Several days later, Deanna and Marina arrived to Mirror Island. The trip wasn't entirely unpleasant, but Deanna's fear of flight added a slight discomfort. The flight lasted for only 2 hours but she was glad her feet touched solid ground. Not for long though, as they needed to take a ferry to the fairly remote island; the sea was calm, its gentle waves hitting the sides of the ferry, the seagulls were screaming in the distance.
'Isn't this lovely, my dear?' asked Marina. 'The sea always relaxes me.'
'Yes, there's almost something primal about it' responded Deanna, feeling at peace.
'The weather seems to be changing, my ladies' called out the captain pointing at a distant spot on the horizon. The edge of the crystal blue sky was darkening and suddenly Deanna's sense of peace started to crumble. This was not a good omen.
Reaching the island, they headed off to the tasteful hotel located close to the beach, on a hill. It was an imposing mansion-type building, with wide windows, a large lawn in the front of it, all of it expressing a past wealth. Inside everything was in good taste. Large paintings were covering the walls, the drapes were of heavy, thick fabric, dark-blue, the furniture was hand carved. 'Welcome to Oak Manor' said the kind, elderly lady at the front desk. 'I am Ana, the manager. I hope your trip was safe. It seems you are the only guests at the moment, but during the weekend we expect more company' she told them, sounding almost apologetic. 'But, since you are the only guests, we made sure you get the best rooms, the view of the sea is spectacular'. As she handed them the keys she went on 'dinner is served at 7 pm so until then feel free to rest'. The ladies departed for their respective rooms, and upon reaching them it dawned on them just how tiring this trip was. Deanna's room was, in lack of other words, perfect. It was spacious, with a king sized four poster bed, with sheets so delicate it looked like they were going to melt any second, the windows were indeed huge, from the floor to the ceiling, and presented a splendid view of the sea. The closet was a lot larger than the one she owned. The bathroom was like a dream come true. The shower area alone was so big you could have thrown a full party in it. All in all, she felt like a princess in this space. She did a twirl in the center of the room, feeling her heart lighten in a long time.'This is going to be an amazing vacation' said to no one in particular. Unpacking, she decided a short nap was in order, to ease the tiredness that wrapped itself around her whole being.
When she woke up she felt refreshed, and after a well-deserved shower she noticed it was time to head down to dinner. Since they were the only guests there was no need to dress up. She settled for a long white dress, simple yet elegant and comfortable. As she entered the hallway, her mother met her. Marina opted for an aqua-blue dress that brought out her beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. 'Shall we?' she asked with a glint in her eyes.
The dinner hall was spacious and decorated in the same good taste as the rest of the house. Dinner was served as soon as they sat down and it was delicious. While they talked, they could hear the distant rumble of thunder, announcing the upcoming storm. Following the thunder a lightning bolt appeared and at the same time Deanna felt a chill run down her spine, fear gripping her heart. 'Are you alright?' asked Marina in a concerned voice. 'I'm fine' answered Deanna, although not too convincing. 'I think I need to lay down a little' and she excused herself from the table. Reaching her room, she changed into her sleeping attire and let the soft bed claim her, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, despite her afternoon nap. And that's when the nightmare started, while the storm was rapidly approaching the island.
- to be continued -
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