The Swallowing

Around this time last year, I was flirting with death, ready to self-destruct.

Swimming in depression, drowning in debt, slaving away at a job for the sake of check, the pressures of my responsibilities were weighing me into the ground, and I was ready to be buried in it for good. It was Kimmie's hand that pulled me away from my demise. Today, that same hand blindfolded me and is now dragging me to god knows where.

"You stay inside too much." Kimmie says, gripping my arm and guiding my steps. "Outside is where the magic happens, especially today!"

The sun was slapping me with its heat, causing sweat to surf down my forehead, and drench my shirt--I should have worn lighter colors today. The briny scent of the air, the cheering of waves crashing ashore, the shrieking of seagulls above me, and the woody surface I was walking on tells me we're on a dock.

"Stop, we're here." Kimmie says before untying the blindfold and shouting, "Happy Birthday!"

"What's this?" I ask, gawking at the two-story vessel floating in front of me.

"Your birthday gift, duh! Her name's Lacuna. And look!" she points at the bow, "Solid gold anchor. All for you on your 18th!"

"Where'd you get the m--"

"Drey, stop acting like you don't know what I do."

"I know influencers ain’t out here making this kind of money.” I shake my head. “And I could've sworn I said I didn't want anything extravagant."

"I don't remember that." she says, checking her phone screen for the time. "Besides, with the state you've been in, you could use this little vacation I have planned for you."

"Me? You mean planned for you?" I point at her.

"Baby, I do this all the time. You're just too busy fishing or playing video to notice."

"I don't know about all this." I say, trying to avoid responsibility for something so big and valuable. "I haven't steered anything bigger than a dinghy."

"Don't even trip." Kimmie says, a proud look on her face. "Say Hi, Franck!"

A lanky man with a gap in his smile emerges from the cockpit. "Wa gwan! Franck the shipmaster at your service, Mr. Richardson.”

"Franck will be taking us to and from Sordna Island in one peice." Kimmie says with glee. "We'll be spending the weekend on Sordna Island. It's really--"

"Whoa! Weekend? That's not gonna be possible. I work tomorrow."

"You talking about the same job that you hate waking up for every morning? The job that you almost risked your life for and they nearly fired you for it? That job?" Kimmie says before stepping on board and extending her hand to me, "Let me take care of you this weekend and I'll help you find something better when we get back. Deal?"

I don’t answer but wonder how much that gold anchor would cost at the pawnshop.

Kimmie snaps her fingers to regain my attention, "This yacht also comes with complimentary fishing rods and bait." She says with a sly grin. "We could fish on our way there and roast it over a campfire while we stare at the stars tonight."

Hmm… I do love to fish, roasting it over a campfire does sound nice, and lowkey, I've always wanted to see the night sky without light pollution. "A'ight let's go." I take her hand and step aboard Lacuna.

Lacuna shreds through the royal blue waves, onward to my romantic island getaway birthday extravaganza.

"We'll need to catch a couple fish in time for our campfire tonight." Kimmie says as she empties the ice bags in the cooler.

"Yeah." I respond, grabbing the fishing rods and taking a seat in the cockpit.

"You okay?" She hands me the fish bait with concern.

I avoid her eyes as I take the bait and attach it to the hooks. "I don't want you spending all this money on me again."

"You'd prefer we live like hermits and stare at a screen 24 hours a day?"

"If it means not lusting after luxury all the time, yes." I retort, casting the fishing rod. "I can't be accepting handouts from my girlfriend."

"This is your birthday present, not a handout." She says, stepping in front of me so I look at her. "I love making you happy, and it's okay for men to be taken care of and pampered too."

I shake my head. "That's corny as hell to me."

"What's corny is choosing to live a mediocre life when you can experience a luxurious one."

The sudden tension and pulling of the fishing line tells me there’s a bite. I grab the rod and start reeling, lifting a large red snapper from the water.

"What I'm trying to say is…" Kimmie continues as she pulls the ice cooler closer. "There's nothing wrong with wanting nice things, and poverty isn't always virtuous."

As I dropped the fish in the cooler, the aroma of the ocean reminded me of my own saltiness, realizing that Kimmie may have a point. A small sense of liberation blooms within me as I gaze at the vast ocean.

By the time we get to the island, Kimmie and I caught enough fish to last us the whole weekend. After dropping the yacht's dinghy onto the water, we load it up with everything we need for our campfire night under the stars.

"I'll drive!" I say as I scoot toward the dinghy's engine. I start it, twist the throttle and we're propelled forward toward the remote island with a sandy beach and a dense tropical forest on its bank. Something in the water several feet away from us grabs my attention, what looked like a fat man floating on his back, a meaty fin at the end of his body. "What is that thing?" I ask in awe.

"There's a family a manatee here, that's what it is."

"Oh." I chuckle. "Would you believe me if I told you my grandma and I once saw a mermaid?"

"Really? I’ve always wanted to encounter one."

"It was on a rock combing her hair and everything, just like in the movies. Scurried away when she noticed us."

"Did she happen to drop her comb? I heard they gift you riches if you find it and return it."

"I don't think so… I didn't even know that was a thing, but of course you would." I poke her as she rolls her eyes. "Anyway, I'm surprised you believe me, most people think I dreamt it."

"I definitely believe there's more to our world than what we know. I crossed paths with a chickcharney once. Creepiest thing ever, but it gave me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Wait, what? when? how?" I ask, my ears perk up to hear about this tale and the offer she received.

"Let's save this story for tonight when we're cozied up next to the campfire," she says as we approach the shore. "Right now, we need to find some firewood before it gets dark."

We hop off the dinghy and pull it ashore. A tangerine sun floats just above the horizon, tanning both the sea and sky with a mix of fiery gold. The whole ambiance reminds me of Kimmie--the warmth of the sun in her hugs, the gentleness of the water in her touch, she inspires freedom just like the endless sea and sky, a beacon of light in my life.

"Damn Drey, can I have my face back?" she says, smiling.

"Oh… my bad." I feel my nostrils flare and my face get warm. "Let's start collecting this wood."

"Keep staring at me like that I might have to take your wood." She says with a wink.

We make our way through the forest picking up sticks and branches. I almost tripped over coconut when we stumbled upon a nest big enough for an elephant. “Yo, do you see this?” I approach the nest and notice feathers as big as my arm. "I change my mind. I do not want to spend the night here with whatever it was that made this. Kimmie?"

I turned around to face Kimmie, behind her was what looked like a barn owl twice her size, its eyes like bulging black holes.

"Is this my meal?" a raspy omniscient voice booms through the forest.

"Yes." Kimmie replied.

It wasn’t until I heard her voice that I realized I couldn't move or speak.

"Good.” Said the booming voice. “Your riches shall continue for another year until you bring me another offering."

Kimmie drops the firewood she collected and disappears into the forest, for a moment, I thought I saw a hint of anguish on her face. The owl waddles toward me, twig-like arms extend from under its wings, each ending in talons with shard-like claws that pierce into my back and chest as it grips me, It's beak opening and stretching wider than the girth of its body, enough to swallow me whole.