CAPE HOOLERTHUND; THE HANDS OF TIME

Where am I

It was a lovely day and Mia walked out of the room through the sliding glass double door and onto the balcony, taking in the gorgeous view of the clear blue sky and the even bluer ocean. She walked up to the railing and took in a deep breath of the fresh ocean breeze, smiling to herself and wishing herself to be nowhere else than where she was. She was a brown skinned woman thirty years of age and as cute as a button with big round hazel eyes and with hair curly, long and blacker than the night. She was standing there in her silky night dress when just then someone walked out from the very door and went to hug her from behind; kissing her shoulder and her head, with the widest smile growing on Mia’s face, taken by the feeling of his strong arms around her.

“Good morning my love,” he said in his English accent. His name was Peter Krenan; a thirty five year old stud muffin with green eyes and a smile as bright as the sun.

“Good morning my love,” Mia said and turned her head back to kiss him.

“Mm I love your morning kisses.”

“I love your morning kisses,” she said and they went on kissing for a bit and then looked at the view of the calm ocean waters gently gliding along.

“Goodness look at that view.”

“Ugh I love it so much. We’ve been here two days and I still can’t get enough of it.”

“Neither can I,” Peter said. “Worse off when you’re in the picture as well, goodness, kill a man before his wedding why don’t you?” he then said and they chuckled.

“Oh my gosh our wedding?”

“That’s right. I am here to marry the love of my life.”

“Oh hey what a coincidence? I’m here to marry the love of my life too,” she said.

“Oh lovely.”

“I know, you should see him he is . . . Ugh he is delicious.”

“Down girl,” he said and they laughed.

“Oh my gosh.” She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms wrapped tighter around her waist. “I can’t believe this day has finally come. We’re getting married tomorrow.”

“Yes we are.”

“And in Costa Rica where we first met, I think that is the most romantic thing ever,” Mia said.

“Oh it most definitely is. And you are even more beautiful than you were the first time I saw you.”

“Absolutely, you can’t keep your eyes off of me.”

“I really can’t. I could stare at you for the rest of my life,” Peter said.

“Good coz from tomorrow you are.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” They smiled and shared another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you."

“I love you.”

“I love you,” she said as they just stood there looking deeply into each other’s eyes; weakened by how perfectly the story of their lives unfolded inside them. They then shared yet another kiss, holding onto each other like there was absolutely nowhere else they would rather be than right where they were, in each other’s arms. “Mm and today is the yacht cruise, are you excited or what? I’m super excited.”

“The yacht cruise?”

“Oh no, you forget.”

“I did not forget.” She gave him a look. “Alright fine I forgot,” he said.

“Babe.”

“I know I’m sorry but it completely slipped my mind. I have that meeting this afternoon with a huge prospect client and my mind has just been focused on that.”

“No, you’re not even supposed to be working,” Mia said.

“I know but I asked for permission and you said yes.”

“Yes when it doesn’t mean you missing out on our plans.”

“I know babe, I feel terrible but you know how huge this meeting is. If we land this client, I could get the promotion. And you know how hard I’ve been working towards it,” Peter said.

“I know but this is supposed to be our special time.”

“I know.”

“And it’s a yacht cruise, you can’t miss out on a yacht cruise, it’s a yacht cruise,” she said.

“I know trust me I am beating myself up inside about it. I would have loved to join you, you know that but this meeting is super huge love and I can’t afford to miss it.”

“I know.”

“I promise I will make it up to you,” he said. “After it’s done, I’ll be all yours and you’ll be free to do with me whatever you please.”

“Good coz I already have how you’re going to make it up to me planned out.”

“Awesome let’s hear it.”

“After I’m back from the yacht cruise you are going to soak with me in the hot tub, you’re going to give me a foot massage and then we’re going to go take a nice romantic walk on the beach,” Mia said.

“O.k. I can do that.”

“Good. And you’re going to shower me in sweet kisses throughout every little bit of it.”

“Oh I can definitely do that,” Peter said and they chuckled as they shared another kiss. “I really am sorry I can’t make it.”

“I know. I will miss you terribly but I’ll live.”

“Good girl,” he said and they went on kissing; passionately like there was nothing sweeter on the planet than each other’s lips.

Afternoon came and it was time for the yacht ride. Mia was out with her maid of honour Sue and they were relaxing on the top deck of the yacht in their beach dresses; soaking in the gentle sun and sipping on colourful cocktails.

“Oh man I could live like this forever,” Sue said.

“Me too,” Mia said.

“I just might if I hit it off with the captain.”

“Please don’t.”

“He is so hot,” Sue said.

“No stop, goodness, didn’t you just get out of a relationship?”

“I did yes and the best way to get over your last relationship is to get into a new one. And he’s way hotter than Ben so that automatically makes him better.”

“Looks aren’t everything hun,” Mia said.

“Oh yes says the woman who’s engaged and set to marry a man who looks like he belongs on the cover of a GQ magazine.”

“O.k. my fiancé is smoking hot but that’s not all there is to him. He’s got that other stuff too.”

“What other stuff?” Sue asked.

“The stuff that matters. Trust, honesty, compassion, support and of course love.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t know if he has that,” Mia said.

“No I don’t but I am very open to find that out. I’m going to ask him out.”

“No you’re not.”

“I think we’re hitting it off,” Sue said.

“Based on what? You’ve spoken less than ten words to each other.”

“And sometimes that is all you need.”

“O.k.,” Mia said.

“I think we could be great together.”

“Right, because of how well his shirt is holding his muscles?”

“And how I can see the size of his package through his pants, absolutely yes.”

“Gosh you are so gross,” she said and they laughed. 

“Bear with me it’s been a while.”

“No it hasn’t, you and Ben broke up literally two weeks ago.”

“Yes and it has been a long two weeks,” Sue said.

“O.k. seriously you need to calm down. It’s just two weeks, Peter and I have kept ourselves from sleeping together since we met . . . A whole year and a half ago.”

“Yes, well not all of us can be aliens like you.”

“You’re behaving like an animal,” Mia said.

“I am an animal and momma needs some love because she is on heat.”

“Ugh gosh, that’s it, captain please turn this yacht around I want get off right now,” she said and they laughed. Just then something fell on Mia’s face and she flinched. “Whoa.”

“What?”

“Something just fell on my face,” she said wiping it off.

“What? Iew bird urine? Did a bird just pee on you?” Sue asked.

“No it didn’t, it’s not.” She smelled it. “It’s not pee. It’s.” She looked up. “I think it was a drop of rain.”

“A drop of rain are you high? There’s not a cloud in the sky.”

“Well it fell from the sky, what else could it be?”

“Uh I don’t know bird pee,” Sue said.

“It is not bird pee it’s water.”

“O.k. then it came from the ocean.”

“Sue we’re on the top deck,” Mia said.

“So?”

“So how on earth would water from the ocean get all the way up here?”

“I know it sounds crazy but it is obviously less crazy that it being a rain drop,” Sue said.

“Sweetie look at the sky, it is bluer than blue. There’s not a single cloud in the.” She looked up and was taken aback by what she saw, lowering her sun glasses even. “What the . . . Where the heck did that come from?” Mia looked up and saw what was up there. There was a large grey cloud in the sky and it was right above them.

“Ha you see I told you. Now who’s crazy? Although I might be in on that crazy too because I did not see that up there.”

“Because it wasn't. It literally just popped up out of nowhere.”

“That wasn’t up there when we got here,” Mia said.

“No it wasn’t, it has literally come out of nowhere.”

“That's weird.”

“It's very weird,” Sue said. Just then the captain of the yacht walked up onto the top deck.

“Hello ladies,” he said and they turned to him.

“Captain Greg hello,” Mia said.

“Hello captain,” Sue said, after removing her sun glasses off her face and biting down on the temple tip.

“Sorry to disturb you but I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut the cruise short and get back to the hotel, the clouds are rolling in too fast. There’s obviously a storm brewing so I best take you back before it starts and we get caught in it.”

“Clouds,” both Mia and Sue said and looked up. Their jaws dropped; it wasn’t just the one cloud in the sky anymore there were about five, big and grey and looking like they would begin pouring out rain any time soon. “Whoa,” they said together again.

“So I’m sorry but I’m going to have to take the yacht in.”

“Oh uh yes captain of course, go right ahead,” Mia said.

“Alright,” Captain Greg said and left as they just lay there looking up at the sky; there were more clouds up there than before.

“O.k. this is really weird, I have never seen clouds roll in so fast. The sky was super blue like five minutes ago,” Sue said.

“It was. It must be a really big storm coming in, I just hope he can get us back to the hotel in time.”

“Right, getting caught in a nasty storm is not what I signed up for.”

“Don’t worry we’ll be fine,” Mia said and just then the storm dropped. It started to rain, not rain, but pour, gallons of water dropping from the sky like the ocean had been turned upside down, with a heavy wind coming out of nowhere and beginning to rage the ocean waves. 

Mia and Sue screamed as they slid off the bunny pad and onto the deck floor due to the yacht being hit by the waves and swinging aggressively from side to side like they were on a carnival ride.

“Mia!” Sue shouted, both of them trying to see through the heavy rain.

“I’m here, grab my hand,” Mia shouted to her, and finding each other’s hands they held on tightly and started trying to crawl themselves across the deck floor to the stairs so that they could reach the main deck and get out of the rain, as at the same time the captain was having a very tough time trying to control the yacht through the terrible weather that had literally come out of nowhere. He had never seen anything like it and the look he had on his face whilst he looked like he was fighting with the steering wheel, was one that was not good. Captains were trained to keep it together so that they could be able to handle the situation but thank goodness there was no one around to see it because the captain was very much not together. He had the living daylights scared out of him and he was shaking like a leaf, doing his best to keep the yacht from capsizing, sinking and killing everyone on board but thinking to himself not if that would happened but when. 

The rain poured on and he couldn’t see a thing, it was like a grey blanket had been put over the windscreen, he couldn’t even see the front of the yacht. It was literally the definition of flying blind. 

“Captain to Ruth come in,” Captain Greg said into his radio, calling out to his stewardess.

“Captain to Ruth come in!” he went again but there was no response. Ruth was in the main deck preparing more drinks for the guests when she was tossed by the swinging of the yacht, hit her head on the wooden counter and got knocked out, with her side of her head not just cut but bleeding. “Captain to Ruth come in!" She wasn't responding. "Dammit!” He put his radio back into its pouch and continued trying to steer the yacht through the storm he was certain was going to be the last thing he and anyone on board was ever going to see alive.

At the same time on the top deck, Mia and Sue continued crawling themselves to the stairs, still holding tightly to each other and making sure to stay low least they get tossed overboard.

“Come on Sue we’re almost there,” Mia shouted.

“I can’t see anything,” Sue shouted back.

“Just hold on to me I’ll get us there.” They carried on and eventually reached the stairs. “We’re here, go! Hold on tight to the railing and don’t let go!”

“O.k.” Sue began making her way down the stairs making sure to hold on for dear life to the railing as behind her Mia did the same.

They made it to the middle of the stairs when just then something happened. A huge wave hit the side of the yacht and shook it so hard Mia hit her forehead on the railing and not only got knocked out but got tossed overboard and fell into the water.

She was moving right next to Sue and so when she looked back and saw that she wasn’t there she knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

She wasn’t anywhere around which meant she could only be in one place, the water, Mia had fallen into the raging waves of the ocean.

“Mia, Mia!!!” Sue shouted as in the water Mia sunk deeper and deeper underneath. Her eyes closed and her world went completely black.

It was black for a while until suddenly it wasn’t. Her eyes slowly began to open and when she opened them fully all she could see was brown, green and blue; she was on a beach lying flat on the brown sand with the green bushy trees above and the blue sky everywhere else.

She wanted to get up but her head felt like it weighed a ton and so she gave herself a moment. She closed her eyes for a second and just like that she passed out.

A moment later, Mia popped awake but she wasn’t on the beach anymore she was in a house; a small house that was made entirely out of grey stones and was designed like a loft apartment.

She lay there for a while just looking around; there was nothing much to the house, the walls were plain such that the only other thing in the room with her was a window, the very single bed she was sleeping on and a bedside lamp.

“Where am I?” Mia asked herself.

Just then a sound came from downstairs, the sound of a spoon scraping something out of a pot, and Mia sat up; a cold chill immediately running down her spine. She was not only in a strange house but there was someone in the strange house with her.

She got down from the bed and began creeping towards the stairs but in the middle of doing she stopped, taken a little aback by what she had on.

“Ugh what that the heck am I wearing?” she asked herself looking down at the Victorian styled night dress she had on; not only long at the arms but long in length too, so long it went all the way down to her ankles. "And what is this?" she then asked pulling the pure gold necklace around her neck out from underneath her dress. It had a pendant hanging on it, a black sword with gold detail. "Whoa." She had no idea what it was but somewhere within her she felt like she had seen it before. She looked at it for a good few seconds and then just let it hang and crept on.

Mia was about to reach the railing of the stairs when just then a loud ticking of a clock went off; so loud it was like it ticked from right inside her ear. She cowered down and began looking around for where the ticking clock was but there was nothing in the room and so wherever the ticking clock was it must have been somewhere downstairs. 

It ticked five times and then it stopped, and still on the floor Mia just gave her ears a quick rub and got back up onto her feet. 

She reached the railing and looked over it down the stairs, there was someone down there but she couldn’t see anyone. Just then a man walked passed and seeing him she cowered to the floor once more.

“Oh my gosh I’ve been kidnapped. And a day before my wedding, seriously,” she said to herself as the man popped up again and this time made his way to the stairs. She gave out a soft squeak and ran to the bed; getting herself in between the blankets and holding them up and close to her like a child.

The man reached and he had a tray in his hand; a tray with a bowl of porridge and a warm glass of milk on it which he then put on the beside table.

“Good morning captain,” the man said, with a brightness growing in his eyes. “Welcome back.”