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dinokolombo · 3 years

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Pouli Island

Welcome to my first story that I’ll be posting on this blog. It’s pretty basic, vacation goes downhill into horror town. I’m pretty new to this whole writing/social media thing so if anybody has advice it’ll be greatly appreciated!

Rating: T (sexual themes, language, suspense, horror imagery)

Length: 9081 (~45 min at 200 WPM)

It was around noon when we had reached the island. The warm summer breeze blew over crystalline waters. We were on a small boat, part of a rental service that brings people who can’t afford an entire cruise vacation to the island. It was still fairly expensive, though. Tracy sat next to me in the cabin of the ship when Vanya poked her head in through the doorway.

“Hey, lovebirds. We’re almost at the island. Get your shit ready.”

Once Vanya left, Tracy grabbed my hand tightly. “I’m so excited! Thank you so much for this trip, Tommy. It means a lot to me.”

I smiled at her. “I just wanted to give you a break from work, that’s all. You deserve it with everything you’ve done for me.”

She wrapped her arms around me. After a short hug we got up and left the cabin. It had been almost four years since I had even seen saltwater. I took Tracy to the front of the boat to meet up with Vanya and Rose. The boat slowly came to a stop at one of the private docks, which were on the westernmost side of the island. The captain called out to the four of us.

“Welcome to Pouli Island! Make sure you folks don’t forget anything, we won’t be back until three nights from now!”

“Thank you so much, sir!” Rose shouted back. She turned to Vanya. “Let’s go explore the town! I want to see all the people!”

Vanya groaned. “Calm down a bit, Rose. We just got here, we still have plenty of time before we have to check into the hotel.”

Rose basically ripped Vanya off of the boat, dragging her down the dock excitedly. Tracy took my hand.

“Come on, I can hear music!”

I could hear it too. Small drums, guitars, and all other kinds of instruments seemed to be playing an upbeat tune from the town. Once all four of us got off of the dock and made it into town, I saw the source. A handful of people were playing in the plaza. There was a traditional island beat to the music, like playful waves moving up and down a sandy shore. There was one instrument that stood out, however. A flute, playing quietly behind the others, released a melancholy tune that weaved through the other notes in the music. Tracy didn’t seem to notice. She was bouncing to the joyful bongos, swaying to the playful guitars. I couldn’t help but focus on the flute, though. It was entrancing, absorbing. Before it felt like I was completely lost in the music, the band stopped, and the small audience around them clapped. Each player walked away in different directions, and the audience dispersed.

“Wasn’t that really good?” Tracy was still bouncing a little, as if the music was still playing.

“It was nice.”

“Nice? That’s it?”

“I mean, I liked it, I just think the flute was out of place.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Flute? I didn’t hear a flute.”

“It was really quiet.”

Tracy chuckled. “Come on. There’s more of the city to see.” She kissed my cheek, once again taking my hand and guiding me deeper into the town. She didn’t usually act this loving, although when she did it was mostly in private. Now she was willing to show it in front of complete strangers, in a foreign place. It made me happy, yet anxious at the same time.

As we walked through the town, we got to see more of the local culture. Foods of various kinds were served all over the place, ranging from grilled meats to fresh vegetables and even frozen treats like popsicles. Children were playing with a ball in the streets while their mothers sat at nearby tables and laughed over a cup of coffee. Everything seemed to be full of energy and happiness, until we were almost out of town. In one of the many narrow alleyways, a small old woman ran into us, holding her hand out as a signal for us to stop. Tracy greeted her.

“Hello, ma’am!”

The woman looked up at her, then at me. She smiled as she looked into my eyes. “Child, have you seen them yet?”

I pulled my head back in confusion. “What?”

“The shadows, child. The ones who walk this island.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” “You’ve seen them elsewhere, haven’t you? In the corners of your vision. At the foot of your bed. Always watching…”

“I’m sorry, what are you--?”

Tracy cut me off. “Ma’am, please. We’re trying to enjoy our vacation.” She walked past the old woman, signalling for me to follow closely.

As we walked away, the woman called out to us. “They come at night, child! Be careful!” Tracy began walking faster, and we eventually turned back onto the main street and started our way out of the town. It was clear she was upset. When we reached the dirt road that left town and stretched all the way to the hotel, we stopped walking. I texted Vanya that we were waiting for her, then turned to Tracy.

“Hey, you okay?”

She sighed. “Yeah, that lady was just ruining the whole vibe. I was getting into exploring the city and talking to locals, then she had to make things weird.”

I agreed with her, yet at the same time I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that maybe something wasn’t right with this place. It was as if a strange energy flowed through everything, everyone. As if that flute was constantly playing in the background of every interaction, big or small. It made me nervous, but I hid the feeling away. This trip was for Tracy, after all. It wouldn’t be right for me to act in a way that would make it less enjoyable for her.

When Vanya and Rose finally met up with us again, we began the long walk from the town to the hotel. It was on the opposite side of the island, although the island wasn’t too big. Taxi services were available, but they’re fairly pricey, and I had already spent a decent amount on the ferry service to the island itself. Thankfully, Rose talked the whole way. She explained every little thing that she and Vanya did at the town, like how they missed the band because she wanted to chase a blue butterfly down an alleyway, or how a man tried to get her number but was met with a very angry Vanya. The goofy stories made the walk go by quickly, and before we knew it we had reached the entrance to the hotel.

The lobby was a massive hallway. It was two stories tall, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling. It was mostly empty, save for a few families sitting on couches to our right. Vanya immediately went to the receptionist, so the rest of us walked towards the far side of the large room. The wall facing the beach was entirely made of glass, giving us a good view of the beach. The sun was setting now, the water reflecting flame-like hues from the darkening sky. Tracy and Rose continued to look out the window while I scanned the rest of the lobby. Small staircases on either side of the room took you to the second floor of the lobby. There, rows of doors led to various rooms. A hallway also stretched from the second floor to the mall attached to the hotel. I looked down, seeing the many rugs covering the lobby floor. Most had the stereotypical beach aesthetic, with shells, fish, and coral being evenly spread about to create the sense that we were walking on an ocean. In all honesty, it wasn’t a look I was very fond of. Having grown up surrounded by similar sights, they’d completely lost their appeal to me. Vanya finally walked away from the receptionist’s desk, holding two keycards in one of her hands and a pamphlet in the other. She approached me first, as the other two were talking by the glass wall.

“Take this.” She handed me one of the keycards, marked “406”. “They also gave me this paper about the island, you want it?”

“Nah, maybe one of them does.” I gesture towards Rose and Tracy. Vanya took long strides towards them. When she reached them, she held out the pamphlet. Rose swiped it from her hand, read it for a moment, then handed it to Tracy. She folded it neatly before tucking it away in her pocket. The three of them exchanged some more words before Rose dragged Vanya towards one of the elevators. Tracy skipped towards me.

“Do you have our keycard?”

“Yeah, Vanya gave it to me.” I show her the blue card. “You ready to head to the room?”

“You know it, walking around town made me exhausted!”

We tried to get on the same elevator as Rose and Vanya, but Rose had already closed the doors in her excitement, so we got on the second elevator. The walls looked like copper, and were as reflective as a mirror. I grabbed onto one of the small railings as Tracy hit the button to our floor. The elevator moved slowly, playing a soft song similar to the ones we heard in the town. Almost by instinct, I tried listening for a flute, but there was none. When we had reached our floor, we stepped out of the elevator and turned left. I used the keycard on the door labelled “406”, hearing a click in the handle. I opened the door and walked into the dark room, examining my surroundings. A small kitchenette was to the left of the entrance, with the bathroom being across from it. Walking further into the room revealed a king-sized bed to my right, with a small table and a large flatscreen against the opposite wall. A glass door on the farthest wall lead to a small balcony, which overlooked the beachfront.

I threw my bag under the table and jumped onto the bed, groaning loudly. Tracy jumped on top of me, making me groan even louder.

“Why are you so heavy?”

“Excuse me?! That’s a little rude, you know.”

I chuckled to myself. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

She scoffed as she got off of me, sitting upright at the edge of the bed. “You better be.”

I shuffled over, sitting next to her. “How are you liking the trip so far?”

“I like it, but it only just started. I’m sure it’ll get a lot better once we actually go to the beach.”

I frowned. “Did you not enjoy the town? It seemed like you were having a good time.”

She shook her head. “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I loved the town! I’m just more excited for the beach.”

My frown disappeared. “Well, I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

She looked into my eyes, smiling. “Even if it doesn’t, I’m sure it’ll be fun to spend some quality time with you.”

I chuckled to myself before standing up and kissing her softly on the forehead. “I’ll be right back, got to use the bathroom real quick.”

“All right! I’ll get a cup of cold water ready for you.”

“Thank you.” I walked away from the bed, past the small table, and into the bathroom. It was a little small, although that was to be expected from one of the cheaper rooms in the hotel. I pulled my pants down and sat onto the toilet, relieving myself. The silence of the bathroom was eerie, almost piercing. I could hear Tracy pouring water into a cup and giggling to herself, but it sounded distant, as if she was three rooms away from me. When I was finished, I pulled up my pants and washed my hands. The water that came out of the sink was cold, almost freezing. It reminded me of the mountains, the place I called home. It always fascinated people how I had left the lush tropical paradise I was born in so quickly. Many of them didn’t realize that paradise tends to get boring quickly. I walked out of the bathroom and saw my cup on the table. I walked over to grab a sip, the cool water flowing down my throat. I sighed deeply before turning to Tracy, who was completely covered by the blanket except for her face.

“What, are you cold?”

“Maybe a little. Why don’t you come here and help me warm up?”

I understood the situation then. I laughed. “You know, you can be direct with me.” I walked over to the bed, taking everything off but my underwear and sliding under the covers. Tracy held the blanket tight against her body, making sure I didn’t catch any previews.

“There’s no fun in being direct. Besides, I know you love it.”

I slid close to her, feeling her body against mine. She definitely wasn’t cold. She wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same back. We shared a deep and passionate kiss, before she pulled away suddenly. “I just realized we forgot to take showers.”

“We could continue this there…”

“You know, you’re a genius.”

I got out of the bed first, making sure my phone was plugged in and face-down. “I’ll wait for you there.”

“Just go already!” She giggled to herself as I rushed to the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up the next morning exhausted. We had stayed up late the previous night, yet I still managed to wake up early. I turned to see my phone, face-up. Hmm, that’s weird. I thought to myself. I don’t remember moving it. I tried to think about the night before, but my mind was occupied by other thoughts. After shaking them away, I grabbed my phone and checked for any notifications. Nothing. I put it back face-down and wiped my eyes. To help me wake up, I looked around the room, at the pictures of various parts of the island hanging around the place, and at the wallpaper that was tearing slightly at its old edges. My eyes then locked onto my water cup from the night before, seeing that it had been moved to the opposite side of the table. I got up, looking around the room and checking to see if anything else had been moved, but there was nothing. I turned to the door to see any signs of forced entry, only to see it completely unlocked. I panicked, searching through our bags to see if anything was stolen, but nothing was touched. My sudden movements caused Tracy to wake up with a jolt.

“Jesus, Tommy, you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing?”

I realized I was crouched on the ground like an animal, so I stood up before responding. “Some things were moved around, and the door was unlocked, so I’m making sure nobody broke in.”

She had a sad look in her eyes. “Are you sure you weren’t sleepwalking again? I’m sure everything we did last night didn’t let your brain properly prepare for sleep. Plus, you can’t open the door from outside, even if it’s unlocked. That’s what the keycards are for, right?”

Maybe she was right. I put everything back into the bags I was looking through and walked back to the bed, sitting down on my side. “Sorry, guess I was spooked for no reason. How are you doing?”

“Well, I’m a little tired, but I’m all right.” She put her hand against my head, probably to check if I was sick. “What time is it?”

I checked my phone. “Around seven thirty. I’ll start brewing some coffee for us, I’m pretty sure Vanya and Rose will be up any second now.”

I stood up from the bed and moved into the small kitchen. I checked the cabinets until I found a coffee machine, placing it carefully on the table and plugging it in. After filling the reservoir with water and putting a coffee packet into it, I pressed a few buttons to get the water boiling. At this point Tracy was out of the bed, doing her morning stretches. She walked to her bag, giving me a kiss on the cheek as she passed by. She picked it up and grabbed her swimsuit out of it.

“I’m gonna change real quick.” She walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I decided to do the same, grabbing my black swimming trunks and sliding them on. I had forgotten about the netting in them, and they were immediately uncomfortable. I took them off and cut the netting out before putting them on again. Much better. She walked back out the door wearing a thin yellow beach dress.

Tracy and I sat at the small table, sipping on warm coffee and waiting for either Rose to text us or for Vanya to bang on our door. We heard them in the room next to us, room 405. It sounded like they were making jokes and laughing together. Rose was the only person who could ever make Vanya smile. Even though we’re best friends, the most I could get out of her was a snort. Despite their laughter, it was clear that they were moving around and getting ready for the day.

Tracy put her empty cup down. She always drank coffee very quickly. “So, what do you have planned for us today?”

I put my cup on the table as well. “We’ll be swimming at the beach for a while, one of the small ones the hotel owns right here. Then I have a few jet skis I rented out for two o’clock, so we can ride those for a little bit. For dinner we’ll be eating at the beachside restaurant, and then we’ll go to the game room to relax for a bit before we hit the hay.”

Tracy giggled excitedly. “I hope today goes super well! I’ve been waiting for a long time to see a beach. Wait, how many jet skis did you rent? One for each of us?”

“Oh, no way. They’re pretty pricey, so I rented two, one for each couple. Plus, I wouldn’t trust you on a jet ski.”

“Are you saying I’m a bad driver?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

She jokingly slapped my arm while I laughed. “You’re such a jerk.”

“I love you too.” My phone vibrated on the table, grabbing both of our attention. It was a text from Rose.

Vanya and Rose were waiting outside of our door. Rose looked like a native, wearing a straw hat and a pink beach skirt over her swimsuit. Vanya, on the other hand, was wearing her black wetsuit. They contrasted each other like night and day.

“Good morning, guys!” Rose was as chippy as ever. “Are you ready to head to the beach?”

I checked the time on my phone. Seven fifty. “Yeah, they’ll be serving breakfast in ten minutes. Let’s head down to the dining room.”

This time we all managed to get on the elevator together. That same island music was playing, and like before I tried hearing for the flute. Nothing but drums and ukuleles. When we reached the ground floor, we walked through the massive lobby and turned into a large room filled with tables and chairs. The hotel serves three meals a day here, and all of them are complimentary with the stay, despite the many restaurants on the island. We all got into a surprisingly small line and grabbed breakfast before sitting back down. We mostly ate in silence, so I turned to a small T.V. that was against one of the nearby walls (there were many in the room). It was playing an ad for the resort and other places on the island. The monotonous tone of the woman’s voice was as uninteresting as anything could be, until she started explaining the island’s history.

“Many years ago, native islanders had settled onto this island and given it its name. They were only here for about two years before suddenly disappearing. Researchers have tried to find out why, only to find nothing. Many believe the secret lies in the untapped wilderness to the island’s north, while others say the answer lies all around us. Could you uncover the mystery of Pouli Island?”

For some reason it reminded me of the old woman from the town. I shook my head and scarfed down what was left of my breakfast. Everybody else had finished before me. “Are we all ready to head out?”

Vanya groaned. “I might’ve eaten too much. Do we have to go swimming right away?”

Rose suddenly got excited. “We can tan for a bit before swimming!”

“Rose, I’m wearing a wetsuit. Plus, I don’t really tan, that’s why I’m so pale.”

“The only reason you’re pale is because you never go outside! Although I guess your wetsuit will get in the way…”

Tracy laughed. “We did bring sunscreen, right? Vanya and I will definitely need it.”

I looked through the small bag I brought with me. “Yep, we have sunscreen.”

Tracy stood up first. “Let’s get going, then!”

We all followed suit, grabbing our things and leaving the dining room before walking out of the lobby’s main entrance. We followed a brick path that quickly turned to soft sand. It took us around the hotel as we walked by several tiki huts. It was still fairly early, but many of the huts were already occupied by people drinking and playing music. We walked past them until we got to a calmer side of the beach. Only two other families were there at the time, so we had plenty of space. The ocean was absolutely beautiful. It had the iridescent shine of an aquamarine gemstone, and was so clear that we could see fish swimming through the coral reef in the distance. The sand was soft, almost impossibly soft. There were no sharp edges whatsoever, as if the hotel hired people to meticulously pick up shells that would be unpleasant to visitors. I laughed at the idea. Tracy heard me as she was laying out a few towels for us.

“What’s so funny, mister?”

“Ah, nothing. Just thinking silly thoughts.”

“All right, put some sunscreen on already. I want to get in the water with you!”

The women had already applied sunscreen, and Vanya was racing Rose to the water. I guess Vanya’s stomach didn’t hurt anymore, either that or her competitive spirit made her forget all about it. I took off my shirt and put sunscreen over my entire body. Even though I had more tolerance to the sun than the others, I knew living in the mountains and snow for so long meant that I could still get burnt easily. Once the lotion dried, I ran with Tracy to the water and jumped in. The cool water was refreshing after being in the hot sun. I opened my eyes underwater like I used to when I was young. The water was still perfectly clear, and I could see the fish moving between our legs. We swam in the water for hours, occasionally stepping out to play in the sand. By the time we finished constructing a gigantic sandcastle, we were completely exhausted.

I went to my phone to check the time. One o’clock. “Hey, why don’t we go grab lunch? I’m sure there’s something by the jet ski rental place, so let’s look over there.”

Tracy was the only one that heard me. Vanya and Rose were still in the water. “What time is it, babe?”

“One.”

“You said the jet skis were rented for two, right? We might as well head over there.” She grabbed a towel and started drying herself off. “Do you wanna grab the other two? Or do you want me to do it?”

“Nah, I got it. Hey, Vanya! Rose! We’re gonna go get lunch!”

Rose jumped out of the water. “Yay, food!”

Vanya laughed at her, trying her best to cover it up. We all dried off and headed over to the jet ski rental place. I was right, there were plenty of little bars serving all kinds of food and drinks. There were a lot of people here, and it started to make me a bit nervous. I could tell many of them were drunk, their words were slurred and their movements were uneven. Their conversations carried with them that same strange sound from before. That same flute, echoing through sentences, footsteps, even the waves seemed to carry it. I grabbed Tracy’s hand, and without saying a word she squeezed my hand tightly. She knew I could get nervous from time to time, and she knew how to comfort me. We reached one of the more empty bars and began to order food.

Vanya spoke first. “I’ll have the beef bowl, extra beef.”

Rose was next. “A caesar salad, please! Oh, could I have a side of fries with that? Thank you!”

Tracy’s turn. “I’ll just have a burger. Yeah, everything on it is fine.”

The man working at the bar turned to me, and I froze. I was so focused on staying calm, I forgot to think of what to get. Tracy quickly spoke up for me. “He’ll have the same thing as me, just no tomatoes.”

The worker nodded and disappeared into the back before walking back out and helping other customers. I sighed.

“Thanks, Tracy. I owe you one.”

“It’s no biggie. Everything all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, just a little shook for some reason. I’ll be fine.”

She smiled at me, holding onto my hand tightly. “I’m so grateful you did this for me, you know that?”

“I know, I know. Like I said yesterday, I just wanted to give you a break from work.”

She kissed me. It was a little unexpected, so I kind of fell backwards. “I really appreciate that.” The worker came up to the four of us, handing out our meals. My burger was absolutely delicious, I could tell the meat was fresh. I even tried a bit of Vanya’s beef bowl, and that was good too. I guess when you pay for quality you should expect it, but the food was so good I completely lost all of my worries. Once everyone was finished eating, we were all energized again. We walked away from the bar and to the jet ski rental. There were two people working there, a man standing by the jet skis and a woman at a counter. I got into the line for the counter when the woman screamed suddenly.

“Tommy! Your rental for two o’clock is ready! If you’re here, go see Dylan by the jet skis!”

I slipped out of line and rejoined the group. “Come on.” I motioned for them to follow. I walked up to the man, who I now knew was Dylan.

“Hey! You Tommy?”

“Yep. Just here to grab my two rentals.”

“Sweet. Do at least one of you know how to drive?”

“Two of us, me and her.” I pointed to Vanya, who nodded. Vanya had the most experience with jet skis, but I’ve ridden a few in the past.

“Awesome! Here are your keys.” He gave them to Vanya and I. “Once you get them started, just go ahead and take them out of the bay slowly. When you’re out past the green buoys, you’re all good to go full speed!”

“Thank you.” The four of us walked past him, getting onto our jet skis. Vanya and Rose were quick, with Vanya being able to start the engine and pull out of the bay almost instantly. Tracy sat behind me as I put the key into the ignition, starting the engine. I slowly pulled on one of the handles, moving it back and feeling the engine hum under my legs. I moved away from the small pier the jet skis were lined up on, following Vanya and Rose. We cruised away from the beach, moving at a steady pace until we passed the buoys. Vanya turned to me, a competitive smile on her face.

“Hey, how about a quick race?”

“You sure, Vanya? It’s their first time, I don’t want to scare them.”

“Oh, they’ll be fine!” Vanya went full speed in a circle, causing Rose to squeal and cling onto her tightly. “See? Come on, they’ll love it.”

I turned around. “Are you cool with going really fast?”

Tracy nodded. “Be careful, okay?”

I planted my feet and grabbed the handlebar. “Might wanna hold on tight.”

The speed was incredible. We zipped over the water, flying at sixty miles per hour over the surprisingly flat water. I managed to win the race this time, which obviously bugged Vanya, but everybody had fun nonetheless. Taking a look around, I realized how far we had gone from the original beach. There were no buildings on the island here, just dense forest. We were surprisingly close to the island’s mountain, its peak towering over us. A breeze came out of the forest. It was cold.

Tracy tugged on my shirt a bit, grabbing my attention. “How long are we allowed to rent the jet skis for?”

I stared into the woods, feeling the cold air. “I’m not sure but we better head back.” I heard a strange noise. I tried to listen to it, but Vanya interrupted my concentration.

“That race kind of scared Rose, so we’ll take it easy back. You guys can go fast if you want.”

I continued looking at the forest. “Nah, we’ll stay with you guys.” I turned away, and we moved slowly back to the beach. As we moved away from the trees, I could still hear the sound over the loud engines. Soft and shrill, as if it was produced by that cold wind. It was almost like the sound of a flute, beckoning us to come closer to the forest.

When we finally reached the beach again, we moved into the bay and parked our jet skis on the pier. The rental guy walked to us. “How was the ride?”

Rose jumped up and down like a kid. I could tell the guy watched her chest move. Vanya seemed pissed. “It was so much fun! We went super fast, and made it all the way to where the forest is!”

The guy was shocked. “The forest? You all went that far north?”

Vanya got in front of Rose, blocking the man’s curious eyes. “Yes. Were we not allowed to?”

He shrugged. “Well, normally we try to tell people to stay close to the beach, but it’s too late now. I’ll take your keys back.” Vanya basically tossed hers to him as she pulled Rose away. I handed mine to him.

“Sorry we left the beach, we got distracted while racing.”

“No worries, man. Take it easy.”

Tracy and I met back up with Vanya and Rose. I checked my phone to see the time. Three. “Dinner doesn’t really start until later. You guys wanna swing by the game room now?”

Tracy nodded. “Could we head to our rooms first? I’d like to get out of this swimsuit.”

“Yeah.” Vanya said. “We should probably just take showers now so we’re not covered in salt by the time we sit down for dinner.”

We walked around the beach again, going into the lobby. It was freezing inside, so we wrapped ourselves in our towels (except for Vanya, who’s wetsuit kept her relatively warm) and rushed into the elevator. When we reached our floor, we all stepped out and hurried into our rooms. I closed the door behind me.

“Quick, you or me first?” I asked.

“Why not at the same time?” Tracy answered.

“Again? We’re about to go eat dinner.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Ah, whatever. Maybe I did mean it like that.”

“Then let’s get in because I’m freezing!”

“Sounds like a plan!”

The game room was on the second floor of the lobby. It was completely empty, so we basically got to play whatever we wanted. There was a pool table, ping pong, air hockey, and even a few board games tucked away neatly in one of the corners. I personally wanted to play backgammon, but nobody else knew how to play, so that was shot down quickly. We started by holding a small chess tournament. I went up against Tracy and lost horribly.

“How many times have you played chess?” She asked me.

“I don’t know, a few times.”

She laughed to herself. “Okay, that explains a lot!”

She then went up against Rose, who was surprisingly good at chess. Vanya was furious at her loss, and dragged me to the air hockey table.

“I’m mad now. Let me beat you so I can feel better about it.”

“Vanya, it’s air hockey. I'm a killer at this.”

She moved to her side, grabbing her striker aggressively. “I’ll kill your face.”

“We’ll see about that.”

While Rose and Tracy quietly continued their game, Vanya and I played what had to be the most intense air hockey game of my life. She’s a strong woman, and could hit that puck so fast I couldn’t see it. Somehow, I managed to still hit it back to her, almost at the same speed. It would go back and forth, barely managing to stay on the table, until it would finally go into one of the goals. When Rose and Tracy finished their game, they came up to the table and watched us play. The score was a tied six to six. One more would win the game. Vanya held the puck in her hand.

“This is it. You ready to lose?”

“Normally I would say yes, but I actually think I’ll win this one.”

Vanya grunted. She carefully put the puck down on her side, grabbing her striker so tightly her knuckles turned white. In a flash her arm moved, sending the puck bouncing off the walls and straight towards my goal. I managed to hit it hard enough to send it straight back. We continued like this for almost ten minutes when I finally managed to slide the puck into her goal. She screamed in frustration. I screamed in excitement.

“Woah, you guys are intense!” Rose had wide eyes the whole time we were playing. “I couldn’t even see the thing moving around!” Vanya sighed in frustration, and Rose gave her a hug. “You did great, honey.”

I walked over to the other side of the table, extending my hand out. “Great game, Vanya.”

She shook my hand. “Whatever. I let you win.”

Tracy looked at the time on her phone. “It’s actually pretty late, guys. I think it’s time for us to eat dinner.”

Rose raised her arms in the air. “Woo! Fancy restaurant time!”

The restaurant wasn’t as fancy as we hoped. The main dining room was full of tables, many of which were occupied. There was a large stage near the front of the room, with a string quartet currently occupying it. We sat down and gave our waitress our order.

“Tracy, are you enjoying the island?” Rose asked her.

“Oh, yeah! It’s great!”

“That’s good to hear! What about you Tommy?”

“I’m actually having a lot more fun than I thought I would.” I looked around at the walls and ceiling. The architecture was fairly plain, and the paintings on the walls seemed to be of different places on the island. The girls continued to talk while I listened to the music. It was very quiet and mellow. When our food arrived, we were all somewhat upset with the bland taste, but tried our best to enjoy it nonetheless. Halfway through our meals, an announcement cut off the music.

“And now, we’ll have a special performance from our guest for the night, Lady Ombre! She’ll be playing a Pouli Island classic, something even the original islanders would play. Take it away!”

The room darkened, and light focused on a woman dressed in black on the stage. She had a wooden flute in her hand, and when she brought it to her mouth, she began playing a soft yet melancholic tune. It was entrancing, drawing everybody in the room to watch her performance. It was as if the notes themselves were trying to reach out to me. I began to feel anxious. I looked around the room quickly, seeing everybody watch her. I could also see things in the corners of my eyes. They looked like people, standing in the room, staring at me. The song reached its climax, the notes becoming faster and more aggressive. The shadows began laughing, as if they knew something I didn’t. Then the song was over, and the lights slowly came back on. The shadows were gone, and I let out a sigh of relief. Applause rose from across the dining room, then people went right back to their food. I wanted to ask the others if they saw what I did, but I brushed the thought away. Even if it was real, they probably wouldn’t believe me.

After finishing our meals, we walked back to our rooms, completely exhausted from the day’s activities. Very few words were exchanged, we mostly just walked in silence and said good night when we reached our rooms. As I closed and locked the door behind me, I heard Tracy flop onto the bed.

“I am so unbelievably tired. What time is it?”

I checked my phone. “Almost eleven. We should probably go to bed.”

She took off most of her clothes, leaving her underwear on. She slipped under the covers. “Are we going to the beach again tomorrow?”

“Nah.” I stripped to my boxer briefs and joined her in the bed. “We’ll be walking around the mall and checking out some of the small stores they have, grab a few souvenirs, that kind of stuff. It’ll be a more relaxed day than today.”

She yawned loudly. “Thank goodness!” She turned onto her side, facing me. “Not that I didn’t like the beach, but it is super tiring to be out in the sun all day.”

“Heh, I agree. It’s the reason I moved up north.”

“This place is nice, but I definitely prefer living in the mountains. All of this would just get stale too quickly.”

“Yup. I lived here for about nineteen years before I finally left.”

“Must’ve sucked.”

“It wasn’t all bad. I just wanted a change.”

She moved close to me, hugging me tightly. “Well, I’m very thankful you moved. Otherwise we would have never met.”

I smiled, then gave her a small kiss on the head. “All right, it’s bedtime.”

She gave me a kiss on the shoulder before moving away to her side of the bed. “Good night!”

“Good night.” I turned off the lamp next to me, the room turning dark. The only light source was the moon, which peered through the glass door and windows. Tracy was out instantly. I followed closely, the sound of wind outside lulling me to a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of a door closing made me spring awake. I felt Tracy jolt up as well. I reached over and turned on the lamp, seeing our bags opened and things spread about everywhere. I jumped out of bed and ran to the entrance, seeing the door unlocked. I swung it open to see if I could catch who was in the room, but there was nobody in the hallway. I closed the door before moving back to the bed. Tracy seemed really tense.

“Babe, what was that?”

“I don’t know, I think somebody somehow got into our room.”

“Should we call the police?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll call them. You just breathe and relax.”

I didn’t actually know the number for the police, so I called hotel security instead, and they arrived with a few policemen. While Tracy stayed in the bed, I explained to the officers what had happened.

“We both woke up to the sound of our door closing, and our things were thrown around in the room.”

The officer I was talking to looked down at me. He was surprisingly tall. “So you heard them leaving, but not entering? How would they get into your room?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Did you lock the front door?”

“Yes, I’m certain of it.”

He leaned towards his partner, muttering a few words before turning back to me. “I’ll inform hotel security to guard your room and keep a watch on this floor. I’ll also have a few of my men stationed outside just in case. You two can go to bed now.”

After they left, I locked the door, even putting the chain onto it. I got into the bed, and Tracy gave me a big hug. She had been crying.

“I’m so happy you're okay.” She said it very quietly, almost a whisper.

“Yep, everything is okay now. The police and hotel security are going to keep us safe until we leave.”

“What if they come back?”

I held her tightly. “Like I said, everything is okay now. We’re safe, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Despite the situation, we both managed to eventually calm down by watching some funny videos on our phones. After I turned off the lamp, we shared one more hug before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~

We gave ourselves the morning to relax and drink our coffee while watching a movie on the room’s T.V. Around 10, Vanya knocked on our door, and we let both her and Rose in. While they sat at the table, I filled them in on what we experienced the night before.

Vanya scratched her head. “Well, at least you guys are safe now.” Rose was shaking, her normally immovable smile gone.

“Yeah.” I replied. “The police said they’ll keep watch of the outside and this hallway, just in case.”

“That’s reassuring.”

We all agreed that taking the day easy was the best option. We sat in the room talking and watching the T.V. until around noon, when we all decided to go to the lobby and grab lunch. On the way to the elevator, we noticed two security guards keeping watch over our hallway. I waved to one of them. They didn’t wave back.

After having sandwiches at the dining room, we headed to the second floor of the lobby, which had a hallway connecting it to the nearby mall. The walls of the hallway were adorned with pictures from around the island, with little snippets of information to match every photograph. I didn’t look at them too long. They made me feel anxious, as if there were something hiding in the dark corners, waiting to jump out from the still frames.

Entering from the second story of the mall was an interesting experience. The second floor was more like a raised walkway, with openings to see down into the first floor. Stores were everywhere, ranging from souvenir and jewelry shops to game stores and small restaurants. One of the stores even had two floors to itself. We walked around the mall for a few hours, window shopping and seeing what we would want to bring back home with us. At one point, Tracy motioned for me to come see something.

“Look at this necklace.” She pointed into one of the display cases of a small kiosk. It was a silver necklace, with a black jewel adorning it. The jewel seemed more like a rock, completely opaque and only shining with certain angles of light. The kiosk owner came up to us, a big smile on her face.

“Are you interested in our obsidian pendant? The obsidian rock is actually obtained from the northern part of the island, where lava has cooled and hardened. The silver is eighty percent pure, with a small bit of titanium mixed into it to ensure more durability and to prevent oxidation. If you’re looking for even more toughness, we also have obsidian pendants with pure titanium, however they won’t be as shiny.”

I turned to Tracy. “I think it’s pretty. Not too flashy, either.” I turn back to the kiosk owner. “How much would it cost?”

“The pure titanium version will cost around three-hundred, while the silver one will only be about fifty more.”

I went wide-eyed, looking at Tracy. She already had her card out. “I’ll take it!”

The kiosk attendance snatched her card quickly, her smile never wavering. “And will you be taking the silver or titanium variation?”

“Titanium, please.”

Tracy put the necklace on while we walked away from the kiosk, holding the obsidian up to admire it. We met up with Vanya and Rose in a small bakery, sitting down at a table they had been waiting at. Both of them seemed to love the pendant as well.

“The obsidian jewel is beautiful!” Rose exclaimed. “And I’ve heard that its energy can protect you from darkness.”

Tracy nodded. “I don’t really believe that stuff, but I will say I feel safer with this around.”

Vanya shook her head. “Energy or not, it’s gorgeous. I don’t even like jewelry and I would wear that.”

A waiter brought us croissants, which Rose ordered for us while we were at the kiosk. After we finished those, we started heading back for the hotel, since there wasn’t actually much to do or see in the mall. When we got back to our floor, there were new security guards in the hall. It made me much more comfortable, and I could tell by the girls’ joyous expressions that they were still able to have fun despite the previous night. I waved to one of the guards. They waved back this time.

We all decided to hang out in room 406, sitting down on the large bed and watching a movie on the T.V. It was a gritty action movie, and while they generally weren’t my favorite, I enjoyed relaxing with Tracy and the others. When the movie was over, we ordered pizza through room service. We got a large pepperoni pizza, along with a personal vegetarian pizza for Rose. We put another movie on (this time a comedy), and when it was finished it was almost eleven P.M. Vanya yawned loudly.

“Rose, I think it’s time for bed.”

“Oh, come on Vanya! Just one more movie, please?”

“We need to be up early to catch the boat going home, come on.”

When Rose didn’t move, Vanya picked her up and carried her out of the room. Tracy laughed loudly. I’m sure the guards outside laughed too. Wiping tears from her eyes, Tracy looked at me. “We should be heading to bed too.”

“Agreed.”

Before we got too comfortable, I went to the front door, locking it and putting the chain on. For extra security, I even made sure the balcony door was locked. I slipped my shirt and pants off before getting into bed with Tracy, who had already fallen asleep. I noticed the pendant on the nightstand next to her, the titanium reflecting the moon’s rays. I laid flat on my back, staring at the ceiling for a while before closing my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

When I opened them again, I was confused. It was still night, and no noise had startled me awake. I tried getting up when I realized I couldn’t move. I panicked for a moment before remembering that it was just sleep paralysis. I breathed slowly, taking a moment to scan the room before seeing it.

It stood at the foot of our bed, about the size and shape of an average man, yet it wasn’t a man. Despite the moon’s light, it was completely black. It twitched around, shaking frantically and moving its head and arms in ways no human could. A soft noise came from it every few seconds, like a quiet grunt. I tried my best to make it disappear, assuming it was another hallucination, but it stayed there. I even tried closing and opening my eyes, only to see it still shaking in the room. Now I was really panicking, trying my best to break out of my paralysis. It suddenly took a step, moving to the right side of the bed, Tracy’s side. It took another step. Its steps were stuttered and uneven, and it would stop for a moment before taking another one. It walked slowly towards Tracy. I followed it with my eyes, seeing as it stood over Tracy before leaning over her in a jerky movement. With an immense effort, I managed to turn my head, which caught its attention. It raised its head at me. I couldn’t see its mouth, nor its nose, but I saw its eyes. Large, almost circular eyes. It was as if its eyelids had been cut off.

After staring at each other for what felt like an hour, it suddenly stood up straight and stuttered away, walking frantically to the door. By the time I could fully move, I heard the front door close. I scrambled to it, seeing it was unlocked. I undid the chain and swung the door open, running out to the blinding beam of a guard’s flashlight.

“Sir, is everything all right?”

“Did you see a man leave this room?!”

The guard lowered her light. “No, sir. So far you’re the only person who’s left any room tonight.”

I shook my head. “Th-there was a thing in my room, and it ran out here. I swear!”

The guard got closer to me. “Sir, I assure you, there has been nobody else out here but you. Please, return to your room. We don’t want to bother the other hotel patrons.”

After locking the door behind me, I returned to the bed. Tracy was wide awake, shaking. “Did something happen again?”

“I… I don’t know.”

I explained what I saw to her. Her fear seemed to fade away. “Well, you do have a lot of sleep paralysis, and I’m sure what happened yesterday night really set it off.”

“But Tracy, I promise you this wasn’t normal sleep paralysis. This thing seemed real!”

She shushed me. “No need to be loud, everybody else is sleeping. I want to believe you, but there’s no way somebody could’ve gotten in, let alone run out without being seen by one of the security guards.”

I shook my head. I know what I saw had to be real, because I’ve had hallucinations, and they weren’t like that. Either way, I decided to drop it. “Let’s just go back to bed. We can talk about this another time.”

She hugged me, easing the worry I had that I had made her angry. “Good night.” She went back to her side, taking a moment to look at her pendant before falling back asleep. I laid down on my back again, but the image of those eyes never left my mind. I didn’t fall asleep for the rest of the night, staring at the ceiling until dawn. The silver light from the moon was slowly replaced with golden sunlight, and around eight I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, Vanya was standing outside alone.

“Tommy? You look exhausted.”

“Thanks. Where’s Rose?”

“Getting ready. Tracy?”

“Sleeping. I’ll get her up.”

After everybody was up, Rose and Vanya stayed in our room while I explained what happened the night before. Vanya scratched her chin, thinking about the situation. “And you don’t think this was a hallucination?” I shook my head. Tracy sighed.

“Tommy, it had to be a hallucination. I think the trip triggered some memories or something that’s making your conditions worse.”

Vanya looked around the room. Her eyes locked onto the sliding glass door, which she approached with powerful strides. “Tommy, did you lock this door?”

“Yeah, I did.”

She pulled on the handle, the door opening with ease. She closed it, locked it, then pulled on the handle again. The door opened again, unlocking itself. “Maybe they got in through here.”

Tracy stood up. “That can’t be possible. We’re almost five stories off the ground, plus there were guards everywhere. Even if they got in, how did nobody see them leave?”

Vanya shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, how was both the front and sliding door unlocked when Tommy locked them both?”

“Guys, stop!” Rose was standing now, tears forming in her eyes. “This trip has already been scary enough, can’t we just get along until we’re home?!” Hearing her shout made me feel horrible. I had never seen Rose this upset before. I think it had a similar effect on the other two.

Vanya scratched her head. “Sorry, Rose. You’re right. Whether there was somebody here or not, everybody is okay, and that’s what matters.”

Tracy nodded. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the day together.”

After checking out of our room and giving back our keycards, we began the walk back to the island’s town. The trip was mostly silent, with tension still existing between Vanya and Tracy. It was clear they were both upset they couldn’t win the argument from before.

When we reached the town we wasted no time, walking along the main road straight to the docks. The city was as loud as always, with music pouring onto the main street from several different alleyways. We got to the docks to find our boat waiting for us. The captain called out to us in his booming voice.

“Good morning! Climb aboard, I’ll be taking you home whenever you’re ready!”

The girls all went below deck, but I decided to go to the back of the boat instead. I watched as we drifted away from the dock, the boat turning and moving away from the island. As we moved further away, the music from the town seemed to slowly fade, being replaced by the sound of strong wind coming from the island. When I looked at the docks one more time, I noticed a figure there I recognized. It was the old woman, waving at me. It was then that I realized that the wind sounded like a flute, as if the island itself was trying to pull me back with a soft melody. I shook my head and walked into the cabin with the girls, closing the door behind me.

#writing #short story #story #horror #suspense #writing is literally the worst hobby ever why did i do this to myself

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