The sun streamed down from above, warming my face as I looked out over the sparkling blue Caribbean Sea. I leaned against the cool, metal guardrail in my little red dress, feeling the wind in my face as the boat pushed forward through the waves. The water curled against the bow, burbling happily into white foam. I tipped my head back, my hair ticking the bare skin on my back. I was free. Free and totally at peace. Nothing could touch me now.
"You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
I turned and smiled at Thomas Pearson as he stepped up to the rail next to me. He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans and looked perfectly gorgeous. Untouched. Handsome and tan and young and alive. Behind him, the sun was descending toward the horizon at a rapid pace, but it didn't bother me. Thomas was here. His hand on the small of my back. His touch was firm and warm. I leaned my head on his shoulder and breathed in the musky, clean scent of him.
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"I love you, Reed. You're the only girl I ever loved."
"I know," I told him, lifting my head. "You told me."
Thomas smiled, then looked at something over my shoulder. "Hey, man."
I turned around. It was Josh. His curly hair danced in the wind and he was wearing that sweater I loved so much. The green one with the high neck that brought out his eyes. It was dusk now, the sky a rich purple, and stars were beginning to appear overhead.
"Hey," Josh said. He leaned in and touched his lips to mine. I melted all over.
"You love me too," I told him.
"Of course I do," he said, his hand sliding up under my hair. "I just had to do what was right. You know that."
"She does. She's fine," Upton said, joining us. He slid between me and Thomas, and Thomas stepped back with a laugh, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll take care of her," Upton told them. "Don't worry."
Upton slipped his hand into mine, our fingers entwined. We looked up at the now dark sky, where a blanket of stars twinkled and winked like huge, fat diamonds.
"I want one," I said.
"I'll get it for you," Upton offered with a smile.
"No. It's okay. I've got it."
I climbed up on the railing, my feet completely steady, and reached as high as I could. There was one star hanging impossibly low, just above my head, just at the edge of my grasp. I stood on my toes--for
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some reason I was wearing only one shoe--and stretched my fingers, reaching.. . reaching.. . reaching. . . .
"Reed, what' re you doing?" Thomas asked, an amused smile playing on his lips.
"Don't. You're going to fall," Upton warned.
"Don't bother, man," Josh said, slapping Upton on the back. "There's no stopping her when she gets like this."
I looked down at them with a smile, ready to scold them for talking about me as if I wasn't there, and all of a sudden, my feet slipped. My heart swooped into my throat. I reached out, grappling for something, anything, to grab on to, but there was nothing. A scream of terror escaped my lips as I fell. Plunged right past the guardrail and the three smiling loves of my life. And that was when I saw it. The hooded figure. It hovered just behind them, out of their sight, marking my progress as I fell.
My heart seized with fear. Whoever it was, they were going to make sure they succeeded this time. They were going to make absolutely sure I never saw daylight again.
"Upton! Turn around!" I shouted. "He's right there!"
But then I hit the water, and the salty, roiling ocean closed over my face.
I couldn't breathe. I clawed and kicked and strained, but the water felt like pudding. It slowed my progress. Tired my muscles. It took everything I had to shove my way to the surface. When I finally got there, I gasped in a breath, ready to scream, but Upton, Josh, and Thomas were gone. The hooded figure stood alone at the back of the
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boat now, staring down at me as the vessel moved steadily away from me. If I could just figure out who it was. If I could just see its face .. .
And then, the figure moved. Slim white hands lifted the hood away and long blond hair streamed out over the ocean in the wind. My blood stopped cold.