• Arriving at this harbor by the ocean, everything surrounding me is bland, molding, and forgettable. The old man sitting by the gate, with his wheelchair and oxygen tank, looks at us with envy. Or maybe it was pity. My mother is seen paying him with hundreds of dollars as I’m grabbing everyone’s stuff from the car. My friends are talking to each other, gossiping about their lives. My family is busy judging about the harbor in our language. Then I hear my mom calling out, “Okay everyone, let’s go!” The old man slowly moves his wheelchair over to the gates and presses the button, making the gates lift up. We all quickly pass through the gate, with me being last. Stopping before the gate, I turn to the old man and thank him. Without saying anything back, I cross the gate to follow everyone.

    Standing before me is a massive paradise island. The sun is setting slowly before the entire island, giving that heavenly glow upon the trees and land. I hear people cheering in the distance. Walking over to the lockers, I set down everyone’s belongings and hand them to each person. We put them into lockers and grab the keys. I take off my shirt and shove it into the locker. With a bikini top and short ripped shorts, I tie my hair up and put on my sunglasses. Now I’m ready to enjoy my vacation. I run off from everyone to enjoy my solitary.

    Running towards the river, I see people lining up to get swim rings. I grab one that’s a rainbow color. Jumping into the river, I get on the top to relax. Laying there, I look around the place. Everything is colorful and dreamy. The cool breeze blows against my hair. Smiling, I reach my hand down into the water. Then I begin to hear people screaming in the distance. Looking up, I see what was going on. But I look up too late as I fall far down from the river. It was like falling down Niagara Falls. At first, I’m screaming my lungs out from my phobia of heights. But then I fight back that fear and turn it into excitement. I balance out my fall before grabbing my swim ring. Reaching upon the ocean surface, I dive safely into the water. Below, I see megalodons swimming around freely, ignoring people. Looking closer through the water waves, I see rainbow hues on their flesh. My breath runs out quickly, but I manage to swim back up to the surface. I follow everyone, swimming across the ocean.

    The travel through the ocean tired me out, making me hungry. Remembering that I left food in the car, I go back to the locker to grab the car keys. Alone, I walk back to the harbor to go back to my SUV. The old man let me pass through the gate without saying a word. Getting to my car, I open the trunk to grab some canned fruit. Without looking at what I’m eating, I notice that it tastes disgusting. Looking down, I see maggots and worms inside the can. Upon seeing them, I spit out everything and even forced myself to vomit. With nothing else in my stomach, I grab a bottle of juice to wash out the taste. Taking a deep breath, I try to not think about what just happened.

    Walking back to the harbor, I see a green runner parked inside. The car seems very familiar to me. Approaching the old man, I ask him, “Has this car been here for awhile?” He looks at me and replies, “No, it’s only been here for about 5 minutes. The owner asked me earlier if there was a certain person that went inside. I said yes.” Curious, I ask him, “Do you want me to get that person here?” He shakes his head and chuckles. “No, you’re already here.” Then he moves back to the gate without another word. Shocked, I wonder who would be looking for me. Looking back to the car, I see a man inside. Looking closer, I inspect his face and gasp. “Jake!” His face is still the same as when I first met him. Walking over to the passenger side, I knock on the window to catch his attention. He looks up and his eyes widen. At this point, I want to cry and scream in joy. He unlocks the car door for me and I get inside.

    “Jake! I missed you so ******** much!” Hugging him tightly, I let my tears fall from my eyes. I feel his arms wrapping around me tightly, his face snuggling against my neck. Letting go, I kiss his lips deeply, holding his hands. My heart is beating so fast, I can barely contain the excitement. But I feel a bit angry at him. After kissing him, I slap his face, but not too harshly. “Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been so worried about you!” He holds my hand gently and caresses my cheek. I can see tears forming in his eyes. Feeling guilty, I cry in front of him. But he kisses me, wiping my tears off my face. “I’m so sorry Vicki, I can explain…” A part of me wants to be angry, but I want to listen to him telling me why he disappeared without notice. “Babygirl, you know how I was moving to a new place with my friends? Well, one of them decided to beat me up and they stole everything I had on me. I had to crawl back home and I couldn’t get out of bed for so long. I lost almost everything I had. I only have a few pairs of pants and shirts left. I’m so sorry Vicki, I really am. I can’t forgive myself for leaving you alone like this…” With my heart breaking, I hold him close to me, not wanting to let go again. “It’s okay, Jake. I forgive you…”

    Cuddling with him in the car, we stay silent for awhile. Holding his hand, I kiss it and I tell him, “I don’t want you to leave me ever again.” He holds me close to him, kissing my head. “I promise I won’t ever leave you again, babygirl.” Looking at the island, I think about my choices. “Jake, let’s get away from here and start a new life together.” He looks at me confused. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to get into trouble with your family.” Looking back at him, I say, “I don’t give a damn! I just want to be with you. You’re the only person that makes me truly happy.” He thinks about it, but then he starts the car. “Okay, let’s get away from this place. I love you so much Vicki.” I kiss him gently. “I love you so much, Jake.” Then he speeds out of the harbor and drives away from it all.