I was melting. It was like I was the wicked witch of the west and someone had thrown a bucket of water at me; except the opposite way around. This sweltering climate was lacking in that element which was oh so abundant in Scotland. The second I stepped out the airport was like falling into the flames of hell. It was a new, burning heat like nothing I had endured before. But that was not going to stop me from using every second of this holiday wisely. I dragged my parents straight to the bus stop.
"Sandra, slow down, we've got two weeks to enjoy this holiday. "
"What should we do first?"
"How about breathe; we have the whole thing planned out. Buses, tour guide's the lot."
"Okay, hotel now"
I was clutching my suitcase balanced on my knees on a crammed bus. I had somehow ended up beside the one and only empty seat.
"Can I sit here?"
Strike that, every seat was full.
"My names Adrian." He said sitting down
"Sandra"
"That's some awesome accent you've got. Whereabouts are you from?"
"Aberdeenshire, Scotland."
"Other side of the world from me; I come from Wagga Wagga in Australia."
"Wow. That's some crazy place name."
His skin was tanned from exposure to the sun and his hair was so long he tied it in a ponytail. Justin Whelk from school had gone through a phase of wearing a ginger ponytail which made her despite long hair on boys but ever since. However, on Adrian, it actually looked pretty good.
"Where are you headed?"
I told him the name of our hotel
"Same here!"
Our conversation dwindled into awkward silence until we reached the hotel.
"Oh, cool we've got a pool! I can't wait to go swimming!" I gasped; I loved swimming but didn't go often since the closest pool was all the way in Stonehaven.
"Do you want to meet at the pool in half an hour then?" asked Adrian.
"Yep, race you!"
It took the journey from the bus to our room for me to release the curiosity of the situation. Why did Adrian, who I had known for all of half an hour, ask me to go to the hotel pool with him? Was I over thinking things? Probably, I guess he would be a fun enough person to hang around with on this holiday.
Racking through my suitcase I instantly discarded the sky blue bikini; I had know idea why I even owned the impractical article of clothing -I had probably liked the colour. Instead I pulled on my floral one piece and threw on a dress on top to feel less exposed.
"Where are you going sweetie? You seem to be in a rush." asked Mum
"Meeting someone at the pool."
"Ahem, who is it, do you know them? Be careful around strangers"
"It's fine mum. Relax! We were chatting on the bus"
"Alright but remember to put sun cream on"
"Mum really! How am I going to get a tan, you bought factor 50+."
"Tans are unhealthy Sandra."
"Fine then," I grabbed the bottle. Now don't get me wrong, I love my mum, we have a lot in common, I'm proud to be her daughter. It's just she's a bit of a safety freak, not just with me, with dad too, and her friends, and people she works with in the fabric store, and complete strangers. Come to think of it mum would give safety advice to anyone and everyone under the sun.
Took your time Sandy!" Yelled Adrian from the pool
"Can't you just call me Sandra. Sandy sounds like a spongebob character."
"Nope," he grinned "You are now and forevermore Sandy."
"I really don't like that" I groaned, diving rather inelegantly into the pool.
There weren't many people at the pool. Apart from Adrian and I the only other people where a couple of bikini clad teenage
girls sitting in white plastic deckchairs. It was funny, I thought, I was who knows how far away from home but the deckchairs where basically identical to those in Scotland. One of the girls whore a pink bikini and was on her phone while the one wearing green was reading a familiar looking book. Hang on, was she reading that book that Josie liked?
"Excuse me? That book your reading..."
"The Werewolves Curse? Have you read it?" the girl spoke in a nasally American accent
"Read it on the plane. Not up to much."
Adrian swan over. "You read that romantic junk Sandy? Here I was thinking you weren't into that stuff."
"My friend made me read it. How do could you think of what you think I'm into anyway?"
"You give off a certain aura I guess,"
"Ok then, do you to wanna swim with us?" I called to the girls, they looked similar so I was guessing they where related
"Alright, why not."
I'd like to say I glided through the warm waters with all the elegance and grace of a fish but, if I did, I would be lying. I was down at the lower end of the elegance scale, probably besides drowning dogs. The girl in green and the girl in pink whose names I forgot faster than I learned them didn't do much but lounge about at the pools edge whilst Adrian did some laps of breaststroke.
"Unfair, you can swim so well."
"That's because I practice, went to lessons in the local pool for years."
"No local pool"
"Why do you live out in the middle of the highlands surrounded by sheep and those cows with the really long ginger hair?"
"Och aye I do." I said in a bad Scottish accent before reverting to my normal voice "How stereotypical! And I guess you ride a kangaroo to school and wear a hat with corks in it."
"Okay, I don't know much about Scotland."
"I happen to live half an hour from Aberdeen, three miles away from the nearest town which just happens to have to pool. My dad has a regular job doing something with computers, don't ask me what, I don't get it. My mum works in the fabric store. I like to hang out with my best friend who I think is not completely sane. I like sewing and cooking. It's all pretty normal."
"Sewing and cooking?"
"Yeah, I find them fun. You follow a set of laid out instructions and you end up with something beautiful or delicious."
"Fair enough, I never thought of it that way."
It was round about then I saw the man. He looked local, possibly a member of hotel staff and middle aged. Apart from the long, bushy, black moustache that was greying at the tips he was completely bald. In fact, that bald head of his shone so much it was as he polished it with a stone. His clothes where made of dull brown fabric, which could have once been white and on his shirt was pinned a silver badge. The design was simple, a metallic ring with an upturned V inside it; it seemed familiar from somewhere, I didn't know where though. He stood in a jungle of plastic furniture turning his head as if he was trying to look for someone which seemed daft as there where only four other people. He turned and stared straight at me and my heart jumped so much I floated a few feet back. He was coming towards us.
"Excuse us children" he spoke slowly, similar to how I spoke in French class, obviously English wasn't his first language. "The tour to pyramids...in bus...tomorrow cancelled. We take you tonight.
"My sister and I went a few days ago." said pink bikini.
"Yesss. But you two children...you go tomorrow?" he pointed towards Adrian and me
"Yes." we both said in unison
"Then we take you tonight."
"We need to dry off and put proper clothes of then."
"The buses...they leave...ten minutes."
I sprinted to the hotel room, it was empty. I towelled down until I wasn't dripping and pulled a blue homemade summer dress which I had sewn a few months ago on. Pulling my wet hair into a plait so it didn't drip as much I sprinted downstairs and ran -quite literally- into Adrian. Together we dashed to the front door where the man from before was.
"Time...you took too much. First bus gone. We take you two in second bus. Only you two left."
"What! And our parents left us."
"Yes. They call you re...re...resp...per-"
"Responsible?"
"Yes. That word. We take you in second bus."
We followed the man onto a bus that was somewhat smaller than the first. The emptiness was strange, I sensed something was wrong, I needed out. But by that time the doors where shut and civilisation was rolling past as we drove on into nothingness.
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Hope you enjoyed, I'm sorry it took so long to update, vote and comment if you forgive me.
I got really exited writing that end bit because I know what happens next (and you don't mwa ha ha). All I can say about the next chapter is I'm looking forward to writing it and it will hopefully be very exiting.
Ellen signing out (because I'm tired)