The Shadow Anthology

Quin & The Woman

On the eve of their eighteenth birthday, Quin and Fiona were packing excitedly. Unbeknownst to them, for many years their mother, Nina, had been saving a sizeable portion of her earnings for this very trip. The trio weren’t due to leave for another three hours, though their overcautious mother had been readying them to leave since midday. It was soon to be dusk. With suitcases and all hand-luggage well packed, the twins were ready for their pre-emptive inspection, which consisted of a further hour of unpacking and repacking by their mother.

The results of the thorough search found Quin severely lacking in several toiletries and Fiona was missing all forms of technology. The twins sighed and were marched back to their rooms to find what they knew they would need. Neither brother nor sister liked the militant that their mother became on days like these, though they were grateful all the same.

After final procedures, Nina allowed everyone to leave the house and enter the car. She set multiple alarms as she was leaving. Both the house and the car were to be taken care of by Nina’s sister for the entirety of the two weeks. She gave strict instructions that neither were to be used unless the situation was dire. These orders would be disobeyed.

The drive to the airport was long and dull for everyone in the car. The passengers fell asleep while watching the setting of their summer’s sun over the infinitely mirrored and empty fields. Upon finally reaching the airport, the car was bestowed precariously to a troublesome temporary owner. It then sped away carelessly into the night. Nina sighed.

Midnight came as they boarded the plane, restless with anticipation. Being in America, the flight to Hawaii was relatively short, so the sun hadn't yet begun to rise as they plane sank down into the bubbling abyss of tarmac. However, their first steps out of the airport and onto a picturesque little island were graced with a warm, dim, orange glow arising from the horizon.

What little time they had been given on the plane had been used for slumber. In addition to a sleeping coach ride, the family had been blessed with just enough sleep to surpass the first day without hindrance. Arriving at their cabin gave them all a fresh air of relaxation. The rooms were many and all were pristine. Decor of palm and bamboo trees adorned the perimeter of the living room. Their balcony was a clean and glistening white. It had three ebony sunbeds already set out and gazing into the shiny, crystalline sea. Exotic fruits and nuts had been laid bare in the bowls of each bedroom, along with the necessary devices needed to open them. Though each member of the family could have remained inside, it was Quin who suggested that they should eventually take the plunge outside and seize the day.

All three ran out onto the warming sand in bathing attire. Fiona waded around the shallow end of the coast for quite some time while Nina and Quin quickly waded out to sea. Nina managed to spend half an hour in the water with her son before she tired irreparably of the

  

unsurpassable pace that his athleticism set. She then coerced her bathing daughter to join her in sunbathing on the sand.

Quin watched his mother return to shore in disbelief. The young man shook off his shock and continued at his leisure in his beloved pastime for a further few hours while the rest of his family allowed themselves to bake and burn. Their habits and preferences were utterly alien to him. He looked back occasionally to see if they had moved at all, though they rarely would.

While swimming further and further out into the deep blue, Quin noticed he had somehow gained a second shadow. He peripherally studied his admirer, or perhaps competitor, for some time. He didn’t know which he would prefer them to be as he was well adjusted to both. Gradually he began to pay less and less attention to the water and more to what seemed to be a glistening girl. He didn’t notice the jellyfish that swam past him until it was too late. The creature had already brushed past his leg and instantly paralysed him. He started to sink.