Slaughter Cove: Part 1
Chloe looked at herself in the mirror. She tried to smile, but her mouth did not move. She pulled her black hair off her shoulders and began to wrap it up into a tight bun. Her fingers worked the hair bands and she took in a deep breath. Reaching to a chair near her, she pulled a green and blue shawl over her dark skin, and regarded herself once more.
Ready for the beach, she thought as she sighed heavily. The sounds of waves trickled in through the open windows, their murmurs coating the room with a soft white noise. She could hear Rich laughing outside and knew he was telling another one of his elaborate work stories.
They were on a small Caribbean island resort, full of nicely furnished huts, each one a picturesque copy of the kind you would see on a postcard. Despite the chic environment, Chloe did not want to be there. Anywhere else in the world would have been better. The trip had been planned months ago, before everything began to crumble. Rich thought it would be the catalyst to ignite the fire between them once more. Chloe knew though that the fire had only ever been embers, if that at all. It had gone out in a cloud of smoke before they had even gotten on the plane.
"Why can't you ever just say what needs to be said?" Chloe asked the mirror. She shook her head.
"Because this is what I do. I know, I know." She whispered and turned to leave the room.
Outside, Rich was finishing up his tall tale to their friends Harry and Mel, both of whom had accompanied them on the trip. They had invested in the trip as well, so despite Chloe's resignation to come, Mel had prodded her along.
Rich swiveled his head as he finished talking and perked up at the sight of Chloe. His tan body and muscular physique fit right in with the setting. It's why he had chosen this destination in the first place, without asking Chloe beforehand. He threw a shirt on, walked over, and gave her a hug with an awkward kiss on the forehead.
"Hey, we've been waiting. Didn't come to paradise to stay inside the whole time, right?" Rich chuckled as he spoke, and with his arm around Chloe walked her up to the table where Harry and Mel were sitting.
"Girl, you know it’s bad when I'm ready before you!" Mel said with a snort. She was looking quite voluptuous in her leopard print one piece that fit a little too snug. Chloe smiled nervously, and then sat down at the table.
Rich looked around at the water, as if he was searching for something, then brought his attention back to the group.
"So what's the plan for today? Swim then drink? Or maybe jet ski, then drink?" Harry said, guffawing at his own jokes. Harry wore a typical Hawaiian shirt with pineapples and cocktails plastered everywhere. His cream-colored fedora sat on top of his head and his eyes hid behind aviator sunglasses. He was a walking cliché.
"Ha ha Harry. Any other ones?" Mel said with playful sarcasm. Harry laughed her off. Chloe sat in a quiet repose. She was dreading the questions they might ask her, and it seemed Mel was gearing up for some loud gossip. Rich, however, intervened.
"Yes! There it is!" Rich exclaimed. He ran from the table to the shore, where a motor boat was pulling up to the small dock in front of the resort. Chloe watched Rich as he approached the man on the boat. They had an exchange of handshakes, followed by Rich giving the man some money. The man then headed off down the busy beach while Rich trotted back, an aura of smugness surrounding him as he approached.
"Sorry Harry, but we have some real plans for today." Rich said as he gestured to the boat.
"Oh, intriguing!" Mel said with an eye roll as she sipped her breakfast daiquiri.
"What's going on, Rich?" Chloe asked, concerned.
"Before we flew in, I found out about this cove that's a few miles down the south side of the beach here. Very secluded, very beautiful, and the best part? No one ever goes there." Rich was very pleased with himself. Chloe was not impressed.
"How come no one goes there? There has to be a reason." Chloe said.
"Oh come on, live a little babe. This trip is meant to be romantic, to be special. You can't get more memorable than spending a day in a literal paradise, okay? Trust me." Rich said, his signature phrase tacked on to the end. Trust me. Chloe always did, and often suffered because of it.
She wanted to say no. Speak up! Tell him how you feel! She shouted internally, but it was all for naught.
"Okay, fine." Chloe relented. She felt sick as the words came out. The smile that filled Rich's face didn't help either. He regained his cocky confidence, and made a pose as he held the keys.
"All aboard the Cove Cruise. Captain Rich is here to take you all on a trip you'll never forget." Rich ticked his head, gesturing everyone to follow.
The group gathered their things and got into the boat. Rich turned it on and sat in the back, working the outboard motor. Mel and Harry sat on one side, while Chloe was opposite of them.
The engine roared and the boat took off. Chloe looked out to the endless ocean, its horizon touching the summer sky. She could not wait for this to be over.
"You know the way, right?" Harry shouted over the racket the boat was making. Rich smiled as the boat cut through the chop of the waves.
"Trust me."
The beach scenery flashed by, slowly losing its patches of civilization and spilling into a sprawling landscape of white sands and green jungle.
Chloe looked off into the distance at nothing in particular. Her mind was elsewhere. She wished her body could be as well. She knew what Rich wanted. He wanted to take her to the cove, romance her the way he did when they first met, and bury all the problems they had. Chloe just couldn't do that.
Rich liked to have control. He chose where they went on dates. He decided when and where they would move in together. Rich had told Chloe what to think, what to wear, and what she needed to do with her life without once asking her what she felt. Chloe always just went along, and she hated herself for it. Now here she was, once again, being pulled along by Rich's plan.
It ended here. It had to.
Chloe was startled as Mel reached down and touched her shoulder. She pointed in the direction the boat was headed, and Chloe took in the beautiful sight before her.
A large rocky formation speared out of the water just in front of the beach. It was almost the size of a small mountain and pushed out into the ocean. As the boat swung around it, there was a smaller rocky formation just past it. Both were jagged and black, a foreboding sight for sure. As the boat cruised around the formations, Rich pointed and shouted, his words lost in the cacophony of the motor.
Chloe followed Rich's pointed fingers, and could see a narrow break in the formations. It was the entrance to the cove. The water was very choppy around the entrance, but Rich simply turned the boat and sped toward it.
Chloe gripped the sides of the boat as it leapt over the cresting waves, bouncing side to side as Rich haphazardly guided it into the cove. Harry was jostled from his seat and fell onto the deck. Rich's face went from confident to concerned as the boat nearly went out of control.
The looming rock formations now towered over them. Chloe looked up at them momentarily, and it felt as if she was passing through some otherworldly gates. The boat sped past and into the cove, where the waves settled. Everyone took a deep breath as the cove opened up to them.
It was pristine and massive. The shore arched around in an enormous semicircle pattern, with another small mini cove deeper within. The smaller cove had a building near the shore, one that nature was slowly reclaiming. It was a small light blue shack that barely stuck out of the foliage that was draped over the back half of it. Towards the far end of the smaller cove there were scraps of an old ship, skeletal and spread out over the beach and into the water. Palm trees dotted the large shore closer to them, with a few rocky outcrops sprinkled along as well. There was a tattered old dock fairly close as well, and Rich began to head towards it.
The place was truly astonishing, and Chloe wanted to give Rich credit. But that was how he always did it. Somehow, he found a way to make her second guess herself. She couldn't let him do it again.
Suddenly, the water in front of Chloe became alive. Dorsal fins and water spouts exploded from the surface as the boat continued along. Chloe reeled back from sheer surprise, shifting away from the edge. She looked around the boat, seeing fins scythe through the water from every direction. Soon sleek gray bodies began to break the surface as well. Chloe recognized what they were right away, and the sight took her breath away.
Dolphins.
"It’s a whole damn pod!" Harry shouted. Rich nodded to himself as he moved the boat deeper into the cluster of dolphins.
The fins were surfacing all around them in a sort of serene chaos. Chloe was taking it all in when a realization shattered the moment.
"Stop the boat!" Chloe shrieked. She tried to stand but Rich was still pushing the boat at full throttle. Chloe turned to Rich, her face desperately pleading to him to listen for once.
"Turn off the motor! Rich! Turn it off!" She shouted. Rich looked confused, and shook his head slightly. Chloe started to move towards Rich with determination. She had to stop the boat. The dolphins were too close. As Chloe got to Rich and tried to stand, the boat lurched forward as the motor squealed. The motor shook violently as the blades dug into flesh below.
Chloe was thrown to the front of the boat, her head hitting with a sickening thud. The bright blue sky swirled to darkness for Chloe.
On the shore, in the shadows of a line of palm trees, a figure watched the terror unfold. As the water around the boat ran red, the figure slunk back into the jungle.
STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO TOMORROW
