Paradise 69

30

DAY FOUR

I BLINK, AND SQUINT my eyes against the sunlight on my face. I turn to the other side to escape the light and try to go back to sleep. I suddenly bolt upright while tossing the blanket away from my body. I remember we had to catch a flight to Italy, and that I had not set the alarm. I glance around and realize that I'm not at Resort Paradise.

Our flight is tomorrow...

I'm thinking about the night before, the last memory I can recall is of Lexy and Kyle. I turn my attention to the luxury bedroom I'm in. How did I get here? Who brought me here?

I no longer have the dress from the previous night. I look around for my bag, and my iPhone. But everything is gone. Who took my things? Why I am wearing spandex booty shorts, and a tight V-neck? The more I ask myself questions, the more I feel this sharp pain in my head.

I get out of the bed while trying to be careful. I feel dizzy. There is a balcony to the bedroom. I decide to get closer, maybe I could understand where I am. All I can see is the ocean, and an endless expanse of trees. That helped a lot! Thank you, Planet Earth.

I walk towards the bedroom door. This marble floor is cold! Where are my damn flip flops? I reach for the doorknob and pull it open. At least I'm not being held captive. I stick my head in the hall. This is a long white corridor. I want to know what happened last night. Where is Lexy, Kyle, or my friends?

I hear sounds coming from another area of the house. I always made fun of innocent protagonists that would move towards the sound in horror movies. Here I am...doing the damn exact same thing. Sometimes you just have to live through it, to know what it really is like!

The hallway ends, and I immediately recognize where I am. Sam Mijan's house! Lexy is sitting at the table. She is facing me.

"Good morning." She smiles sardonically.

"There is nothing good about this morning. Why am I here? Where is everyone else?"

"Calm down, Ms. De Santis. One question at a time." Surprisingly, she sounds extremely calm.

I glance in the direction of the kitchen island.

"I removed the knife set, Ms. De Santis. I hid it for safety reasons."

I return my attention to her.

"I'm blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

I take a step towards her.

"Perhaps, I can take care of you with my own bare hands."

"Please save your hands to do another kind of job."

I suddenly stop. She is holding a 9mm semi-automatic and aiming right at my head.

"What...kind...of...job...are...we...talking...about?"

My throat is suddenly dry. I lick my lower lip.

"Mijan mentioned that you studied theater in high school. That you've always been a performer-"

"Where is he?" I cut her off. Somehow not intimidated by the sight of the gun. I mean, is she really going to shoot me?

She lowers the gun to somewhere under the table.

"He is at another location. Getting ready for a scenario."

"What scenario?"

She slides a stack of papers across the table. The document is bound together by a black spiral on the left margin.