Hell's Book of Random One-shots

Dragged Into It - Part Two

You waddled through the door of your room and then promptly dropped your bags to your sides, letting out a dramatic sigh as you dropped your head back and closed your eyes.

It had barely been an hour since you had landed and you were already feeling the heat, whether you liked this or not hadn't quite settled in your mind.

Not that that mattered either, as you had to drop your things off and then rush to meet the rest for a welcome dinner, there wasn't even enough time for a nap.

The door closed behind you as you walked to one of the beds, dragging your bags behind you by their long straps as you took in the white bedding and furniture and the cream-coloured walls.

Everything was so pristine, like it hadn't ever been touched.

Perfect for a villa, really.

Two white-framed doors gave an astounding view to the beach front and its ever expanding near white sand, the water was a blue that you only ever saw in the adverts on TV, the kind that you would scoff and roll your eyes at, believing that you'd never make it to such a place and thus, refused to believe that such blue waters existed.

Boy, were you glad to be eating your words.

Truthfully, it all felt strangely superficial, like you had stepped onto the set of a movie, especially given the way that the sun was beaming into the room and made everything blinding in its perfection.

That was another reason why you chose the bed furthest from the window, not wanting to wake up to the sun shining in through the white blinds and searing your eyes upon waking, that was a fate your sister could be doomed to.

First come, first serve and all that.

You could already image the whining pout from her and your smug look in return.

"You snooze, you lose," you laughed to yourself while setting your bags beside and on top of the bed.

Making haste, you unzip your smaller bag and grab a new shirt before heading to the bathroom, deciding to freshen up and finally relieve yourself before joining the others for dinner.

---

There was an instant chorus of greetings as you entered the room and approached the table, the many familiar faces filling you with both nostalgia and existential realisation.

The faces were all the same as they had been when you were growing up and went on similar trips but each and every one was older, the contrast of the younger memories mixing with the new forming ones making the realisation of everyone's aging hit all the harder.

New wrinkles, greying hair and faces that were once young and chubby had now grown into matured features.

It was strangely surreal, seeing the group all bundled together like old times while looking completely new.

Which was likely the same for yourself, some of these people hadn't seen you since you were a teenager, waving goodbye to them as they drove off for college.

Pushing those thoughts aside, you returned everyone's warm smiles and made your way to one of the empty seats, briefly greeting people as you passed before they continued on with whatever they had been discussing before you had arrived.

The four parents were happily chatting between themselves about who knew what, it always astounded you that they could find something to endlessly natter about for hours on end without running out of topics.

Your sister was talking to his sister, Katie, who had a newborn happily cradled to her chest, both of them cooing at the infant who happily giggled and gave the widest gummy smile you had ever seen a baby give as they kicked their feet and waved their arms.