Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

***SIMON***

S imon's anger lasted until Kira collapsed to the floor, then quickly evaporated, leaving him feeling like a child having a temper tantrum. "Dammit, what the hell is wrong with me," he said, rushing over to her, sinking down on the floor and pulling her inert body into his arms. "I'm sorry Kira, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Her eyes fluttered open, then filled with confusion again, "Kira, it's me, Simon," he said, his voice gentle. "I wish I could explain what happened to me, but I don't even know. I looked like this when I looked in the mirror this morning."

Kira sat up, then scooted out of his arms, "How is this possible?" she asked. "I don't understand."

"We don't either," Max said, scooping Kira up off the floor and plopping her onto the couch. "We're hoping Mateo can help us with some of the answers."

"This has to be some kind of a trick," Mary Beth said. "You've got hidden microphones around here or something, I don't think this is very funny."

"It's not a trick, it's real," he said, getting up off the floor, wishing there was some way he could make the look in Kira's eyes go away. "This is what I looked like this morning, I don't know how, and I don't know why."

"The Heart of the Ocean is a mysterious place," Mateo said, and they all turned to look at him. "I warned Max when he decided to build his resort here, strange things happen on this island."

There was a short silence, then they all turned to Max, "What exactly does he mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Max. "Did you know that something like this might happen?"

"No, of course not," Max said, instantly defensive. "Besides, we can't be sure it was the island."

"You're kidding me, right?" Simon asked. "Look at me, what else could it be?"

"I don't know," Max shrugged. "Maybe it will go away."

"Not until he learns his lesson," Mateo said, shrugging his shoulders. "Now that you've started down this path, there is no turning back unless you want to stay that way forever."

"I didn't want to look like this in the first place," he said, then paused, remembering his conversation with Max right before he fell asleep. "Oh, God, I did ask for this, I wished for it, but I never thought it would come true. I didn't really mean it. I want to be me again! I don't need to learn a lesson, tell the island, tell it right now."

"I'm sorry," Mateo said, shaking his head. "The island won't listen to me. You will have to follow this through to the end."

"What am I supposed to do?" Simon asked. "Tell me, and I'll do it."

"Only you can figure that out," Mateo said, a look of pity on his face. "The only advice I can give you is to follow your heart. It will lead you in the right direction."

"That's it?" he asked. "I have to live with this until the island decides I've been punished enough?"

"You're looking at this all wrong," Mateo said, an impatient look on his face. "You've been given the opportunity to learn something, to see the world from another man's perspective. Don't waste it."

"I think I need some fresh air," Kira said, getting shakily to her feet. "Yes, fresh air would be good."

"I'll come with you," Mary Beth said, getting to her feet and giving the men a dirty look. "This was not how I planned to spend my day."

When the door closed behind them, he sank down at the kitchen table, "How am I going to go out there looking like this?" he moaned. "You saw Kira, she was horrified by me."

"Oh, stop whining, that's what got you here in the first place," Max said. "She wasn't horrified by your looks, she's in shock, you idiot. Put yourself in her place, and think about someone besides yourself for once."

"I'm not very good at that, and you know it," he snapped back, then took a deep breath and looked up at his friend. "I'm scared Max, I don't know what I'm going to do, how I'm going to function……like this."

Max was silent for a second, then he sat down across from him, "I'd be scared, too," he finally said. "Simon, I'm sorry this happened to you. I don't know if the island really is to blame, and I wish there was something I could do to fix this, but I think the only one who can do that is you."

He looked up, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" he asked, desperate for an answer. "Just tell me that."

Max shook his head, "I don't know," he said. "I think you're going to have to go out there and find out."

He looked out the window, "I don't know if I can face the world looking like this," he finally said. "It would be easier to hide in my cabin for the rest of the trip. "

"I think that's the point," Max said. "You're going to have to do some hard things before this is over, and stepping outside looking like you do now is the first one. You're not ugly, Simon, not compared to most people. The world isn't going to run screaming when they see you."

"No, only Kira did that," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm going back to my cabin. Hopefully, this is just a bad dream and when I wake up, everything will be back to normal."

***Kira***

Kira stumbled out of the cabin, sucking in huge gulps of air, her head spinning, her mind unable to accept what she'd just seen. She paused for a second at the top of the stairs, then started down. It was a relief to feel Mary Beth right behind her, but she didn't stop. She had to get away from the cabin and the man inside before she passed out again, she needed some distance, some time to……. well, she wasn't sure what.

"Hey, slow down, I don't feel like running," Mary Beth said, jogging up to her. "I know that you're upset, and I don't blame you. I'm in a bit of shock myself, but breaking your ankle isn't going to help."

She glanced over her shoulder, relieved when she couldn't see the cabin, "I'm sorry, I just had to get away," she said. "I shouldn't have left you behind."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Mary Beth looked over at her, "Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think so," she said, shaking her head. "I keep thinking this is a bad dream, and I'll wake up soon."

"Why?" she asked. "Isn't this what you wanted? Simon isn't rich anymore, and he doesn't look like Prince Charming, more like his less fortunate younger brother."

"Mary Beth, this isn't funny," she said. "I'm over here losing my mind, and you're making jokes."

They'd reached the cabin, and Mary Beth paused before she went up the ladder, "I'm sorry, Kira," she said. "I don't know what else to do. You just need some time to process everything. Maybe you should go lie down for a while. Sleep is a great healer."

"I don't understand how you can be so calm about the whole thing," she said. "This better not be a joke. That could have all been makeup on Simon. How do we know they're not messing with us? Simon wouldn't go that far just to get me to sleep with him."

"Now I know you need to take a nap," Mary Beth said. "I want you to go right to bed, get some sleep, and give your brain a chance to catch up. I promise everything will look better afterward."

She collapsed into bed with her clothes still on, snuggled down into the covers and listened to the rain falling, but sleep wouldn't come. After tossing and turning for a long time, she finally gave up and got back out of bed, wishing she could shut her brain off, but the image of Simon looking so different wouldn't leave her mind. Mary Beth was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine when she came out of the bedroom, and let out a long sigh when she saw Kira standing in the doorway.

"It's no good, I can't go to sleep," she said. "I can't get my brain to disconnect. I just keep thinking about……Simon."

Mary Beth studied her for a second, then got to her feet, "All right, then we'll try something else," she said. "Go put on your hiking shoes. There's a waterfall Max told me about. A good hike should get you out of your head."

Fifteen minutes later they set out, backpacks full of snacks and emergency supplies, water bottles in their hands. The thought of an adventure gave her something to distract her. The rain had become a mist, and when she looked up at the sky, blue patches were beginning to show. She knew that it wouldn't be long before the sun made its appearance.

"Okay, we've got two hours of hard climbing ahead of us," Mary Beth said, adjusting the straps on her backpack. "Are you up for it?"

"Let's do this," she said, already feeling better. "If there's a waterfall on this island, it must be beautiful."

Her prediction came true. When they reached the waterfall a couple of hours later, both sweating and out of breath, they just stood watching it for a long time. "Can you feel the power of the water?" Mary Beth finally asked. "It's amazing. The ground is almost shaking with the force."

"The hike was worth it," she said, walking over to a flat rock along the edge of the pool at the bottom of the rushing water. "Let's sit here for a while."

"I don't know about you, but I've worked up an appetite," Mary Beth said, sitting down next to her. "We didn't have much for breakfast, so I packed us a big snack."

She started pulling food out of her backpack. There were sandwiches, homemade potato chips, several pieces of fresh fruit, and a huge chocolate bar. "Mary Beth, this is more than just a snack," she said. "Were you planning on spending the night here?"

"There's more," Mary Beth said, grinning at her. "That's just the first course."

"Well, then we'd better get eating," she said. "Otherwise, we'll have to lug it all back down with us."

When their stomachs were full, they laid back on the rock, enjoying the warm sunshine, and for the first time since they'd walked into the cabin, her head was finally quiet. "Mary Beth, what do you think happened to Simon?" she asked, looking over at her. "I mean, I know he got less attractive and lost his money, but how did it happen?"

"Mateo kept blaming the island. It must be magical or something," she said. "That's the only thing that makes any sense, the only way to explain Simon's sudden change."

She studied her friend for a second, turning that over in her mind, "You believe in magic?" she finally asked, searching her face for a sigh she was joking again. "I mean, you're an educated woman, you can't really believe in magic, that's just something in books and movies and stuff, it's not real."

"Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. This isn't my first brush with magic, Kira," Mary Beth said, a wistful look on her face. "Most people go through their entire lives without being touched by magic, but it's there, hidden in places you would never expect to find it. Clearly, this island is one of those places, and it shouldn't surprise me. Max is drawn to this kind of power, and he seeks it out even if he doesn't know it."

"It would be so much easier if I could believe," she said, sitting up and looking at the waterfall. "All this doubt is exhausting, but no matter how I look at it, there's no logical explanation. It kind of scares me. What else is lurking out there?"

Mary Beth laughed, "Oh, Kira, it's not like that," she said. "And for the most part, magic is good. It may not seem like that right now, especially to Simon, but there's a purpose to what's happened to him. He just has to figure it out, and you have to decide if you're going to be a part of the path he's supposed to follow. He let you into the cabin this morning. There must be a reason."

She let out a long sigh, "I don't know why, but he trusts me," she said, then fell silent for a second. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh or tease me about it?"

"Scouts honor," Mary Beth said, sitting up .

Wishing she'd kept her mouth shut, she stared at the waterfall for a second, unable to meet her friend's eyes. "When I first saw Simon sitting at the table, I was attracted to him," she finally blurted out. "There I said it, I don't know what that means, but that scares me too."