FAR AWAY FROM HOME (PAUSED)

𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈 - 𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽

The heat can smother a person to death.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. But it is hot. I fan myself with my fingers the instant I step down from the silver Highlander we came in. The sun is glaring at me as I shade my eyes with the flat of my palm to stare at the glittering pink sign that read Spa in cursive letters, below it is Tranquil touch. When the idea was brought up this afternoon, sometime after I had gotten back from school and consumed three bottles of water, I had jumped at it.

Never mind that it was a makeover for my Wedding which is tomorrow -I shudder at the thought- and a girl's afternoon out, it was one of the best ideas, if not the best thing, I've heard all week.

I appreciate the cool temperature of the Spa and the light music circulating when we step in. It's a high-class Spa considering the decor and service we receive from the attendants -more females than males. One, in particular, catches my eyes and I flinch inside.

She has short black hair, the tips dyed purple, and cat eyes that are covered in black eyeliner. She is wearing a see-through short-armed shirt with black shorts that stop mid-thigh. Her red bra is glaring at me from underneath her shirt and I dart my eyes away from it. I notice the staff uniform isn't rigid as they are all wearing the customized light pink shirt but with different pair of clothing's -skirts, leggings, jeans- underneath.

I feel the sensation of being watched as we-Mum, Riley, Mrs. Miller, and I - are directed to where we can change. I briefly glance to see that it's the red-bra girl before going into the dressing room. Clad in a pink fuzzy robe and white flip flops, clothes neatly folded in a small locker, we all step out minutes later and I can picture myself turning into jelly as I imagine the way I'll be pampered.

Nothing must ruin this day for me. Nothing.

"Good to see you all ready," A short woman with hazel eyes and brown hair that has blond highlights comes to stand in front of us, smiling. Her hair is parked into a neat bun and a hair ornament that looks like the one Queens in Korean films wear is stuck through it. She has a silver-rimmed name tag where the name Ally is written in white letters against the backdrop of a dark pink glittery background. "So there's the Steam room or Sauna, bath treatment, body scrub, massage, and facials all available."

Heaven forbid I go into a Sauna after coming from that scorching heat. "You can count me out of that Sauna. There's a mud bath, right?"

Ally turns to regard me with a professional smile, hands folded. "Of course. Customers, do usually follow the order I listed above but you're free to choose what to start with."

I give her a curt smile. "Why, thank you." At least she's looking me in the eyes and her lips aren't twitching uncomfortably. Safe to say she isn't a racist. The others choose the Mud bath too, probably having the same idea I had. Ally calls a guy -I wonder why when she very well knows we would be entering the mud bath naked- to escort us to where it is.

My eyes excitedly run over the calm peach, pink and white colours on the wall surrounding us as we follow the guy, moving aside when others pass us. Finally, we stop in front of a room with a light wooden door encased in a hollow frame made of bricks. The guy, I don't care to know his name, tells us where to place our robes when we enter, what to do, and how to come out. We thank him and he leaves.

Great.

Mrs. Miller opens the door and we're welcomed into a large somewhat circular room. There is a walkway made of smooth concrete woven around several mud baths that look like a coffin, well because it's rectangular in shape and in the ground. As we walk towards the side that is void of humans, soft conversation flows around us.

I see two light brown wooden doors but can't guess where they lead to. However, since I don't see any male here or a shower stall, I'll assume both doors lead to such places. I could be wrong, but till then. The floor is slightly slippery as I stand in front of one tub. There's a lady in the Spa Uniform who is hovering over us as we try to enter.