What Happened In Paradise?

First Visit: Moving Out

Adam jogs back to The Villa; Jess manages to keep astride him; Maxwell huffs a few paces behind, trying to keep up. When they return to the Villa, Maxwell doubles over, catches himself on his knees; his chest heaving.

“We’ll go collect our things and meet at your room in fifteen,” Adam says to Maxwell’s bent back.

Maxwell inhales, coughs, exhales. “Wait…” He takes another breath. “We don’t have to leave this instant. We…” He huffs out another breath.

“You can stay if you want. Jess and I aren’t sleeping here another night.”

“We don’t even know where we’re going.”

“That’s why we need to leave now.”

“And we have these to bring us luck.” Jess forces a smile. She’s trying again to diffuse the tension. The lucky seeds are sitting in her open palm.

“Get rid of those stupid things.” Adam grabs for the seeds. He manages to secure one; the other falls to Jess’ feet. Adam tosses the one he’s grabbed up into the thick trees around The Villa. “If I have to sleep by the road, I will…I’m not spending another night here.” He marches up the steps and sprints down the hall.

“He’s not himself.” Jess is wide-eyed. She’s convincing herself as well as Maxwell.

Maxwell bends for the seed. It was a soft grey colour in Jess’ hand. Resting in the verdant grass at Jess’ feet, the seed is a dark-grey - almost black - ball.

“I know.” Maxwell hands the seed back to her. “I believe this is yours.”

Jess shakes her head.

“It did bring us luck.” Maxwell smiles. “If we’d walked the other way, we wouldn’t have found WIC.”

Jess takes the seed, rotates it between thumb and index finger. “Why do you trust her?”

Her being the caretaker. “I don’t know.” Maxwell eyes the grass. “There’s certainly something wrong with this place...but...I don’t know. I’m certain that whatever happened to them, she wasn’t responsible.”

“You were before. What changed?”

Maxwell shrugs. My dead mother told me to trust her, is too much of a stretch for any friendship.

Jess sighs, tightens her fist around the seed.

“She didn’t do it, Jess.”

“I know.”

Maxwell exhales heavily; his shoulders fall. “You do?”

“Yes.” Jess nods. “She’s weird but kind. I trust her even though it doesn’t make sense for me to trust her.”

Maxwell takes a step towards Jess. “Convince Adam to stay. We need to stay here.”

Jess shakes her head. “I’ve never seen him like this...there’s no convincing him of anything.”

“Jess!” Adam is at the top of the steps, glaring down at them. “I packed your stuff. You should come check if I missed anything.”

Jess turns to leave; Maxwell reaches out to her, holds her arm. “Keep the seed with you,” he whispers into the space between them.

Jess narrows her eyes. “What?”

“Humour me. Keep it on you.”

“Jess!” Adam descends a step.

Jess nods at Maxwell before pulling away and leaping up to meet Adam.

“I guess you’ve decided to stay,” Adam says to Maxwell.

“No. I’ll go collect my things.” Maxwell is certain that he shouldn’t leave. He’s unsure how he’ll be of any help to Jess and Adam if Adam doesn’t heed his counsel. Adam is treating Maxwell as if he lacks the ability to make sound decisions. Still, Maxwell won’t risk being separated from anyone else. They’re here because of him.

***

Maxwell circles the room, gathering his sandals, toiletries, and the shirt and shorts he had thrown down on the chair. The shirt and shorts he had bought especially for this trip. He examines the green palms and toys with the idea of throwing the shirt out. After this trip is over, the fewer reminders he has, the better. He shakes his head, balls the shirt and shorts, stashes them in the back of the suitcase, in the section reserved for his dirty clothes. He scans the room. He has collected everything. He pulls his wallet out to double-check that the ring is still there. It’s still there. He wouldn’t mind seeing it on Stephanie’s finger. He’ll bear seeing anything as long as he gets to see her again.

***

“Did you lose something?” The caretaker pushes Maxwell’s door wider and steps in. He forgives the intrusion.

“No. We’re leaving.” Maxwell rises from the suitcase he has zipped shut, walks over to the caretaker. He owes her an apology for abandoning her. “I don't...My friends want to leave.”

The old woman grabs both sides of her head as if she’s trying to hold an ache in place, preventing it from swelling and spreading across her head and down her body.

“Safer here.” She launches at Maxwell, grips him by the shoulders. “You are safer here.”

“We’ll...we’ll be fine.” Maxwell seizes the caretaker’s hands. Dream or not, he has to admit that this reaction is a bit too much. Perhaps the old woman is lonely...and has lost a bit of her mind due to isolation in the bush. He tries a gentler approach. Slowly, he removes the caretaker’s hands from his shoulders. He kisses one, not knowing why he does it. He knows it felt right to do it. “We have the seeds. It will bring us luck. Remember? That’s what you said.”

“Good.” The caretaker’s chest and shoulders fall. “If I had known that your friends would not listen. I would have told you to come alone.”

“What is she- Maxwell, we’re ready to go?”

Maxwell walks back to his suitcase and rolls it to the door where Adam and Jess are standing - a step away from the old woman. Jess moves aside, creating space for Maxwell to exit. Maxwell wheels his suitcase in front of him and edges around Adam, who hasn’t moved. He and the old woman are in a stare-off.

Jess touches Adam’s arm; he blinks but doesn’t move.

“We need to get to the Inn,” Jess says.

“The Inn?” The caretaker’s eyes are saucers searching Maxwell’s face. “The Inn? That is where you are going?”

Maxwell nods.

“You cannot go there. It is not safe.”

Adam laughs; a forced, empty laugh. “You must be joking.”

The caretaker’s head snaps in Adam’s direction and her finger is pointed between his brows. “None of you listen.” She shakes her head. “Not your friends; and not you.”

Adam slaps her hand away.

“None of you listen.” She pushes past Adam and exits the room. “You are all going to die because you do not listen.”

“What did you say?” Adam grabs her by the neck. Jess tries to pry his fingers free.

“You are all going to die. You are all going to live among the dead.”

“Is that a threat?” Adam squeezes tighter and tighter.

Maxwell has joined Jess in trying to free the woman, but Adam’s intent is stronger than their efforts. Adam squeezes harder, each time asking the caretaker to repeat what she said. Each time he asks, she answers, even when the words come out as strangled coughs. Adam is nudging her body closer to the edge of the corridor. He doesn’t realize this; Jess and Maxwell do. They try to pull him off her; they try to warn him to no avail. When half of the old woman’s body is dangling over the rails, Maxwell has no choice but to wrap his own arm around Adam’s neck, trapping it in the crook of his elbow. Adam jabs him in the rib. Involuntarily, he releases Adam. Before Maxwell can collect himself and try again, the old woman has fallen over the balcony; her broken body, twisted at the base of a palm.