Ava woke on her stomach, cheek in the sand, head heavy as a coconut. Gentle waves resounded from a distance. Wetting her lips, she tasted salt.
“What the…” she mumbled, feeling a tickling at her feet. Drugged with fatigue, she flutter-opened her eyes. “What the hell?” A fully grown cow was licking her toes! She crab-crawled backwards, and the cow moved off, utterly unimpressed.
Ava frantically scanned her surroundings, her hands checking her body for any signs of injury, her eyes darting around in search of something – anything – familiar to lock onto. Before her, a beach of glinting white sand stretched out as far as the horizon, where giant clouds billowed in the vibrant colours of early morning. The air was thick with humidity. Cicadas buzzed. Seagulls chit-chatted as they glided overhead. Palm trees snaked along the shoreline, where thatched umbrellas sprouted like mushrooms from the sand. In their shade, dilapidated steamer chairs gave the impression that this beach didn’t see many tourists.
How the hell did she get here? And where even was here? Had she been kidnapped? Worse, had someone spiked her drink and taken advantage of her? Her panic surged when the realisation hit: She had absolutely no idea.
Ava picked herself up. She had a splitting headache, and her mouth felt dry like the caked sand on her cheek. The remains of a campfire smouldered beneath a nearby palm. Next to it: her bag. She crept toward it, grasping the worn leather strap like a lifeline. A wave of relief poured over her when she found everything inside was still there – wallet, passport, phone.
She hugged the bag to her chest, and her panic faded to confusion. Her mind was like a closet in the lead-up to a first date; nothing was where it belonged anymore. The last thing she remembered was Safari Tom chatting her up on the rooftop, followed by the phone call from Laura. Everything after that had become a blur. She didn’t even remember going to bed last night. There had been a reason for her going to the beach, though – she still remembered that – but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what it was.
Ava fished out her phone. No signal. The display, however, flashed green with old messages from Laura, desperately trying to get a hold of her after last night’s call. But, hang on… that had been on Wednesday night. According to her phone, it was Friday morning now. What happened to Thursday?
(…)