"Hello," Tay screamed hoping to get a reply.

"Yes, where are you," a voice replied distantly.

"We're over here, please help us," Tay yelled back trying to see through the sheets of rain that poured down.

Will stood up, wincing holding his temple. His eyes squinting. He slowly walked over to the side of the roadway nearest the ocean. Taylor looked down the roadway, still he saw no one. Tay glanced down off the side of the road.

He shuddered, the road was more like a cliff edge. About fifty feet below were rocks, where the crashing tide slammed in. He stepped back and turned toward the roadway. Will turned to reach for Taylor. From behind him he felt an arm reach up over his shoulder and cover over his mouth. His mind was clouded and his reaction was dulled by the pain in his head. The wind gusted over and muffled his cry as he fell backwards over the guard rail.

With a triumphant grin on her face Anthea pulled herself up over the guard rail. She had boarded the bus and managed to stay out of their sight up until now. With Will out of the way now Taylor was hers for the taking.

"Hello, hey help me my ankle is messed up," she called out by the time she was far enough away from the edge for Taylor to notice where she had come from.

*          *          *          *          *

Anthony slipped and fell again, the wind was almost too much for him. Even on his rollerblades. He had tried to get back to his place to grab some things and swing back toward the hotel before Taylor and Will had left with the other guests but he found he was too late.

He chugged as hard as he could, head tilted down leg muscles flexing with each thrust. The wind and rain were making it nearly impossible to see. The sidewalks were flooded over with water and debris.

"There's no one on the roads," he reassured himself as he shot out into the roadway heading for the hurricane shelter.

He squinted and wiped the rain out of his eyes just in time for him to spin to the side and slide into the curb before he crashed directly into the back of a black Camry that was stopped in the center of the road with a palm tree on top of it.

He stood up and rolled over to the windows. They were fogged up. He could barely see. He rolled over to the passenger side window and looked in. It was partly broken and the face was unmistakable. Isaac Hanson unconscious. Beside him slumped over the wheel was his father Walker. Behind him was a girl he did not recognize and beside her was Zac. All four of them unconscious.

A gust of wind tore through. Anthony fell down grabbing onto the handle of the car door. The huge old palm tree shifted and lifted off of the car. The roots tipping up into the air. Then entire tree lifting and flying to the side of the road where it crashed into a bus stop. Anthony screamed as he felt his feet lifting up into the air behind him. The black Camry slowly started to skid sideways across the road. The driver side tipping up as the wind whipped harder.

"Hey, are you ok," Tay yelled squinting through the rain. Unsure what was wrong with the wet and limping girl that hobbled toward him.

"My ankle, I think I twisted it," she said as she got closer.

Taylor shivered. That voice, even through the wind and rain. That voice was unmistakable.

"Anthea," he nearly screamed in confusion.

"Taylor," she screamed back in convincing mock shock as well.

"What, how, where," Tay stuttered.

"Long story sweetie, we gotta get going, it's hell out here," she said pulling him further up the road.

Tay stopped and spun around to his left, and then to his right. Looking like a frantic mother, Taylor started screaming for Will.

"I saw him up the road, he was walking really funny, come on we can catch up with him," she replied pulling Taylors arm.

Tay spun around and looked at her, a mix of relief and worry came over his face. Part of him wanted to believe her, but another part of him somewhere deep inside was telling him not to. Suddenly bright head lights hit them in the eyes as they looked up the road way. Covering their eyes the squinted trying to focus on the source.

"You kids need to get in the car, we're about to get the full assault out here," a police officer yelled out to them.

Anthea stiffened at first, unsure if this was something she was prepared for. Taylor had already started towards the officer stuttering off a million and one things about Will, and if he had seen him.

"No, son I've not seen any-," he started when a gust of wind ripped through knocking Tay down onto the pavement.

Anthea slipped and fell as well. The police officer grabbed onto the door of the squad car as it slid across the road and rolled over on its side. Crushing him beneath it. The head lights shining towards the cliff side.

Anthea stumbled and fell before she got her balance and ran over to Taylor helping him up.

"I've gotta find Will," Tay screamed as he pulled away from her. Antheas look of concern melted into a look of total anger.

Taylor ran no more than a few steps down the roadway when Anthea grabbed him by the wrist.

"Damnit, I told you he left, up that way," she snapped at him.

"Let me go, that cop just said he hadn't seen anyone," Tay screamed at her jerking his arm away. Anthea grabbed it again and jerked in back towards her.

"No, Taylor," she screamed at him.

"Let me go," Taylor screamed at her heaving himself away from her has hard as he could.

The wet pavement, along with the wind only multiplied his strength. Causing him to slip and fall backwards he slid back crashing into the guard rail. Wincing in pain as his hip hit the metal. He grabbed forward at thin air trying to stop himself from falling backwards. His right hand caught the rail as his body tipped backwards. Flipping completely over he managed to hang onto the rail. Only this wrenched his arm. Totally dislocating it from the socket. He screamed in pain, gritting his teeth but keeping his grip.

"Oh my god," Anthea screamed as she dove for him.

Grabbing his wrist, her first motive was to pull him back up. Her stomach turned when she saw his right shoulder, terribly twisted it looked horrible. His face was totally pale. Even is full mouth had lost it's color. He called out to her.

"Help me, I can't hold on much longer," he screamed.

"Tell me we can be together again, tell me it's all over with you and that freak," she replied.

"What, Anthea, I love him, what do you," he screamed. His mind going numb, the shock from the pain in his arm making him feel faint.

"Forget about him, we were meant to be," she screamed back at him.

"I, but," he muttered. Anthea slowly pulling him up towards her.

"Come on Tay, forget him," she replied pulling him up onto the rail.

"I, Anthea, you don't understand," he cried letting go of the rail, his arm falling limp to his side.

"We can be together again, forget all about him, it's me you want, you don't want to die."

Tay stood there slumped, squinting his eyes. His mind starting to clear up. The look of confusion draining away just as the color in his cheeks had only moments before.

"I'd rather die a hundred times over, before I'd give up what I have with him," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Antheas entire face changed, she straightened up, looked at him with a blank face.

"Fine, you made the choice," she said as she took her hand covered Tays face and shoved him backwards over the edge.


On to Chapter Eight

On to Chapter Six

Chapter Index

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Disaster in Paradise is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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