RAIN

Chapter twenty four

He zipped past the little dusty gas station. He had been driving for a long time. The heat of the sun made his head throb and his body felt weak but he was determined to keep going. Out in the fields and plains, people were tending their farmlands and animals. This place seemed so different that he almost didn't recognize it. The last time he was here, there was not a single sign of civilization but now, life buzzed in every corner that he looked.

Down the incline, smooth waves rolled into the bay. A few fishing boats bobbed near the shoreline. The clear blue skies provided a breathtaking backdrop to this mesmerizing scenic wonder. This could not be the same place. He looked at the GPS that now chose to work to prove to himself that he was going in the right direction.

As he inched closer to that place that haunted even his waking moments, the sight of police tapes fluttering in the wind welcomed him back.

He pulled up at the side of the road and cut the engine off. He was undeniably nervous. Those frightening memories replayed in his head. He pulled in a deep breath to steady his nerves and then removed the seatbelt, gathering up whatever courage he had left inside him.

The sight of this place astounded him as he stood under the sun that warmed his face. It wasn't frightening or eerie. The breeze lifting from the sea was cool and relaxing. His eyes circled the perimeters with awe. The gentle sway of the coconut and palm trees was a stark contrast to the sights that he had witnessed here but still, the image of the bog was unsettling.

He walked closer. It had been mostly drained, just a few inches of water had been left behind. Police tape secured its deadly secrets and a makeshift tower had been erected close by. As he drew in, a muddy, rotten smell lifted from the black liquid left behind. No more flags fluttered in the wind like the dreadful gravestones that they truly were.

He strolled toward the path that led to the beach. The trees provided welcomed shade from the sun. Branches and leaves still littered the ground but the sandy soil had dried and now stuck to his black boots as he walked. He moved the low-hanging branches out of his way, slinking further down toward the beach.

He stood on an incline to look out at the blue water as it gently rolled into the shore. If he ignored the horror that lay a few meters behind him, he would easily describe this place as paradise.

Stepping onto the white sand, he drifted along the shoreline toward a poster that had been erected close by. He stopped to read what was printed on the canvas. His heart skipped a beat in his chest. It was an announcement that this place would soon be transformed into a beach town. There was no developer's name, just a number that was printed at the bottom of the sign.

A flock of white terns went sailing by. The loneliness stretched for miles. The only signs of life were the animals that had returned to their habitats after the storm. Jet wondered what had become of the villagers who had survived the crazy old man.

His eyes settled on the temple and he wondered if maybe he was brave enough to return there. With the sun out, he convinced himself that anything evil would be chased far away. He started walking back toward the temple. The sound of his boots crunching the sand, the waves rolling in and the birds squawking and chirping- it all made the fear less tangible. This place truly was paradise and he could truly understand why someone would risk turning it into a functioning town.

He climbed over the ridge of rocks and stone. His boots hit the other side with a dull thud. A rabbit scurried to safety as it saw Jet coming.

"I imagine Rain could make a good stew with you," he said with a laugh as the rabbit poked its head out of its burrow to monitor the intruder in its world, twitching its nose.