Not Lost, Not Yet

Seven

"Ready?" Maria calls to me from outside the cabin.

She left while I changed, and now she's waiting for me so we can finally go on our walk around to the other side of this island. I'm a bit nervous.

I put on shorts and a top, and now I'm sitting on the floor, taking off my shoes and socks. Maria's been impatiently whining for me to come outside for the past ten minutes, so when I run out the door, she starts lecturing me on taking too long. I just laugh.

"Will you relax? It's not like I actually took longer than you, you just barely ate any food and had a lot of time to get ready earlier," I say, defending myself.

She throws her head back and laughs. That's when I notice in the dim evening sunlight that she's wearing bright red lipstick, and her eyelashes are curled upwards in an unnatural way.

Our feet leave footprints in the warm sand. The breeze is so calming and the sun is so far down that we can only barely see the jungle from here. Somehow that makes it more ominous. I shudder at the sight of the tall, dark trees and the sound of all sorts of animals making their own individual prowls in the darkness.

Suddenly, with no warning at all, Maria stops in her tracks, so I do too. She has a terrified look on her face, which has gone so pale. 

"Maria? What's wrong?" I asked, concerned for her. 

"I-I don't know. Let's keep going," she says faintly, but I stop her. 

"No, really, what's wrong?" 

"I think I have to go back to the cabin. I don't feel so well," Maria says, and before I can say anything, she's gone. 

"Maria, wait!" I call, running after her.

When I finally reach her, she's sitting under the deck of the cabin. I don't look at her. I just take a seat on top of the desk, where I know she can hear me if I talk, but I don't. 

"Emma?" Maria says after a couple of minutes. My name is followed by a trail of sniffles, and then a few coughs. "Are you up there?" Her voice is shaky. Just hearing her sad puts me on the verge of tears.

"Yes, love," I say. I immediately slap my hand over my mouth, and I can feel my face as it turns a bright shade of pink. Maria giggles, so I do too, but nervously. "Sorry."

"No, don't be," Maria says. 

"Listen, Maria, I'm not going to force you to come with me. You really don't have to. I'm not going to go unless you come with me, but don't think of that as me putting pressure on you. I don't even know if I want to go, but I'd definitely go with you, that's all I'm trying to say. I'm sorry, I don't have wise speeches like you do when I'm feeling sad," I say. 

"Go, please, Emma."

"What?"

"Emma, please. We both know how much you want to go. Do it! I trust you. Please, please remember that."

"But you said-"

"Forget what I said. Be safe. Have fun, Emma. I love-" Maria cuts herself off. My heart leaps, and then Maria apologizes. 

"Don't," I say to her apology. 

"Okay," Maria whispers. "Now go, darling. You want to. Just go before the sun's completely gone, or you won't be able to see where your feet are, even if you bring a lantern."

"I don't want to leave you alone, Maria," I admit, but she just sighs and giggles softly through sniffles.

"Emma, I'm a big girl. I can cry on my own."