Caribbean

Chapter 3

I woke up to the sound of waves crashing to the beach.

It's strange. I'm not conscious completely, but from this perspective, I can see water sparkling on the sun. Early morning sun, I figure. I'm lying on fine ocher sand with light shades of pink and blue. There are several tall palms and some tropical bushes, with those flowers that girls with bronze skin and mysterious dark eyes put in hair when taking pictures from vacation. Every garish color possible: red, pink, orange, even yellow. I think it's called hibiscus. Then, I can taste salt in my mouth. Bitter and briny, as if I swallowed a lot of sea water. I can feel that my clothes and hair are completely wet, like I was standing in the rain for hours.

I instantly stand up. Last time I checked, I was on the beach, but not this close to the sea. I wasn't close enough even for high tide to cover me, and I'm dripping like I was drowning for ages, and then got out of water. Something is really weird.

All of a sudden, as if becoming aware of myself only now, I feel sharp pain in my chest. I struggle for breath, coughing loudly. I see nothing but white contours of my surrounding and it frightens me badly. In the bushes around forty feet from where I stand, I hear something move, or so I hallucinate. Maybe I've lost my mind, but I think I'll just black out, choking until I die. As I'm falling to the sand, I see a male figure coming closer to me until all I can see is endless whiteness. I don't care anyway and then, I fainted.

Next thing I now is someone slapping my cheek slowly, but dozen times. I blink fast looking at the person standing above me. It's a man, probably around thirty years old with dark brown hair and sky blue eyes. He looks mighty: he is dressed completely in black, wearing loose-fitting pants, strange boots and pirate-like leather coat. Also he has a belt and is it a sword scabbard hanging from it? No, who carries around a sword nowadays? I probably hit my had, that could also explain the pain.

"Oh, avast fluttering your eyelashes and show a leg! Charm tricks don't work on me". He speaks after seeing that I am awake. His voice is cruel and piercing, but not rough. It is just the way he looks, harsh but not evil.

"How long have I been..."

"Two minutes. Ye slept the part where all the water that can fit into a smaller lake came out of your mouth". He sounds angry, like I did something to him.

"Who are you?" I ask, because it's the only logic thing to ask. But I also don't know where I am or what I am doing here. This sure isn't hotel beach and I'm definitely not planning on staying here. Despite the fact that I didn't want to go anywhere this summer, I have to find my way back to the resort. I take a look at the sun. From that point, it should be right in the water at the sunset this evening, so west. That would be the same position it had when I arrived at the hotel yesterday. So I must be close, maybe a few beaches away. I might've been sleepwalking. Although I don't sleepwalk, that would be the only explanation. Maybe I do, I just don't know it.

"That, me dear, is an information I don't give away that easily besides, ye've had your question. Who are ye?"

"But..." He interrupts my sentence by pulling out his sword and putting its peak on my neck. I probably should be scared, but really the only thing I can think is: So he has a sword.

Yes, my surviving skills are amazing. Way to go, Krista.

"Don't make me kill ye before ye get to ask anything else and possibly find out to much. It's me turn." He says. "Who are ye?" He puts accent on each word. Slowly and scary.

I don't let it distract me.

I stand up. He moves his sword so it doesn't get of the spot where it's touching my throat. I'm fighting with the lump in it. I straighten my back, wishing to look at least half as confident and relaxed as he is. I hope my voice is calm as I speak.