Chapter One
''Is this a drink? Or a chemical explosive?'' Georgia Andrews joked as she stared at the beverage in front of her.
Her eyes wandered from the brownish liquid in the glass to the smoke slowly drifting upwards. Following it like it was the most interesting sight around her, which wasn't untrue, she caught the face of her friend, Alyssa Marks, smirking from behind the bar. ''So, is anyone going to be brave enough to try? Or am I'm passing it along to the next person? It's not like I have limited options at this party.''
Georgia glanced over her shoulder about to make a mental note of how many people were in attendance, only to quit the second she realised it was a pointless attempt. The open bar looked out towards a fully packed beach, filled to the brim with partygoers of all ages. While many families with young children played in the calm sea waves brushing onto the sand, there was no shortage of teenagers and young adults dancing to the booming music. She couldn't tell where the night sky ended and the horizon of the sea began. The stars blanketing the heavens reflected on the water's surface, mixing with the lights coming from people's phones.
Her attention was brought back to the bar when she felt someone lean over and take the glass she hesitated over.
''I'll do it.'' Alex Braff announced. Before he could even lift his arm, another hand grasped his. ''Hey...''
''No!'' David Jason said while throwing a sharp glare in Alex's face.
Georgia watched the lover's quarrel in amusement, not even caring that it was the drink she ordered that was at the centre of this argument.
Alex groaned. ''Oh, come on...''
''No, I am not going to drag your corpse back home again.''
''No one will be dragging any corpses tonight. Unless any of you have any dark secrets you wish to share?'' he grinned mischievously and looked at his friends one by one. Alyssa held her hands up to suggest her innocence and Georgia ran her fingers over her heart as if carving a cross. All of them carried a smile, except for David, who seemed to be a second away from burying his head in his hands to hide the shame.
They heard someone approach. ''What did I miss?'' Portia Derrick inquired to the group. She was unsure whom to ask personally, as each face carried an expression that told her a different story.
Georgia tapped on the glass of the drink still in her friend's hand. ''Alex is about to try this vaping cocktail.''
Portia bit her bottom lip to suppress a chuckle. ''Uh oh, should I get an ambulance ready?''
''Am I really that much of a lightweight?'' Alex asked.
The group was unanimous in their answer. ''Yes.''
Alex's shoulders slouched and he narrowed his eyes at them. Despite being the in the minority in the belief regarding his confidence, he almost broke into a smile when they started laughing. His lip started to curl into a smile, suggesting he was going along with the banter.
However, he had other ideas.
Once he felt his boyfriend's grip on his arm loosen ever so slightly, he took them by surprise and raised the glass to his lips. They couldn't stop him, only managing to gasp sharply as he downed the drink in one go and slammed the glass back down on the bar. He grimaced for a split-second. With a shake of his head, he snapped his fingers jubilantly. ''Boom, how about them apples?''
David rubbed his temple with his fingers, trying to massage the frustration out of his system. ''I hate you. I love you, and I hate you.''
Alyssa retrieved the empty glass and placed it in the sink, never taking her eyes off of Alex. ''How long should we give him?''
''I say two minutes,'' Portia said.
''I'm going for one.'' Georgia followed.
Without looking up, David began quietly counting. ''Ten, nine, eight...''
Alex folded his arms over his chest. ''Guys, do you all have such little faith in me?''
''Four, three...'' David continued.
''Babe, stop that! I'm not just going to drop like a,-''
The moment David reached zero, Alex startled everyone, including himself, with a loud hiccup.
''And so it begins,'' David mumbled.
Alex patted his chest and shook his head. The girls in the group weren't sure whether to continue giggling or be ready to catch him, perhaps both?
Not wanting to lose his moment in the spotlight, Alex recovered his composure. ''That was one hiccup, it doesn't mean anything.'' He spoke like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Carefully, he turned away from the bar and started walking out towards the beach. Each step was slow and steady. ''I'm going to get some fresh air.''
Rolling his eyes, David shadowed his boyfriend. ''You're not going alone.''
''I'll help carry the corpse,'' Portia smirked and trailed behind them.
''No one is going to be carrying any corpses!'' Alex replied irritated, though there was now a slur at the end of his bark.
Georgia laughed at their antics and watched them disappear into the revelry crowd. There was never a dull moment to be had with her friends.
''Hey,'' Alyssa said, getting Georgia's attention. ''The boss knows you're my friends, but the bill is still expected to be paid.''
''I got it.'' She grabbed her credit card, paying for what was supposed to be her drink. But she couldn't be annoyed for long considering the fun she was having with her friends, even if the prices for the drinks themselves were ridiculous. ''I feel bad that you have to work while we get to enjoy ourselves. I hope it hasn't been too stressful tonight.''
Alyssa shrugged. ''It's not as bad as I dreaded. And, to be honest, I'm not a party person anyway, so I'm not missing out on much.''
After taking the payment with the machine, she handed Georgia's card back. As she nestled it safely in her pocket, she turned round to spot her friends, but they were lost in the mass of dancing bodies. Any attempt to find the needles in the haystack wasn't helped whenever Georgia's search was stalled before her eyes would linger on a few certain individuals.
Noticing the way she was looking, and the occasional bit of red that flushed over her cheeks, Alyssa didn't need to be a detective to know what was on Georgia's mind. ''There are a few cute girls here...''
Georgia twisted instantly to lock eyes with her friend. ''Oh no, we're changing the subject.''
''Nothing has to happen tonight. Getting a phone number would suffice.''
''See, here's the problem, that would require me having the courage to talk to a girl without blushing like a tomato.''
''You talk to Portia and me.''
''Yes, but only after many years of training to overcome that initial internal anxiety.''
Sensing that she wasn't going to be victorious in this debate, Alyssa returned to her duties. ''Well, you never know what, or who, you might find tonight.'' She stated while grabbing a few half-empty glasses nearby and placing them under the tap to wash.
Georgia drummed her fingers on the bar to the beat of the music briefly before stepping away. ''For now, I know that I'm going to try to find the others. If I don't see you again tonight, take care and have a good night.''
''You too.'' Alyssa waved before hurrying over to tend to a few other customers.
Meandering through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone or step on any toes, she felt like a contortionist. Once she was away from people that she knew, she was out of her element. While she would spot one or two familiar faces, none encouraged her to join in. Nimmory was a small enough town; where neighbours could welcome each other on an almost daily basis. But, she preferred sticking to her group who had pretty much adopted one another.
The night was already warm and humid. Being in the middle of an excited, constant crowd made it suffocating. Georgia pulled out from the crowd, closer to the shore of the beach, hoping that her friends had a similar idea and stepped out into view. However, they were nowhere in sight.
''Great,'' she muttered to herself. Just then, she latched onto a pair of sky-blue eyes gazing back at her. There was a girl with shimmering blonde hair dancing in the crowd. Georgia felt like a deer caught in headlights with the bike it stole from the driver's son. She stared back wide-eyed as the blonde curled her finger, hoping to entice her. With her brain scrambled, Georgia did the first thing that came to her.
Turned heel and hurried in the other direction.
She dared not look back and didn't stop until she came upon a large rock that jutted out from the sand, big enough for her to hide completely. Resting her back against the rock, she felt a twinge of guilt. Her words to Alyssa only minutes ago echoed in her mind.
Alone, she thumped the back of her head on the rock; almost wishing it knocked some sense into her. ''Why are you like this?'' she hissed through gritted teeth.
A distant splash grabbed her. She looked forward, staring at the endless valley of water. The small, gentle waves stopped only a few yards in front of her. Wondering if she truly was alone, she took a few cautious steps away from the rock and surveyed her surroundings. The closest souls in sight were those still back at the bar.
Another splash took her by surprise. With the panic of a wild rabbit, she stared at the water. ''Hello?'' she called out.
No response. She waited for another splash. The water was eerily calm tonight and there were no rocks or debris that could have provoked the sound. The light of the hanging moon above was her only comfort. It allowed her to see a body of seaweed twist and turn under the surface.
The longer Georgia remained fixated on the seaweed, the more unusual it appeared to her. Under the waves, it was difficult to distinguish a shape properly. She followed the outlines, taking back by how...humanoid it appeared. At least, half of it appeared humanoid. Against her better judgement, she stepped forward once more, desperate to determine what she was looking at. Her skin was crawling and the hairs on her body stood on edge.
She gasped, unable to catch her breath as she latched onto another pair of navy-blue eyes gazing back at her. Just as her eyes widened, so did those belonging to whatever, or whoever was under the water. Before she could blink, the shadow bolted further out into the sea, disappearing into the distance.
''Hey? Hey!'' Georgia shouted, still stunned beyond belief.
It didn't return. A thousand thoughts raced through her conscious, trying to comprehend what she witnessed. Of course, her first instinct believed it to be a person, but no one could swim away that quickly.
Could they?
''There you are!'' Portia's voice caused Georgia to jump. She turned around to see her friend approaching with an entertained look plastered over her face. ''We need your help. Alex looks ready to collapse and we need help carrying him home.''
Her mouth was agape, but the words wouldn't emerge. Georgia glanced back towards the sea, afraid that whatever she saw had returned.
Portia stepped forward, tilting her head and looking back and forth between the speechless girl and the ocean. ''Are you okay?''
''I think I saw something,'' Georgia replied.
''What?''
She slowly turned, staring at her friend with an intensity she'd never seen from anyone ever before. ''I saw someone.''
A/N: Hello. I hope that you all liked this opening chapter. Are you interested in venturing onwards? Don't be afraid to vote and leave a comment to tell me what you liked or where I can improve. I hope that you enjoy the rest of this story. Thank you all, until next time, take care.