SNIP

“Come come to the water,” he said leading Celina towards the large cistern in a corner of the camp by the fire. “You must be parched,” he replied dipping a wooden cup into the depths of the container and pulling out a sip of water.

“God I hope this is not Kool aid,” she mumbled to herself as she drank the water.

Celina Rodriguez CTO

Jack slinked behind not wanting to keep her with a sharp eye as Celina got the cup as he looked back and forth between everyone here. His instinct was somewhere between learn more and blast them. Still, water couldn’t hurt… at least Jack assumed as much. “Remember, it’s not the kool-aid that kills you but the cyanide,” Jack said with a smirk, but feeling uneasy at all, as he came up behind them. He looked over at Celina nodding, he had no intention to wait behind but knew he could give her some space.

“I’ll just be right over here… getting my own water,” he said as he let her talk to the man as he gave himself an out to be near.

Creed, XO

“No no no stay. I will get you some. Veat veat,” the guide said snapping his fingers. The word must have been a command of some sort because instantly someone brandished a cup of liquid for Jack. “Besides we don’t have time. The boat will be coming for you and you must be ready,” he said raising his own cup to Jack and Celina in what appeared to be a toast.

Looking down at the drink Jack began sniffing it as he looked over at Celina with a shrug as he began drinking small sips. He didn’t think these people were going to try and kill him, but something made him feel wary all the same. He didn’t know for certain just how much he trusted any of the people here for certain.

Hesitantly Celina raised her cup and said under her breath and through a smile to Jack,”why are they toasting us and why do they think we are sailors? I mean you are a desert people,” she winked at her fiance.

“You do know I grew up in Tampa right?’”

“Tampa,” Celina looked at Jack confused. “You are from Florida,” her tone was almost accusatory. Taking another long sip of her drink Celina mulled over Jack’s statement. Florida? Jack was Persian. This had to be a joke.”With the mouse and retiree’s on scooters Florida?” Crossing her arms over her chest she raised an eyebrow. “No way. You are Persian through and through. There is no way you are a Floridian.”

” I left Tehran when I was six. I learned how to surf and hung out on beaches… my first date was on a boat in the gulf for Christ sake.” he said as he looked over at her with a shake of his head. “You know this… don’t you?” Jack sometimes wondered just how much he had told her at times, they had been a whirlwind between the two and some details just slipped.

“That you are a Floridian. Nooooooooo,” she wrinkled up her nose with a surprised expression, “but then again I didn’t know you were dead for almost a year and we worked through that now didn’t we?” Did he just say his first date? Why did he even mention his first girlfriend and boat? Was that what he was thinking of on a beautiful tropical place surrounded by palms and aquamarine water? Swirling her drink Celina realized she could not let this conversation go with one comment. For some reason, something deep inside of her felt like it was swelling. It was her ego. “So what was her name? Isabella, Gabriella, Marcella?” She had no idea why this was eating at her so but this surge of emotion was overwhelming.

“Shhhh its beginning,” one of the tribal members said softly laying a hand on Jack’s shoulder urging him to take another sip of his drink and motioned for Celina to finish off hers.

Raising his hands, the guide began to chant something in the native tongue. It sounded vague Eastern Orthodox in its rhyme and cadence especially when the people in the group replied back in a soft trilling song line response. Several of the members of the village bowed while others kneeled. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the act being performed around them. It had a sloppy elegance as if they were rehearsing for a play where everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing yet no one was in a rhythm.

Jack felt a little like his head had begun to spin, he wasn’t certain if it was the air or what but as he sat around these people he looked over at Celina as he felt a sense of auras and circles all around him. “What… what is going on love?” he asked her softly as he looked over at the others.

Leaning towards Jack, a pretty brunette began to translate. “We are thanking you for coming. You will save us from the Ghost crabs. You will restore balance. The trade will resume as if there was never a dispute. We will all live out our lives in peace and then you can leave,” she beamed up at Jack as if he was a hero.

“Gho.... st crabs?” Jack said as he felt his mind blurring as these crazy people began to talk about Ghost craps and balance. What was going on with these people?

“They are albino crabs that come out at night. They are all over Florida but I guess you were on that boat and didn’t spend that much time on the beach or that would have bitten you on the ah,”

“So was it stated. Now it will be done,” the group responded loudly in unison before breaking up and heading in all directions. Their chanting seemed to be timed perfectly to down out Celina’s last word to Jack.

“Please,” the guide gestured immediately to a tent on the right. “You need to be rested for your journey. We have given you the best tent in the village. Please,” he drew back a flap of fabric ushering Celina and Jack towards the entrance. “Please rest and we will have some refreshments prepared.”

Celina Rodriguez CTO

Jack felt his head spinning but nodded as he took Celina’s hand. The two began to leave together as he got into the tent as he tried to keep his mind sharp. “What is going on with this place?” he asked her softly.

Creed, XO

“I think I care more about Florida and beaches and sexy little Latinas named Ella,” Celina flopped into a large poof that was the only furniture in the tent beside the bed. Looking around the room the colors seemed to swirl blending the fabrics into psychedelic hues. Stretching her fingers out Celina ran her hands over the fabric on her seat.

“God is this fabric is so soft. It’s like a warm fuzzy blanket that you wrap yourself up with hot chocolate in front of a fire,” she wiggled down deeper in the seat letting her head loll back into the seat. The problem was the room was far more tropical in feel with the gently flowing curtain walls and soft breeze. It was hard to hold a thought in Celina’s head as the guide carried a tray laden with fruits, cheeses, and breads. She wanted to comment about He nodded with a smile to the young women with him as he gestured it to Celina.

“Apple,” the guide plucked a bright red one from tray and rolled it towards her with a sweeping gesture of his arm. “Take a bite.”

Celina Rodriguez CTO