The Beginning of the End - Book One

thirteen

Lidia
Like every day prior to today, I take my usual route into the jungle at dawn. Mist lingers in the air, adding to the moisture that was there already.
   I walk swiftly, not able to tell exactly where I'm going, when the fog seems to become thicker as I get deeper into the jungle.
   It feels oddly familiar, like I'm walking through my own head, an unclear space riddled with fear and uncertainty, about anything and everything.
   The list might just be endless.
   Mateo, Caleb, this island, the threats. They're all screaming at me in my head, demanding my time, fighting for control over my emotions, sending signals, pulsing adrenaline and anxiety through me with rapid, thundering heartbeats.
   I realize I can't live like this anymore — I can't let fear control me again.
   Like always, I hold my hand out, clench it into a tight fist — take a deep breath, and silence the screams in my head with a single whisper. Pull yourself together.

Caleb
The strong wind wakes me from sleep, rustling the makeshift blankets and the palm trees close by. I blink my eyes open, and they're barely adjusting to the light, when I realize Lidia has left, and an empty space remains in the sand until Addison's spot.
    I know where she is. Trying my hardest not to make disruptive noise, I get up, dusting of my pants, realizing it's useless since they're already dirty and crumpled from days of use.
    Leaving everyone still asleep on the beach, I take the easiest route into the jungle, slipping my hands into my dusty pockets. A smile spreads across my face when I realize I still have it. It's a miracle that the small thing survived this crazy journey.
     I pull out one of my disposable cameras, the only one I have left, and almost start skipping, speeding up the process of getting to the waterfall. Seeing the jungle practically engulfed in mist makes the walk there even more suspenseful.
     I can almost see the ghost of her tracing these steps, questioning the thick fog. If we were together now, she would probably be smiling.
     I've been waiting for something to photograph for a while now, something irreplicable, something that actually made you feel something when you saw it. I finally found her.

    When I finally arrive at the waterfall, Lidia is already standing there, with nothing but a black vest and undergarments. She faces the water, awaiting the perfect moment to leap.
     But then she turns, startled for only a second before recognizing me, and her features settle into a smile.
     "You have to stop doing that." She laughs.
     Then she splashes into the pool of water, intentionally spraying water over my dry clothes.
     Lidia reaches the surface, grinning playfully, an inviting look spread across her face.
It only takes me a second to remove most of my clothes, and then I, too, leap into the water. I meet her at the other side, where she waits patiently for me to meet her.
   Once I'm in front of her again, it's feels like time never moved passed this moment from last night. Her brown, wet hair, floating in the water, soft pale skin, and her eyes. Her eyes are the first thing I ever noticed, and one of the hardest things to forget. The way they go from pure blue, to almost turquoise green, and then golden specks of yellow.
It can almost kill me to see the beauty in each thing, because sometimes I can't bare the sight of too much of it.
"I brought something."
"What?" She asks in her gentle British accent.
I pull out my camera, shaking the water off of it. "Lucky it's waterproof."

Lidia
My heart is beating so fast. Like my head is playing a trick on my heart.
   Because an unbearably, lovely guy is asking me if I would like to be photographed, right now, in a waterfall that might as well be a fantasy.
    Caleb raises his eyebrows in shy question.
   "But on one condition. You have to let me take some of you, too." I pause. "They probably won't be up to your standards, but I'd feel bad if it was all about me." I tell him.
    He sighs slowly. "Okay, then."

Caleb
Thunder strikes. It startles us both. Then — rain drops.
    Lidia looks over at me. "That definitely woke everyone up."
"Should we go back?" I ask, hoping she'll say no.
"I mean, they can go a few more minutes without us, plus, we're wet anyway." A playful smile reaches her beautiful eyes as she shrugs.
Happy that she said we could stay, I lift the camera to my right eye, already looking through the blurry lens."Okay. Lights, camera, action."
Lidia's gentle laugh fills the space. Water droplets bounce off of the plunge pool, also cascading down her face, making her laugh even louder.
    She focuses on me when tiny drops of rain catch on her lips. And I take my first picture.

Mateo
Sudden thunder awakens us all, and it's like a bucket of ice water has been thrown over me when the rain seeps through my clothes.
    Maria is awake, too. She carries Rosa, and I follow her into the shelter of the jungle trees, where the rain can only drip through. Only Javier and Addison stand there.
"There's definitely a storm coming." Javier says, rubbing a finger to his forehead.
"What are we going to do?" Maria asks, Rosa looking confused in her arms.
"Well for now, I guess we'll have to stay here, wait it out." Javier begins pacing.
"Where are Lidia and Caleb?" Addison looks around, barely realizing they aren't here.
"Who knows, but they're probably together. I think they'll come back soon."
I sigh.

Caleb
She honestly looks so lovely.
   Currently by the rocks, the rain continues to fall over her, while she looks into the camera. And magical things just keep happening. I don't even realize my moving closer to her.
    Lidia looks at me intently, her wet skin presses against mine. And then, her lips do, too.

Lidia
He is not what I thought he would be. When I first met him, he was wearing a suit. I stupidly assumed he was an arrogant business man, annoyed at me for intruding in his property. I couldn't have been more wrong.
    I gently remove the camera from his hands as we pull apart. "Your turn."
   
   We splash in the water, laugh, and capture random, beautiful moments.  
   Eventually, the rain stops.