Taylor blinked his eyes. He stared toward her and blinked again. He was positive he was seeing things. The salt air stinging his eyes. The tears streaming down. He was positive he was seeing things. Then she spoke.

"Hello Taylor," she said in a tone he wasn't instantly comforted by.

"Anthea," he asked with a puzzled voice.

"Yes, dear, sweet, confused Taylor," she replied with a slightly condescending tone.

"But, how did you, I mean but," Tay stuttered.

"How did I get here, how did I find you," she asked him walking closer.

Tay didn't answer but slowly began to step backwards. He was getting a strange feeling from this sudden blast from the past. She came closer, with this distant, nearly evil smile on her face.

"See Taylor, I told you long ago, that we'd end up together," she smiled a wicked gleam in her eye.

Tay's body flinched and filled with fear. He stepped back quickly and felt his heel catch a rock. His body tipped backward hitting the sand with a thud. Tay spit sand from his mouth and shook his head. Looking up Anthea kneeled down beside him and took him by the shoulders.

Tay's eyes snapped open as Will shook him gently. He shivered, he was wet and cold.

"Tay, come on babe, wake up," Will pleaded quietly.

"What, I," Tay stammered as he looked around trying to get his bearings.

Tay rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up. Anthea was no where to be seen. The tide had rushed in and cold sea water had soaked his cloths.

"Taylor, I'm sorry, I love you no matter what or how or anything," Will cried.

Tay hugged him. He was scared, and sorry. He had rushed out into the night letting his emotions take control. But the vision of Anthea still made him tremble. The wind whipped up a strong gust and knocked them back into the sand. Will looked out toward the ocean. The tides were rolling in higher than he thought was normal.

*          *          *          *          *

Anthea stumbled a little, her shoes sinking into the sand. She had chased Taylor out into the street, but she hadn't seen which way he had run. She was sure now that she must have gone the wrong direction. The wind was whipping at her hair, her feet were wet and the weather was becoming increasingly bad.

*          *          *          *          *

"Mr. Hanson, we really shouldn't let you off, we are ordered to hold all passengers on this plane while refueling before our departure back to the states," the stewardess tried to explain to Walker Hanson who was demanding they let them off the plane.

"I don't care what you have been told, that hurricane is coming and my son is on this island I'm not leaving him here now let us off."

"Sir hurricane Bertha is barely an hour away, the airport is being shut down, this is the only flight out, you wont," she tried to finish but he cut her off.

"Then we'll stay here but let us off," Walker again demanded.

Ike, Shiye and Zac looked at each other with worried faces.

"This is freaking me out," Zac said rubbing his forehead.

"You're not alone kiddo," Shiye commented looking at Ike.

"We've got to get Tay," Ike said backing up his father.

"No duh Brainiac, but it's not exactly going to be easy with Big Bertha about to plant her ass right on top of us," Zac snapped.

"So we should leave and let Tay and Will get blown away," Ike replied in defense.

"No, I didn't say that either, damn," Zac replied as he slapped his headset on.

"And that ends this transmission from Zacland, more when he cooks up something else clever to say," Shiye said shaking her head.

"No kidding," Ike said as he noticed they were allowing them off the airplane.

"Now kids, we've gotta find those boys, then take cover they said this one is going to be extreme," Walker said over the howling wind that threatened to completely smother Zacs face with his blond locks.

"Do you have a scrunch or something," he yelled swatting at the hair in his face.

"Nope, sorry," Shiye giggled as Zac made this pissy look on his face.

"What," Ike asked.

"Nothing, I just remembered how sometimes it's the little things that make life special," Shiye laughed.

*          *          *          *          *

"We've gotta get back to the hotel, when we were leaving something was happening," Will yelled as he pulled Tay up to his feet.

"What do you mean," Tay replied over the gusts of wind.

"I'm not sure, but everyone was running out of the restaurant like they found a roach in the soup," Will replied making Tay grin.

"I love you too," Tay said grabbing Will around the waist and kissing him suddenly.

"Whoa, what brought that on," Will smiled as their mouths separated.

"You, just the way you are, I can be such a fool sometimes," Tay said a little teary. The wind had calmed slightly.

"Let's get inside."

*          *          *          *          *

Anthea stumbled onto a side street near the beach. In the distance she could see the strip of the hotels ahead. She must have wandered a few miles down the beach. The sky briefly lit up with a pulse of lightening the mountains in the distance cast eerie silhouette against the deep dark black clouds.

*          *          *          *          *

They ran up the front steps of the hotel. It was deserted. Even the small door man was gone. Inside there were some people which helped make Tay feel a little better.

"What's going on," Will asked the lady at the desk.

"We've got a hurricane bearing down on us," she replied covering the mouth piece of the phone.

"Well that explains the mass hysteria," Tay said glancing around.

"What should we do," Will asked.

"If you have a way out of here then use it if not stay here," she said before going back to the phone again.

"Come on, my cell phone is up in the room," Tay said as they walked to the elevator and got in.

*          *          *          *          *

Tony rounded the corner from the bar, damp and cold from the wind outside. He glanced over to his right and saw Will and Tay as the elevator doors closed.

"Shit," Tony replied realizing he had again lost his chance at talking to the guys. He had a sinking feeling though that things were going to get worse. He needed to get home and email Karen.

*          *          *          *          *

"Ok, we're going straight to the Royal Crown Hawaiian Hotel we always stay there," Walker replied as they left the airport in a rent a car.

"Any word from him yet," Ike asked.

"Nope, he's still not answering his cell phone."

"Remind me why we got them in the first place," Zac exclaimed breaking his silence.

"I know, I know," Walker replied gripping the wheel as wind whipped against the car.


On to Chapter Six

On to Chapter Four

Chapter Index

Taylor Quest Home Page

Disaster in Paradise is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
This work may not be duplicated in any form – physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise – without the author's written permission.
All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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