Lost to be found

Part 4

I was awakened by a sudden weight on my stomach. I grudgingly opened my eyes to see wolf on top of me. "Hi wolf," I said with a smile.

"It seems that you've woken up," a voice said. I sat up in my seat, "I'm sorry for falling asleep," I replied sheepishly.

"It's okay! Come sit at the table and eat while we have a little chat."

As I explained everything that had happened—starting from boarding the airplane to how I ended up in this village—she listened intently. Not once did she seem surprised; it was as if she already knew my story.

Before I could ponder this further, another voice interrupted my thoughts. "Mom, I'm back from the meeting! Dad stayed behind to finalize things with Uncle."

"One moment," she said before quickly standing up and exiting the kitchen. I was almost finished eating when she returned with a boy around my age. He seemed to be the one from the picture.

"Moya this is my son Declan. Declan this is Moya," she introduced us. I gave him a smile as greeting while he just stared at me. It was making it increasingly uncomfortable until I turned away to finish my meal.

I could feel his eyes piercing into my back. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to leave. "Declan take a seat and keep her company while I go and prepare a room for her to stay," the mom said and begins to walk off.

"No, you don't have to do that! I just want a phone so I can call my parents to come get me. I wouldn't want to burden you any more than I already have," I said as I stood up.

"Sure, a phone," the mom said.

"Our phones aren't able to connect beyond this island. So, calling your parents is impossible" Declan interrupted.

"You have no connections to the outside world?" I asked again

"Yes. You are correct. Mom go and prepare the room for her stay." She started to make her way to a set of stairs.

'Please don't leave me alone with him' I thought anxiously.

"Can you show me the way to the bathroom?" I asked the mom.

She nodded and led me to the bathroom. As soon as I entered, I slid down to the floor, my back against the cool tiles. I tried to hold back my tears, but the weight of everything crashed down on me like a tidal wave. Alone again, with nowhere to go and no way back home, I felt utterly lost. Just when I thought this might be my escape, I was right back where I started.

My breathing grew heavy, each inhale feeling more labored than the last. Panic surged through me, tightening my chest as if a vice were squeezing my heart. Why? Why was this happening now? My thoughts spiraled out of control—my parents! Mom! Dad! Help me, please! They would know what to do; they'd handle this situation without falling apart like me.

I pressed my palms against my chest, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. Why can't I just be strong? I thought bitterly. Why does it feel like everything is closing in on me? The bathroom felt smaller with each passing moment, the walls closing in as my mind raced with fear and uncertainty.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and unrelenting. "Why?" I whispered into the silence, feeling utterly defeated. "Why did this happen to me?" My voice cracked as I sank deeper into despair, wishing for the comfort of my parents' presence. They would have known how to navigate this chaos—how could I be so helpless?

I took a deep breath, but it came out shaky and uneven. Stop overreacting! I scolded myself internally. Things aren't too bad! Wiping my face with trembling hands, I tried to regain some composure. Think positively: I had a warm meal and a bed waiting for me tonight! There were good things happening since wolf brought me here...Just then, scratching at the door pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. My heart raced again—was it Declan? Or someone else?

I stood up and opened the door to have wolf jump on me. It was so unexpected that I ended up falling again with him on top of me. "How many times are you going to have me falling in a day," I pouted. He began to lick my face, licking away my tears.

I couldn't help but to laugh. "Stop it. I'm ok. I'm not crying," I said while trying to cover my face.

He laid down on me and I removed my hands from my face. "See. I'm okay," I said while rubbing my hand through his fur.

"Moya the room is ready. Are you finished in the...," she was now standing in the doorway staring at us in surprise.

"Nick, I didn't know that you were still here," a voice said before coming into frame. It was Declan and he didn't seem happy.

"Umm.... get up wolf. Let's go take a look at my room," I said jumping to my feet. I held my head down, hoping that my puffy eyes weren't obvious.

Declan stormed off and the mom led the way. "May I know your name?" I asked as I walked behind her.

"I didn't realize that I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Diona," she said as we entered a cozy room. "This is your room; I hope it's to your liking." 

"Yes. Thank you for everything that you've done for me. I really appreciate it," I said and closed the door.

I explored the room to see what was available. Opening the closet revealed a few shirts and shorts, which gave me a sense of comfort. Deciding it was time for a shower, I grabbed a pair of clothes and exited the room, leaving wolf lounging on my bed.

When I returned, wolf was gone. Feeling comfortable in my new space, I climbed into bed and fell asleep; everything could be sorted out in the morning.

*****

I was woken up by a knock on my door. Sleepily I turned in bed, facing away from the door and shouted, "five more minutes mom." I was answered with a snicker. I used my palm to rub the sleepiness out of my eyes and realized I was in an unfamiliar room.

Then it all came back to me.

"Miss Diona?" I asked. No reply.

"Declan?" I asked again.

"Yes! Sorry if I woke you up," he called back through the door. "You can come down for breakfast whenever you're ready; just so you know—I won't be home today."

"Okay..."

"And Mom might leave soon too; Dad will probably be in his office working or something." He paused before adding hastily: "So you can stay in your room all day if you want... Goodbye!"

He didn't even wait for a response. 

I got up out of bed and went to the bathroom and returned back to my room. I laid in bed contemplating when was the best time to go downstairs. I was still new to the place and I hadn't even met the father as yet. I was starting to get hungry when I heard another knock on the door.

I opened it to see a new face. "Hey Moya. My name is Nicholas, and I will be your tour guide for the day,"

"Huh?"