Chapter 1: Paradise?
…
Everything seemed blurry at first, nothing but vague outlines. But as his focus rekindled, the ceiling started to regain its sturdiness, the squiggles becoming the edges of a wall. With a groan, the young boy found the strength to sit up and viewed his surroundings.
“Why am I… on the floor?” He mumbled, his hand stirring strands of sable. Hooded eyes flickered as he continued to look around, thin brows furrowing.
The room was not his nor one he recognized. The slate walls, almost metallic, formed a box-like room, the floor a darkened hardwood. A lone bed rested on the left side and a desk lay parallel to its location.
He stood up, his neck stiff. He noted a pair of doors in the distance, entering the closer one.
It opened to a modest bathroom with all the bare necessities: Shower, toilet, and sink. A small, gray rug sat under the sink cabinet, a mirror overhead. Inspecting himself, his focus wandered over to a small bruise that pierced his neck.
“Weird…”
He shook his head.
“Probably nothing…”
…
The other door led to a hallway resembling one of a hotel. Linen walls bordered the walkway, a square-patterned carpet making up the floor. Including his, there were four rooms, each with their own number.
“Room seven.” He closed the door to look. “Huh.”
He wondered if this was some surprise vacation formed by his parents. Then again, it was not like them to bring up stuff out of nowhere.
He sighed.
Whatever. His head still felt too fuzzy to think hard anyway.
Reaching into his pants pocket, he grabbed his phone, planning to send a text.
Where are we?
Buzz.
Message unable to send. Please try again.
He pressed the resend button. It buzzed once more.
…Message unable to send. Please try again
There with his luck.
An elevator, however, down the end of the hall gave him a slimmer of hope. Advancing towards it, he pressed the button for it to come.
Everything here looks so… new. And my parents are so cheap.
Now that he thought about it, his parents never did vacations either. Was this a dream?
Ding.
The sound brought him back to his senses. To his surprise, another boy already waited inside.
About the same age, his hair was a similar shade of black with violet highlights for bangs. Tawny-beige skin, the stranger wore a white t-shirt, and blue-jeaned jacket atop. His eyes and lashes, larger and longer in comparison, looked at him, waiting.
With a nod, the boy stepped into the elevator, gaze averting the other. The door shut soon after, another sound signaling their descent from the second floor.
The stranger eyed him, hesitant.
“Hey…”
Ding.
The door opened to a small lobby area.
“Never mind,” the stranger said, whispering an apology. He began his walk away when Jared called out after him.
“No, what were you saying?”
It must have come harsher than he intended for the recipient flinched in response.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. My name’s Jared. Can you finish what you were saying please?”
“I’m Kai,” he said, voice mild though tentative. “Do… Do you know where we are?”
“You… don’t know where this place is either?” Jared asked, crossing his arms.
Kai shook his head.
“So, you just woke up here?”
Kai nodded and shuffled his feet.
“Looks like we’re both lost then.”
“…”
“Are you gonna say something, or am I just talking to myself?”
“Er- sorry… um…”
Kai glanced around, fiddling with the back of his short hair. “This… doesn’t really look like a hotel lobby, does it?”
Jared paused.
“No, now that you say it… it doesn’t…”
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Jared glossed over the area, placing a delicate hand atop one of the leather couches. There were multiple little sections like this, some areas with bean bags, others with tables and chairs. Bookshelves lined the walls, and Jared mused how this may be more of a library than anything.
“Do you…”
The opening of an automatic door interrupted his statement. Kai loitered before it, darting Jared’s gaze.
“Sorry. I- um- you looked busy and I wanted to go out.”
“You could have just told me,” Jared frowned, following Kai close behind.
…
A stark breeze blew as the two boys looked around, hands shielding from the sunlight. Palm trees towered over ferns and bushes, while trimmed grasses met with white sand not far ahead. Mountains bordered the sky instead of clouds, and a vague outline of a dome building was held by the stony cliffs.
“Do you recognize this place?”
Now it was Kai asking questions.
“No… I don’t.”
His parents despised warm climates, much more tropical ones. They would never set foot on a beach for that reason, calling them “a waste of space.”
Beside him, Kai continued to tap his foot, arms crossed to his waist. He changed his stance, once, then twice, before saying, “Hey, look.”
He signaled in the distance.
Two girls seemed to be fussing over their phones; something about there not being a signal. The taller of the two- hair coffee-brown with two golden pins- hovered over a bench, patting the other’s shoulder.
“I tried contacting Avery, but the message isn’t sending,” the shorter of the girls showed her phone, rose lips downturned. She ran a hand through her inky hair, tapping her phone once more in frustration. Slumping down, the girl looked up to her friend, before making eye contact with Jared.
She sprung up from her seat. “Hey, person!”
“Me?” Jared gestured to himself.
“Yes, yes, you!”
“Can I help-?”
“I need your phone!” She said, not waiting for him to finish. Jared blinked in surprise, eyes contracting.
“I don’t even know you, why’d-?”
“Please excuse her,” the other girl neared, sighing. She jabbed a thin finger at her friend. “She’s socially inept. I’m Sun. She’s Ella.”
The shorter girl waved in response, though showed slight disapproval of her friend’s statement.
“Jared. And this-”
A sheet of air replaced where Kai stood, as if never there to begin with.
Jared turned back around. “I swear there was someone with me.”
“They seem to be gone now,” Ella pointed out. Her round eyes still lay on the phone in Jared’s hand.
“You can’t have it. Besides, I don’t have any signal either.”
The two girls shared a glance.
“Strange…” Sun said, biting her lip. She proceeded to clear her throat, adding, “Well, sorry for bothering you then. Thanks for your help anyway.”
“Yeah…”
As they walked away, a thought crossed Jared’s mind.
“Wait, um…”
“Something wrong?” Ella pivoted back.
“Do you know where we are?”
The two girls glanced at each other and frowned.
“We don’t know, sorry. You can try asking the people in the courtyard, though. We haven’t asked any of them.”
“The courtyard?” Jared crossed his arms.
“Yeah, just follow the path past the shrubbery there and you’ll see it.” Sun motioned towards some bushes, a faint trace of a path concealed behind it. “We were about to go there too.”
“Oh, cool, do you mind if I come with?”
“Not at all.”
…
It took no time to arrive at the supposed Courtyard.
Spacious and grand, it looked similar to a town plaza with its grand water feature, benches, and quaint trees. Cobblestone paths reached out to a modern building, circling the fountain along the way. Many others idled around the different sections of the yard, and excluding Jared and the girls, there stood about nine others.
“Why were you over there, anyway?” Jared asked, adressing Ella. “You could’ve asked some of these people for their phones.”
“Well, you see, we were trying to get a signal. We saw some sort-of thing on the roof and thought it might catch one.”
“No, you thought that.” Sun gave a look. “I told you it was probably ventilation or something but you wouldn’t listen.”
“It was worth a shot!”
As the two exchanged remarks, Jared felt a tap on his shoulder. “Boo!!”
Jared jumped, letting out a short shriek. The assailant, meanwhile, fell into a fit of laughter, one Jared knew too well.
“...Luka?”
The brown-haired perpetrator flashed another grin, showing off his telltale dimples. His umber eyes gleamed in sadistic enjoyment as he tried to regain composure, while Jared just looked at him, scowling.
“I hate you.”
“Pity, but I’m here to stay,” Luka said, wrapping an arm around Jared’s neck.
Sun turned towards them both, her bickering with Ella coming to an end. “I’m assuming you know him, Jared?”
“He’s my friend,” Jared said as he tried to release himself from the grip.
“Ah, I see.”
Ella’s gaze focused on Luka. “Do you have a phone?”
“A phone?”
This moment of distraction provided just the opportunity for Jared to slip out of Luka’s arm.
“Tsk.”
“Heh.”
“Do you have a phone?” Ella repeated, emphasizing the last word and reaching out her hand.
“I do, but… why do you-”
“I’m sure he'd be more than happy to lend it,” Jared said with a tiny smile. He leaned in, reaching into one of Luka’s pockets, and pulled out his phone.
“Hey, wait-“
“Thanks!”
As Ella hassled with the phone, Jared shared a look towards his friend.
“I would feel bad, but…” Jared shrugged.
“I’d just like to apologize for my friend. Again.” Sun sighed, tired eyes darting between Jared and Luka.
“No need, she’s fine. Luka doesn’t mind in the slightest.”
Luka tried to keep the look of disdain, but soon a small upturn found its way onto his lips.
Then, it broke out into a genuine grin. “I’m glad to see you here.”
“We saw each other two days ago.”
“Yeah, but it’s still nice to see a familiar face, don’t you think? Or, do I annoy you too much?” Luka prodded a finger.
Another laugh. “Both can be true.”
“Hey-“
“Ugh.” Ella groaned, still extending the phone into the air.
“Please don’t break it,” Sun said, hands moving as if expecting it to fall.
“It won’t send anything.”
“I could’ve told you that, I tried that earlier,” Luka said before pointing behind himself to some people in the distance. “No one here even knows where we are and can’t contact anyone either.”
“So we’re just stranded here?”
“Guess so.”
“At least we’re somewhere pretty,” Sun said, gazing at the beach behind them. The waves rippled, dragging parts of the white sand back and forth, as Sun stood unmoving, mesmerized by the view.
“I guess…”
As the girls continued to admire the view, Jared started to peer around. He opened his mouth, wanting to talk with Luka, but noticed he too seemed preoccupied with the beach before them.
He considered exploring the area when a lock of purple caught his eye.
“Hey!”
…