Escape Your Past

THE INVITATION

Judging by the moss on the older trees and the sun I was heading north and downhill. I'm used to working out and jogging on a daily basis, but this hike was a whole new ballgame.There was no path to walk on, the trees were so close to each other I had no visibility. I thought of climbing on one of them to get some idea of where I am and in which direction to go. That turned out to be a dumb idea, I fell so hard it's a miracle I didn't break anything. So I continued on walking. One of my hands was clutching the gun, the other was lifting my dress, the clutch was tucked in my armpit. It was incredibly uncomfortable and my progress was slow. My leather flats felt like metal boots, although those would probably be better. As the sun started to set, the temperatures dropped. I was petrified, angry, thirsty and in pain. To keep my mind off my misery I started analyzing how the hell did I get here. It seems like it was ages ago when Charles invited me to the white tie event and told me to put an extra effort for the party, when in fact it all started yesterday morning during breakfast. My husband said :

"Come on, Olie. I need my better half to help me melt this investor. This one is a though nut to crack." 

I smiled and said "Tell me more about your nuts" now most men will take that as a coitus invitation, mine is wired differently, he gets turned on by making money, so he got into his "business mode". 

"The guy is a true eccentric. Loves to surround himself with ancient antiquities." He poured me a fresh cup of coffee. "They were probably current furniture when he was young." He winked and passed me the cup. "Refers to himself as Mr. X, so don't call him by his full name."

"Which is?..." I asked and took a bite from my omelette.

"Xander. Rupert Xander. A tiny old man with a big pile of dough" he continued. "He likes beautiful things, Olive. So he definitely will like you." he said with a wink and then he stroked my shoulder. "I need to get this deal done, honey, with you there it will be lighter. Your feminine flair will defuse the working atmosphere and hopefully he'll open up his pockets." 

I would have loved a chill night at home with a good book, but he was practically begging, so I reluctantly agreed. I had a suitable outfit for the event- a long, silver, gala dress with a bare back. It was one shoulder and draped almost architecturally around my body, hopefully it will point to my Greek roots without looking too costumy. All I needed was shoes. If Mr X is short maybe flats will be something he'll like, that way I won't tower over him with my five foot six height.

Walking now in the forest I was thankful for my shoe choice. 

-"Last thing I needed was to go trough this hell in heels." 

Suddenly I felt a strong sulfur odor. A hot spring! Mr X had mentioned a hot spring in the estate, when he was giving me a tour of his mansion. It must be somewhere near! I stopped, closed my eyes and tried to use my sense of smell to figure where the scent was coming from and started marching with a purpose. Eventually I heard it ,so I escalated my pace.

-"Come on Shay, put some gas on it. It's freezing here."

The hot spring brought tears to my eyes.

-"This is my take on a desert oasis. Damn it's gorgeous!"

It really was beautiful. Small and huddled between high rocks on one side and a little meadow on the other. The hot vapor was already warming me up. I crouched near the water and tested the temperature. Hot but tolerable. I was so parched it didn't matter the water was hot. It's taste was divine! I stood up and let my dress and underwear slide off my shoulders. Gingerly dipped one foot in the water and whimpered. The pain was excruciating. My feet were blistered and scratched from the long walk in the wild, the contact with the water only made matters worse. However, my wounds needed cleaning and my body was becoming an icicle, so I ignored the pain and advanced on in the warm haze. It was difficult to see with all the hot vapor around and I had to look down not to slip on the rocks as I slowly descended into the misty water,. Finally, I was in. 

-"This feels nice. Nothing beats a visit to the SPA after escaping your own murder."

This was the first moment of something not bad happening to me since forever. I closed my eyes and let out a well deserved sigh. I washed my face and used my hands to wipe the water off my eye lids. Blinking I looked ahead in the hot mist and suddenly alarm bells were ringing in my head.

-"Oh, my God, someone else is here!"