Paradise Lost (Closed for Scuttle)

BeautifulDream

See you when you sleep.
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Posts
3,417
The resort was beautiful, even more amazing than the pictures showed. The sand a perfect white, the water crystal clear... such a lovely beach. If you asked how they ended up in this dirt poor town, Kayla honestly couldn't tell you. All she knew was Sarah wanted to do more than relaxing on a beach, bathing in the sun. So somehow she had persuaded Kayla to pack up their stuff and head out on a long hot hike through Panama.

How did I let her talk me into this?

It was suppose to be a dream vacation. One she had been looking forward to for so long, one she had planned out. Maybe that was her problem, she planned too much. Sarah just went with things... her entire life went by what came to mind first. Kayla's life was one organized thing after another.

Even though they spent so much time together, they were honestly nothing a like. Sarah was an only child, her parents had money to give her everything she wanted, she could do so much... instead she just wanted to party and be young. The future didn't matter to her, that's why she put no effort through college. Kayla was different; one of four siblings, everything she had she worked for. She thought every day about what her future held.

In looks, they held no resemblance either. Where as Sarah was tall and lanky, blonde hair and bright blue eyes; Kayla was shorter, skinny but curvy, with brown hair and hazel colored eyes. They were so different, and deep down Kayla even knew of they met today they wouldn't have gotten along. Luckily they met in preschool where it everyone like everything so getting a long was easy.

The agenda went through her mind again. Fly from Chicago to Panama City, bus to the resort, swimming, scuba diving, tanning, light hiking, bus back to Panama City, plane home, and in another month she was off to be a social worker.

Now, here they were in some crap town called Puerto Obaldia arguing with a hotel worker.

"I don't understand you! Jesus, we want a roooom!" Sarah said, drawing the word out with hopes he would understand.

The man shouted some nonsense in a language neither of them understood, his faced twisted in annoyance and hands flaring out.

"Damn it, man! We speak American... ENGLISH, dude!"

Kayla let out a sigh as she pushed past her best friend, hoping she could maybe make him understand. "A room," she said in a polite tone, her hands moving to the side of her face in a sleeping like gesture before pointing up, "for the night. Sleep?"

He shouted again, his gaze locked on Sarah. She couldn't be sure, but it sounded like he was calling her all sorts of names. "No, no, pardon my friend. We've had a long day and we're tired." She made the sleep gesture again, "tired... see?"

"God, Kay! He doesn't get it! He's stupid or something."

"Perhaps you're the one who's stupid for not seeing he doesn't speak English..."

Kayla turned slowly, her eyes meeting that of the young man who spoke. Though he had a handsome face, he was scrawny and covered in what appeared to be dirt. "Sorry, we're just trying to get a room. We've been walking all day and we just want some rest." She scratched her brow lightly, feeling a little embarrassed for the way Sarah had acted. "Could you help?" She asked kindly.

The young man gave a small nod, turning toward the hotel worker. He spoke rapidly, the man replied just as quick. Back and forth the bickered for a moment before he looked back at Kayla. "Its fourteen balboa for the both of you and he needs your passports."

They both moved quickly, pulling out their passports and some money, the man took them with another unkind word, at least it sounded unkind. "Thank you so much!" Kayla said, beaming a smile from one man to another.

The younger man flashed a toothy one back, his teeth yellow and rotting. "Piece of advise, if you visit a country, you should the language.

Sarah snorted. "Tell that to the people who come to America from other countries." She quickly jumped back to avoid the swing Kayla threw toward her arm.

-------​

The room wasn't hard to find since the hotel only had about seven total. But it was no where near what they expected. Small, dirty, and torn up. That they expected and were not disappointed on. But what surprised them when they entered the room was the fact there was four beds, not just two. Bigger surprise, their was other luggage and clothes there.

Were they suppose to share?

"It's fine... lets just get some sleep and we'll be gone as soon as the sun comes up!" Sarah said assuring. dropping her pack onto a bed. "God, I need a shower..." she mumbled, pulling the band out of her hair, letting the blonde locks fall over her shoulder.

Kayla wrinkled her nose, she could use one too. "Is there even running water in this town?"

She just shrugged. "I doubt it. But whatever, its cool. Lets just relax."
 
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It was hot. Even with the sun down, both men were covered in a thin sheen of sweat as they sat in rusted chairs outside the only gas station in Puerto Obaldia, drinking what could only charitably be described as cool beers. Each man was on his second, and another full six pack sat between them in a paper bag dark with condensation. They had two days off, and as always the first night was spent doing as much damage to their liver as possible.

Both men were fairly tall, one could pass six feet by rising up on his toes, the other was just over it when standing flat-footed. Despite the alcohol they consumed on their two days off per month, hard work kept them both in good shape, though poor nutrition made sure they couldn't end up too muscled. Both wore faded and torn jeans, and tennis shoes that seemed as if they'd been made in the late 80's. The taller of the pair wore a blue tank top and straw cowboy hat atop his head, the shorter a ripped formerly white t-shirt and a faded red baseball hat. A combination of heritage and sunshine worked to make both men rather dark-skinned.

With a final swallow, the beers were finished and it was time to go back to their room. Street lights that worked were a rare luxury here, so it was often better to make it back before full dark lest you ended up walking into one of the many potholes that lined the streets. One of them had twisted an ankle doing that - though at this point neither of them could remember which one it was - and since then, they'd always made sure they made it back before full dark. Or that they had a damn good reason to be out.

Making it back to the hotel safely, they laughed together as they handed over the bottle of beer the man behind the desk had requested, and were about to stumble up to their room when he stopped them.

"I've got a present waiting for you up in your room," he said in his native tongue.

Confusion furrowed their brows as they exchanged a look, but he refused to give any further details. Instead, he simply told them to go to their room, and have themselves a good night. With a laugh and a shake of the head, both men thinking that perhaps it was not his first drink of the night he was opening, they made their way up the stairs. Futbol was likely to be on the TV, and it would be plenty to hold their attention as they descended into a drunken stupor and finally passed out laying across their beds. Four in the room meant that, if one of both of them happened to end up so drunk they pissed themselves overnight, moving to a dry bed would be easy.

Stopping in front of the door, pockets were patted as they each searched for the key, not remembering who had taken it. Voice on the other side of the door - female voice - froze them, and with widening grins they met each other's eyes again.

That sly motherfucker, the taller one in the straw hat thought.

Finding the key in a pocket finally, he shoved the bag with their remaining beer into the other man's hand and shoved the key into the lock. A momentary struggle ensued as he tried to turn it the wrong way, lips pressing into a thin white line at the frustration of the fucking hotel and their cheap fucking locks. Exasperated, he tried twisting it the other way and was delighted to find it turning smoothly. A final glance was cast back at his friend, and then he pushed open the door, grinning broadly as he walked in on the girls just as the blonde hair tumbled.
 
Kayla was about to lay down when the door opened. Two men, both dark skinned and dressed in tattered clothes, walking into the room. She felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. Two young girls trapped in a room with two hard looking men? It reminded her of something out of a horror movie. Why couldn't they share a room with two other girls around their own age?

Oh, probably because they are the only two young girls in this town.

She casted a glance at Sarah, who was staring at them in the same manner she was. She felt uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping next to them. Maybe we should request another room? Yeah, and try talking to the clerk down there again? He wouldn't understand so that wouldn't work too well. She might as well act friendly and hope they didn't kill her in her sleep or something.

She gave a small smile as she turned around, facing her bed. She unzipped her pack, searching through her clothes for her sleeping wear. She was also regretted pack really short shorts and a tank top for pajamas. But then again both girls were already standing in shorts that cut above the knees and tight shirts already.

Sarah gave them a weary look before following suit, turning to her pack. But her hands didn't move to remove anything, instead they moved in a series of gestures toward Kayla.

Like most young kids, the girls wanted a way to talk to each other without everyone understanding. That way they can gossip and just chat without people nosing into their business. But unlike most kids, they didn't want to put the effort into creating their own language. So, they just opted for learning Sign Language. After a full summer of researching, mostly on Kayla's part, they both got it down. Now, they were fluent in it.

Kayla caught Sarah's movements out of the corner of her eyes, her eyes widening slightly at what she was doing. Two strange men were in the room with them and she wanted to talk in secret?! Yeah like that wouldn't annoy them or anything.

Sarah signed again. "Should we introduce ourselves or something?

Kayla gave a small shrug as she replied. "I don't know. I've never shared a room with two strangers."

"So, yes? It would be rude not too... right?"

Kayla threw her hands up, gesturing she didn't know again, before signing, "so say something..." Sarah glanced over shoulders, before pointing at Kayla, basically saying 'you do it.' Kayla shook her head, moving two fingers down on her thumb before point back at her.

Sarah rolled her eyes before turning quickly on her heels. She thought for a moment before opening her mouth to speak in an overly loud tone. "So I'm not sure if you guys speak English or whatever, but... I'm Sarah." She pointed to herself, "Sarah." Then turned her finger to her friend. "That's Kayla. We're Americans. You guys aren't murderers or anything, right?"

Kayla's mouth dropped before she buried her face in her hands, embarrassed. She felt semi relief knowing Sarah was thinking the same thing she was, but damn woman! Must you be so blunt?! "Jesus, Sarah! What the hell?! And they're not deaf, you don't need to shout!"
 
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Just inside the doorway, the pair of men paused and exchanged a slightly puzzled glance. They both, despite their partially intoxicated state, expected something from the girls, though neither could say with certainty if it was outrage or annoyance they thought they'd get. What they could say with certainty is that they didn't expect silence, followed by the strange hand movements between the pair. Neither man was blessed with much intelligence, but they also weren't so dumb as to not realize that the girls were somehow communicating. American Sign Language, however, was as foreign to them as French, and so precisely what they were saying was a mystery to both.

A decision was apparently made between them, and the taller blond approached the pair. As she all but shouted at them, the men exchanged a glance before bursting out into laughter. All but ignoring the girls for a moment, the men turned to each other and shouted in an over-emphasized slow speech.

"Hello! I'm Miguel!," the shorter of the pair in the red cap and t-shirt shouted.

"Miguel! Hola! I'm Alberto!," the taller, wearing the straw cowboy hat and tank top shouted, and then both men all but collapsed against each other with laughter again.

It was a moment or two before they regained composure and turned their attention back to the girls, with the one who called himself Alberto seeming to take the lead.

"I apologize, bonita, but you don't need to shout. And no," he said through a somewhat thick accent, shaking his head and casting a friendly smile to the shorter of the pair behind her, "We're not murderers or anything. We work in the jungle, and are just in town for a... days off?"

Movement to his side momentarily drew his attention, and he glanced back as Miguel pushed the door closed behind them.

"We didn't know anyone else would be here. But we have beer," he said, poking a thumb in the direction of Miguel, who held up the paper sack with the beer inside, "Just to drink, maybe to watch futbol. You can join, since we're..."

His voice trailed off and he frowned, brow furrowed as he searched for the word.

"Roomies?," he asked at last, grinning broadly, certain he'd heard the term before.
 
Kayla was quite taken back at how they responded. She expected them to be... well, angry may not be the right word, but in many ways she expected them to be somewhat annoyed? So when they turned to each other and introduced themselves then laughed, she was very surprised.

Miguel and Alberto. Their roommates for the night.

This wasn't really the first time she was alone in a room with a strange man. Of course, he was a friend of a friends and she was drunk. She couldn't even tell you what happened that night other than she blacked out at some point and woke up with a splitting headache. At least in that situation she had an idea about the guy. And, it was just one guy.

Sarah was just as surprised, if not more. So maybe it was a bad idea to shout that out, but she was blunt. She enjoyed embarrassing people, making them uncomfortable. Especially Kayla. It was something she lived for. She turned toward her friend, a big playful grin on her lips before back to the two men. "Not serial killers! What a relief!"

She just chuckled nervously, slowly moving to pull different things out of her backpack. Truth was, part of her still didn't trust them. How many serial killers would really come out and just admit to it? Yeah, because that would work so great! Hello, I'm a serial killer... please don't start panicking and screaming! The element of surprise wouldn't be there. Miguel and Alberto could even be kidnappers. They could sell the young girls on the Black Market. They could be cannibals.

The possibilities were truly endless on who they really were.

She wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. Not knowing they were there.

Sarah was already at ease. Her worries gone as the two men seemed friendly. Her ears perking at their words. "Miguel, Alberto, I think we'll get along just fine. Anyone who's willing to share their beers is a friend of mine!" She flashed a big grin glancing back to Sarah, her eyes quizzing as to if she planned to join.

Kayla just pulled out her sleepwear and toiletry bag, holding them close to her chest as she moved toward the door. "I'm going to go find a shower." she mumbled, carefully brushing past the men to step out of the room. Sarah could fend for herself, that much she knew. Leaving her alone wouldn't be an issue. She, herself, wasn't to the point of feeling comfortable enough to drink with them yet. She couldn't shake the feel that something was strange about them.

With a shrug Sarah just watched her friend step out of the room before clapping her hands together in front of her, her eyes scanning the two men. "So, beer and football? That sounds like a good way to spend your days off. What do you guys do for a living?"
 
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