The Burning Tales of Althea Winston

When The Storm Arrives

The Burning Tales of Althea Winston

Chapter 1

Althea's Pov

“Canvas Island has become the most sought-after wedding and holiday destination after the grand wedding of Actor Winson Dougles and Model Gara Saron. The island situated in the southeast of Atlantic Ocean is known for its exquisite scenery, old wine farms and expensive real estate…” A hand reached out to turn off the small television on the back of the airplane seat.  

“Can you say that again, please?” 

“I am sorry, Ma’am, but we are about to take off. Could you please switch off your phone or put it on the flight mode.” The airhostess repeated, perplexed when the phone was brought near her mouth as she spoke. 

“Did you hear that Ma, I have to go, don’t be worried if you can’t reach me for a while, it’s a long journey after all.” The deafening silence on the other side was cut off by the soft slamming of the car door. “Don’t bother coming, Ma, I won’t be here when you arrive.”

“If…” The voice on the loudspeaker trembled. “If you are really doing this, don’t even think about coming back home and…” The voice was cut off when the girl ended the call. 

The airhostess was torn if she should report this situation to the authorities, after all the girl did look young, and from what she had heard, this girl has most definitely run away from home. 

“Don’t worry about that, I have a travel permission and everything, thank you for your help.” The long-haired brunet smiled, the dimples on the girl’s cheeks dazzled the airhostess momentarily before she realised that she had been dismissed. 

Althea slumped back into her seat feeling exhausted by the whole ordeal. She had left her house in the dark hours of the morning, and had spent more than five hours sitting idly at the airport before she received that wretched call from her Ma. 

Honestly, she had hoped she would have a little more time before her parents realised that she was gone but apparently her luck had already run out. 

She thanks the heaven that the plane was about to take off otherwise she had no doubt that within the next hour her mother would come storming in and she would be dragged away by her ears.

She sighs in relief when the airhostess announces that it’s safe to take off their seat belt. Her paranoid self still takes a look out of the window, unable to believe that she had gotten away from her parents so easily. 

It was only after she was greeted with the sight of white clouds drenched in golden light of the morning sun, did she fully relax into her seat and decide to sleep off her fatigue before she reaches her destination.

*******

Apart from the uncertain looks she received from the cabin crew throughout her journey, the gossip had surely spread, she would say her flight was entirely uneventful. 

The 16-hour flight felt like a walk in the park compared to what was waiting for her, upon landing she learned that the connecting flight that was supposed to take her to the island has been cancelled due to the signs of an oncoming storm.

Seeing the clear sky above, and the harsh sun shining outside, she couldn’t understand what kind of storm was about to hit in the next three hours that had caused such an ordeal. 

Nonetheless, she didn’t have any other choice but to take the ferry that would leave in an hour, three hours on the sea was not something she was looking forward to but it was either that, or spend a night at the hotel. She can’t do the later, as she had already informed the school authority about her arrival today.