the ship for several weeks packed in with others that had been deemed unfit to work on deck. She closed her eyes as she recalled the screams that came after they started pulling people out.
An eerie silence drew out. The voices had hushed and the thrashing of water halted. Ness opened her eyes to see the three serpents looking at her. Their eyes were green orbs the size of her head with slits of black. One slowly approached her. Ness's panic shot up and she said, ?No! G-G-Go away!? The serpent stopped, still looking at her. It looked at the ship that had halted to witness the events. The serpent looked back at her, meeting her eyes. Several frantic heartbeats later, it turned it's head and the other two joined it. The serpents retreated and submerged out of view, leaving a calm surface behind them. The ship had stopped and sent out a boat to retrieve her. From that point on Ness was bound to the ship.
Her heart jumped up to her throat as her hands frantically ran over the cloak as if she might find the flint she had managed to conceal hidden somewhere else in the folds of fabric. Her stomach plummeted down to the depths of the burnt ship. Ness sucked in shallow gasps, her vision going blurry, as she mentally traced back her steps. She had felt the flint in her pocket as she crawled up the shore. You still have time, girl, get back up.
Ness clenched her fists, stood up and retraced her steps, eyes scanning the ground. Reaching the point where the cliff wall had sunk back down and the ground was flat, an ache grew in her stomach, reminding her of other needs. I likely dropped it getting out of the water. It'll be faster cutting through the trees and I can look for water as I go.
Stepping into the trees, the shade brought a chill crawling along her skin. Ness's eyes rolled over the fruitless bushes as her feet swiftly carried her towards the other side. A small dripping noise drew her over to a tiny stream. She bent down and drank, feeling the immediate relief of water in her belly.
She emerged from the trees and could see the edge of the cliff just ahead. Crawling up on all fours, Ness peeked very slowly over the edge. As her small pile of sticks came into view, so did a figure wearing a brown sailor hat, seated at her fire pit as if they had arranged to meet.
Fury flowed through Ness. I've given you scumbags enough - this is my camp! She looked around assessing her options. Moving slowly, she wrapped her fingers around a large, rough rock and lifted it up. She walked to the edge, bent her knees, eyed up her target, and released the weight in a smooth arc A thud rang in the air as it struck below and the figure slumped over.
Quickly moving along the edge of the cliff she reached the lower level and approached her camp, figure sprawled out on the ground. He lay unmoving, a large red spot on his head, soft hands and a hairless chin. She recognized him as the newest hire, brought onboard much like she was some years ago. Ness recalled watching him retching over the edge of the ship when they had hauled her up on the deck. No hard feelings. Couldn't risk you being one of the seasoned men. The light seeping further out of the land brought in a chill that was more than a drop in temperature.
Hairs standing up along the back of her neck, Ness sprung into action and scoured the cliff area for the right kind of rocks and any dried grass or leaves. This is going to be so much harder without flint. She returned, hastily dropped the bits of grass down and began striking a few of the rocks together. Her hands ached as the harsh demanding movements were repeated over and over again. The shadows along the cliff lengthened, darkness claiming more of the land. Her heart raced as the chattering of night creatures began to rise, sensing their time approaching. ?I can't believe I won't last one night because I can't sew a pocket shut!? she mumbled under her breath as she turned the rock hoping for a rougher edge and continued hammering them together.
A sudden noise next to her caused Ness to jump, heart thumping even louder. A moan came from the boy as he rolled over and lifted his head. His eyes traced over her bits of dry wood and grass and the two rocks in her hand as Ness continued hammering the rocks together. The boy focused on her face, his jaw dropped open. He sucked in a breath as he stammered, ?Y-Y-You're the water witch!?
Bright sparks illuminated the blackness, landed on the bits of grass and burst into tiny flames. Ness knelt next to the fire and spread her arms out protectively. ?Get some stones to surround it would you, won't do us any good if the wind sucks it away.?
Footsteps sounded along the cliff edge and the boy returned with an armful of rocks and some dried wood, a mixture of clattering as they dropped by the fire. Rocks piled in a rough circle, the dancing flickering light grew as it started to devour the new handful of sticks.
?We will need more wood to get through the night,? Ness said as she stood up, pulled out her fang and pointed it at the kneeling boy. ?Give me back my flint.?
?I'm Zeff, and I'm no boy. You can't have more than a few years on me.?
?Your inexperience makes you a boy,? she replied harshly, ?Your soft hands show your lack of physical labor before you were sold to the ship. Your parents get tired of you or something??
Zeff's eyes fell down to the fire, the reflection dancing in his eyes. ?I was taken one night returning to the archives. I worked hard but with books.?
Ness's eyes narrowed on him. She had grown up in a fisherman's household, envying the kids who lived on the hill, flipping through books and learning their letters. Ness watched the small fire flicker and dance as she considered how much energy she had left, she hadn't fully recovered from her last encounter with the sea beasts. Finding a long, slender stick, she placed one end in the fire. ?Well, we still have the night to get through. It will be easier if there are two of us. We need wood and some food would be good as well. You see what you can collect here staying in the reach of the light and I will find us some fish. Don't go wandering though, I'm not going to come looking for you.?
The light from the fire danced in her eyes, illuminating the silvery specks in the blue.
She brought her gaze up and their eyes met, ?I'm Nessira.? She stood with her torch and finished, ?And you can leave the fishing to me.? With a quick nod, she turned and walked down to the water's edge. She could still see the flames from the fire pit licking the night air as she stuck the stick into the sand and walked into the water.
She walked into the frigid water, gentle waves brushing up on her. Ness dipped her hands in the water, holding the slender fang in one, and reached out with her awareness, desperate to sense something nearby. Her fingers began to tingle as her breaths grew harder to pull in. Sensing movement, Ness pulled at it, drawing it closer. Her knees buckled in the effort, the cold water splashing up her thighs. Her eyes scanned the poorly lit water until they saw a flutter of movement. Reaching out one hand in the water, fish swam up in it, unable to resist her call. Picking up the fish, she speared it on the tooth. Ness collected a few more fish before standing up slowly with blurry vision. She went back to her torch and looked up at the night sky. The blackness had claimed the land but for the fires and the tiny lights that flooded the sky. First night could have gone a lot worse.
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