Under the Palm Trees

December 27, Wednesday

Waking up after a confusing dream is the worst. Really. Now I don't know what was a part of my dream and what was reality. I wish all of this was in my head and I just imagined it all, that I am on a tropic island, where a secret keeps me and my family. I just want to be back in Minnesota, in my comfy bed and dog, with Sara and the others. I miss them so much and this holiday kinda starts to piss me off...

As I angrily woke up as the first sun rays started to burn my skin down, making it a slightly lighter shade of a tomato. I placed my arm on my thigh where I felt the burning feeling stabbing mercilessly my gentle tanned skin, to protect the hurt skin from the harmful rays of the sun bright orange sun. I know, right? It is the most awful feeling over the summer...And it isn't even summer yet...At least not in Minnesota...

I gasped as I tried to slowly sit up, careful not to hurt my skin even more. While doing it so, I felt as the pain hit me hard in my upper thighs. I sat up and looked at the holy boy sleeping just beside me, looking so peaceful and innocent, like an angel that fell from heaven. I loved watching the sharp characteristics of the slope of his jaw, his long neck ending in his wide, muscular shoulders. I watched as he took a deep breath through his parted rose lips, feeling the butterfly waving and saying "Good morning! We are still here, you can't get rid of us!!"...Oh well, I think they will never disappear...

I went beside his bed, pulling a lost thread of hair behind his perfectly shaped, sun-kissed ears. I looked at him and wondered how much it will hurt me to leave him, leave him out of all of this. How much it will break my heart not to kiss his pink lips, which wore the color of the shells found in the deep sea. I know it sounds cliche and we just met 2 weeks ago, but we've been through so much and I really loved him, that even a day without him caused me physical pain. In my stomach. In my heart. Everywhere.

Standing up, I took another quick look at the sleeping men and walked over to a tree, took a nice leaf from the tree reaching up to touch the sky. I grabbed a sharp rock from a knot of grass and started to scribble my message on it.

...

Hmmmmm...What time is it? Is it time for breakfast yet? Cause I'm staaarviiing!!! Although probably that's normal with teenage boys, isn't it? At least that's what mum always told me...-I talked in my head. Who else thought I could clearly hear my own voice in my own head? Soooo strangeeee!!!! Can I also sing in my head? Could I actually be off key in my own head????? WOW, I think I could!!! I'm the highest master of thinking-and-singing-in-my-own-head-because-I-am-so-good!

I peered through my black eyelashes to the empty space beside me, where Hanna was supposed to be sleeping. But she actually wasn't there.

Hmmmm, I wanna go back to sleep for about another hour or so if nobody's woken up yet...Just for a second. Maybe two. Maybe an hour?

But Wait. WHERE THE HELL IS HANNA??????????? WHERE THE FUCKING HELL IS HANNA???? As I realized that she was missing, I instantly smashed the satisfied wide grin off my face, which got replaced with horror, and horror, and some more horror.

As I though about the worse and worse possibilities of what might have happened, I became aware of a strangely big piece of green leaf placed on her "bed". I took it into my palms, reading the cursive (well, not really...it looked like she just started to learn how to write...)writing of my girl.

"Ethan! When you are reading this letter (leaf), I am far, far away from the place you are at now. I am far away in a galaxy with cute UFOs (Okay just kidding, I just wanted to soften the tension in you, sorry). I am actually in the jungle. Sorry, but I can't tell you what I'm doing or where I'm going. I can't even tell you the reason why I am doing it. I'm afraid you might get hurt or even worse! I know that you won't listen to me, but please; DO.NOT.COME.AFTER.ME!!! It's too dangerous and I don't even know what I am confronting! I promise I'll come back by sunset, just stay there with Finn until I come back.