True to Seth's word, we reached the small inn around 20 minutes after our odd encounter with those men. The cozy hotel was positioned right across from the lake, and the thought of falling asleep with the sound of rippling water in the faint distance sent a deep sense of satisfaction down my spine.
The second Ariel and I had stepped out of the car, our eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the scenery. Seth was not exaggerating when he said this place is heavenly. Even in the darkness of the night we could note how clear and saturated the lake was as it slowly moved over the soft sand.
"Wait until you see it in morning light." I could hear the smirk in Seth's voice, clearly enjoying our astonishment at such beauty. "Let's settle in."
He grabbed Ariel and I's bags from the trunk of his car and stalked towards the inn, his posture funny as he carried our heavily packed backpacks in each hand.
"You need a hand?" I called out.
"I've got it," He grunted out.
I shook my head. Men.
"We better head in; we need to rest so we can wake up early." I said reaching out for Ariel's arm. I literally had to drag her away from the waters as she continued to gape at the view.
Swimming in lakes or ocean water wasn't something we did very often, so to witness Ariel's shock at such natural beauty was completely understandable.
The small hotel was brightly lit on the inside, the tiles an off-white shade and the counters made of white wood. The couches in the waiting area were a pretty shade of turquoise, matching the color of the ocean in morning light. The colors of the interior design screamed summer, and it made me all the more excited for this trip.
Seth was quick to finish the procedures with the owner of the inn standing behind the desk - as she was a family friend and had arranged everything for us beforehand - and he turned around to hand us our room keys just as we stepped closer to the counter.
"Alright. You two will share one, correct?" He addressed us, and Ariel and I nodded synchronously. She reached forward and grabbed the key from him while I sent a warm smile to the lady behind the desk. Her eyes lit up and she grinned cheerfully.
"Enjoy your stay, girls!" She chirped.
"Thank you! We most certainly will," Ariel beamed before turning around and making her way towards the stairs.
I turned to Seth. "When will the rest get here?" I wondered about our friends who promised to join us.
"According to Elliot's last text message, they should arrive early in the morning. Sometime between 6 and 8 am." He shrugged, bending to lift our bags over his shoulders.
"Do you think they'll get stopped by those men from earlier? What if they don't allow them to pass through?" I questioned, anxious for my friends.
Seth paused, the realization of what could be a great issue suddenly hitting him. "Crap, I totally forgot about that," he whispered.
I bit on the inside of my cheek, praying that my friends will get as lucky as we did and be allowed passage through the supposedly now-private territory.
"I'll call Elliot and let him know. But don't worry - if they let us pass I'm sure they'll allow them through as well."
"Maybe if they mention us it could be in their benefit?" I suggested. Seth frowned, confused. "If they told the men that their friends had passed earlier and are waiting for them at the inn, maybe they'll understand it's a group trip and let them pass by as well." I explained.
Seth's mouth formed an o-shape, liking the idea. "That could help," he hoped.
"Well then, lets head up so we can get enough rest. Tomorrow is going to be a fulfilling day." He started heading towards the stairs and I followed shortly behind.
~
The morning could not have come fast enough. Ariel and I had stayed up past 2AM, the excitement mixed with the adrenaline rushing through our veins keeping us up way past our usual bedtime.
"Where are my sunglasses?!" Ariel yelled, thrashing about as she searched madly through her luggage.
I stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping a light pink beach bikini cover up around my waist and tying it on the side. I stalked towards our dressing table and reached beneath Ariel's make-up bag, pulling out her sunglasses.
She sighed in relief as she grabbed it from my hands, rushing towards the door. "Come on, hurry up!" She exclaimed. Her excitement was nearly suffocating.
"You can head out, I still need to grab a few more things."
"Don't take too long! We need to snap a few pictures while the lighting is still good," she started towards the door, her flip-flops squeaking against the shiny tiles of our rented bedroom.
"I won't," I promised as I combed my fingers through my brunette hair, straightening the tangles. I grabbed a small clip and raised thin strands from both sides of my hair, securing them behind my head in a half-up half-down style.
I reached for my beach bag and quickly started packing the necessities; phone, sunscreen, a small snack, a tinted lip balm, and my sunglasses. I stepped into my slippers and headed for the door.
Every step I took down the hall towards the elevator thrilled me more, an odd excitement settling deep inside my stomach. I began to wonder why I was so incredibly excited for the lake; it certainly wasn't my first time going to one. But this place felt different, it sent a mixture of odd sensations down my spine.
When I reached the ground floor, my eyes gazed around the lobby in awe of its beauty in broad daylight. It was bright and heart-opening. But as I observed all of the interior's magnificence, my eyes fell on the reception counter where three large men stood - their backs to me - dressed too formally for a hot summer day.
The man in the middle stood tall, a fitted white dress-shirt hugging his torso perfectly and displaying just the right amount of muscle, with the long sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows. The other two men standing stiffly by his sides wore the same formal attire, the only difference was their shorter height. Their postures were tough and stern, staring directly at the same old lady behind the counter from last night, as she respectfully addressed the man in charge.
I bolted towards the front door, wanting nothing to do with such intimidating people, but my damned slippers had other plans in mind as they began squeaking loudly against the tiles, announcing my arrival to the audience.
All four pairs of eyes turned to me, some holding amusement while others were void of emotion. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and immediately looked down to the floor as I shamefully continued my way towards the front door, so close to my freedom and my friends; but a sudden, deep and coarse voice boomed and halted me in my tracks.
"Wait."
It was a simple demand which I should have easily ignored given the fact that it came from a complete stranger, but the authoritative voice behind the command held such power that it took physical strength to disobey.
I tried to push my feet to take another step forward and continue their journey, but they were glued to the floor. The white-shirted man began approaching me gradually in all his glory, his movements so graceful that I nearly shivered at the power and authority his figure displayed.
A pair of black formal shoes stopped just two feet away from me, and I suddenly found them so interesting as I gazed deeply into them, avoiding the intimidating stranger's face. If the power in his voice was enough to shake me to the core, I feared what more his eyes could do. As the saying goes, they're the windows to the soul, and I wasn't so sure I was ready to connect with his.
"It's you," he barely whispered, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips. I frowned, my confusion forcing me to look up and question his peculiar statement.
My eyes found his, and like a sudden bolt of electricity I felt a raw emotion knock me in the stomach, it's force so powerful I gasped out loud. His eyes were the most striking shade of silver I had ever seen, his gaze so intense it could move the most inanimate.
An extremely foreign and unnerving feeling settled deep in my gut, making me almost nauseous, and I forced my eyes away from him, looking over his shoulder at the lady behind the desk. She offered me a warm smile which anchored me back to the ground and to reality, away from whatever it was that that man's eyes had done to me. It felt like I had been hypnotized by his gaze, and I was beyond uncomfortable.
I pushed all my energy into my feet, forcing them to turn me around, and I bolted towards the front door and away from the stranger's intense gaze.